This lecture was presented by the campus chapter of the Thomistic Institute at the University of Arizona on February 27, 2020.

Prof. Francis J. Beckwith is Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy. Among his over one dozen books are "Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice" (Cambridge University Press, 2007), "Politics For Christians: Statecraft As Soulcraft" (IVP, 2010), and "Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith" (Cambridge University Press, 2015), winner of the American Academy of Religion's prestigious 2016 Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Constructive-Reflective Studies. He is a graduate of the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis (MJS) as well as Fordham University (PhD, MA, philosophy).