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Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry
Established in 2014 to advance the University's strategic goal of making ACU a world-leading institution in religion, philosophy, and history, IRCI includes research programs in Biblical and Early Christian Studies, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Philosophy, and Religion and Theology.
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Our global team of scholars are experts in the fields of religion, theology, philosophy, history, and literature.
Applications for fully funded places for the PhD and MPhil programs at Australian Catholic University are now open. For further information, please click on the link below.
Call for Papers
The Loyola Institute and the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry invite papers for "Idol Talk? In the Image of the Disabled God Disability, the Imago Dei and Practical Consequences" to be held on 22-23 May 2025 at ACU's Melbourne Campus.
Makarios Conference
The Makarios conference aims to convene scholars from theology, philosophy, history, and the social sciences to explore the past, present, and future of Christianity's complex engagement with character and virtue as it relates to human flourishing. The conference is a joint undertaking of the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University, the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, the Lonergan Institute and the Colloquy in Historical Theology at Boston College, and the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. The conference will take place 31 May to 2 June 2025 at ACU's Rome Campus.
A major focus of research in this program is the extent to which different strands of early Christianity aimed to define themselves in relation to Jewish and Greco-Roman religious, philosophical, rhetorical, social, and cultural heritages.
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This research program explores the ideas, practices, and experiences of beliefs around the world, from the post-Classical era until 1800, as well as their legacies, reception, and afterlives today.
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The IRCI’s Religion and Theology program supports constructive work in the study of religion that incorporates a wide range of methodologies.
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The Philosophy program aspire to excellence in the central areas of philosophical inquiry, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and metaethics, and the philosophy of mind, language, religion and science.
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Scholars from around the world unite at our Rome Campus for the IRCI seminar series each year. These seminars are an opportunity for researchers to collaborate and discuss critical questions to advance research in philosophy, religion, and theology.
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C/- 115 Victoria Pde
Fitzroy, VIC, 3065.