The good people at the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal at Ave Maria University are at it again. Every other year they put on a conference devoted directly to theological themes in Aquinas, while in the interceding year they have a conference on some feature of Catholic doctrine and practice. This year they are holding a conference on Aquinas's commentary on the Letter to the Romans, from February 5-7, 2009 (need the text of Thomas's commentary on Romans? Click here). The conference, entitled "Reading Romans with St. Thomas Aquinas: Ecumenical Explorations," brings together the following ecumenical cast of speakers:

• Bernhard Blankenhorn, OP
• Markus Bockmuehl
• Hans Boersma
• John Boyle
• Edgardo Colon-Emeric
• Holly Taylor Coolman
• Adam Cooper
• Scott Hahn
• Mary Healy
• Paul Keller, OP
• Matthew L. Lamb
• Matthew Levering
• Bruce Marshall
• Emmanuel Perrier, OP
• Charles Raith
• Patrick Henry Reardon
• Michael Root
• Michael Sherwin, OP
• Gregory Vall
• Geoffrey Wainwright
• Michael Waldstein
• Robert Louis Wilken
• David S. Yeago

You can download the general conference flyer (PDF), and the conference registration (PDF). Register early, they say, because space is limited.

On a personal note, I have gone to all the Aquinas-specific conferences save the first, and have found them all to be profoundly informative. In a time when both travel budgets and time are tight, this is my only "can't miss" conference every year, topping even Kalamazoo. And the new digs at Ave Maria University form a lovely conference space—especially in early February!