St. Dominic made study an essential part of the "Holy Preaching” of his friars. This was no small innovation in the thirteenth century when most of the clergy were uneducated. It was evident to Dominic that to respond adequately to the contemporary needs of his time, to engage in dialogue and debate with people whose lifestyle and intellectual sharpness had won many away from the faith, he and his fellow preachers would have to commit themselves to study and to supporting each other in their quest for knowledge and for truth.

Since preaching consists in applying the Catholic tradition authoritatively to contemporary life and requires a thorough knowledge of the tradition, St. Dominic sent the friars to the universities to study, to preach, and to establish places of learning. The dedication to study and preaching continues today, most especially at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT.)

The Dominican School promotes the study and effective communication of philosophical and theological truth in service to the Gospel. Informed by the Dominican practice of disciplined inquiry and learned preaching, the school draws its students into the rich tradition of classical philosophy and Catholic theology, especially as exemplified by St. Thomas Aquinas, and places this tradition in creative dialogue with contemporary scholarship and culture.

Light through Study