HCAS Annual Summer Book Club Discussion (Virtual)
Sat., Aug. 29, 2026, 7 – 8:30 p.m. 
Join us for our annual summer reading gathering as Oriana Li Halevy leads a discussion on Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas.
In this rich and deeply reflective encyclical, Pope Leo XIV explores what it means to be fully human amid rapid technological transformation. Drawing on Scripture, philosophy, and the Church's social teaching tradition, he offers a compelling vision of the human person and the future of civilization. Rather than presenting a narrow policy framework on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas examines the dignity of the human person, the meaning of work, the nature of community, and the moral responsibilities that accompany creativity and innovation.
Framing our moment as a choice between the confusion of Babel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the Holy Father reflects on AI, labor, war, technology, and human flourishing with depth and moral seriousness. He explicitly places this encyclical in continuity with Rerum Novarum whose enduring vision of solidarity, human flourishing, and the common good guided our summer reading discussion last year. Just as Rerum Novarum addressed the profound social and economic transformations of the industrial age, Magnifica Humanitas invites Christians and "all people of good will" to discern faithfully the opportunities and challenges of the digital age through a renewed understanding of the human person – created for truth, communion, and love.
Please join us for a thoughtful and timely conversation as we continue exploring the Church's wisdom for the modern world and the shared future we are called to build together.
Online Location: hcas.sigs.harvard.edu…
Gazette Classification: Community, Lecture, Religion
Organization/Sponsor: Harvard Christian Alumni Society
Cost: Free
Ticket Web Link: hcas.sigs.harvard.edu…
Contact Info: Nadira Wansor, SIG [email protected]
Harvard Key Required: No
More info: hcas.sigs.harvard.edu…