About Us
The Center For Evangelical Catholicism (the CEC) is a non-profit Catholic Think Tank, faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, and dedicated Church’s call for a new evangelization. Through the three pillars of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty the CEC seeks to form evangelical Catholics who are intentional disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ equipped preach the Gospel and to fulfill the Great Commission.
We seek to fulfill our mission though top educational content, such as our conferences, lecture series, publications, and podcasts, as well as though our custom parish consulting.
Registration Open for 2025 Fall Conference!
Early Bird Pricing Available until September 1
2025 Conference - The Divine Word in Human Words: Theology as Poetry
Sale Price:
$50.00
Original Price:
$60.00
Join us for our 9th Annual Fall conference on Dante’s Divine Comedy with acclaimed scholars Dr. Robert Royal and Dr. Jason Baxter. Together, they will guide us through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, revealing how Dante’s epic is more than poetry—it is a profound theological journey.
Explore how the Inferno shows the disfigurement of the soul through sin, how Purgatorio reveals the healing power of grace, and how Paradiso points to the ultimate fulfillment of the human person in God.
Dr. Baxter will illuminate Dante’s poetic imagination and symbolic world, while Dr. Royal will unpack the theological richness and enduring relevance of the Comedy in today’s secular age.
Whether you’re a newcomer or a longtime reader of Dante, this conference offers a chance to rediscover Catholic theology, the nature of the soul, and the path to holiness through one of history’s greatest literary masterpieces.
Featuring Speakers
Dr Robert Royal
Dr Royal is is a former Fulbright scholar, and holds a B.A. and M.A. from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from The Catholic University of America. A prolific writer and sought after speaker on ethics, culture, religion, and politics, he has appeared on various radio and television stations nationally and internationally and his books have been translated into several languages. In addition, his articles have appeared in scholarly journals and publications including First Things, the Wilson Quarterly, the Catholic Historical Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Washington Times, and National Review. Dr. Royal is the founder and editor in chief of “The Catholic Thing,” an online forum with daily columns on all things Catholic.
Dr Jason Baxter
Dr Baxter is the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College. He holds a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to joining Benedictine, he spent time as a visiting associate professor at Notre Dame preceded by twelve years at Wyoming Catholic College. His written works include The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis and A Beginner’s Guide to Dante’s Divine Comedy, among others, and he is currently working on an original translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Baxter has written many academic and popular articles, and he frequently makes media appearances ranging from podcasts to EWTN.
Reform Begins in the Parish
Forming Evangelical Catholic Parishes
The New Evangelization takes place primarily in parish churches led by priests who are assisted by lay leaders in fulfilling their duties to teach, sanctify, and govern the portion of the flock entrusted to their care. To help those entrusted with the task of forming parishes for the New Evangelization, the CEC offers a program called The Evangelical Catholic Parish.
The Evangelical Catholic Parish was born out of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenville, South Carolina: one of the most sterling examples of the New Evangelization in action. Through our consultation and coaching we work with pastors to form a comprehensive plan centered on the three pillars of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty to help their parish fulfill the great commission. Topics that are covered include, among others, the theoretical and practical dimensions of expository preaching, celebrating the sacred liturgy in keeping with the perennial mind of the Church and the authentic reforms of the Second Vatican Council, forming and teaching Catholics of every age for lives of intentional Christian discipleship, organizing the charitable activities of the parish in keeping both with the principles of Catholic social teaching and with the understanding of social justice as a personal virtue rather than an ideology or political platform. We don’t just theorize on how to enact the New Evangelization in parishes, but rather, we help provide priests with the necessary tools to actually implement it in the liturgy and life of their parish.
To see an Evangelical Catholic Parish in action please enjoy the 11.00 am Solemn High Mass at St. Mary’s in Greenville, South Carolina livestreamed on Facebook each Sunday. https://www.facebook.com/stmarysgvl/
“St Mary’s in Greenville South Carolina: a parish that is a thriving example of the New Evangelization, embodying the hope that the liturgical reform, reformed, can energize mission and empower missionary disciples.”
— George Weigel