The poet T.S. Eliot posed the questions: “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”

Ours is certainly an age of increased knowledge and information. But in the maelstrom of daily life, we have lost something of great value: the emphasis, both individual and communal, on the pursuit of wisdom.

This pursuit of wisdom is the foundational ideal of the Newman Institute. All that we do – our college classes in the Great Books, our speakers and cultural activities – is aimed at helping students of all ages wrestle with the primary questions of human existence: What is life’s purpose and meaning? How should we live? What should we love?

We take our inspiration from the life and thought of Blessed John Henry Newman, whose own pursuit of wisdom led him to see that true liberal education – liberal in the sense that it frees us from error and falsehood – has “almost the beauty and harmony of heavenly contemplation, so intimate is it with the eternal order of things.”

Browse our pages. Consider attending our courses and lectures. If you like what you see, let others know about what we do. And please contact us if you have comments or questions.

If you would like to join us in our pursuit of wisdom and help young people do the same, please consider supporting us. 

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The Newman Institute is looking forward to Spring 2021 semester. We are offering undergraduate courses that will be in-person learning. The Spring Seminars will be offered both in-person and via livestream. 

YOU CAN NOW DONATE OR PAY TUITION ONLINE

The Newman Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture is housed at the Newman Center on the UNL campus.
Please do not park in the Newman Center alley or in the Lutheran Chapel lot across the street as these are tow-away zones. Street parking is available (meters shut off at 6 p.m. and run Monday-Saturday). There is also a parking garage at 17th and Q.