Christian philosophers have always discussed God’s objective attributes and His divine being, though​ these philosophers don’t generally ask about God’s own personal experience: Does He have experience? Does He have any conscious states other than pure thought and will?

On Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, in the SB Hall Multipurpose Room, the University of Dallas will welcome Aquinas Medalist Linda Zagzebski, Ph.D., as she delivers the 2018 Aquinas Lecture, sponsored by UD’s Philosophy Department, titled “The Subjectivity of God.”

After breaking down the rise of subjective thought in the modern era, Zagzebski will identify what she now believes to be one of the missing attributes often not discussed of God: the “omnisubjectivity,” or the ability to know the conscious states of every conscious creature. In doing this, Zagzebski will apply her own view of the subjectivity of God to an interpretation of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity that illuminates the differences among the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

“In her work, Professor Zagzebski manifests a penetrating mind that applies itself to a wide range of philosophical areas, including morality, epistemology, philosophy of God and religion,” said Associate Professor, Chair of the Philosophy Department and Director of the Philosophy and Letters Program Matthew Walz, Ph.D. “She will share her reflections on God's intimate presence to each of us as conscious beings. Her original insights on the topic will no doubt be provocative and enriching, expanding our self-understanding as well as our understanding of God.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Zagzebski will also deliver a seminar on religious authority — indeed, “a question very relevant to our living well in the contemporary world,” said Walz.

Zagzebski currently serves as the George Lynn Cross research professor and Kingfisher College chair of the Philosophy of Religion and Ethics Department at the University of Oklahoma. She has also served as president of the American Philosophical Association Central Division, the Society of Christian Philosophers and the American Catholic Philosophical Association.