About this episode

Prof. Medi Volpe discusses how conscience is shaped by imagination and storytelling.

Prof. Medi Volpe argues that conscience is formed through the imagination, which is nurtured and filled by stories, so that discerning right action is less a matter of weighing propositions than of recognizing one's part in a larger story. This lecture was given on July 25th, 2026, at Stonyhurst College. Support the Thomistic Institute Campus Chapter Program here: truth.thomisticinstitute.org/pod About the Speaker: Medi Ann Volpe is a Catholic moral theologian and mother of four children, including a daughter with Down Syndrome. She is the Director of Research at Wesley House, Cambridge and teaches theology and ethics at Durham University (UK) . Her first book, Rethinking Christian Identity (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), brings contemporary theological themes into conversation with voices from the classical Christian tradition. More recently, her work has explored the intersection of ecclesiology and spiritual formation, with a special interest in discipleship and Christian identity of children as well as people with intellectual disabilities. She has published in journals and handbooks, including the International Journal of Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, and the Oxford…

People in this episode

Guest: Prof. Medi Volpe

Topics covered

• conscience
• imagination
• moral theology
• Christian identity
• storytelling
• spiritual formation

Keywords

• conscience
• imagination
• moral theology
• Christian identity
• spiritual formation
• stories
• ethics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Thomistic Institute, Wesley House, Durham University, Journal of Disability and Religion, International Journal of Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology

Books & works: Rethinking Christian Identity

Places: Stonyhurst College

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• Conscience First, and to the Pope Afterwards - Prof. Lewis Ayres · September 8, 2026 · 32 min
• Newman Against Hitler: Reflections on Ratzinger - Prof. Lewis Ayres · September 7, 2026 · 35 min
• Conscience in Everyday Life - Prof. Medi Volpe · September 3, 2026 · 38 min

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