The DLSC seeks to furnish its members with a communal spirit that joins fidelity to the Gospel with a strong commitment to inquiry, a healthy but not uncritical respect for tradition, exposure to a broad range of theological outlooks, and a thoughtful approach to important questions. Our principal role model for theological inquiry is St. Thomas Aquinas who was able to articulate a profound synthetic vision of the Christian life because in addition to his other remarkable gifts:
- He could learn from everyone, including non-believers.
- He was open to new ideas and capable of taking intellectual risks.
- He was interested in what everyone had to say.
Other important Dominican role models include Catherine of Siena, Albertus Magnus, Raymond of Peñafort, Isabel de Flores (Rose of Lima), Meister Eckhart, Catherine De Ricci, Marie Joseph Lagrange, Margaret Ebner, Fra Angelico, Emily Bicchieri, Francis of Vitoria, Zedislava Berka, Bartolome De Las Casas, Columba di Rieti, Martin de Porres, Anna Catherine Abrikosova, Henri Lacordaire, Pauline Marie Jaricot, Marie Dominique Chenu, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, Bede Jarrett, Yves Congar, Mary Joseph Rogers, Dominique Pire, Gustavo Guttierez, Edward Schillebeeckx, and many others.