Fr. Gregory Boyle – McMurrin Lecture on Religion and Culture – Tanner Humanities Center Skip to content About About the Center Our Team Advisory Boards Support the Center Join our mailing list News and Events News Center Events National Theatre Live Podcast: The Virtual Jewel Box Tanner Book Club How we watch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Fellowships, research, and professional development Fellowships Current Fellows and Fellowship Events Tanner Labs Research Interest Groups Gateway to Learning Workshops Mormon Studies (mormon.utah.edu) Search Site Powered by the University of Utah Powered by Search Campus Tanner Humanities Center Home Event Fr. Gregory Boyle – McMurrin Lecture on Religion and Culture Fr. Gregory Boyle – McMurrin Lecture on Religion and Culture Date & Time: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 7:00pm Location: Salt Lake City Public Library Father Gregory Boyle, S.J., is founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. What began in 1992 at Dolores Mission Church as a small job-training effort grew into a comprehensive reentry and support organization for people leaving gangs and incarceration. Homeboy Industries provides mental-health counseling, case management, legal assistance, job training, and additional services to help its clients. Its social-enterprise businesses such as Homeboy Bakery offer paid transitional employment. The organization now serves thousands each year and has influenced similar programs nationally and internationally through the Global Homeboy Network. His awards include Humanitarian of the Year from the James Beard Foundation, the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In his most recent book, Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times, Boyle calls for a community ethos that prioritizes tenderness, shared dignity, and the healing power of unconditional connection. See also: “Healing Trauma: Beyond Gangs and Prisons” video documentary — Brave New Films “Father Greg Boyle: Unshakable Goodness” — Everything Happens with Kate Boler “How Greg Boyle, S.J., preaches Easter joy to incarcerated people” — America, The Jesuit Review “Love on the Streets of LA” podcast with Mark Bauerlein — First Things About the Sterling M. McMurrin Lectures on Religion and Culture Named for the renowned Utah-born teacher, scholar, administrator, and advisor to major corporations, foundations, and federal agencies—the Sterling M. McMurrin Lectures on Religion and Culture advance academic inquiry into the role of religion in people’s lives. It was founded in 1992 by McMurrin, Lowell M. Durham Jr. (Director of the Tanner Humanities Center from 1992–1997), and friends Richard Smoot, Peter Appleby, Jack Newell, Brigham Madsen, and Boyer Jarvis. McMurrin (1914–1996) was a prolific lecturer and writer on the history and philosophy of religion. McMurrin’s career at the University of Utah was wide-ranging: he taught in the Departments of Philosophy, History, and Educational Administration, and he went on to serve as Dean of the College of Letters and Science, Academic Vice President, Provost, Dean of the Graduate School, and a founding member of the Tanner Lectures on Human Values. He was also the University’s first Distinguished Professor and the first recipient of the prestigious Rosenblatt Prize. Views expressed in Tanner Humanities Center events do not represent the official position of the Center or the University of Utah. Join our mailing list for more updates about Tanner Humanities Center events and programming. Sponsors: Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Get Tickets Map PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST About About the Center Our Team Advisory Boards Support the Center Join our mailing list Fellowships, research, and professional development Fellowships Current Fellows and Fellowship Events Tanner Labs Research Interest Groups Gateway to Learning Workshops Mormon Studies (mormon.utah.edu) Tanner Humanities Center Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building 215 S Central Campus Dr Rm 110 Salt Lake City UT 84112 801-581-7989 News and Events News Center Events National Theatre Live Podcast: The Virtual Jewel Box Tanner Book Club How we watch The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Centers and Programs in Humanities American West Center Asia Center Environmental Humanities International Studies Latin American Studies Middle East Center Mormon Studies Peace and Conflict Studies Second Language Teaching and Research Center Taft-Nicholson Environmental Humanities Education Center © 2026 THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH Nondiscrimination & Accessibility Disclaimer Privacy About the U Media Contacts