The lectureship is made possible by a generous gift from the late Oliva Blanchette and his wife, Dorothy Kennedy. Blanchette was a professor of philosophy at Boston College for over fifty years, until retiring just two years prior to his death in 2021. Much of his work explored themes in philosophy of religion (especially in the work of Hegel and Blondel), and the relationships between philosophy and theology and Christianity and other religions. Each Blanchette-Kennedy Lecturer will deliver a public talk on themes or questions of importance for philosophy and religion, and offer a seminar on a key text in their area of expertise.

The first Blanchette-Kennedy Lecturer is Jean Grondin of the University of Montreal. Professor Grondin has published many important works in the areas of metaphysics, hermeneutics, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of religion. He is also a leading authority, worldwide, on the thought of Hans-Georg Gadamer, who taught at Boston College for many years.