Events Roundup—1.30.23

Virginia

The Imago Dei Conference
Saturday, March 18

What does the Imago Dei have to say about race, gender, marriage, identity politics, science, poverty, and private property? The Imago Dei Project at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA, is pleased to convene an interdisciplinary group of scholars seeking new insight into complex cultural issues by examining God’s first words about human beings in the opening chapters of Genesis. You can watch an introductory video and register here. 

Chicago

Nicodemus
Saturday, April 15, through Sunday, May 14

Based on the true story found in the Gospel of John, Nicodemus is a contemporized retelling of the biblical account, set in modern day. Nicodemus, an influential member of the clergy, meets Jesus face-to-face for the first time. That confrontation sets off a series of events that causes him to question his most foundational beliefs, and be a part of history’s biggest event. The play will be hosted by the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago, Illinois. You can find more information and get tickets here.

Maryland

The Future of Christianity
Monday, May 1

There is little question that Christianity is in flux. In the West, doctrinal and moral debates have caused rifts in nearly every denomination of Christianity. At the same time, the bulk of orthodox Christian practice has shifted to the “global South,” presenting both challenges and opportunities. Given these trends, what is the future of Christianity? Join editor R. R. Reno, The American Conservative, and The Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at Washington College in discussion of this question on Monday, May 1 at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. You can get more information and obtain tickets here. 

New York 

The 40th Annual Fr. Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture
Monday, January 30

Dr. Hans Boersma will deliver the lecture (“God as Embodied”) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary this year, available in person and online. The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in the morning at the Three Hierarchs Chapel. You can find more information and sign up here.

Why Read Great Books?
Friday, February 3

Are some books “great” in a way others are not? Can a core curriculum represent all the members of a university community? What should students get out of their classes in the core? How should we justify liberal education today? Join the Morningside Institute at Columbia University for a conversation between Roosevelt Montás and Zena Hitz, moderated by Emmanuelle Saada. Refreshments will be provided following the talk. You can find more information, including streaming info, and sign up here.

Sonnez Les Matines
Tuesday, February 21 

Sonnez Les Matines is a play produced by Wiseblood Books. One Mardi Gras night in 1520s Paris, college students Jean Calvin, Ignatius of Loyola, and their bawdy friend Francois Rabelais find themselves mixed up in a gruesome murder—and any one of them might be guilty. The ensuing investigation sparks a battle of wits and weapons, plunging them into questions of justice and mercy, grace and sin, innocence, guilt, love, and contempt. You can find more information and purchase tickets here.

Cardinal Richelieu's Forgotten Heiress
Sunday, March 12 

On Sunday, March 12, First Things contributor Bronwen McShea and editor R. R. Reno will be discussing McShea's new historical biography, La Duchesse: The Life of Marie de Vignerot—Cardinal Richelieu's Forgotten Heiress Who Shaped the Fate of France (Pegasus Books). La Duchesse tells the story of a remarkable woman of Golden Age France, a devoutly Catholic noblewoman who became her uncle's invaluable right-hand during his tenure as King Louis XIII's First Minister of State. McShea will explain what went into recovering Vignerot's story from historical records and what the Duchess's example has to teach us about the role members of the laity traditionally played in fostering a more Christian society and in helping the clerical hierarchy to govern and reform the Church. You can sign up here.

Should Universities Teach Virtue?
Wednesday, April 26

Come to the Collegium Institute's Annual Penn Club of New York Reception featuring a cocktail reception and discussion on “Should the University Teach Virtue?” 

The featured guests for the event are Professors Jennifer Frey and Robert P. George. Prof. Frey is Associate Professor Philosophy and Inaugural Dean of the Honors College at the University of Tulsa. Prof. George is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and Director of Princeton’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. You can purchase tickets and learn more here.

Feminism Against Progress
Wednesday, April 26

Please join us for the launch of Mary Harrington’s Feminism Against Progress, featuring Mary Harrington and Nina Power. The event will be co-hosted by Compact and First Things, 7 p.m. in New York City. For details, RSVP to info@compactmag.com.

Washington, D.C.

Antihumanism and the Post-Political Condition
Tuesday, March 7

We are sliding toward a post-political mode of governance, in which expert administration replaces democratic contest, and political sovereignty is relocated from representative bodies to a permanent bureaucracy that is largely unaccountable. Common sense is disqualified as a guide to reality. How did we reach this point? Join First Things on Tuesday, March 7, at 7 p.m. to hear Matthew B. Crawford answer this question as part of the sixth annual First Things Lecture in Washington, D.C. You can find more information and sign up here. The event will also be streamed.

In Altum Program
Tuesday through Sunday, May 23–28
Tuesday through Sunday, June 13–18
Tuesday through Sunday, July 11–16
Tuesday through Sunday, August 8–13 (in Rome)

In Altum is a Washington, D.C., based organization that seeks to connect international leaders to be sources of change in their fields. In Altum participants explore a wide range of topics for the duration of the program through a variety of different formats: conferences, meetings, seminars, and lectures. You can find more information and apply here.

Phoenix

The Tradition Today: The National Symposium for Classical Education
Wednesday through Friday, February 22–24

The National Classical Education Symposium is designed to enrich our understanding of the classical liberal arts in both the theoretical and practical dimensions of curriculum and pedagogy. The symposium provides school leaders and master teachers with some of the best thoughts on the subjects under consideration. This year’s symposium will focus on tradition. You can find more information and sign up here.

Image by Leonard Bentley licensed via Creative Commons. Image cropped.