About The Institute on Religion and Public Life
The Institute on Religion and Public Life is a 501(c)3 organization and the publisher of First Things. It was founded in 1989 by Richard John Neuhaus, a Lutheran pastor who later became a Catholic priest.
The inaugural issue of First Things was published in March 1990. Beginning with the magazine’s founding editorial, “Putting First Things First,” the Institute’s mission is to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society.
Today, First Things is America’s most influential journal of religion and public life, encompassing the print magazine, published ten times each year; our website, featuring the latest ideas at the intersection of religion, culture, and politics; and podcasts and newsletters, delivered directly to subscriber’s inboxes.
First Things recognizes that it must take an active role in introducing readers to one another in order to cultivate a genuine intellectual community. In our small way, First Things aims to strengthen and unify communities of religious believers, all in service to our purpose of amplifying religious voices in the public square.
In addition to published media, the Institute hosts a variety of events and programming aimed at strengthening, developing, and enhancing the intellectual core of the journal.
These include:
Erasmus Lecture
Our seminal annual lecture comprises a poetry reading, a post-Lecture dinner for supporters and leading scholars, and a scholarly colloquium;
Evangelicals and Catholics Together
Established in 1994, the seminar convenes prominent Protestant and Catholic scholars to publish public statements on critical theological, cultural, and political topics;
Junior Fellows Program
Our fellowship which trains two recent graduates each year;
Executive Seminars
Half-day executive seminars in cities around the country;
Intellectual Retreat
Intensive weekend Intellectual Retreats;
Conversations & Lectures
Our First Things Lecture discourses in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Austin, and the Neuhaus Lecture in Florida;
Reading Group
Our monthly reading group, meeting from September through May, with both in-person and Zoom options available;
Events
Other events, including arts events, book signings, and lectures at our Manhattan editorial office and around the country.
To learn more please review our latest Annual Report.
To subscribe to First Things, please visit firstthings.com/subscribe.
To donate to the Institute on Religion and Public Life, please visit donate.firstthings.com or contact Matteo Moran, Director of Advancement, at mmoran@firstthings.com.
