First Things Events
Neuhaus Lecture with Patrick Deneen: “We Are All Postliberals Now”
Thursday, February 13
Sarasota, Florida
First Things welcomes Patrick Deneen to present our inaugural Neuhaus lecture, named after our founder, Richard John Neuhaus. Deneen's lecture, entitled “We Are All Postliberals Now,” will take place in Sarasota, Florida at New College's Sainer Auditorium.
First Things Lecture with Carl R. Trueman: The Hour for a New Humanism
Tuesday, March 11
Washington, D.C.
How do we rediscover personally and as a society what it means to be human? Join Carl Trueman and the Heritage Foundation for a presentation on “The Hour for a New Humanism.” Carl Trueman is a professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Chicago Conversation with R. R. Reno and Anna Moreland: “Cultivating Virtue in the Age of TikTok”
Wednesday, April 16
Chicago, Illinois
R. R. Reno is editor of First Things. Anna Moreland is the author of Muhammad Reconsidered: A Christian Perspective on Islamic Prophecy. More information forthcoming.
First Things Intellectual Retreat: “Faith and Technology”
August 8–9
New York City, New York
Join First Things for two days of intellectual enrichment and good company as we explore the topic of faith and technology. The retreat will feature a keynote lecture, a panel, and seminar discussions led by instructors from a liberal arts college. More information and registration forthcoming.
Lecture Featuring First Things Editor R. R. Reno
Thursday, September 18
Little Rock, Arkansas
More information forthcoming.
38th Annual Erasmus Lecture with Bishop Erik Varden
Monday, November 3
New York City, New York
Bishop Erik Varden will present the 2025 Erasmus Lecture. Varden is a Trappist monk and the Bishop of Trondheim, Norway.
Join us the evening before for our annual poetry reading. More information and registration forthcoming.
Partnership Events
Is There a Catholic Case for a Second New Deal?
Wednesday, January 22
New York City, New York
The University of Pennsylvania’s Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society (PRRUCS) invites you to a “Spirited Debate” symposium. Featured commentators include Sohrab Ahmari of UnHerd, Dr. E. J. Dionne of the Brookings Institution, and former U.S. senator Rick Santorum. This event is cosponsored by First Things and America Media.
The Future of Catholic Theology and Why It Matters in the 21st Century
Tuesday, February 4
New York City, New York
Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P., rector of the Angelicum (Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome) will deliver the inaugural Aquinas Lecture. This will be the Angelicum's first major stateside event, introducing the university's important educational mission to American audiences. Cosponsored by First Things.
Events hosted by friends of First Things
FORMA Symposium
January 31–February 1
Belmont, North Carolina
In this upcoming FORMA conference and subsequent journal, scholars from the home to the university will come together to explore both the traditional role of the Quadrivium in classical education and how we can practice these arts today.
Great Hearts National Symposium for Classical Education
February 19–21
Tempe, Arizona
The symposium is an annual gathering dedicated to cultivating a conversation about the restoration of classical, liberal arts education today. Topics of discussion include the Great Books, curriculum and pedagogy, school leadership, operations, and more. Speakers include Matthew B. Crawford, Mark Bauerlein, Christopher Scalia, and Kyle Washut.
Living Well at the End of a World
April 4–5
New York City, New York
We need to learn how to flourish in a time of deep cultural change, and we need to learn from moral exemplars who have done this in a particularly effective way. Speakers include Bishop Erik Varden, James Hankins, and Sarah Shortall.
Civitas Dei Fellowship: “The Future of Personhood and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence”
June 8–13
Washington, D.C.
The Summer Fellowship is sponsored by the Institute for Human Ecology at The Catholic University of America and the Thomistic Institute at the Dominican House of Studies. Recipients attend a one-week program in Washington, D.C. This year’s Civitas Dei fellowship examines “The Future of Personhood and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,” drawing on patristic, scholastic, and contemporary perspectives. Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates in all disciplines.
An Introduction to French Political Thought
June 29–July 10
Paris, France
Academia Tocqueville is a twelve-day seminar located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Paris). The program is open to graduate students, as well as young professionals. Participants study the liberal-conservative tradition and encounter representatives of counter-revolutionary thought. Students learn to distinguish a Bordeaux from a Burgundy, visit the hidden sites of Paris, and forge new transatlantic alliances and friendships that help Western nations learn from each other.
Theopolitan Ministry Conference: Church Music
July 14–15
Birmingham, Alabama
Church music is in crisis. The 2025 Theopolitan Ministry Conference will dig to the roots of our musical chaos. Keynote speakers include John Ahern, Steven Guthrie, and Peter J. Leithart.
Institute for Catholic Liberal Education: National Conference
July 15–18
Lincoln, Nebraska
Join hundreds of Catholic educators as they come together to deepen their understanding of the nature and purpose of Catholic education and its roots in the liberal arts tradition.
