Without understanding where we have come from, what can we know of ourselves or what we are meant for? The 2023 First Things Intellectual Retreat, Creation and Fall, offers participants the chance to turn their attention more fully to first things. Through dialogue undertaken in a common quest for wisdom, participants will consider readings from Scripture and classic texts from the Western tradition, including modernity's reappraisals of these works. The readings will offer—and our seminar discussions will reflect on—fundamental perspectives on our origins, the role of man in the world, the nature of our subsequent losses, and our hopes for recovery of a proper relationship with God, the world, and each other.
To secure your ticket now, please use the registration form embedded below. Make sure to check back on this page as the retreat approaches for more information about our schedule and syllabus!
Tuition: $650 per participant; scholarships available
Your tuition covers reading materials, the retreat venue, instructor travel and stipends, and two receptions and dinners. Please note that tuition does not cover travel, lodging, or breakfast and lunch on Saturday. Companion tickets are available for $150 for participant companions who would like to attend the receptions and dinners but not the Saturday seminars. Tuition scholarships are available for Readers of First Things (ROFTers) group leaders, classical educators, undergraduate and graduate students, and clergy. Please use the registration form below.
Dress Code: A coat and tie (and comparable attire for women) is required by the Union League Club for Friday and Saturday evenings. Business casual attire is required for Saturday seminar sessions.
Retreat Cancellation Policy: For a full tuition refund, please cancel at least three weeks before the event date. We reserve the right to substitute speakers, change venues, cancel seminars, or cancel part or all of the event due to circumstances beyond our control. In such cases, our liability is limited to a prompt refund of the registration fee, on a pro-rata basis, for the affected days.
Image by Sebastian Bergmann, licensed via Creative Commons. Image cropped.
