Faith and Civic Responsibility
August 9–10, 2024
Union League Club
38 East 37th Street
New York, New York 10016
Please join us for two days of intellectual enrichment and good company as we explore the topic of faith and civic responsibility. The retreat will feature a keynote lecture, a panel, and seminar discussions led by instructors from Eastern University's Templeton Honors College.
Dress Code: A coat and tie (and comparable attire for women) are required during the dinners, business casual is acceptable for the seminars on Saturday. No sneakers are permitted.
Cancellation Policy: For a full tuition refund, please cancel at least three weeks in advance. We reserve the right to substitute speakers, change venues, 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 portions.
Photography Policy: Attendance at First Things events constitutes consent to be photographed for use in print and electronic media for marketing purposes. Images will not be identified without written approval. Please notify us at ft@firstthings.com if you would prefer that your photo not be used.
Schedule and Readings:
The full retreat program will be held at the Union League Club of New York.
Friday, August 9
6:00 pm Cocktail Reception
7:00 pm Dinner & Lecture: “Citizenship and Public Architecture”
Justin Shubow will present this year's opening lecture. Shubow is president of the National Civic Art Society and served on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 2018–21. He advocates for the classical aesthetic in architecture and has published architectural criticism in Forbes online, First Things, Public Discourse, The Washington Post, and The Weekly Standard.
Saturday, August 10
9:00 am–10:15 am Seminar I: Citizenship Defined
- Romans 12:9–13:7
- Aristotle, Politics (selections)
- Simone Weil, The Need for Roots
10:30 am–11:45 am Seminar II: Citizenship Refined
- Jeremiah 29:1–30:24
- Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (selections)
- Michael Lamb in Aeon, “Be What You Hope For”
12 pm Lunch (not provided)
1:30 pm–2:45 pm Seminar III: Citizenship Deformed
- Psalm 73:1–28
- Dante Alighieri, “Inferno VI” and “Inferno X” (selections)
- William Shakespeare, “Thomas More: Addition IIc” (selection)
3:00 pm–4:15 pm Seminar IV: Citizenship Performed
- Matthew 22:15–22
- Yuval Levin in First Things, “Taking the Long Way: Disciplines of the Soul are the Basis of a Liberal Society”
- Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham City Jail”
- Wendell Berry, “Manifesto: The Mad Farmers Liberation Front”
5:45 pm–7:30 pm Dinner
7:30 pm–8:30 pm Panel on Faith, Civic Responsibility, and the
2024 Election
8:30 pm–10:00 pm Cocktail Reception
Registration below. Lodging not included.
