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First Things is pleased to invite our readers to New York City for a memorable weekend of seminars and lectures on The Virtuous Life. Participants will have the opportunity to explore texts alongside scholars and First Things writers and editors, discussing ideas and questions about the political life in small-group seminar sessions.

There are no academic prerequisites for participation; no grades or exams. If you enjoy reading First Things or discussing the ideas found in its pages, this event is for you. Discussions will take place in small seminar sections led by faculty from Northeast Catholic College. Participants will explore substantial texts and questions of great significance in an environment animated by a spirit of friendship and a common purpose.

This is a rare opportunity to get together with like-minded individuals to talk about big, timeless ideas and how they inform our understanding of the issues that occupy our culture today.


THE  VIRTUOUS LIFE

In this time of unexpected political change, questions concerning the future of the order of virtue, the responsibility of individual citizens of faith, and challenges of integrating our political and religious commitments have taken on a new urgency. 
 
Participants in this retreat will have the opportunity to step back from the partisan disputes of the day and consider the deeper political questions that transcend the current news cycle.  Through dialogue undertaken in a common quest for wisdom, participants will consider these more fundamental questions against the background of transcendent commitments and a common recognition of the priority of first things.


SCHEDULE

The First Things Intellectual Retreat will be held from Friday evening, August 9 to Saturday evening, August 10, 2019 at the NYU Kimmel Center for University Life.

Friday, August 9
6:00 pm Cocktail reception
7:00 pm Dinner & Lecture

Saturday, August 10

8:15 am Continental breakfast (optional)
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Seminar discussions

15-20 participants per group
Lunch & scheduled breaks throughout the day

6:00 pm Cocktail reception
7:00 pm Musical Performance

Dress code: Business casual attire for cocktail receptions and dinners. Casual attire for breakfast, lunch, and seminars.


SYLLABUS

Reading materials will be emailed to participants, with a bound copy to follow by mail. The readings will include excerpts from the following texts:

  1. Josef Pieper, The Four Cardinal Virtues
  2. Prudentius, The Spiritual Combat
  3. Robert Louis Wilken, The Glorious Deeds of Christ

All participants will attend all seminars through the course of the day, in the following order:

1st Seminar: Prudence and Justice

2nd Seminar: Justice and Fortitude

3rd Seminar:  Fortitude and Temperance

4th Seminar: Temperance, The Spiritual Combat, The Glorious Deeds of Christ 

FEES AND REGISTRATION

Cost: $650 per participant

You may make a deposit of $350, with the balance due at the event, or pay in full in advance. The fee covers seminar tuition, assigned text materials, and all meals, including two cocktail reception and dinner lectures with First Things editorial staff and faculty from Northeast Catholic College. There are a limited number of seats available for graduate students or seminarians; please contact us for details.

Companion tickets are available at $100 per ticket for participant companions who would like to attend the evening receptions and dinner lectures but are not attending the day seminars.

To register, please use the form below. Check the corresponding box to either make a partial deposit or to pay in full, and to purchase a companion ticket, if required. If you are registering three participants or more, please re-use the form to register one to two seminar participants at a time—let us know who the members of your party are by writing their names in the Comment Box. Please also use the Comment Box for any special requests, such as kosher or vegetarian meals, wheelchair access, etc.

If you would like to mail your registration, please include the same information along with your check and mail it to:

First Things
Attn: Intellectual Retreat
35 East 21st Street, Sixth Floor
New York, NY 10010

You may also register by telephone at 1-212-627-1985, or contact us at ft@firstthings.com.

Please note: The registration fee does not include travel to New York City or hotel accommodations. Additionally, as of July 19 we are no longer issuing refunds for tuition fees. 

Retreat Cancellation Policy: For a full refund of tuition fees, please cancel with at least three weeks advance notice from the event’s date. We reserve the right to substitute speakers, change venues, cancel seminars, or cancel part of or the entire 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. 


In partnership with:

Northeast Catholic College

Northeast Catholic College