Western Civilization: Is It Worth Defending?
Not unlike in our own day, the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) lived during a season of cultural turmoil: political extremism, paralyzing partisanship, a breakdown in law and order, and a deficit of civic virtue. Renowned for his oratory, Cicero warned that Rome was squandering its inheritance in republican government. The path to renewal, he argued, involved the recovery of Rome’s political and civic ideals, “the bond which holds together a community of citizens.”
The Cicero in the City Lecture Series will feature authors, educators, artists, filmmakers and other voices to begin an honest and lively conversation about how Americans can contribute to the reformation of our cultural and political life.
Historian and New York Times bestselling author Joseph Loconte launches the lecture series with a frank discussion about the tragedies and triumphs of Western Civilization: the civilization that gave birth to the concepts of democratic freedom, equality, and universal human rights.
Join us:
September 28, 2023
Reception with light drinks & hors d'oeuvres: 6:00-6:55 p.m.
Lecture and Discussion
7:00-8:00 p.m.
The Army Navy Club
901 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC
Hosted by:
The Institute for Faith and Freedom at Grove City College and the Institute on Religion and Democracy
Cost: Free
Speakers:
Dr. Joseph Loconte
Dr. Joseph Loconte is an author and historian. He serves as a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, D.C. and is the C.S. Lewis Scholar for Public Life at the Institute for Faith & Freedom at Grove City College. He also serves as a Presidential Scholar in Residence at New College of Florida. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918.
Dr. Paul Kengor
Paul Kengor, Ph.D., is professor of political science at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and a New York Times bestselling author of nearly 20 books. He is senior director and chief academic fellow at the Institute for Faith & Freedom, former visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and editor of The American Spectator.
Event Hosts:
The Institute for Faith & Freedom at Grove City College
Teaching the principles of Faith & Freedom to the next generation of American leaders.
At the Institute for Faith & Freedom, we view a love for truth and a love for liberty as inseparable allies. Liberty cannot long flourish in the absence of truth, and the truth is not affirmed where liberty is denied. In fact, America’s extraordinary achievement lies in the essential combination of both truth and liberty. Our love for liberty reflects a historic affirmation of truth in our founding documents and in our laws. Consequently, understanding the relationship between God’s truth and our freedom is not merely an academic exercise, but a vital privilege of Christian stewardship.
The Institute pursues its work by publishing the work of its scholars, offering annual fellowships and other learning opportunities to College undergraduates, convening an annual conference and lecture series, and hosting several regional events. With the support of our 15+ academic scholars, 12+ student fellows, and our generous donors, we are able to entertain and encourage thousands of student and adult attendees, listeners, and viewers every year, changing and encouraging the world, one mind at a time. www.faithandfreedom.com
The Institute on Religion & Democracy
To lead the fight rallying Christians to champion biblical, historic Christianity and its role in democratic society, and to defeat revisionist challenges.
Founded in 1981, the IRD is an ecumenical voice for transparency, for renewal and for historic Christian teaching within the churches and within society. We advocate for a robust and faithful Christian social and political witness reflecting justice, charity, hope and realism. From our founding during the Cold War, when many Christians aligned with Marxist movements and dictatorships in pursuit of justice, IRD has advocated for democracy, human rights and religious freedom for all people everywhere. The world has changed but threats to democracy continue. We agree with Reinhold Niebuhr: “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” https://theird.org/
Event Sponsors:
