Dear Reader,

Are we repaganizing? Louise Perry argued as much in our most popular essay of 2023.

Paul Kingsnorth isn’t so sure. Although there may be truth to this argument, it’s not as if humanity is worshipping the old gods—or any gods, for that matter—again. Prominent unbelievers such as Richard Dawkins and Elon Musk now herald the virtues of “cultural Christianity.”

In the 2024 Erasmus Lecture on October 28, Kingsnorth will argue that cultural Christianity—religion as social glue, regardless of its truth—is in fact a deadly trap.  

Sponsorships are still available for what promises to be a provocative and ground-breaking lecture. If you would like to become a sponsor, complete the registration form here or contact Claire Giuntini, director of the Editor’s Circle, at [email protected] or 212-627-1985.

To register for a ticket without sponsoring, click on the secure button below.

Thank you for your support!

Yours,

R. R. Reno
Editor

Paul Kingsnorth is an English writer living in the west of Ireland. He is the author of nine books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including the novel The Wake, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

The story of his unexpected conversion to the Romanian Orthodox Church in 2021 was published in FIRST THINGS as “The Cross and the Machine.” He returned to the pages of FIRST THINGS in 2023 with the publication of “A Wild Christianity.” His forthcoming book Against the Machine explores the cultural and spiritual impacts of the rising religion of technology.

“Against Christian Civilization”

Paul Kingsnorth

October 28 at 6 p.m.

Union League Club of New York

38 East 37th Street