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Rediscovering Order in an Age of Populism
Hello
John,
We hope you had a lovely Independence Day holiday. As we celebrate our nation's tradition of ordered liberty, we want to bring to your attention an important new essay from Mike Pence and Ed Feulner, Rediscovering Order in an Age of Populism, in National Affairs ([link removed]) :
"Conservatism values obedience to a transcendent moral order, reverence for tradition and our forebears, prudence in decision-making, humility regarding our place in history, and the pursuit of justice in a fallen world. These harmonious values make conservatism a timeless philosophy that aligns seamlessly with self-governance."
"To understand these principles, and to understand how to implement them in the 21st century, there is perhaps no better guide than Russell Kirk's Roots of American Order, first published a half-century ago in 1974...as Kirk observed, whether we are in Washington, New York, San Francisco, or the heartland, 'the order which Americans experience is derived from the experience of those four old cities.' These cities, whose ancient legacies and perennial virtues live on in America today, flourished because they embraced an order of both polity and soul. Fifty years after the publication of this landmark work, it is crucial for conservatives to rediscover Kirk's enduring insights."
Read the entire article here ([link removed]) .
School of Conservative Studies Opening Conference: Prospects for Anglo-American Conservatism
Thanks to the scholars and guests from four countries who joined us on June 27 and 28 for a very special conference that considered the contemporary prospects for the Anglo-American intellectual conservative tradition ([link removed]) . (More photos and highlights.) ([link removed])
This was our largest academic conference in the Kirk Center's 30 year history with over 130 guests, and featuring twenty-two speakers over two days of lectures and breakouts.
Inspired by the complementary visions of Russell Kirk and Roger Scruton, speakers and participants discussed the humanistic and philosophical foundations of the conservative tradition in the English-speaking world.
If you were unable to join us in person, we're pleased to announce that videos of the panels will be available in September on our YouTube channel ([link removed]) .
Here are comments from the perspective of a speaker and an attendee:
“This conference was incredibly informative [and] one of the best conferences I have ever attended. It deepened my understanding of Kirk and Scruton, but also of the conservative tradition at large. The presentations were diverse and complementary, highlighting the role of conservatism in culture, religion, and other facets of life. I came out with a significantly stronger sense of the place of conservatism in the modern world. There are very few places where the place of traditional conservatism can be examined in both rigorous and accessible terms. This event, which was opened to the public but brought scholars from around the world together, provided such a forum. The panel on religion was especially memorable for me - reflections on the place of modern science in relation to faith, a theme of paramount importance today.”
“I came to learn about the thinkers I don’t know much about but whose ideas I thought I might find illuminating. I was not disappointed! This weekend provided an excellent introduction to Kirk and Scruton and to the warm collegial and hospitable people carrying their legacy forward. I was struck by the recurring themes of inheritance and of lineage. The links between generations – parents, children, teachers, and students – were on such beautiful display and made me grateful for the mentors who shaped my own intellectual and faith formation. It is invigorating and inspiring to meet with like-minded people at gatherings like this.”
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Can Virtue be Taught?
A Book Gallery with author David Hein on July 23
Russell Kirk once asked, “Can virtue be taught?”
Dr. David Hein’s new book, Teaching the Virtues, is an unsurpassed reflection on that ancient question, one capable of renewing education in our time.
Educational renewal requires both tradition and innovation. Teaching the Virtues is uniquely valuable because it presents practical approaches that are both ancient and contemporary. Even very good schools, religious and secular, can do better at teaching students virtues such as faith, hope, love, prudence, justice, courage, temperance, gratitude, patience, and piety.
Education in the virtues must move students from what John Henry Newman called notional assent to real assent, as virtues become rooted in heart, mind, and will for life.
Join University Bookman editor Luke Sheahan on July 23 at 7 PM Eastern Time as he discusses with David Hein how we might better teach the virtues to the next generation.
Register for "Can Virtue be Taught?" ([link removed])
Thank you for your ongoing interest and support of the Kirk Center and our work with the School of Conservative Studies. Wishing you all the very best this summer, and we look forward to seeing you online with David Hein on July 23.
Yours in the permanent things,
Jeffrey O. Nelson, Ph.D.
Executive Director & CEO
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