Dear Friends, 

First Things is launching a reading group to discuss classical readings that focus on the proper relationship between church and state. The readings include leading American statements about church and state, arguments from the ancient world, biblical material, and theological analyses from the Catholic and Protestant traditions. We will see how the understanding of the relationship varies with different perceptions of the divine and of the purpose of the political community, as well as changing historical conditions.

The group will be led by David Gallagher, former professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America. 

The reading group will meet on a Thursday morning of each month (8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.), starting on October 10, 2019, and ending on June 11, 2020. The meetings will take place at our offices at 9 East 40th Street, on the 10th floor.

Membership in the group will be capped at twenty. The fee for the nine seminar sessions will be $600. Limited scholarships are available. For more information, email [email protected]. Readings and light breakfast provided.