Restoring the Beliefs and Institutions that Uphold America’s Freedoms.

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Dear
John,
I’m pleased to announce that the Kirk Center is initiating an exciting new project called “Pillars of American Order: Restoring the Beliefs and Institutions that Uphold America’s Freedoms.” This project is designed to meet the pressing need for educational programs aimed at renewing understanding of the American constitutional tradition.

As events over the past year have made clear, America’s civil social order is under serious attack across the board. In addition, studies continue to document the decline in civic and historical literacy among young people. An energetic effort to rebuild appreciation for the wisdom and practical experience that gave form to American society is required today. The Kirk Center is ideally positioned to provide that much-needed intellectual formation to the rising generation.

The Center’s new project is based on Russell’s classic work, The Roots of American Order, which traces the contributions of Hebraic and Christian belief, classical philosophy and law, and British political experience to America’s inheritance of ordered liberty.

Russell wrote The Roots of American Order in 1974, in preparation for the U. S. Bicentennial celebration in 1976. It was Ronald Reagan, fresh from the governorship, who served as chairman of a committee of prominent Californians to promote the book that year. As Russell explained in the opening chapter ([link removed]) , “This book emphasizes certain institutions and customs, and certain ideas and beliefs, which continue to nurture order in the person and order in the republic, down to our time. No study could be more relevant to our present discontents.”

Given the historical and political controversies raging over the nature of America’s founding today, we believe it is time to adapt the contents of this classic book to produce a range of fresh and engaging educational experiences that deepen understanding of our great civilizational legacy. The “Pillars” image was chosen to express those concepts which uphold America’s freedoms by explaining the significance of each city and historical era:
* Jerusalem and the Pillar of Revelation
* Athens and the Pillar of Reason
* Rome and the Pillar of Law
* London and the Pillar of Representative Government
* Philadelphia and the Pillar of Ordered Liberty (Political, Economic, and Religious Freedom)

The first component of the Pillars project will be a series of conferences for high school teachers seeking to convey the story of liberty under law. Over the course of four days, participants will explore the beliefs and ideas that have contributed to the American experiment through the tale of these five cities. The inaugural Pillars conference will be held on July 19-22, 2021, in Holland, Michigan.
The Center intends to build out additional Pillars program elements that will be designed for a range of constituencies. I look forward to sharing each new element of this program with you as together we seek to make a meaningful contribution to the renewal of America’s political and cultural order.

With every good wish,

Annette Kirk, President
The Russell Kirk Center
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