Events

For Dostoevsky, memory was a liturgical practice symbolically similar to the Lord’s Table: it was both necessary to man’s unification with God and a means of participation with the divine. The blessing “Keep Him and He will Keep you” in The Brothers Karamazov reflects this concept, translating to the promise: “Remember Him, and He will remember you.” Here, memory is not a passive recollection but an active, sustaining force in the relationship between God and man. Join us for this Roman Roads After Hours event with Dulci Stutzman, author of the introduction to a new edition of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamozov in … Continue Reading "Memory Eternal: The Urgency of Memory in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov"

Containing some of Shakespeare’s most iconic and beautiful speeches, The Merchant of Venice raises important questions about the virtue and quality of mercy, its relationship to justice, and how it is (or isn’t) shown to the “other.” In this talk, Dr. Joe Carlson will highlight and discuss the tension between what we say as Christians and how we act, as it is pictured in one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Panel discussion and Q/A to follow.  NOTE: We have been made aware of an issue with the RSVP not working for some people. If you are unable to RSVP below, please … Continue Reading "Shakespeare’s Unfunny Comedy: The problem with The Merchant of Venice"

The American founders appropriated the Roman Poet and his works to establish an atmosphere of victory, authority, and dignity. Through the use of literary symbols and allusions, the framers of our great country placed their project squarely within a tradition the roots of which are deep in the ancient world. This talk will consider specific elements from the Great Seal, as designed by the Secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson, and their intentional evocation of Vergil's poetry, including the Aeneid.Panel discussion with Joe Carlson and Daniel Foucachon, followed by refreshments. RSVP below, OR email [email protected] (with how many will be attending). … Continue Reading "Vergil and the American Dream"

Can the unarmed prophet conquer, or is he predestined to failure? The reprobate prince Richard of Gloucester is Shakespeare’s answer to Machiavelli. Presented within his English saga (King John, the two tetralogies from Richard II to Richard III, and Henry VIII), the tragedy dominated by the deformed villain Richard III tests the limits of “cruelty well-used” and the seductive and impious arts of the Florentine. Is modernity safer than antiquity? Can satanic tyranny be sweeter than the kingship of the good shepherd? Shakespeare improves and finally defeats the teacher of evil, with drunken prophecies and solemn curses and holy matrimony along the way. Panel … Continue Reading "By Saint Paul and By God’s Fair Ordinance: Machiavelli Schooled in Richard III, with Dr. Jordan Dorney"