The Russell Kirk Center

Couldn't make it out to our inaugural McLellan Prizes award gala last month? Check out the recording of the program with prize winners Greg Lukianoff of Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and academic prize winners Sam Goldman and Josiah Joner: https://buff.ly/3CbYpmK To help navigate the video: 3:00 - introduction from Kirk Center CEO Jeff Nelson 14:00 - remarks from Gov. John Engler 27:07 - Academic Prize winner Sam Goldman's remarks 37:26 - Academic Prize winner Josiah Joner's remarks 47:45 - Grand prize winner Greg Lukianoff's remarks 62:07 - panel discussion with Luke Sheahan, Greg Lukianoff, Susan Goldberg, and Sam Goldman To learn more about the McLellan Prizes for Free Speech and Expression, visit https://buff.ly/421Bxkr.

"If Thomas Aquinas were to write a book on virtue for business people in the twenty-first century, it might look a lot like Dr. Andrew Abela’s 'Super Habits: The Universal System for a Successful Life.'" The system being borrowed and the virtues he mentions - temperance, courage, prudence, and justice - if cultivated, will lead to improved health, reduced stress and greater happiness in both professional settings and personal spaces as well. Read Paul D. Mueller's review on our site here: https://buff.ly/4h2do1y

Don't miss our upcoming Book Gallery on 1/14 with Tim Goeglein: https://buff.ly/40xssPv A defining characteristic of conservatism over the last half century is disdain for the cultural shifts of the 1960s. From the Supreme Court, which discarded the traditions of American constitutional law for an anarchic legal liberalism, to social revolutions that rejected any semblance of sexual restraint, to the welfare state that expanded into the sclerotic behemoth it is today—conservatives have stood athwart these changes yelling “stop!” What were the social philosophies and public policies that led to the seismic cultural and social shifts the country experienced in the 1960s that so distressed conservatives? Perhaps more importantly, how do we find our way back? Tim Goeglein has an answer. In "Stumbling Toward Utopia: How the 1960s Turned Into a National Nightmare and How We Can Revive the American Dream," he argues that we can return to America’s core values of personal responsibility, respect for life, sexual restraint, and patriotism—and he shows us how. Goeglein’s book lays out a framework for rejecting the destructive cultural shifts of the last century that have wrought so much personal and social destruction. On January 14 at 7 pm ET, we invite you to join Tim Goeglein and University Bookman editor Luke Sheahan for the first Book Gallery episode of the new year to discuss this perennial topic. Tim Goeglein is Vice President of External and Government Relations for @focus-on-the-family. Formerly, he served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and as a deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. Tim served as a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a communications director for Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, and for Gary Bauer at the Campaign for Working Families. His other books include his memoir The Man in the Middle: An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era, American Restoration, and Toward a More Perfect Union: The Moral and Cultural Case for Teaching the Great American Story.

Our final review on "Democracy and Leadership" by Darrell Falconburg examines the longevity of Babbitt's writing and takes a look into his professional life and career teaching at Harvard. "For decades, Babbitt fulfilled his duties as a writer and a teacher, and in doing so, he put forward a defense of the humane tradition that speaks not only to the early twentieth century but also to our own time." Read Darrell Falconburg's thoughts here: https://buff.ly/3W3ZmVb

The third article on the the centenary of "Democracy and Leadership" by Irving Babbitt comes to us from Jason Jewell and emphasizes the importance of the integrity of leaders. "A century after the publication of Democracy and Leadership, it is time for a reconsideration and serious engagement with Irving Babbitt’s critique of American democracy, education, and leadership training. Levels of trust in our political class and institutions are at historic lows. Babbitt’s prescriptions for a recovery of the aristocratic principle, the moral imagination, humility, and exemplary leadership could provide the way to begin repairing what has been damaged." You can read Jewell's full piece here: https://buff.ly/40eY0JG

Continuing in our celebration of the centenary of "Democracy and Leadership" by Irving Babbitt, reviewer Claes G. Ryn discusses the hostile reactions to Babbitt's views in his time. "They were stung by his viewing their new, purportedly fine moral sensibility and their ambitious reformism as being rooted in insidious, romantic self-flattery. Some traditionalists were quite friendly to his thought, but others were suspicious or even dismissive. They had great difficulty grasping Babbitt’s view that ancient beliefs should be restated and extended in ways intelligible and plausible to honest modern agnostics and skeptics." Read Ryn's article: https://buff.ly/3DARWSJ

Michael P. Federici writes on the importance of examining the inner life in his recent article commemorating the centenary of "Democracy and Leadership" by Irving Babbitt. He discusses the relationship and differences between T.S. Eliot and Irving Babbitt and the need for virtue in civilization. "As Americans reflect on the recent rise of populism, Irving Babbitt’s Democracy and Leadership is essential reading. It provides philosophically enriching analysis of constitutional democracy and calls into question the prudence of radical forms of democracy such as populism. Most importantly, it anchors politics to its ethical ground, the inner life, and reminds us, as Eliot and Babbitt did, that civilization is dependent on virtue." Read his full article here: https://buff.ly/4gVqlu0

It's with grateful hearts that we extend our thanks to all those who've participated in Kirk Center events, contributed financially to our work, read articles from The University Bokman, and prayed for our success in 2024. It's been a year of tremendous growth and we're thankful for your support. If your circumstances permit, we'd be grateful for your financial support at the year's end. Help us step into 2025 strong here: https://buff.ly/3xNNUnv. Wishing you and your loved ones a merry Christmastide and a joyful new year!

Rev. Joseph Scolaro seeks to explain the problem of subjective beauty within art in his review of "Beauty & Imitation : A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts" by Daniel McInerny. Rev. Scolaro assures us that McInerny does the subject justice in covering the elusive description of beauty. "In each case, what makes the works of art beautiful is that they do not just inspire reflection, but they point us to the good that should give shape to our lives. There is an objectivity, such that the beautiful will lead us to a deeper knowledge of what it is that the good person, the happy person, the person aiming for beatitude and their perfect end as a human being, will do." Read the review here: https://buff.ly/3DFCmVT

David Weinberger reviews "The Eucharist Is Really Jesus: How Christ’s Body and Blood Are The Key To Everything We Believe" by Joe Heschmeyer and helps to explain the importance and presence in the Eucharist. Weinberger summarizes, "What all this means for the Eucharist is this: Both in the words of institution and in Jesus’s death on the cross, the perfect sacrifice was realized, which fulfilled the old covenant and established a new one, placing the Eucharist at the center of it." Read his review of the book here: https://buff.ly/3BMd8Vs