Western Civilization: Its Culture & Critics
The Western Tradition is a unique achievement, and it is our common heritage. From the inspiring poetry of Homer to the keen philosophic questioning of Socrates, from the architectural triumphs of Rome to the codification of Roman law by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, from the voice of the Hebrew prophets to the liturgy of medieval Christendom, and from the English common law to our own American Constitutional order-all of this is a precious inheritance.

It is because we as Americans are heirs of Washington, Adams, Madison, and Jefferson, that we are also heirs of Shakespeare, Dante, Plato, and Cicero-or our nation's founders were themselves stewards of the Western patrimony. The American experiment in ordered liberty is a distinctly Western project, and the success of that experiment is put into jeopardy by the great loss of memory now evident in our institutions of higher learning. In many cases contemporary academic enthusiasms have brought students to the point where it is now our own civilization which is terra incognita-an "unknown land."

Public lectures on college campuses can expose large numbers of students to neglected ideas, interpretations of historical events, and bodies of thought. For this reason, ISI makes special efforts to place prominent speakers on the campuses of leading colleges and universities to specifically address the Western Tradition.

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The Formation of American Leadership: The Role of Education
Much has been written and spoken in the past few decades regarding the failure of big government bureaucracies to substitute for the dynamic and personal influence of civil society (i.e., families, schools, religious institutions, private associations, and private businesses) on the lives of American citizens. Though perhaps well intentioned, the "Great Society" programs of the mid-20th century nonetheless usurped and reduced the ability of America's citizens to meet local needs at the local level, where they had a personal vested interest. Nevertheless, leaders arose naturally among the citizens of local communities, where the seedbeds of virtue flourished. Business entrepreneurs, exceptional teachers, civic and moral role models, parents, and students striving for excellence shined forth as leaders in their own right within the context of their local particular fields of expertise, raising their fellow citizens with them by their example.

Since "ideas have consequences," it is not surprising that many of the ideological trends which have entered the American cultural horizon through its educational system, political structures, and popular culture have strained these natural civic impulses and have established a public philosophy hostile to them. Fortunately, many of these ideological trends (i.e., Marxism, postmodernism, globalism) have been intelligently critiqued and challenged by serious academics and scholars. Scholars are once again considering the role played by mediating institutions, such as the family, school, religious groups, and local charities in engendering a proper sense of freedom, responsibility, and patriotic civic-mindedness in future generations of American leaders.

Leading scholars and the authors of important new books take aim at these vital issues, addressing elements of renewal at the university and in the political and social culture that can lead young people beyond the "culture wars" to a reaffirmation of the principles that sustain American freedom and prosperity.

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The Positive Role of Christian Social Thought in Public Service
This series seeks to further among college students a deeper understanding and appreciation of the enduring tradition animating Christian social thought and the positive lessons that may be applied to contemporary American leadership.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, new philosophies of man and society began to displace the classical, Christian forms which had animated the Western mind in prior centuries. Materialism, secularism, socialism, and other political ideologies offered totalitarian explanations of human existence to the exclusion of all transcendent references. Since "ideas have consequences," this led to grave social and political crises and injustices. Within this context, a fresh articulation of Christian principles bearing on the social nature of the human person was forwarded to challenge the newly regnant ideologies.

From the landmark encyclical Rerum Novarum by Leo XIII to the powerful pronouncements of John Paul II in Centessimus Annus and Evangelium Vitae, Christian Social thought articulates clear principles upon which a just society must be based while offering insightful critiques of the age. This rich tradition of thought has the capacity to serve a formative role in the lives of those who aspire to public service. As Pope John Paul II observed recently, those who aspire to a life of public service need "credible role models able to indicate the path of truth at a time when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing."

National attention has recently focused on the role that Faith-based institutions play in reinvigorating civil society and meeting the needs of citizens. The principles of Catholic social teaching, along with the writings of such cultural critics as G. K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Christopher Dawson, Joseph Pieper, T.S. Eliot, and Romano Guardini, provide a framework for discussion. Examination of great thinkers of more remote centuries, including St. Thomas More, Erasmus, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas, grounds this discussion in history. Building upon the thought of these giants will help students understand the intellectual tradition handed down to them and to perpetuate it through principled public service and leadership.

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The Worldwide Persecution of Christians
"More Christians have died for their faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined." This is how Nina Shea summarized the crucial issues of Christian persecution around the world in her book In the Lion's Den: A Shocking Account of Persecution and Martyrdom of Christians Today and How We Should Respond. Other books and conferences are also addressing the issue of Christian persecution and the apparent silence of the West in reacting to these injustices. Paul Marshall's Their Blood Cries Out: The Worldwide Tragedy of Modern Christians Who are Dying for Their Faith and the College Symposium on a National Campaign of Conscience Led by College Christians in Support of Persecuted Christians in Sudan (November 1998, Washington, DC) are such examples.

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