Zoom
Join Dr. R.J. Snell (Witherspoon Institute) and other students to discuss despair, presumption, and the virtue of hope as presented by Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae. The group will meet on Tuesdays between October 29 and November 19 to discuss short readings on the reading group’s theme. This reading group is exclusively open to TI Alumni.
Description:
In a recent essay for The Free Press, Suzy Weiss explored what she termed “an emergent coalition” calling themselves “Doomer Optimists.” Despite their disparate backgrounds and commitments, they share a view that the current state of politics, economics, and culture cannot be sustained and will collapse into chaos. They’re doomers. But they also think some technical solution after the collapse will re-create a new Eden on earth. They’re optimists. Doomer optimists, and Weiss suggests a good many people share their mood. Well, hope is not a mood, or a personality trait, and it resists doom without becoming mere optimism. Hope is a virtue, and (perhaps) one especially needed at our cultural moment. In this reading group, we’ll explore what Aquinas teaches us about despair, presumption, and the theological virtue of hope.
Readings:
ST I-II, q. 62
ST II-II, qq. 17, 18, 20-22, 128-130.
When? Tuesdays between October 29 and November 19
What time? 7:00-8:00 pm ET
Where? Zoom
Who can apply? TI Alumni
Application Deadline? October 22
Space is limited. These reading groups are intentionally small to facilitate good discussion. If you are admitted, please be diligent in attending. Additionally, if you are not admitted to this group, we encourage you to apply to other groups later in the semester