We have a diverse group of students in our Master of Liberal Arts program this year: a bohemian globetrotting Methodist, a libertarian Catholic, a monarchist Orthodox, and a traditionalist Baptist, among others. Class discussion, centered on great texts of the Western tradition, is always lively, to say the least. Sometimes it’s all I can do to play referee.
Over the last couple of weeks, students and faculty in the program have been putting together a blog to help get the word out about the degree. The student in charge of setting up the initial site chose a rather lofty domain name, but I guess enthusiasm is a good thing in an endeavor like this. I’m adding the site to the Blogroll today and hope you will check it out. When it is fully up and running it should provide an idea of the kind of discussion that takes place each week in the classroom.
Correction: a monarchist Orthodox with strong free market economic leanings.
Looks interesting, Jason! I’d love to see your list of core texts if you are willing to share.
For the “Community and Culture” class I am teaching this fall we’re doing readings from the Bible, Plato, Cicero, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas More, Alexis de Tocqueville, Adam Smith, Max Weber, Thorstein Veblen, Richard Niebuhr, and several others, including some contemporary authors on civil society.