Notre Dame Con Studies Public Lecture Series

The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

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The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

While the concept of disenchantment has gained popularity over recent years as the way of addressing the malaise of modernity, is it really an adequate way of accounting for the iconoclasm that permeates our cultural moment? What is actually happening is something of profound religious significance, the moment when Nietzsche's famous Madman, dismissed in the nineteenth-century parable as insane, comes to the fore as a clear-sighted prophet.

And that raises the most important question of all: How should Christians respond to the insanity of our time?

This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Theology.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

In this public lecture, Sam Tanenhaus will explore the ways that Catholicism and Catholic interlocutors shaped and reshaped the thought of William F. Buckley Jr. on a variety of issues ranging from Church teachings to debates on communism, civil and human rights, family values, and free markets.

Ten years before his death in 2008, Buckley chose Tanenhaus to tell the full uncensored story of his life and times, granting him extensive interviews and exclusive access to his most private papers. Thus began a deep investigation into the vast and often hidden universe of Buckley.

In June 2025, Random House published Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America, the long-awaited biography of the charismatic founder of modern conservatism and the movement he led to the pinnacles of political and cultural power.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

In today's toxic battle between conservatives and progressives, sometimes truth and compassion take a backseat to winning at all costs. Justin Giboney, the author of Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around, believes a movement from America's past can help us navigate through this moment more faithfully. He'll discuss how the Civil Rights generation would apply Christian principles to today's culture war.

This event is cosponsored by the Departments of Africana Studies and Theology, as well as the Initiative on Race and Resilience.

Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and civic leader based in Atlanta, GA. As the co-founder and president of the AND Campaign, a prominent Christian civic organization, Justin is dedicated to promoting Christ centered values as the basis for engagement in politics and social issues.Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

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The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

Birzer's lecture will examine the confluence of ideas in 1776 between America and Scotland. The two most important Americans influenced by Scottish thought were James Wilson and James Madison (through Princeton). As such, Birzer will explore the intersection of rights and traditions as found in the Declaration of Independence and in the works of Adam Smith. It’s a perfect collision of the two worlds.

This lecture is part of the CCCG and Mendoza College of Business's spring semester course, "1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World." It is cosponsored by the Business Honors Program.

Bradley J. Birzer is Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and Professor of History, Hillsdale College. After receiving his B.A. at the University of Notre Dame in 1990, he earned his Ph.D. at Indiana University.

Birzer is author of several books including his award-winning "Russell Kirk: American Conservative;" "American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll;" and "J.R.R Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth." He’s also the author of the forthcoming "The Declaration of Independence: 1776" and "All That as well as Tolkien and the Inklings: Men of the West."

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

The University of Notre Dame is launching its celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by offering a new course open to all Notre Dame students, alumni, and the general public. The course, “1776: The Ideas that Made the Modern World,” will be taught by Vincent Philip Muñoz, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government, and James Otteson, Professor of Business Ethics and Concurrent Professor of Political Science.

Visit the Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government: https://constudies.nd.edu/

***The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the University of Notre Dame, the College of Arts and Letters, or the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.