DVD Catalog

The Constitution established a limited government, but a government with sufficient powers to protect Americans’ God-given rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This course examines the design and purpose of the Constitution, the challenges it faced during the Civil War, how it has been undermined for over a century by progressivism and post-1960s liberalism, and how limited government under the Constitution might be revived.

C.S. Lewis is the best modern writer at explaining the truth and goodness of the Christian faith. Through his imaginative and invigorating style, Lewis answers the eternal questions of theology in a manner that attracts those outside Christianity and strengthens those within the faith. This course examines Lewis’s writings about morality, conversion, prayer, the Bible, suffering, and the afterlife.

Genesis is a book of fundamental importance for the Jewish and Christian faiths and has exerted a profound influence on Western Civilization. In addition to being a great religious text, it is also a literary masterpiece. This course explores some of the work’s major narrative themes, including the complex relationship between God and man, the consequences of a rupture in that relationship, and the path towards reconciliation.

Christianity emerged into a world shaped by the Roman Empire, the Jewish faith, and Greek philosophy. This course explains how the revolutionary message of the Gospel spread throughout this ancient world and how early Christians practiced their faith, endured persecution, and addressed theological questions and controversies.

American politics have drastically transformed over the last few decades as a ruling elite has emerged that, despite being from different parties, largely shares radical ideologies centered around identity politics. The change is not simply the natural conclusion of progressivism but rather a series of radical movements that have provided new ideas and shifted the Left from the liberalism of Franklin Roosevelt to the Great Awokening of Barack Obama’s second term. 

For most of American history, the people, understood as citizens, have ruled through elected representatives under the terms of the Constitution. Today, the constitutional rule of citizens is threatened by a new form of government, unaccountable to the people, in which power is held by a ruling class that seeks to transform our society. This course, based on Victor Davis Hanson’s book The Dying Citizen, examines the origins and history of citizenship in the West and the grave challenges to American citizenship today.

This course explores the history of America as a land of hope founded on high principles. In presenting the great triumphs and achievements of our nation’s past, as well as the shortcomings and failures, it offers a broad and unbiased study of the kind essential to the cultivation of intelligent patriotism.

This course explains the natural rights theory of the American Founding, including equality, the laws of nature, the social compact, and consent; it explores the concrete ways the Founders sought to secure the rights of citizens through the enforcement of the criminal law, foreign policy, the promotion of virtue, and the protection of property; and, it examines the ways in which we have abandoned this older understanding for a new theory of justice and government today.

The Roman Republic, which lasted for nearly 500 years, was one of the most successful systems of government in history and deeply influential on the American Founding. This course explores the founding, character, and constitution of ancient Rome; considers the rapid expansion of Rome and its control of the Mediterranean world; and examines the social and political turmoil of the late Republic, which culminated in the assassination of Julius Caesar. A study of Rome’s history provides abiding lessons about the virtues needed to secure a republic and the dangers that can lead to its collapse.

First and Second Samuel tell the story of Saul and David, Israel’s first two kings. These Old Testament books depict the importance of the relationship between father and son and the consequences of sin for the sinner, his family, and his nation. While David’s transgressions lead to great tragedy for himself and Israel, his penitence shows a path toward redemption.

The Divine Comedy is one of the greatest works of Western literature. An epic poem in three parts, it tells the story of Dante’s journey through the afterlife: Inferno describes the suffering of souls warped by vice. Purgatorio explores the theme of repentance and the elements of good character. Paradiso reveals the true glory and freedom attainable with God.

Chemistry is often called the central science because it serves as a bridge between the fundamental studies of physics and the complexity of biology. This course examines the great discoveries of chemistry in order to understand the structure of atoms, the properties of elements, the variety of molecules they form, and the beauty and order of the material world.  

The Greeks transformed mathematics by moving from trial and error to abstract reasoning. This turn in mathematics is best represented by Euclid’s Elements, which stands as one of the central texts of Western civilization. This course examines the fundamentals of logic and deductive reasoning, the axiomatic system of Euclid, and the development of non-Euclidean geometry.

With this course, you’ll learn how civil rights are supposed to ensure that we are all treated fairly under the law, thus securing our natural rights to life, liberty, and property. And you’ll examine the great challenges to the understanding and pursuit of justice and equality from the American Founding through today.

Western philosophy began in ancient Greece as a pursuit of knowledge about human nature and the best way of life. Later, medieval Christian philosophers sought to understand the relationship between faith and reason. However, modern philosophy dismissed much of this philosophical tradition in favor of a radical skepticism, which culminated in the postmodern rejection of reason and truth. This course will examine the history and ideas of Western philosophy from Plato to C.S. Lewis.

Classic children’s literature teaches audiences of all ages to see more clearly the truth about the world and human nature. Through beautiful narratives and vivid characters, these stories prepare young minds to receive the truth and encourage them to fall in love with virtue. This course will explore examples of the best children’s literature, including Aesop’s Fables, Beauty and the Beast, The Snow Queen, and The Wind in the Willows. 

In the Nicomachean Ethics—the first book written on the subject of how best to live—Aristotle argues that human happiness chiefly depends upon a person’s character, which is formed by making good choices. This course examines Aristotle’s teachings about human nature, the meaning of the good, and the virtues necessary for happiness. Students will not only learn what Aristotle says about the good life, but will also explore ways to put this knowledge to work.

World War II, the greatest armed conflict in human history, encompassed global fighting in unprecedented ways. This course analyzes Allied and Axis investments and strategies that led one side to win and the other to lose. It also considers how the war’s diverse theaters, belligerents, and ways of fighting came eventually to define a single war.

The Framers of the Constitution institutionalized the legislative power in Article I, which grants limited powers to a bicameral Congress, with the aim of securing the rights of American citizens. In the early 20th century, Progressives introduced new conceptions of Congress and the legislative power, which resulted in a massive and ongoing transfer of legislative authority to unaccountable bureaucratic agencies. This course explores the Founders’ understanding of the legislative power and how Congress should work, the Progressive rejection of that understanding, and how that rejection has affected American politics.

The Western heritage has its origins in the time of the ancient Hebrews and in classical Greece. The greatest accomplishments of the West, whether in philosophy, religion, politics, art, or science, can be traced back to these beginnings. This course will consider the history of Western Civilization from the Hebrews to the Glorious Revolution.

Mark Twain—pen name of Samuel Clemens (1835-1910)—has been called the father of American literature. Of Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Ernest Hemingway said, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” Twain’s realist fiction reveals timeless truths about human nature and encourages reform in the reader and society.

The American Founders believed that the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution were not simply preferences for their own day, but were truths that the sovereign and moral people of America could always rely on as guides in their pursuit of happiness. This course considers the principles of the American Founding—which are described most famously and concisely in the Declaration of Independence—as well as key features of American government based on those principles. Led by Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn, the course also examines the major challenges posed by Progressivism to American constitutionalism.

The Western theological tradition stretches back thousands of years to the time of the ancient Hebrews. This tradition has had a profound impact on the development of Western Civilization as a whole. This course will consider the origins and development of Western theology from the Old Testament through the twentieth century.

C.S. Lewis was the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century. He was also the author of works of fiction, including The Chronicles of Narnia, and of philosophy, including The Abolition of Man. This course will consider Lewis’s apologetics and his fiction, as well as his philosophical and literary writings, and their continuing significance today.

Winston Churchill was the greatest statesman of the 20th century, and one of the greatest in all of history. From a young age, Churchill understood the unique dangers of modern warfare, and he worked to respond to them. Though best known for his leadership during World War II, he was also a great defender of constitutionalism. A close study of Churchill’s words and deeds offers timeless lessons about the virtues, especially prudence, required for great statesmanship.

Written between October 1787 and August 1788, The Federalist Papers is a collection of newspaper essays written in defense of the Constitution. Writing under the pen name Publius, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay explain the merits of the proposed Constitution, while confronting objections raised by its opponents. Thomas Jefferson described the work as “the best commentary on the principles of government, which ever was written.” This course will explore major themes of The Federalist Papers, such as the problem of majority faction, separation of powers, and the three branches of government.

Good economic policy incentivizes production and innovation so people can produce and acquire goods and services to live well.  Low taxes, limited government spending, a stable currency, minimal regulations, and free trade are the economic pillars for a prosperous society. American history has demonstrated that these policies boost productivity and innovation, while the opposite policies cause economic stagnation.