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.

In a republic, every citizen has a duty to understand their government. The Federalist is the greatest exposition of representative government and the institutional structure of the Constitution. It explains how the Constitution established a government strong enough to secure the rights of citizens and safe enough to wield that power. This course will examine how Publius understood human nature and good government, and why he argued that the only true safeguard of liberty lies in the vigilance of the American people.

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.

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.