Have you ever found yourself wishing you had a little more time to discuss and reflect on some of the ideas you hear from The Anselm Society? Then you'll love joining us for Philosophy by the Fireside.

Philosophy by the Fireside is a casual guided discussion among friends gathered around a fire. That means you don't need to have read or even have substantial familiarity with philosophy -- just curiosity and an interest in exploring ideas. The evenings will be led by a facilitator, who will introduce a topic, provide background, and guide the ensuing discussion. Recommendations for optional readings will be made available ahead of time.

Participants are asked to bring an appetizer and beverage (alcoholic or non) to share. Location will be provided upon signup.

This meeting’s topic:

How the Trinity shapes what we know.

What holds us all together? In a world of fragmentation, hyper-independence and relativity, what brings us together and unites us as persons? Philosophy in the last 200 years or so (including existentialism and postmodernism) has presented some challenging questions. Some might say these questions have resulted in a growing sense of disconnection. Does Christian philosophy have any kind of answer to these questions?

I'd love to introduce you to a lecture called Person & Being, by Dr. W. Norris Clarke, a Thomas Aquinas scholar and priest. In it, he argues that all being, especially personhood, is patterned after the Trinity, and thus at the heart of everything lies relationship. How does this radical, yet orthodox, notion that the Trinity lies at the center of it all shape our understanding of the world?

Recommended reading: Person & Being by W. Norris Clarke

Optional areas for a quick Google search (that may help deepen the conversation):  Thomas Aquinas' view of self, Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Martin Heidegger's view of the self.