This year’s Academy of Philosophy and Letters conference will be on at theme near and dear to my heart: The Benedict Option: The Problems of Culture in Times of Crisis.

The APL has invited me — the only non-academic of the bunch! — to give the keynote address. There will be some great panels, including one on MacIntyre’s After Virtue, one on Russell Kirk and the “Mecosta Option,” one that will take up political theory and the Benedict Option, one that will consider whether or not the Ben Op can be scaled, and finally, one that will take up the question of whether or not now is the time to take the Benedict Option.

If you’re a fan of Front Porch Republic, you’ll be especially interested to learn that James Matthew Wilson, Mark T. Mitchell, and Jeffrey Polet will be on panels at the event. Claes Ryn, Bruce Frohnen, Winston Elliott III, David Walsh, on other will also be speaking. Here’s the full schedule.

Go here for more information about the conference, which will take place in suburban Baltimore on May 27-29. Nota bene, people who aren’t APL members can’t go without a member sponsor. But readers interested in attending the conference and in need of a member sponsor should contact either Justin Garrison, (garrison -at -roanoke -dot- edu), APL Secretary, or its President, Michael Federici, (mfederici -at – mercyhurst – dot – edu).

As far as I know, this is the first academic conference on the Benedict Option. Please come if you can!