The Wethersfield Institute promotes a clear understanding of Catholic teaching and practice and explores the cultural and intellectual dimensions of the Catholic faith.
The Institute does so by hosting conferences and workshops, supporting Catholic scholars and artists, and holding public lectures at the Wethersfield Estate and in New York City.
Some of the programs listed in the archive below were offered by the Wethersfield Institute for Catholic Thought.
Events
We are currently planning our 2021 Calendar of Events. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed.
Lecture Archives
a talk with Sir Roger Scruton - Oct. 6, 2018
Sir Roger Scruton introduces the audience to some of the mysteries of country life. His talk is a plea for tolerance toward a sport in which the love of animals prevails over the pursuit of them, and in which Nature herself is the center of the drama. Listen >>
a lecture with Sir Roger Scruton - Oct. 4, 2018
Sir Roger Scruton explores this timeless concept, asking what makes an object beautiful. He argues that beauty is a real and universal value, anchored in our rational nature, and that the sense of beauty has an indispensable part to play in shaping the human world. Listen >>
a lecture with Catesby Leigh - August 18, 2018
In the country estate of Wethersfield as well as in the urban setting of Manhattan, we encounter many magnificent vistas that are fruits of a humanist tradition that spans thousands of years. Can the humanist tradition flourish anew under contemporary circumstances? Listen >>
a course with Rev. Joseph W. Koterski, S.J. - Fall 2017
This course examines both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. It considers their origins, the meaning of the crucial terms, and the theological questions and controversies to which they respond with a clear statement of the Church's faith. Listen >>
a course with Rev. Joseph W. Koterski, S.J. - Fall 2016
This course provides a general account of ethics, an overview of The Natural Law approach to ethics, a comparison with such other moral theories as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, and a program for reading on this topic. Listen >>
Publications
Over the years we have published dozens of collections of essays and writings by prominent thinkers and scholars on topics of Catholic culture, history, and teaching.
Staff
MATTHEW SPEER
Program Director
Matthew Speer has a background in administrative work and Catholic education. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Christendom College, and is nearing the completion of his M.A. in Theology. His background includes working in Rome for a college study abroad program and teaching at a classical Catholic school in Virginia. Matthew began working for Wethersfield in 2018. He and his wife live on the Wethersfield Estate with their young family.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
PETER BUDNIK
Board Chairman
Peter Budnik is the youngest grandchild of Wethersfield's founder, Chauncey Devereux Stillman. He received his undergraduate degree in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame. He is currently a practicing architect in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he lives with his wife and children.
Mr. John Henry Crosby
Director, Wethersfield Institute
Rev. Joseph W. Koterski, S.J.
Director, Wethersfield Institute
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