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FALL 2023 EVENTS

  • Nov 16, 2023, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
    Rowling Hall (Room 4.314), 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    Among the Catholic political thinkers of the 20th century, Augusto Del Noce stood out for his ability to trace the deep theological and philosophical roots of modern politics. In this talk, his English translator will discuss Del Noce's analysis of the rise of modern totalitarian movements...
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  • Oct 19, 2023, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Texas Public Policy Foundation, 901 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, USA
    For the past 10 years, the Austin institute and its fellows have answered the same questions and relentlessly and bravely defended the eternal truths of human nature and of the family from the attacks of modern culture. Join us and our fellows in discussing the next 10 years!
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  • Oct 09, 2023, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    What's the big deal about divorce? Why should we read and talk about it when everyone around us seems to be fine with it? The truth is: no matter what our family background, our age, or our state in life is, we all need to rediscover the immense impact that family life has on us and on our culture.
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  • Oct 04, 2023, 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
    Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    Bagels, coffee, and male-only discussions on what matters most. Once a month, attendees will have the chance to read and talk about issues and challenges that the men of today are facing and that too often remain undisclosed: for fear of judgment or misunderstanding.
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  • Sep 27, 2023, 7:00 PM – Dec 31, 2023, 9:00 PM
    Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    This program is reserved for UT graduate students (and spouses) and is structured as a series of conversations around a dinner table. Dinner is provided, but prior registration is required. One or two short articles --our conversations starters--will be sent beforehand.
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  • Sep 21, 2023, 7:00 PM
    Stumberg Hall or Zoom, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    This coming fall, we are starting a new Good Life Reading Group + (Level 2). It will be open to all individuals above forty --or younger, but who do not feel they are "young professionals" anymore. Our first meeting will be in September and then continue every other week.
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Seminar: "Lost in the Cosmos: On Sadness, Laughter, and the Self" with Dr. Ryan Womack

Tue, Apr 09

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Stumberg Hall

Why, in the midst of plenty, are we so often sad? How, in the midst of sadness, can we laugh? Please join Dr. Womack for this 4-week seminar exploring the complexities of the self, guided by Walker Percy's satirical self-help book, Lost in the Cosmos (1985).

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Seminar: "Lost in the Cosmos: On Sadness, Laughter, and the Self" with Dr. Ryan Womack
Seminar: "Lost in the Cosmos: On Sadness, Laughter, and the Self" with Dr. Ryan Womack

Time & Location

Apr 09, 2019, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA

About The Event

Why, in the midst of plenty, are we so often sad? How, in the midst of sadness, can we laugh? While we explore the expansive cosmos, "We are unknown, we knowers, to ourselves," as Friedrich Nietzsche wrote. Built into the mysteries of the self are the possibilities of laughter, gratitude, and what Walker Percy called "the search". Please join Dr. Womack for this 4-week seminar exploring the complexities of the self, guided by Walker Percy's satirical self-help book, Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book (1985). Snacks and refreshments will be provided, so please let us know you're coming.

***Participants are encouraged to buy Percy's text.

Week one: Diagnosing the Modern Malaise

Week two: The Meaning of Sadness

Week three: The Soul of Laughter

Week four: The Self and other Selves

Ryan Womack is the Associate Director of Academic Programs at the Austin Institute. Originally from Moore, Oklahoma, he received his B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University and Ph.D. in English from Baylor University specializing in the intersections of literature and religion, as well as the integration of science and religion in recent Catholic fiction. His research and writing are interdisciplinary, including literature, theology, technology, and philosophy. At Baylor​ he​ taught writing composition and Honors College colloquia, was co-director of RCIA classes at St. Peter's Catholic Student Center,​ as well as President of the English Graduate Student Association​. He taught at the ​University of Mary​ in Bismarck, North Dakota,​ where he was a Residence Life Scholar​, Assistant Professor of English,​ and Catholic Studies Fellow.​

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