The Academic Good Life

Name: The Academic Good Life
Start: 2024-04-05T17:00:00-05:00
End: 2024-04-05T18:30:00-05:00
Location: Stumberg Hall

Fri, Apr 05

Stumberg Hall

The Good Life of the Austin Institute opens its doors to students (again!). We will read books addressing some of the main problems of our current culture -- looking for real and practical solutions, and always striving to seek the truth together.

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Time & Location

Apr 05, 2024, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

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

About The Event

Great news: The Good Life of the Austin Institute opens its doors to students (again)!

After serving Austin's younger and older professionals, starting on January 12, UT graduates and undergraduates of all majors are also invited to join us for a reading group that will meet every other Friday. We will always (and exclusively) discuss what really matters -- and what may really help us shape a good life for ourselves.

Led by the amazing Ms. Ruiz (and sometimes joined by Dr. Orlandi) we will read books addressing some of the main problems of our current culture -- looking for real and practical solutions, and always striving to seek the truth together.

Our first book will be Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, by Pete Davis.

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SPRING 2025 EVENTS

Mon, Jan 27
The Good Life Reading Group [Non-Fiction]
Stumberg Hall
Multiple Dates
RSVP
Jan 27, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Few books can be so short and yet so impactful. Few people, perhaps, are as deeply insightful and as radically charitable as Bishop and Abbot Erik Varden. I am sure we don't have to convince you that the topic - chastity - is worth your time.
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Wed, Jan 29
“Being Human: Graduate and Undergraduates reading seminar”
Austin Institute
Multiple Dates
RSVP
Jan 29, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Austin Institute, 3298-3200 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
In this reading group, taking our cue from the volume, we will explore what it means to be human. We will look at some of the great statements on the basic objects of human desire, whether it makes sense to desire perfection, and whether it makes sense to want to be immortal.
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Thu, Feb 13
The Good Life: Fiction Reading Group
Stumberg Hall
Multiple Dates
RSVP
Feb 13, 2025, 6:00 PM – Feb 20, 2025, 7:30 PM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Usually described as "Italy’s greatest novel," The Betrothed chronicles the unforgettable romance of Renzo and Lucia, who endure tyranny, war, famine, and plague to be together. You do not want to miss it!
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Thu, Feb 13
"The Good Life" Fiction Reading Group
Stumberg Hall
Multiple Dates
RSVP
Feb 13, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Usually described as "Italy’s greatest novel," The Betrothed chronicles the unforgettable romance of Renzo and Lucia, who endure tyranny, war, famine, and plague to be together. You do not want to miss it!
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Wed, Feb 19
The Road to Integrity: A Men's Group
Austin
RSVP
Feb 19, 2025, 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Austin, 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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Wed, Feb 19
The Quest for Femininity: A Women's Group
Google Meet link will be shared ahead
RSVP
Feb 19, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Google Meet link will be shared ahead
In each session, we will discuss a topic (with help from either an expert or a short reading) that delves into what it means to be a woman today.
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Thu, Feb 20
Metaphysical Boredom in an Empire of Desire
University Catholic Center
RSVP
Feb 20, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
University Catholic Center , 2010 University Ave, Austin, TX 78705, USA
While the term acedia may be unfamiliar, the vice, usually translated as sloth, is all too common. Sloth is not mere laziness, however, but a disgust with reality, a loathing of our call to be friends with God, and a spiteful, bored hatred of place and life itself.
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Fri, Feb 21
Natural Law as Hermeneutical
Robert Rowling Hall, 3.406
RSVP
Feb 21, 2025, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Robert Rowling Hall, 3.406, 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Explore a fresh perspective on natural law through the lens of thinkers like John Finnis and Martin Rhonheimer. Instead of metaphysics or anthropology, discover how cultural context and personal insight shape our understanding of first principles.
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Sat, Feb 22
Brunch and book discussion with RJ Snell
Stumberg Hall
RSVP
Feb 22, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Join us for a brunch to meet RJ Snell, author of "Lost in Chaos." This event is open to anyone who read his book during the Fall 2024 Semester in our Good Life reading book club.
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Mon, Feb 24
The Good Life Reading Group [Non-Fiction]
Stumberg Hall
RSVP
Feb 24, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Of Boys and Men isn’t just a book—it’s a mirror held up to society, exploring the struggles boys and men face in an era of shifting roles and expectations. This is more than a book discussion—it’s a quest to better understand the world and each other. Ready to dive in?
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Wed, Feb 26
What's Good About (an What Is) Marriage?
Austin
Multiple Dates
RSVP
Feb 26, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Austin, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Join us to explore whether the family—a lasting union of a man and a woman open to life—is essential for a thriving community.
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Wed, Mar 12
What's Good About (an What Is) Marriage?
Austin
Multiple Dates
RSVP
Mar 12, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Austin, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Join us to explore whether the family—a lasting union of a man and a woman open to life—is essential for a thriving community.
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Fri, Mar 28
Lunch Talk with Dr. Ana Moreland "Thomas Aquinas on the Scope and Limits of Forgiveness"
UT, Robert Rowling Hall 5.402
RSVP
Mar 28, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
UT, Robert Rowling Hall 5.402, 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78705, USA
Dr. Moreland will examine Anna Karenina through the eyes of Thomas Aquinas on the theological virtue of charity.
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