Executive Seminars Overview
St. John’s College Executive Seminars aim to address fundamental questions of the human condition through a close reading and discussion of timeless great works of literature, philosophy, and political discourse. Faculty members, called tutors, meet with about 20 participants once a month for 90 minutes to discuss one of these enduring texts. The seminar discussion is exploratory; no previous knowledge of the author, text, or subject is required and participants refer only to books the group has read together. The tutors do not set an agenda of topics to be covered.

At the college, we believe that real learning happens when seminar participants take responsibility for understanding these beautiful but difficult works through discussion with others. In such discussion participants come to a deeper understanding of the reading and of the issues it raises. One of the tutors begins each session with a question that has no simple answer.

The character and course of the conversation are determined by the demands of the text and by the willingness of all members of the seminar to state their opinions clearly and reasonably. Such a discussion is not a debate: challenging the ideas of others or offering alternative thinking is encouraged, with insight as the goal.

For twenty years the college has offered seminars for professionals and executives in a number of cities. These seminars are specially structured to suit the needs of busy people who, immersed in careers and families, value serious conversation with their peers about ideas that have challenged humankind through the ages.

Register online, or email us your contact information to receive a brochure and registration form by mail. Each Executive Seminar will be limited to 20 participants. Tuition covers all expenses for a ten-session seminar, including copies of the readings. The books read in the seminar, are shipped to participants once they enroll.

2010-2011 Theme: Love and Friendship
“You might as well take the sun out of the sky as friendship from life; for the immortal gods have given us nothing better or more delightful.”—Cicero

Is a friend another self? Are genuine friends a rare treasure? And is seeking true love akin to searching for the missing half of one’s own self? Can love sometimes border on hatred, or cause irreconcilable enmity?

The novels, poems, and works of philosophy and theology in this year’s Executive Seminar series explore friendship and love and how important they are in the life of a human being. Whether it is defined as passionate, physical love between man and woman, the love of a parent for a child, or the unshakeable bond between two fast friends, love and friendship make us fully, truly human. We might have the resources to sustain ourselves alone, but what kind of a life would that be? As Aristotle wrote, “. . . No one would choose to live without friends, though he had all other goods. . .”

Readings from the Bible offer examples of “agape,” the love for humankind that extends from the love of God. Ruth’s dedication to Naomi is an enduring story of filial love and sacrifice, while The Gospel According to John speaks to God’s love as seen in the sacrifices of Jesus. Austen, Chaucer and Goethe show both the sorrow and passion of romantic love; Plato’s Symposium also explores eros, as well as beauty and wisdom.

To Shakespeare, enduring love is the “star to every wandering bark,” steadfast and ageless. Cicero’s definition of a true friend includes loyalty and firmness, along with a willingness to tell a friend the truth when a lie would be easier. Montaigne’s treatise on friendship is especially poignant, as he writes with the bittersweet recognition of having loved, and lost, a dear friend. But as Montaigne points out, even when our friends die, their love stays with us, and we are better and richer for having known them.

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Washington County, of course, is full of rich heritage and outdoor activities. Imagine relaxing in a canoe as it passes under historic Burnside Bridge at Antietam Battlefield and thinking back to nearly 150 years ago when the whole area was in the throes of the Civil War. This crossroads of the Civil War are filled with history and culture. So much so, that you will begin planning your next visit before the first one is over.

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