2015 EXECUTIVE SEMINAR- 12-18 April, White Sulphur
Magnanimity or Greatness of Soul:
Forging the “Crowning Virtue” for Chaplain Service
An Executive Leadership Seminar
The John Jay Institute seeks to prepare and sustain principled public leaders. To that end the Institute will conduct an Executive Seminar for members of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy at the Officer’s Christian Fellowship White Sulphur Springs retreat center near Bedford, PA on 12-18 April 2015.

Seminar participants prepare for daily discussions through significant reading in subjects ranging from personal character and public virtue to the realities of and challenging decisions during war. These readings include key volumes from Aristotle, James Toner, C. S. Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, Victor Davis Hanson, John Finnis, John Witherspoon, Richard Brookhiser, Gordon Wood, Joseph Ellis, Joseph Kotva, and Nancy Sherman.

Professor Greg Jesson, Ph. D. will direct the seminar. Dr. Jesson has extensive background in philosophy, religion, and culture. He studied under Christian Apologist Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri Switzerland and currently teaches at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Each day of the seminar, Dr. Jesson will moderate group sessions using the method of Socrates posing challenging questions and penetrating insights from his own extensive scholarship. Following are the main topics of the sessions:

Character formed by key virtues - courage, temperance, justice, and truthfulness
The “Crowning Virtue” known as “magnanimity” or “greatness of soul”
The remarkable example of General George Washington
The relationship of Virtue Theory to the life of faith
The importance and practicality of character in helping those that we serve

The Executive Leadership Seminar provides chaplains in government and civilian community service with the opportunity to consider leadership virtue through the eyes of great writers and compelling examples. In turn, this will enhance our chaplains’ ability to inspire, teach, counsel, and strengthen others in crucial matters of personal character and ethical public leadership.

The Reverend Alan R. Crippen II founded the John Jay Institute in 2005. He served as an officer in the U. S. Army with a specialty in Field Artillery. The Institute is named for a great American Founder and first Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. Among numerous accomplishments for the public good, John Jay finished his exceptional years of public service as President of the American Bible Society.

The John Jay Institute is the only faith-based intercollegiate organization in America exclusively dedicated to preparation of leaders for public service. The Institute maintains a residential academic fellowship for college graduates with vocational interest in public affairs. Affiliated scholars provide papers and public lectures on important topics and timely issues related to public life in America. Go to www.johnjayinstitute.org for more information.

*BY INVITATION ONLY: participants MUST be pre-approved by the Vicar General of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy

Once you have registered, please notify the Vicar General via his e-mail address - ArchdeaconWilliams@AnglicanChaplains.org

In your email to the Archdeacon, include your arrival and departure itineraries and if you can assist with airport transportation.

Click here Executive Seminar Schedule.
  • - -