Greetings Fellow WPA Chestertonians and Friends,
We will be gathering on September 9th, which is two weeks from the posting of this announcement.
We will be gathering on September 9th, which is two weeks from the posting of this announcement.
PLEASE NOTE: With this series of meetings we will slightly deviate from our usual format. In short, there will be some homework, how ever, ... it will be self-directed (and self-corrected) homework. In short, ownership [for the learning process] will be widely distributed. Each month, in addition to the few essays I will select for us to read and discuss at the meetings, I will select a theme for the meeting, and ask you to do some on-your-own reading and exploration into that aspect of Distributism. Use the internet. Take notes. Copy an article. Maybe even buy a book. Then, come prepared to share your research and resources. In addition to reading and discussing the selected readings for the meeting, we will allot time for each of you to share the results of your personal investigation.
In order to help you accomplish this, I will be posting suggested articles and essays for you to read as jumping off points, as well as providing links to good websites where you can browse and sift through the information to find the materials that will pique your interest in this topic. Some of the basic good links to keep handy over the coming months are below:
http://distributistreview.com
http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk
http://www.thomasstorck.org
For the September meeting, we will examine "The Context for Distributism". This will include a basic introduction to Distributism, as well as discussion of where this idea came from and its historical context.
The following three essays will be our selections for the September meeting. They are the first three essays in The Hound of Distributism, edited by Richard Aleman. The Hound of Distributism is an excellent collection of essays by various Distributists, and I would recommend it as a basic survey book. The following three essays are the only ones of its content that are viewable on the internet for free. Print and digital copies of the entire book are readily available for purchase from various sources. If you choose not to purchase a copy of this book, then you will probably want to figure out how to read these online at the meeting. I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY ARE PRINTABLE in the free version format and you will find it helpful to have a viewable copy of these essays at the meeting.
What's Wrong with the World (And How to Fix It)
by Dale Ahlquist
Towards a Description of Distributism
Dr. William E. Fahey
On a Tiresome Word
by G.K. Chesterton
The following link is to an essay that I strongly recommend for your contextual read outside of the above linked essays that we will discuss at the meeting: http://distributistreview.com/social-justice-pius-xi/
I would also mention that the full texts of the papal encyclicals relating to Distributism are linked on the Distributist Review webpage. They can be very enlightening when looking for a context for Distributism, or to at least be skimming through over the next few months.
This link may also be of interest: https://prezi.com/ohkc6_kxrble/cst-basic-principles/
In October we will take a look at "How Does Distributism Works". We will include a peak at some examples of it in action, and consider some of the common criticisms of it.
In November, we will talk about "Applied Distributism: What does it mean for my household?"
At all the meetings in the this series, we will strive to be clear about the definition of terms we will need to use.... terms like subsidiarily, solidarity, the Common Good, Catholic Social Teaching, distributive justice, goods, usury, capital, property, socialism, democracy, liberal, conservative, radical... you get the idea. These terms would need to be clearly defined for the purpose of meaningful dialog (AKA avoiding a brawl at the meeting), so please keep the pursuit of clear definitions in mind as you do your exploring.
I will post updates to this which will include more details and suggestions...in the coming weeks.
Also, mark you calendars for the annual ROCHESTER Chesterton Conference on September 24, 2016. This one day conference is hosted at St John Fisher College by our friends, The Rochester Chesterton Society. This year the theme is "--isms", and the usual excellent line up of speakers promises not to disappoint. There will be more info at the meeting and in the coming weeks.
Our meetings are held in the Village of Middle Lancaster, at the Lancaster Township Community Center located on Kings Alley and Community Center Drive, in Butler County PA. Kings Ally is off of Rt. 19 approx. 4.5 miles north of Zelienople, and just north of the Zion Lutheran Church and just south of East Lancaster Road. (The Community Center is a former one room school house, adjacent to the ball fields at Bauder Park.) The doors open at 7:00pm for pot luck refreshments, with the discussion beginning at 7:30. The meeting wraps up sometime around 9:30pm.
Please consider bringing something for the refreshment table, and as always, feel free to email me at wpachesterton@gmail.com if you have and questions or comments.
