Have you ever found yourself wishing you had a little more time to discuss and reflect on some of the ideas you hear from The Anselm Society? Then you'll love joining us for Philosophy by the Fireside.

Philosophy by the Fireside is a casual guided discussion among friends gathered around a fire. That means you don't need to have read or even have substantial familiarity with philosophy -- just curiosity and an interest in exploring ideas. The evenings will be led by a facilitator, who will introduce a topic, provide background, and guide the ensuing discussion. Recommendations for optional readings will be made available ahead of time.

Participants are asked to bring an appetizer and beverage (alcoholic or non) to share.

This meeting’s topic:

Existentialism & truth: finding solid ground in the sifting sands of an eroding epistemology.

Is truth subjective? How does the Christian faith interact with such an idea? And is doubt an essential part of knowing?

In this Philosophy by the Fireside conversation, we’ll be exploring an appropriately wintery area of philosophy: existentialism. Existentialism has had a profound impact on how many people see our world today. Even if you have not read much formal philosophy on existentialism, you have no doubt observed it all around you (perhaps without knowing it!) It touches on individualism, emphasis on personal experiences, dissonance between the individual and society and so much more. In this discussion, we’ll be focusing on Kierkegaard’s writings on doubt, faith & truth and how we see these ideas around us today.

How do we balance the certainties and uncertainties of knowledge and faith in such uncertain times?