America 250: A Foreign Admirer's View of a Republic in Crisis

Join us at the SF War Memorial's Green Room for a lecture from Os Guinness. Os Guinness is an author, social critic, and great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer. Os has written or edited more than 40 books that offer valuable insight into the cultural, political, and social contexts in which we all live. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford. "Is the Republic headed for redemption or for ruin? Free societies are rare, and lasting free societies are rarer still. Os Guinness explores the foundations of America's free society, and explores the state of those foundations 250 years later. At the heart of America's success lies a paradox: its liberal democratic order relies on pre-liberal values that American liberalism itself cannot replenish: truth-seeking, the dignity of the individual, love of neighbor. Our institutions could only have been created in the fertile soil of those values, but now they often stand against them. San Francisco is a city investing enormous intellectual and economic efforts into remaking those institutions aided by unprecedented technological prowess. This lecture explores the moral foundations that such a transformation may first require." The lecture will be followed by a moderated discussion with Toby Kurth, Lead Pastor at Christ Church in San Francisco. A fourth-generation Californian, Toby earned his BS from UC Davis, his masters at Westminster Seminary, and his PhD at Stony Brook University. In addition to leading Christ Church, Toby is a Director at Transforming the Bay with Christ (TBC). Agenda: 5:30pm-6:00pm Arrive (Lecture will start at 6pm sharp - we recommend arriving at 5:30-45 for best seating) 6:00pm-7:00pm Lecture 7:00pm-7:45pm Moderated Discussion and Q&A 7:45pm-8:30pm Reception (drinks, light snacks) The event will be hosted at the SF War Memorial's Green Room (2nd floor on 401 Van Ness Ave, follow the signs in the lobby). The evening is off-the-record and recordings are not allowed. Seats are limited, so please RSVP only if you are committed to attending. The lecture is organized by the Cypress Society, an organization devoted to reviving the Western tradition of the public lecture and offer a rigorous exploration of ideas in the public interest - open to all and at no cost. We are grateful for the support of the Omidyar Network as the anchor sponsor of this event. In addition, we thank Amir Zohrenejad, Jake Greenspan, Charles Yang, Kelvin Yu, Plymouth Street, Ken Broad, Nick Mehta, and others whose generosity made this event possible.