God and Man at Yale Turns 75: Answering Its Still-Burning Questions about the American University

The American university has been a highly contested space in the last few years. But this isn’t new. Seventy-five years ago, “father of American conservatism” William F. Buckley—just a year out of his undergraduate studies—made a big splash with his first book, God and Man at Yale, featuring the provocative subtitle, The Superstitions of "Academic Freedom." The book focuses on core questions that we are still debating: Who owns the university? What is its mission? Its role in a democracy? Who should decide what is worthy of academic attention in a pluralist society? 

Please join us for a deep discussion of God and Man at Yale and the timeless questions it addresses, featuring two contributors to a recent Law & Liberty forum on Buckley’s book: Princeton University professor Robert George and Cheryl Miller, executive director of the Hertog Foundation. The discussion will be moderated by the Institute for Governance and Civics’ Neal McCluskey and will include audience questions and comments. 

Lead essay: "God, Man, and Academic Freedom," by Robert P. George

Response: "The Catechetical College?" by Cheryl Miller

Response: "The Liberal Gentleman," by James Hankins

Response: "Why Truth Is Not Enough" by Jennifer Frey