Lectures

Dr. David I. Smith, a Calvin College Professor and Director of the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning, has spent his life developing ways to incorporate the Christian values he holds dear into the secular language subjects he loves to teach. In this speech given on March 1 at Brigham Young University, he gives his advice on how to bridge the gap between the two, thus creating an improved learning experience for both teachers and students. He challenges academic norms that have crept into every subject and that cause students to see subjects in a selfish and 2 dimensional way. His discussion is a battle cry to teachers of faith everywhere to teach better, more engaging, and unusual lessons; and not be afraid to use their values to enrich every facet of their teaching.

John D. Caputo discusses the complexities of post-modern religious sentiments.

Robert P. George, McCormick Chair of Jurisprudence, Princeton University, sat down with Richard N. Williams, Director of the Wheatley Institute. Robert P. George discusses the roles of public intellectuals, the virtue of dispassion, and dedicating our lives to the pursuit of truth. George talks about how he came to be involved in the academic field. They delve into the question of why do we argue, and understanding marriage and the importance of conjugal marriage. Religious liberty as a foundational liberty.

Lisa Miller, Professor & Director of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University, discusses spiritual development as it pertains to children and adolescents.

Robert P. George is the McCormick Chair in Jurisprudence at Princeton University. In this lecture he discusses just and unjust laws, and political morality. George talks of humanity's ability to flourish or fail to flourish, what religion is, and faith's incapability to be coerced. He goes through and analyzes a quotation from Nostra Aetate, the Declaration of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.

James Smith, professor at Calvin College, makes a case against rising secularism, emphasizing the continued presence of spirituality, and he asserts that a secularist explanation of humanity cannot account for spiritually motivated behaviors.

Darin Davis, professor at Baylor University, addresses the pursuit of wisdom in educational objectives, discussing how the emphasis on values has shifted in contemporary moral and intellectual goals of education.

Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, examines what it means to be an interfaith leader, focusing on the difficulties and benefits of diversity.

Distinguished Wheatley Fellow Kevin J. Worthen gave a devotional address at BYU-Idaho about disciple-scholars and their unique responsibility to uphold the Constitution.

Wheatley Institute and the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies welcomed Jeff Rosen to BYU campus on Nov 13, 2025 as he spoke on his recent book, "The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America," a New York Times bestseller and an enriching examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy.

Watch Dr. Paul Carrese's full remarks from his September 19, 2024 lecture.

George discussed what institutions—beginning with the family—instill the habits of mind that make for good citizenship.

Wheatley gets a visit from the authors of "The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again"

Conversation with Father-Daughter Duo of Political Scholars

The BYU campus community was invited to sit down with Utah Governor Spencer Cox.

Author, religion and ethics scholar, historian, and Harvard law professor, Noah Feldman, addressed the BYU community as part of Constitution Week. Feldman's lecture focused on ideas from his book, "The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery & The Refounding of America." All are welcome to attend the lecture.

On November 11, Timothy Shriver gave a lecture on “Moving From a Culture that Divides Us to a Culture that Unites Us.” The event was sponsored jointly by the Office of Civic Engagement and the Wheatley Institute. Tim and his growing team at UNITE, are building around a bold vision to promote national unity and mutual respect across differences. They are working to find solutions that transcend tired debates and old divides.