2026 Public Conference “Reclaiming Authentic Conservatism: Russell Kirk and the Roots of American Order”

Across our public life, voices on both Left and Right regularly question whether the moral and social inheritance of America is worth conserving. Can a conservatism in the spirit of Russell Kirk answer these challenges? Can American constitutionalism be reinvigorated? Can a renewal of moral imagination and historical consciousness recover the roots of order—within the soul and within the Republic?

To explore these questions, the Russell Kirk Center will convene a one-day public conference on September 26, 2026, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bringing together a dozen engaging scholars, the conference will examine key pillars of the American order—and consider how they might be conserved and strengthened in our time. 

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. Lunch is included with registration, as well as the closing Book Party wine & cheese reception at 5:00.

Register

Conference Agenda

8:15-8:45 a.m.  Registration & Coffee

8:45 a.m.  Welcome by Jeffrey O. Nelson, Executive Director and CEO of The Russell Kirk Center

9:00-10:15 a.m.  Session 1: Can Conservatism be De-Politicized in Our Age?

  • Dr. Michael Federici, Middle Tennessee State University
  • Dr. Brad Watson, Hillsdale College

10:15-10:30 a.m.  Refreshment Break

10:30-11:45 a.m.  Session 2: Reviving Old Attachments: Memory, Heroes, Parchments, and the Meaning of Patriotism

  • Dr. Jeff Polet, The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
  • Dr. Nate Coleman, University of the Cumberlands

12:00-1:45 p.m. Lunch & Keynote Lecture on “The Five Cities”

  • Dr. R.J. Snell, Witherspoon Institute 

2:00-3:15 p.m.  Session 3: Two Pillars of Order: John Milton and Samuel Johnson

  • Dr. David Urban, Calvin University
  • Dr. Wesley Reynolds, III

3:15-3:30 p.m.  Refreshment Break

3:30-5:00 p.m.  Session 4: Prospects for the Roots of American Order

  • Dr. Bruce Frohnen, Ohio Northern University
  • Dr. Kirsten Birkhaug, Hope College
  • Dr. John Wilsey, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

5:00-6:30 p.m. Book Party for Russell Kirk’s On America: Understanding the Legacy of 1776
Michael Lucchese, Pipe Creek Consulting and Law & Liberty – “Advancing Russell Kirk’s America”
Wine & Cheese Reception

Event Location: 
The Sweet House Foundation
254 Fulton Street E
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Parking Information:
Please park only in the Lafayette Lot (across the street from the Sweet House) and not in the lot right next to the Sweet House. The Lafayette Lot is free.