The Rockford Institute's summer program sounds superb and timely:
Summer School 2008: The Crusades
TRI’S ELEVENTH ANNUAL SUMMER SCHOOL
THE CRUSADES
JULY 8-13, 2008 • ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS
The Curriculum
The story of the Crusades is one of piety and fortitude, but there are villains enough, as well. For all the chivalrous Christian knights such as Louis IX and Richard Lionheart, there were plenty of Venetian merchants who saw the Crusades as a great opportunity to make a buck. Nonetheless, our own age’s condemnation of the Crusades has far less to do with telling the whole story than it does with hatred of Western civilization and the Faith on which she is founded. A proper understanding of the Crusades is essential to, among other things, a proper understanding of our current conflict with Islam.
The Rockford Institute’s 2008 Summer School will recount thrilling tales of high adventure and terrifying ones of Islamic tyranny. The course will explain the theological arguments reasoned by Pope Urban II and St. Bernard of Clairvaux that launched the Crusades, and consider the public piety of the age, many expressions of which were inspired by the Crusades and remain in practice to this day. The course will also explore the writings of the contemporary chroniclers and the lives of the principal figures. We will look at the crusading orders, the motives that inspired men to take the Cross, the Crusades against heresy, and the complex and often difficult relationship between the Byzantine East and the Latin West. All this and more. This course is for anyone who has ever stood by unable to respond when told that the Crusades are something for which Christians should apologize.
Readings from
Fulcher of Chartres
Bernard of Clairvaux
Jean de Joinville
Anna Komnena
Geoffrey de Villehardoiun
The Faculty
Fr. Hugh Barbour, O.Praem.—Prior and seminary lecturer at Saint Michael’s Abbey, Trabuco Canyon, California; Ph.D. in philosophy from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Mr. Christopher Check—Executive Vice President of The Rockford Institute; B.A. in English Literature from Rice University; former captain in the United Sates Marine Corps (field artillery).
Dr. Thomas Fleming—President of The Rockford Institute and editor of Chronicles; author of The Politics of Human Nature and The Morality of Everyday Life; Ph.D. in classics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Mr. Brendan McGuire—Visiting lecturer in Medieval History at Christendom College; M.A. and Ph.D (candidate) in Medieval History from Saint Louis University.
Dr. James Patrick—Chancellor of the College of Saint Thomas More in Fort Worth; Th.D in theology from Trinity College, University of Toronto.
For information on scholarships for full-time undergraduate and graduate students, contact Christopher Check at 
(815) 964-5811
.
Details
The Summer School is aimed at students from undergraduates to retirees. Bright high-school students accompanied by their parents are accepted on a case by case basis.
Out-of-town students stay at Cliffbreakers River Suites Hotel, Rockford’s premier hotel, overlooking the Rock River (www.cliffbreakers.com).
Air travel to Rockford can be arranged through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Van Galder Airport Express (www.vangalderbus.com) provides regular, motor-coach transportation to Rockford from the Bus-Shuttle Center at O’Hare. The Cliffbreakers van shuttles students from the Van Galder terminal to Cliffbreakers. Ask your travel agent about air service directly to Chicago/Rockford International Airport.
Lectures and discussions take place in The Rockford Institute’s lecture hall. Coffee and pastries are provided each morning; a midday break allows time for lunch at a variety of nearby establishments. Dinners are held at locally owned restaurants.
Transportation for students without cars is provided to and from Cliffbreakers each day, as well as to dinner. Please inform us if you will be driving and would be willing to help with carpooling.
Students should arrive in Rockford no later than 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday, July 8. Out-of-town students must first check in at Cliffbreakers. The opening lecture and buffet will commence at 5:30 P.M. at the Institute. The Summer School will close with a cookout at the home of Dr. Fleming on the evening of Saturday, July 12. The registration fee for out-of-town students includes lodging on Saturday night. Students needing bus transportation back to O’Hare airport on Sunday, July 15, should arrange a ride to the Van Galder terminal with Cliffbreakers.
If you wish to donate to our scholarship fund for full-time students, or wish to apply for a scholarship, or have any other questions, please contact: Christopher Check (815) 964-5811
Enrollment
Full Registration, Double Occupancy—$695.00
(Includes all lectures and events, five nights’ shared lodging with breakfast, daily dinner)
Full Registration, Single Occupancy—$795.00
(Includes all lectures and events, five nights’ private lodging with breakfast, daily dinner)
Commuter Registration, Lectures Only—$325.00
(Includes daytime lectures only, no meals or evening events)
Commuter Registration Plus Dinner—$425.00
(Includes all lectures and events, daily dinner)
N.B.: Registration is limited. • Previous Summer Schools have sold out. • Prices are per student. • Returning students may deduct $25.00. • Register before April 15, 2008, and deduct 50.00. • Prices do not include books.
Beautiful riverfront accommodations at Rockford’s premier hotel: Cliffbreakers
Riverside Resort (www.cliffbreakers.com).
To register, call (800) 383-0680 or click here to download and print a pdf registration form.
