Chesterton House

Chesterton House A Christian Studies Center affiliated with Cornell University offering a Christian college-like experience to Cornell Students.

Also a registered student organization at Cornell University.

When the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 11:25-26, “For a hardening has happened on part of Israel, until the fullness of t...
04/23/2026

When the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 11:25-26, “For a hardening has happened on part of Israel, until the fullness of the gentiles enters in, and in this way all Israel will be saved,” what did he mean? Specifically, what did he mean by “all Israel”?

This is one of the most contentious questions in biblical and theological studies. And there is a new perspective that has emerged to answer it.

In his much-discussed recent book, Paul and the Resurrection of Israel, Jason Staples has proposed that in Romans 11:25-26 Paul envisions the entry of the gentiles as necessary for the restoration of the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which results in the salvation of “all Israel” (and not just in the salvation of the Southern Kingdom of Judah). This reading has significant consequences: it means that Paul thought the 10 tribes had become gentiles after breaking the covenant and needed to be ethnically transformed to become Israelites once again, and that this restoration took place by incorporation into the Messiah. Gentiles who follow Messiah and receive the holy spirit, in other words, do not remain gentiles: they become Israelites (again) in order for all Israel to be saved.

Join the Theological Society at Cornell for a conversation with Jason Staples, Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at NC State University.

🗓️ April 30th
⏰ 1pm
✨This event is only available to a limited in-person audience. If you’re interested in joining, email us by visiting the link on our website: 
https://chestertonhouse.org/events/theological-society-jason-staples/

📖 The Theological Society hosts public conversations on recent academic research on a wide range of biblical, theological, and philosophical areas. These discussions are aimed at an advanced undergraduate or graduate level and aim to satisfy what Simone Weil described as the basic need of the soul: to consider “every sort of opinion, without the least restriction or reserve.” Our dialogues explore the academic writings of visiting speakers in a collegial and cordial setting with a necessary critical eye toward both historic orthodox beliefs and ideas that reign in the contemporary academy, and culture.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He formed the human from the dust of the earth, then commanded t...
04/20/2026

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He formed the human from the dust of the earth, then commanded the human to engage in technological development so that humans could become free from their bodies, from the constraints of space and time, from the awkwardnesses of real encounters in the body, and finally from death itself.

Of course, we immediately recognize this as a parody, but how often do we live in our digitally-saturated world as if it were true? As if we were meant to live not as embodied human beings made to worship the God of creation, incarnation, and resurrection and to abide in incarnate relationship with others in community, but as humans accepting a call from The Digital to advance into a transhumanist future which aims to deliver us from our bodily limitations?

Unlike early forms of technology, like hammers and windmills and printing presses, modern automatic machine technology is increasingly removing us from a vital and intimate connection with the Creator and the creation. It is affecting our cognition, our skills, our possibilities for employment, and making us more lonely and disconnected from concrete communities of friends we can lean on.

All of this doesn’t come without real benefits. But at what cost? Is technological advance worth the cost of diminishing our ordinary embodied human existence?

Join us for a Chesterton Perspectives event with Craig Gay to explore these questions and to see how the Christian story about a God who creates, incarnates himself, and bodily resurrects the dead invites us to rediscover the centrality of ordinary embodied human existence in the world.

🗓️ April 27th
⏰ 7:30pm EST at 111 The Knoll | 7:45pm EST via Zoom
✨Register for the Zoom link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUpkU09qLWv5vYGmlGBo4YN1bmebIDUbRsjcRAt49FlkHMTA/viewform

Missional Entrepreneurship: Building Businesses with PurposeSince the 1970s, the global economy has been dominated by "s...
04/08/2026

Missional Entrepreneurship: Building Businesses with Purpose

Since the 1970s, the global economy has been dominated by "shareholder primacy"—the theory that a corporation’s sole duty is to maximize profits. However, critics increasingly argue that this narrow focus often comes at the expense of employee well-being and community health. Many companies attempt to address these concerns through surface-level corporate social responsibility programs. However, when these initiatives are decoupled from a company's profit goals, they often result in greenwashing: the practice of implementing impact programs purely for optics rather than genuine change.

In response, a new model has emerged: missional enterprise. By prioritizing a "Triple Bottom Line" of people, profit, and purpose, these organizations leverage market-driven growth to create sustainable social impact. Missional enterprises align their impact goals with profitability goals, binding together economic growth with community transformation. Unlike traditional nonprofits, these enterprises stimulate local economies and provide long-term solutions that don't depend on donors. Beyond the balance sheet, they are committed to the holistic flourishing of their staff and integrating faith and work to find a higher calling in business.

Join us for a conversation with Jack Benjamin, Director of the Global Enterprise Network. A pioneer in the "business-as-mission" movement, Jack has spent decades building impact-driven enterprises worldwide. Since 2009, he has led a network of over 500 enterprises dedicated to social transformation, economic sustainability, and spiritual growth. The event will be moderated by Ezra Min, a sophomore in the ILR School at Cornell.

If you’re looking to learn about using entrepreneurship to tackle society’s toughest challenges or redefining your career as a vehicle for global good, please join us for an evening of insight and inspiration.

Wednesday | April 22nd | 7:30pm EST | Dinner Provided | Willard Straight Hall, 414 or via Zoom

Register through the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdF28V-IY-zry_C4dWhquUAzqkhHrC50wHRc5kiHi8unYxIJw/viewform

For more information about the event:
https://chestertonhouse.org/events/missional-entrepreneurship-building-businesses-with-purpose/

Many of us begin and end our days the same way: checking texts, scrolling emails, moving seamlessly from one screen to t...
04/07/2026

Many of us begin and end our days the same way: checking texts, scrolling emails, moving seamlessly from one screen to the next. What may feel like a series of small, neutral habits has quietly become a daily rhythm—one we repeat almost without thinking.

But how did this happen? While we may be the ones opening our apps, our habits are also reflective of a broader culture. One that often requires near constant digital connectivity for school, work, and life. These rhythms are both personal and societal. And they are also shaping us more than we realize.

Our “digital liturgies” inform our desires, shape our thoughts, and influence our understanding of what it means to be human. And what happens when these digital habits– intentionally designed to keep us coming back for more–begin to crowd out the sacred liturgies that were meant to frame our lives? The rhythms meant to ground us in goodness, truth, and beauty are pushed to the margins. A life meant to be lived in communion with God and one another is slowly replaced by the façade of connection, and we find ourselves increasingly isolated.

Sociologist and author Felicia Wu Song has spent years studying how these digital structures shape our lives and exploring more meaningful alternatives. Through her “Freedom Project,” she invites students into practices from the Christian tradition, offering concrete ways to recover sacred habits and real communion with God and one another.

Join us for this Chesterton Perspectives event as we explore connection, communion, and the liturgies that shape us.

🗓️ April 13th
⏰ 7:30pm ET at 111 The Knoll Rd | 7:45pm ET via Zoom
✨ Register for the Zoom link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScp4dO1VJYGonVCXwkQuZJWqabwMfIV2CKWzFF8g22yC7knpw/viewform

With the digital world at our fingertips and within a collegiate environment shaped by ideas and abstractions, the slow,...
04/02/2026

With the digital world at our fingertips and within a collegiate environment shaped by ideas and abstractions, the slow, seasonal labor of those who work the land can seem like a relic of days gone by. And yet, Scripture begins in a garden.

Throughout Scripture–particularly in the Old Testament–we encounter a persistent theme: the relationship between God, humans, and the land. Care for the land is both communal and sacred, central to what it means to be human. Perhaps then, the work of the humble farmer is far more sacred than we have imagined, those callused hands participating in humanity’s original vocation.

Over the course of her distinguished career as an Old Testament scholar at Duke, Ellen Davis has drawn profound connections between the Hebrew Bible and the worlds of agriculture, land care, and agrarian life. For over fifteen years, she has employed biblical interpretation as a lens for understanding what she calls, “the global crisis of agriculture.” While this lens does involve a careful reflection on the past, she argues that it can also provide invaluable instruction on a more whole future.

Join the Theological Society on April 9 as we welcome Ellen Davis to discuss how this compelling agrarian framework can shape both the intellectual and practical life of faith.

🗓️ April 9th
⏰ 1pm
✨This event is only available to a limited in-person audience. If you’re interested in joining, email us by visiting the link on our website: https://chestertonhouse.org/events/theological-society-ellen-davis/

📖 The Theological Society hosts public conversations on recent academic research on a wide range of biblical, theological, and philosophical areas. These discussions are aimed at an advanced undergraduate or graduate level and aim to satisfy what Simone Weil described as the basic need of the soul: to consider “every sort of opinion, without the least restriction or reserve.” Our dialogues explore the academic writings of visiting speakers in a collegial and cordial setting with a necessary critical eye toward both historic orthodox beliefs and ideas that reign in the contemporary academy, and culture.

In loving memory of a key founding supporter of Chesterton HouseDr. Richard BaerOctober 18, 1931 - March 5, 2026Earlier ...
03/31/2026

In loving memory of a key founding supporter of Chesterton House

Dr. Richard Baer
October 18, 1931 - March 5, 2026

Earlier this month, the beloved Dr. Richard Baer saw his Savior face-to-face. While the Chesterton House community grieves alongside his other family and friends, we also rejoice in both his eternal life and the incredible legacy he left behind.

We invite you to read Dick’s touching obituary, listen to some of his lectures, and to learn more about how he helped shape the foundation of Chesterton House.

https://chestertonhouse.org/blog/in-loving-memory-of-dr-richard-baer/

Friend or Foe? The Goods (And Evils) of AINearly every day, another article drops the headline: “Beware the dangers of A...
03/16/2026

Friend or Foe? The Goods (And Evils) of AI

Nearly every day, another article drops the headline: “Beware the dangers of AI!” The threats are manifold: the disintegration of human intellect and interpersonal skills; the replacement of human workers with humanoid bots; perhaps, some suggest, even the annihilation of the human race itself. These apocalyptic visions result in the reasonable call for caution and serious reflection on how AI shapes human flourishing.

But what if these dramatic threats are massively overstated? Could it be that, in the fervor of it all, we've forgotten some crucial things: that AI does not evolve on its own but has to be built, and that human beings remain responsible for what they create?

Join us as we welcome MIT Professor and AI researcher Rosalind “Roz” Picard to Chesterton Perspectives. Together, we’ll think through the goods and evils of AI and how to navigate this explosive topic as people of faith.

Monday | March 23, 2026 | 7:30 pm ET | 111 The Knoll or via Zoom

Register for Zoom at the link below:
https://forms.gle/bo3MEvHiHbssrjcs9

For more info: https://chestertonhouse.org/events/friend-or-foe-the-goods-and-evils-of-ai/

The Beauty of Understanding: How Wonder and Awe Fuel Scientific Inquiry with Brandon Vaidyanathan, Professor of Sociolog...
03/06/2026

The Beauty of Understanding: How Wonder and Awe Fuel Scientific Inquiry with Brandon Vaidyanathan, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institutional Flourishing Lab at The Catholic University of America.

For over two centuries, critics have accused science of disenchanting the world, turning rainbows into wavelengths and mysteries into mechanisms. Yet many prominent contemporary scientists describe science itself as a wellspring of beauty, awe, and wonder. What does beauty mean in the everyday practice of science, and how does the pursuit of understanding shape scientific work, motivation, and well-being?

Schedule:
5:30 PM - 6:15 PM Talk
6:15-6:45 PM: Panel Discussion with Brandon Vaidyanathan, Prof. Tomás Arias (Cornell, Physics) and Saun Nichols (Cornell, Philosophy)
6:45 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner Reception

Join us for this conversation, a collaboration of the COLLIS at Cornell and the Chesterton House.

Registration link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/3hgwgv8

For more info: https://chestertonhouse.org/events/the-beauty-of-understanding-how-wonder-and-awe-fuel-scientific-inquiry/

📆 Thursday, March 19th at 5:30pm
📍 Clark 700
🍽️Dinner provided!

Beyond the Paycheck: Why Humans WorkJoin us as we welcome Jeff Metzner, the Vice President of Marketing, Media, and Comm...
02/25/2026

Beyond the Paycheck: Why Humans Work

Join us as we welcome Jeff Metzner, the Vice President of Marketing, Media, and Communications on the P&G Walmart Global Customer Team. A leading businessman and committed Christian, Jeff will guide us in a conversation around the theology of work by engaging Dorothy Sayers' classic essay entitled, "Why Work?"

Whether you're concerned about the future state of labor in our world or simply asking basic questions about your work-saturated life, you won't want to miss out on the opportunity to participate in this conversation with a leading Christian businessman whose insights have been hard-won through significant experiences.

Wednesday | March 11, 2026 | 7pm | Willard Straight Hall 414 | Dinner Provided

Kindly register to confirm your attendance for dinner.

Register link: forms.gle/apv89LbXpZmgBibf6

For more info: https://chestertonhouse.org/events/beyond-the-paycheck/

You're Only Human: Could Embracing Limits Unlock Your Fullest Potential?University life is fast-paced and overflowing—wi...
02/23/2026

You're Only Human: Could Embracing Limits Unlock Your Fullest Potential?

University life is fast-paced and overflowing—with coursework,
exams, projects, social events, clubs, and service opportunities.
Everyone seems to be doing it all with effortless energy. How do they find the time? How do they push past their limits? We’re taught to optimize, to “hack” our lives, and to overcome every weakness in pursuit of extraordinary achievement. But what if our limitations are not flaws to defeat, but gifts essential to being human? Perhaps the drive to transcend our limits is what keeps us from being fully alive. Kelly M. Kapic suggests that the Christian life invites us to embrace our limits with patience and grace, seeing them not as barriers, but as part of God’s good design.

Monday | March 9 | 5:30pm EST | Dinner Reception to Follow | Physical Science Building 120 or via Zoom

Register through the link below:
https://forms.gle/pvjdRffbhos1cHaR6

For more information about the event:
https://chestertonhouse.org/events/youre-only-human-could-embracing-limits-unlock-your-fullest-potential/

Address

111-115 The Knoll
Ithaca, NY
14850

Telephone

+16073194038

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