James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

10/19/2026

Just a reminder of this great event this evening! Live on the West Coast at 5:30. Virtual access in all time zones. Be sure to check yours!

A special national conversation presented by the George Washington Society — live from the George Washington Inn and livestreamed worldwide.What did George Washington actually believe about God, faith, Providence, religion, and morality?How much can we really know from the historical record?Did Wa...

10/16/2026

We are excited to share this upcoming event we think will interest you. Professor Robert P. George will be in dialogue with top scholars, historians, and commentators to examine the life of the Father of our Country, George Washington. Sponsored by the George Washington Society and co-sponsored by many of our friends, it is sure to be an event worthy of your attention. Offered in person (if you are on the West Coast) and virtually (check the time zone where you will be watching) we hope you will enjoy!

Details at https://jmp.princeton.edu/events/2026/george-washington-and-faith.

What do you find most interesting about the life of George Washington? Let us know in the comments below!

A special national conversation presented by the George Washington Society — live from the George Washington Inn and livestreamed worldwide.What did George Washington actually believe about God, faith, Providence, religion, and morality?How much can we really know from the historical record?Did Wa...

10/07/2026

Madison's Notes has a new episode: "The Supernatural Public Square."

Academics used to say that as science progressed, supernatural claims would disappear from society. However, certain maverick scholars today are arguing for the legitimate study of religious experiences.

One of them is Dale Allison, a New Testament historian and Princeton Theological Seminary Professor, who joins host Ryan Shinkel in S6E8 to discuss modern religious experiences, from mystical events to responses to prayers, out-of-body & near-death experiences, and visions of angels and dead loved ones.

Along the way, they also talk about David Hume, William James, and George Harrison, current research into psychedelics, Jesus Christ's post-mortem appearances, and the emerging study of supernatural phenomenon.

Please like, subscribe, share, and enjoy! https://apple.co/4rOsLkF

10/06/2026

Our Visiting and Postdoctoral Fellows had Tuesday Coffee this morning.

They discussed Gregory Conti's Compact essay on "The AI Apocalypse Is Already Here," which made for a rich and wide-ranging topic!

What are your thoughts? Is an AI apocalypse here or yet to come? Comment below!

10/05/2026

Congratulations to Vincent Phillip Munoz for receiving one of the 2026 Teaching Excellence Awards from The Jack Miller Center.

As the Senior Scholar Winner, Phillip Muñoz is the Tocqueville Professor of Political Science and Concurrent Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and founded Notre Dame Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

He was also a 2008-2009 Visiting Fellow with the James Madison Program and is a cherished member of the James Madison Society. Well done, Professor!

Please congratulate Phillip Munoz with us! And for more details, see here: https://bit.ly/4AZ1lNp

10/02/2026

As the first in our Spotlight Series highlighting our current Visiting and Postdoc Fellows, this week we introduce you to Reece Edmends, a 2026-27 Postdoctoral Research Associate.

Reece explored Roman forts in England with his family as a kid, and his passion for ancient history led him to his current research in the politics and philosophy of ancient Rome.

He is currently working on a monograph, "Augustan Liberty," exploring the meaning of 'liberation' during the reign of the emperor Augustus. Alongside that, he is studying how Cicero's natural-law republicanism was informed by the late Republic, and how the idea of sovereignty sprang up within medieval jurisprudence.

After receiving his PhD in Classics at Princeton in 2026, Reece then served as a postdoc and lecturer in the Princeton Classics Department. On the personal side, he is soon to get married to his fiancée Claire, and aspires to take up golf.

10/02/2026

Check out this week's new episode, "How to Stay Human Forever," on Madison's Notes: https://apple.co/4jwsHUC

09/30/2026

Madison's Notes has a new episode on "How To Stay Human Forever."

With every new digital technology rolled out, many Americans face a greater sense of impending cataclysm. But what if it has already happened?

To talk about that digital catastrophe and America's religious and political future, in S6E7 host Ryan Shinkel interviews the philosopher, author, and Frontier Magazine editorial director James Poulos.
They discuss McLuhan & Baudrillard, Lincoln, civilizational states, crypto, AI, & digital sovereignty, different camps fighting over the digital future (effective altruists vs. vitalists vs. gnostics vs. post-humanists), the Pink Police State, Mars colonies, and David Lynch.

Please share and enjoy: https://apple.co/4jwsHUC

09/28/2026

Get ready for a new episode of Madison's Notes!

This week, host Ryan Shinkel and author James Poulos will discuss the crisis of modern digital technology.

The episode is dropping this Wednesday. Stay tuned!

09/23/2026

Madison's Notes has a new episode on "The Nature of Freedom."

While philosophers often define freedom into rival conceptions—ancient vs. modern, positive vs. negative, freedom from something vs. for something—what if these dichotomies were false?

To settle this issue, in S6, Ep. 6, host Ryan Shinkel interviews Philip Pettit, a Professor at Princeton University's University Center for Human Values, a political philosopher, and the author of Republicanism (1997) and The State (2023), to discuss his theory of freedom as non-domination within the republican tradition.

Along the way, they talk about Henrik Ibsen's Doll House, Polybius, Machiavelli, Bentham, what Benjamin Constant and Isaiah Berlin got wrong, Quentin Skinner's intellectual history, plus the relationships between freedom and technology, the love of honor and citizenship, and political liberty with its other forms.

Please share and enjoy: https://apple.co/4ye1QBt