The Paideia Fellows Program
The Paideia Fellows Program is a one-year, co-curricular course of study for undergraduate and graduate students. Fellows will engage deeply with the Scriptures and the Christian intellectual tradition, will learn about the place of faith in their academic studies, and will reflect on their vocation to follow Christ into the world. All this will be done in the context of the growing intellectual community at Cambridge House.
Structure
The Fellows Program will host dinners every other week during the fall and spring semesters, as well as an initial retreat in late August. The aim of these meal-time discussions is to take Fellows through a focused course of readings in biblical studies, theology, philosophy, and literature — followed by a series of readings that touch on the application of the Christian faith to their own life and their disciplines. These discussions will be led by the Director of Cambridge House, Cambridge House Board Members, and W&M Faculty. Students from all majors and denominational traditions are encouraged to apply.
Benefits
The Fellows Program will:
- Inculcate the virtues of intellectual charity and the love of truth
- Deeply encourage Fellows to explore the integration of their studies with their faith
- Help Fellows discern their vocation clearly
- Be a flagship program in the achievement of Cambridge House’s mission at the College of William & Mary, producing students who embody our values and vision
- Engender regular opportunities for engagement between Paideia Fellows, W&M faculty, and the wider Cambridge House community
Sample Curriculum
Final program TBD in consultation with Fellows applicants & W&M faculty advisors.
Part One: Who is God?
The Existence of God
The Attributes of God
Scripture
The Imago Dei
Sin
Redemption I: Old Testament Survey
Redemption II: Christ as Redeemer
Last Things
Part Two: The Good Life
The Chief End of Human Creatures
The Intellectual Life: Who is it for? What is it for?
Pursuing Wisdom
The Ethics of Authenticity
The Science of Virtue?
The Cardinal Virtues
The Theological Virtues
Aesthetics: Beauty as a Guide to Being
Vocation
Justice and the Common Good
Part Three: Application
Fellows will produce a summative piece of writing or give a speech on the topic of their choosing. The paper or speech ought to draw from at least two of the topics we have covered over the course of the Fellowship.
Practicalities
Fellows will 1) commit to meeting each week during the fall and spring semesters to discuss a pre-selected essay or poem over dinner and 2) receive books and/or a book stipend worth $300 for the year.
Applications
Applications for the Paideia Fellows Program are currently closed. Thank you to all who applied!