The Erasmus Lecture is an annual public lecture series organized by the journal First Things and its publisher, the Institute on Religion and Public Life. The event is held in New York City and features leading figures in theology, philosophy, and public life who address topics at the intersection of religion, culture, and society.
The Erasmus Lecture was established in 1985 by Richard John Neuhaus, the founder of First Things and the Institute on Religion and Public Life. Neuhaus envisioned the lecture as a forum for exploring how religious and moral ideas shape public discourse and civic life.
Since its founding, the Erasmus Lecture has become the magazine's flagship public event and continues to be held annually in New York City. The series has featured prominent speakers from Christian, Jewish, and other intellectual traditions, addressing subjects related to faith, reason, and modern society.
Each year's Erasmus Lecture program typically includes:
The event is usually hosted at venues such as the Union League Club of New York.
A list of Erasmus Lecture speakers and the titles of their talks is provided below.
Several of the Erasmus Lectures have been subsequently published in print or collected in essay volumes. While most lectures are released as full texts or recordings through First Things, a number of them have appeared in independent editions, either as part of the First Things Reprint Series or in later collections by their authors. The following table lists Erasmus Lectures that have been published in book or reprint form.