About this Event
Join us for the 2026 Christ and Culture Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia!
Date: November 21, 2026 | 9:00am - 2:30pm AST
Price: $30 ($20 for students)
Location: 1871 Seldon St., Halifax, NS
Topic: Breaking Bread with the Dead: Great Books for the Good Life
In our post-literate age, reading books—or anything!—can feel daunting. When it comes to long old books, we can feel an uneasy sense of regret: we want to be the kind of person who could read those "Great Books," but who has the time? We're often distracted, bored easily, and find it hard to sit for hours upon hours entering into the fictional worlds of the imagination.
In three short talks, we're going to explore the state of reading in the post-literate age and then try it out. First by exploring why taking time to (re)learn the pleasures of reading old books is good for you and your community, and then by taking a whirlwind tour of key passages in four very old books: Homer's Odyssey, Plato's Republic, Boethius' Consolation, and Dante's Commedia.
Speaker: Dr. Doug Sikkema
Doug is an Associate Professor of English Literature at Redeemer University in Ancaster, ON. Doug’s invested in education, helping start up Oak Hill Academy, a classical Christian school located in Ancaster, as well as serving on the Board for the Charlotte Mason Institute. Together with their four children, Doug and his wife Vanessa live on a small acreage outside of Hamilton.
Agenda
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
Arrival and check-in with coffee and light refreshments
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM
First Lecture and Q&A
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Coffee break
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Second Lecture and Q&A
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch (Provided)
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Third Lecture and extended Q&A
Event venue & nearby stays
1871 Seldon St, 1871 Seldon Street, Halifax, Canada
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