What would happen?
That’s the question Professor Luke Burgis asked himself in a Washington, D.C., bar after overhearing three young men discussing the merits and dangers of Bitcoin.
Burgis understands that nearly all contemporary conversation about technology and progress falls flat because it lacks the philosophical and theological underpinnings to frame questions the right way, and the depth to explore them.
But what if we could bring together reason (symbolized by Socrates), religious wisdom (symbolized by St. Thomas Aquinas), and technological innovation (symbolized by Steve Jobs) to collaborate rather than remain siloed into provincial ways of thinking? What if we could create new models for shaping innovation and progress and bring together leaders from academia, religion, and technology to identify solutions to the world's most pressing problems?
Burgis first proposed the concept of this interplay in a popular Wired article, and he recently received a $2.5 million Templeton Foundation grant to bring it to life.
He’s building the architecture for these collaborations through his groundbreaking initiative, the Cluny Project. Earlier this semester, the project launched its interdisciplinary Cluny Journal, and hosted its first discussion, which convened tech VCs, bishops, and other thinkers to wrestle with questions related to scientific progress, Christianity, and culture.
The event began with a private reception at the barracks of the Swiss Guards, followed by a discussion at the Pontifical North American College, then a dinner. The next night, Cluny Journal hosted a literary reading at Almost Corner Bookstore in Rome. These two events—the first of many—began Cluny's interdisciplinary efforts, establishing themselves already as a nexus point for siloed disciplines, and laying the groundwork for a dynamic cultural exchange to occur—a new frontier for ideas and creative partnerships.
The Cluny Project event was modeled on the successful Novitate Conference held at Catholic University, which brought together PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, The Atlantic writer Thomas Chatterton Williams, NBA Phoenix Suns assistant general manager Ryan Resch, and many others to discuss how to renew spheres as diverse as business, media, politics, and education to better promote human flourishing.
