Conversations You Can't

Have Anywhere Else.

Challenges

01.
Too many Christians
have forgotten their heritage.

You are all too familiar with the cost of our historical amnesia. For over one thousand years Christians stood together around a common Nicene faith. Today that common heritage is no longer a given. Christians are divided into thousands of denominations and our culture is clearly in decline.

02.
Western culture
is in decay.

Utter decay has set in as Western culture has turned its back on its own traditional values. Some of the ideals we've rejected, to name just a few, include:

a sacramental view of the world
a passion for the true, the good, and the beautiful
fostering a sense of wonder
venerating heroes of old instead of idolizing celebrities of today
following seasons of fasting and feasting
nurturing virtue and community

03.
Modern man is rootless and lacks community.

Constantly distracted by screens and messages, isolated by individualism and around-the-clock work schedules, disconnected from the rich heritage of the Christian Tradition, and almost impossible to remain immune from the negative influences of popular culture, modern man is desperate for deep roots and intimate friendships.

If you are feeling down and out and hopeless about our culture, go to Wichita and take part in what they’re doing there... Eighth Day Institute is a non-profit that is one of the worthiest endeavors I can think of, and which always needs support.

- Rod Dreher

Engage with world class resources without enrolling in a university.

04.
Connect with the faith of our fathers.

We believe memory is at the heart of cultural renewal. That's why, after neglecting our common Christian heritage for well over half a millennium, it is time to begin the work of retrieving those practices and beliefs which once held us together. The fathers and mothers of our faith are sure guides for the path to renewal of soul and city.

05.
Nourish your heart
and your mind.

Retrieving our common Christian heritage and renewing the values of our Western Civilization is no small task. It requires serious intellectual effort. But this is not the intellectual work of ivory tower academia, disconnected from life on the streets or prayer in the pews. It must be a work of both mind and heart. Or as C. S. Lewis once put it, we need to be men and women of chests, for "it is by this middle element that man is man: for by his intellect he is mere spirit and by his appetite mere animal."

06.
Connect, share, discuss.

Healthy ecumenism begins with the ability to authentically engage one another in a way that leads to robust discussions which do not minimize differences. We facilitate such encounters at a local level through community events. But we also prompt transformative conversations around the world through our primary publications: Synaxis, Word from the Fathers, Eighth Day Catalog of Books & Culture, and a growing library of digital resources.

Come experience the best sort of ecumenism at one of our three featured events in Wichita - Eighth Day Symposium, Florovsky-Newman Week, and Inklings Oktoberfest. If you join us, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the deep friendships you develop across denominational barriers. That's a promise! Plus you can visit - or shall we say, make a pilgrimage to - Eighth Day Books, which has been described as one of the happiest places on the planet.

What We Do

Take advantage of our growing digital library.

We are rapidly building a library of content that will enrich your mind and heart along with monthly emails and more. Join the community of Eighth Day members to gain access to the Digital Library.

Print is alive and well at EDI.

Theologically, against Gnostic tendencies, "When we read physical books, the text is physically mediated in a delightful, infinite variety of ways. The word comes incarnate in ink and paper and covers. ... The incarnate element involved in reading has nearly disappeared, and our nature as composite beings of flesh and spirit - the nature for which Christ took flesh - are left strangely starved. ... We yearn for physicality - its our created nature - and books satisfy. We mark them, they mark us. It's an intricate, beautiful physical/spiritual dance. "The object and the experience they mediate are inseparable." Good books - good words incarnate - are sacramental. Mediators of grace. And consistent with our nature" (Farha, Synaxis 1.1).

Eigth Day Publications

Synaxis
A Word from the Fathers
Eighth Day Catalog of Books and Culture

You're Invited!

Whether you are a local Wichitan or live outside of the US, we have envents for you. For non-locals, we have two national conferences - Eighth Day Symposium and Florovsky-Newman Week - plus the Inklings Oktoberfest with the annual Inklings Lecture. If you live near Wichita, the Feast of St. Patrick is worth a short trip to celebrate the great Enlightener of Ireland. If you are local, we have small groups like the Hall of Men and the Sisters of Sophia who toast their heroes, and reading groups like the Cappadocian Society for pastors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do?

We seek to expose all Christians to the common tradition of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church through digital resources, printed publications, community events, and national conferences, all to help Christians live more effectively in the modern world and to help Christians overcome their divisions, “that they all may be one … so that the world may believe.”
What does "Eighth Day" mean?

Since its beginnings over thirty years ago, Eighth Day Books has appealed to Fr. Jean Danielou's explanation of the eighth day: "The number eight was, for ancient Christianity, the symbol of the Resurrection, for it was on the day after the Sabbath, and so the eighth day, that Christ rose from the tomb. Furthermore, the seven days of the week are the image of the time of this world, and the eighth day of life everlasting. Sunday is the liturgical commemoration of the eighth day, at the same time a memorial of the Resurrection and a prophecy of the world to come..." (The Bible and the Liturgy). For a more extensive explanation with primary sources from the Church Fathers, see forthcoming link here.
Why become a member?

For details see our membership page.
Will you please explain your ecumenical emphasis?

Christians are divided. This is a fact. We have been since the schism between East and West at the turn of the first millennium and since the Protestant Reformations in the sixteenth century. This is a tragedy. That's why we believe we have a duty to facilitate a dialogue of love and truth, one that acknowledges our real differences, but one that also seeks to achieve a common mind so we can stand reunited in the One who is the Truth.
Is EDI only for residents of Wichita?

No! We do have a number of community events that are geared more toward Wichita residents. But our digital and print publications, along with our featured events (e.g. Symposium, Florovsky Week, and Inklings Oktoberfest), are for folks from near and far. We encourage people who have never visited Wichita to make a pilgrimage to one of our featured events so you can experience the Eighth Day community and Eighth Day Books.
Is EDI for men only?

No! While the Hall of Men was our first regular event and has proven to be foundational to the work of EDI, it is the only event that is for men only. While Sisters of Sophia is for women only, all other EDI events welcome all!
What is your relationship to Eighth Day Books?

Although Eighth Day Institute and Eighth Day Books have no formal affiliation or financial relationship, our support for each other is mutual and enthusiastic. Our mission is carried out through not-for-profit educational endeavors that seek to accomplish what Eighth Day Books does as a for-profit business through book sales: connect people to classics which shed light on ultimate questions and expose people to the teachings of the Holy Fathers.

Speaker Testimonials

"The Eighth Day community is one of many lights that give us hope that faith and learning will not be snuffed out in this ephemeral age of superficiality and ignorance."

Peter Leithart
Theopolis Institute

"Your annual symposiums have become the stuff of legend."

James K. A. Smith
Calvin College

"Wichita is the place where contemporary saints mingle with the saints of old. It’s an absolutely lovely place, where the line between heaven and earth becomes strangely thin."

Hans Boersma
Nashotah House

"...The work of Eighth Day Institute is indispensable."

Ralph Wood
Baylor University

What members are saying.

"I am so grateful for EDI. I really do believe that this is a holy work, anointed by God."

Dr. Matthew Umbarger

Catholic

"[EDI] is a place to join others in dialogue and study in the worthy cause to renewing culture."

Ellen Awe
Protestant

"Thank you for always facilitating the important things in life: community, intellectual challenge, and longing for Christ's presence in the world."

Nick Polenz
Orthodox

Join us!

Take Action Today!

There are only a few non-profits in the world who have devoted the time and resources into bringing you the best ideas that Christendom and the classical world have to offer. If you want to challenge yourself spiritually and intellectually, we hope you will join a community of like-minded Christians who are also seeking to renew their culture through faith and learning.

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