Wethersfield Institute

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The Wethersfield Institute is an organization which supports the Roman Catholic Church in the United States through the study of Christian culture. It was founded by philanthropist Chauncey Stillman.^[1] The Institute is known for sponsoring an annual series lectures held in Manhattan whose proceedings are published through Ignatius Press, a notable Catholic publishing house.

The purpose of the Wethersfield Institute is to promote a clear understanding of Catholic teaching and practice and to explore the cultural and intellectual dimensions of Catholic Faith.

– Wethersfield Institute statement of purpose^[2]

[edit] Intelligent design controversy

In 1999 the Institute as part of its lecture series sponsored the Conference on Evidence for Design held in Manhattan The featured speakers were controversial intelligent design proponents William A. Dembski, Stephen C. Meyer, and Michael Behe. A result of this conference was the publishing of Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe Proceedings of the Wethersfield Institute, vol. 9, coauthored by the Discovery Institute's Michael Behe, Stephen C. Meyer, and William A. Dembski.

Given that the Institute is a Catholic endeavor and the intelligent design movement is generally comprised largely of evangelical Protestants, the participation of three of the most notable intelligent design movement players and Discovery Institute leadership represented an overture to Catholics to bring them into the intelligent design fold and get them behind the Discovery Institute's social and political agenda; its "Big Tent" strategy as described in its Wedge document. The success of this attempt is open to debate as ID's main constituency remains largely evangelical Protestant.

Despite the fact that the Wethersfield Institute is not a scientific body and conducts no scientific research, intelligent design proponents often cite the Institute's conferences and publishing of Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe as a result of its conferences by doctoral level scientists from relevant subjects in the study of life.^[3]^[4]