Writer-in-Residence

ROSS DOUTHAT

Since 2009 Ross Douthat has been an Op-Ed columnist at The New York Times where every Wednesday and Sunday he has written on politics, religion, moral values and higher education. Previously, he was a senior editor at The Atlantic and a blogger for theatlantic.com. He is the author of Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class (2005), Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012), Decadence: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success (2020), The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Recovery (2021), and Believe: Why Everyone Should be Religious (forthcoming, spring 2025). He is the film critic for National Review.

Through the Writer-in-Residence Fellowship, Ross is a regular participant in the intellectual life of the Institute, leading luncheon discussions, teaching a multi-part seminar, and moderating panel discussions. On occasion, he hosts working groups on a variety of themes. He is currently working on a book manuscript on suffering.

Since his appointment as Writer-in-Residence Ross has led intensive seminars for undergraduates hosted at Elm Institute and taught a number of courses at Yale University. Past Elm seminars include “Life Under Decadence,” and “Liberalism and Its Critics.” At Yale, Ross taught a course on conservativism with Samuel Moyn (Yale Law School) and Scott Shapiro (Yale Law School). In Spring 2021 and Fall 2023 he taught a course on the crisis of liberalism with Bryan Garsten (Yale, Politics and Humanities) and Samuel Moyn (Yale Law School). In Spring 2024 he taught a class on materialism and religion in the ancient and modern world with Dan Greco (Yale, Philosophy).

Ross lives with his wife and five children in New Haven, CT.