Explore the Depths of Love: Great Books Summer Seminar

This intensive one-week Great Books seminar offers your high schooler an opportunity to explore the enduring theme of Love through a distinctly Christian worldview in the intimate and beautiful setting of Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus. Students will meet new friends and engage in lively, Socratic-style seminars and discussions led by Dr. John Kern, who teaches Great Books and Religion at Pepperdine.

What They Will Study:
Ancient Philosophy: Discover Plato’s complex theory of philosophical love from select speeches in the Symposium.
Epic & Poetry: Unpack the passionate and tragic dynamics of love in classical literature from selections of Euripides’s Medea and Virgil’s Aeneid.
Christian Charity: Examine the distinctiveness of the Christian understanding of love found in selections from St. Augustine, Martin Luther King, Jr., and C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves.
The Nature of Romance and Fidelity: Explore the complex theme of romantic love through one of Marie de France’s Lais as well as the classic example of young love in Ferdinand and Miranda of Shakespeare’s Tempest.

This program isn’t just about reading; it’s about learning to think critically, articulate complex ideas, and connect timeless texts to the relationships and challenges your high schooler faces today. They will sharpen their minds and will acquire a college level experience that will set them apart for whatever comes next in their academic journey.

Students will also get a glimpse of the college experience by living in freshman dorms and dining in the school cafeteria. They will also have the opportunity to explore the Malibu area, including hiking local trails, enjoying a beach day, and visiting the iconic Getty Villa.

Limited spots available! Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: June 21 – June 27, 2026
Eligibility: For students entering into 8th grade through graduating high school seniors.

Pricing per session:
Residential
Early Bird Registration Deadline (March 1st): $1,575
Regular Registration Deadline (May 1st): $1,975

Non-residential
Early Bird Registration Deadline (March 1st): $1,275
Regular Registration Deadline (May 1st): $1,675