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Based on: Desert Hermits, Byz. MS. illum., ca, 1081 Princ. U. Libr., image modif . |
1.
VISIONS
of HEAVEN
and the
ASCENT to
GOD 2.
BIBLICAL
and EARLY
CHRISTIAN
MODELS of SPIRITUAL
ASCENT: |
3.
SOLITUDE
and COMMUNITY
in
EARLY CHRISTIANITY:
Origins of Christian monasticism. Hermitage and cenobium in
northern Egypt (Nitria, Kellia, Scetis). Solitude and
community in: Athanasius' Life of Antony; the Apophthegmata;
The Ascetikon
(Rule) of Basil the Great; the Rule of Benedict. Essays on the
eremetical life in East and West.
4.
LECTIO
DIVINA:
Introductory concepts (monologistic prayer, meditatio, parrhesia); Private
and Group lectio divina; Dei Verbum (Vatican II); Philo of
Alexandria; Cyprian of Carthage; Hugh of St. Victor; Guigo II.
5.
THE
RHYTHM of
PSALMODY
and PRAYER:
Psalmody and hymnody in Judaism and early Christianity. Early
monastic descriptions of psalmody and prayer: Athanasius; Antony; John
Cassian; Evagrius Ponticus; and Basil. Gregory of Nyssa, On The
Inscriptions of the Psalms. Benedict on psalmody and prayer.
Gabriel Bunge, Geistgebet - Spiritual Prayer. Representative
psalms with antiphons, ancient and modern. Pope John Paul II, On
Psalm 117.
6.
LITURGICAL
PRAYER
Cyril
of Jerusalem and Ambrose of Milan on baptism, chrismation, and the
Eucharist. Dionysius the Aereopagite on liturgy and mystical
theology; Maximos Confessor on Dionysius and liturgy. Suger of St. Denis
on the contemplation of beauty. Books of Hours; Gertude the Great on
liturgical prayer; Hildegard of Bingen. Vatican II (Lumen Gentium)
on the Royal Priesthood.
7.
CONTEMPLATIVE
EXEGESIS
Biblical and early patristic recommendations of mystical (allegorical)
exegesis. Clement of Alexandria and Origen on fourfold and threefold
exegesis. Evagrius and Cassian (Conf. 14) on progressive levels of
biblical interpretation. Eucherius of Lyons’ allegorical glossary.
8.
MONOLOGISTIC
PRAYER
Biblical and early patristic sources (Cyprian,
Tertullian, Clement of Alex.) on continuous prayer. Evagrius: sel, from on
Prayer; Cassian, Conf. 9-10. Early Byzantine witnesses (Diadochus and
Barsanuphius). The monks of Sinai:
Climacus, Hesychius, Gregory of Sinai. The
Jesus Prayer, Mount Athos, and Gregory Pallamas.
9.
MONASTIC
REFORM
and RENEWAL
Modern monastic reform and renewal: (1)
missionary zeal and Boniface Wimmer, Gerard Van Caloen, and Andreas Amrhein; (2)
Liturgy and Prosper Gueranger; (3) Primitive Observance and Pietro Casaretto.
Essay: Are We
Contemplatives, What is our Future?
10.
SPIRITUAL
GUIDANCE
Early texts on spiritual guidance and leadership
in the Christian community: Selections from the Rule of Benedict on the abbot
and cellarer; selections from Pope St. Gregory the Great.
11.
EVAGRIUS
PONTICUS
Introduction to writings. COMPLETE TEXTS. Praktikos, Gnostikos, Kephalaia Gnostica, On
Prayer, Skemmata, Peri Logismon. SELECTIONS.
Gnomic Sentences, Antirrhetikos, Scholia on
Psalms, on Proverbs, on Ecclesiastes, Letters.
12.
GETTING
out of
HELL -
THE
APOCATASTASIS:
Christian teaching on the descent of Christ into hell and the implications
of this doctrine for soteriology and eschatology. The controversial
doctrine of the "Restoration of All Things" - the Apocatastasis.
This Webpage was created for a workshop held at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, California in 1997: updated 7/8/05
