REGISTER BELOW
Dinner Provided
This event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Other students interested in attending should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org.
Description:
The Cloud of Unknowing, a gem of English mysticism, is both a guide and a warning to the spiritual seeker. Written anonymously in the 14th century, the Cloud troubles the relation between man and God, making spirituality an antidote to the secular world and despair the path towards glimpses of enlightenment. Through the Cloud and the writings of contemporary thinkers and mystics, we will explore the spiritual lives of medieval laity and differing conceptions of the contemplative life.
Schedule:
- April 6th: Introduction, What is Spiritual Life?
- Exhortation, Chs. 1-6
- Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love (Short Text)
- Dionysius the Areopagite, Mystical Theology
- April 13th: The Contemplative Life
- Chs. 7-24
- Richard Rolle, Fire of Love, chs. 1-5, 9-17
- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 10
- April 20th: The Work of the Soul
- Chs. 25-46
- Richard of St. Victor, Mystical Ark
- John of the Cross, Ascent to Mount Carmel
- April 27th: Perfection of the Soul
- Chs. 46-60
- Walter Hilton, Stairway of Perfection, chs. 35-54
- Bonaventure, Itinerarium
- May 4th: Conclusion, Practical Considerations
- Chs. 61-75, Book of Privy Counseling
- Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ, Book 3, chs. 40-50
- Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, nos. 1-3