Lumen Christi Institute

History of Monasticism
2026-03-31 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-07 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-14 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-21 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-28 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-05 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-12 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | IL
REGISTER BELOW
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. | Dinner Provided
This event is designated for current University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students. University of Chicago faculty and staff are also welcome to attend. Others interested in auditing should contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org.
This project is made possible through the support of In Lumine Tuo: Expanding and Sustaining the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Nationwide (grant #63614) from the John Templeton Foundation and the generous support of our donors.
Description:
Monasticism is the form of religious life common to the Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Coptic churches. This course will examine its development from the age of the martyrs to the present and its perennial role within the Body of Christ. Of special interest will be the tensions between the solitary life and common life, flight from the world versus evangelization, and the way these tensions create opportunities for renewal. Also of interest is how monasticism adapts itself to new political situations: the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, the advance of Islam, the French Revolution and Enlightenment and the prospects for monasticism in the 21st century.
Schedule:

March 31 – The Call of the Desert (1st-4th)
April 7 – Foundations of a New World (5th-7th)
April 14 – Vikings to the North, Saracens to the South (8th-10th)
April 21 – Shifts of Gravity: Cluny, Athos, and Monastic Reform (11th-13th)
April 28 – Cataclysms: The Fall of Constantinople and the Dissolution (14th-16th)
May 5 – The Age of Reason and Romantic Re-imaginings (17th-19th)
May 12 – Global Monasticism (19th-21st)

Series Description:
Non-Credit Course
Each quarter, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a Tuesday evening non-credit course at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). Survey-style lectures are held over a shared meal, with no advanced preparation required. These courses offer accessible introductions to key aspects of the Catholic intellectual tradition. All UChicago students, staff, and faculty members are welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.
