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Dante and the Soul’s Journey: An Introduction to the Divine Comedy

Written in the 14th century, but relevant to this day, Dante’s Divine Comedy is both a story of one pilgrim’s journey through the afterlife and his encounters with sinners and saints alike, and an allegory for the soul’s journey towards God. The Inferno establishes the recognition and rejection of sin, Purgatorio presents an earthly realm with descriptions of penitent life, and Paradiso is the linguistic jewel that depicts the soul’s ascent. In this introduction, we’ll discuss the historical and spiritual context of Dante, review some of the important cantos, and explore the popular afterlife of this text in art, film, and games.

A free version of the Divine Commedy can be found here: https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/

Instructor: Lisa Tagliaferri, Ph.D.
Tuesdays, October 10 – November 28th
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM in the Francis Room

Fee:  $80.00

Thomas Merton: A Spiritual Guide for the 21st Century

Thomas Merton is one of the giants in the history of Christian spirituality. He was a genius who thought deeply and who wrote in a profound way. He is modern day St. Augustine, who shares his ongoing conversion that opened new doors for contemplation, social justice, and inter-religious dialogue. The goal of this course will be for us to get to know Merton more deeply as a model for our own spiritual journey.

Instructor: Fr. Anthony Ciorra, Ph.D.
Mondays, October 2 – 30, 2023
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Francis Room

Fee: $50.00

CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO JAMES JOYCE’S ULYSSES

Voted the 20th century’s most important novel, Ulysses is a comic masterpiece of dazzling literary technique and unforgettable characters. It describes Leopold Bloom’s odyssey through Dublin compressed into a single day, known as Bloomsday – June 16, 1904.

Joseph Strick’s 1967 film of the same name will supplement a close reading of this fctional tour de force. Students are asked to use the Hans Walter Gabler edition of the novel published by Random House.

Instructor: Edward Kent, O.S.F., M.A.
Thursdays, Oct. 12 – Nov. 16
1:00 – 2:30 pm; Classroom 1B

Fee: $80.00

GREAT MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE OLD TESTAMENT

Through the use of recordings, we will explore some of the stories of the Old Testament. Some of the music we will hear will feature composers like Verdi, Saint-Saens, Britten but predominately using the oratorios of Handel.

Instructor: Charles Powell
Tuesdays, October 10, 17, 24, 31, Nov. 7 & 14, 2023
12:00 noon – 1:15 PM
Second Floor Conference Room

Fee: $60.00

Offering a Sacrifice of Praise: The People’s Part in the Eucharistic Liturgy

The themes of offering and sacrifice are prominent in the language of the Roman liturgy but are often misunderstood. Nevertheless, they are vital to understanding the reasons why we gather to celebrate the Sunday eucharist, where we offer God thanks and praise as the gathered body of Christ for all that God has bestowed upon us in Christ. This weekly offering is the culmination of our daily self-offering to God with all that we are and do. The gifts of bread and wine offered in imitation of Jesus’ own example, are given back to us as the holy gifts of Christ’s body and blood so that we may be transformed into what we receive.

During these eight Zoom sessions, we will explore these themes in the prayers of the Roman Missal and focus on the people’s role in this offering as it is expressed in the liturgical actions and texts.

Instructor: Mr. Paul Sansone, M.A.
Tuesdays, October 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2023
12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
on ZOOM

Fee: $80.00

Leo Tolstoy: Shorter Fictions and A Quest for Truth:

While War and Peace and Anna Karenina remain academic staples, Tolstoy’s shorter works of fiction display his wide stylistic range and his lifelong quest to discover and articulate the meaning of life. The course will include discussions of “The Prisoner of the Caucasus,” “The Forged Coupon” and “Hadji Murat,” and other short stories, as well as the novella, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.”

All the texts that will be discussed during this course can be found in the Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Tolstoy, Leo; Pevear, Richard (TRN); Volokhonsky, Larissa (TRN); Pevear, Richard (INT): (2010) which is available in Kindle print formats. Of course, there are several other versions of Tolstoy’s complete works that may be used.

Instructor: Sr. Fran McManus, R.S.M., M.A.
Thursdays, Oct. 5 – Nov. 16
12:30PM-1:30 PM
on ZOOM

Fee: $60.00

PRAYING WITH CHANT: SINGING AS A CREATIVE FORM OF PRAYER

This course will be covering some of the fundamentals of chant, we will focus on the theology of chant as well as singing as a creative form of prayer. Sessions will cover the theology of music as well as how to analyze chant and understand its deeper meaning.

The course will explore the question “why” sing at the liturgy. With a deeper understanding of the meaning of particular chants themselves and why the act of harmonizing together with a single voice does not merely represent, but is, the realization of the Church as body of Christ in worship, we bring a greater self-consciousness and intention to our musical expression.

Instructor: Mr. William Mulligan, M.Mus.
Thursdays, October 5 – November 2, 2023
12:00 noon – 1:00 pm
on ZOOM

Fee: $50.00