Course Description

This is a reading course that focuses on a number of classic works of Christian spirituality selected from different traditions in the history of the church. Augmenting the survey course in spiritual theology (SPIR 500 “The Christian, Spirit: A History of Christian Spirituality”), this course allows an in-depth study of particular spiritual writers. The aim is to stimulate a close reading of classic texts that is both devotional and critical, and the discussion format is ideally suited to allow us to read not just privately but with others who can correct us, challenge us, and teach us. The ten texts chosen for this semester cover a range of writers, each of whom has been influential in his or her own way, fostering Christian devotion down the centuries.