The Classics of Western Spirituality

This course attempts to take a look at some of the most important religious classics in western spirituality. Christianity is more than 2,000 years old and yet is still very much alive. Through the centuries, the Church has been confronted with ever new challenges from its surrounding world. In every generation, some individuals, under the motion of the Holy Spirit, were able to discern the signs of the times and give an original response rooted in their faith. Thus from the early martyrs to Mother Teresa, new models of sanctity have been created, which found their expression in a specific spirituality. Aim of the course is to study a selection of figures of saints in their historical context, enabling us to understand the connection between world, concrete response and spirituality. Each class will be dedicated to studying the figure of one saint in his or her historical context, proceeding from the more external elements to spirituality. Teamwork, Power Point presentations, text readings, discussions and films will help us to achieve our aim.