Fire and Light:
Week One: Introduction to Christian Mysticism

The Christian of the future will be a mystic or nothing at all. (Karl Rahner)

Some books are to be tasted,
others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed
and digested.

Francis Bacon

1. Monday, October 30: Overview of Course

• Fire and Light, schedule-syllabus, assignments
• Student-teacher responsibilities
• Essays, final exams and grading
• Working definition, mystical themes (chart)
• Contemplation and the Classroom: Monastic and Scholastic Education
• Quiet Eye reflection assignments
• Introduction to student dialogues with the mystics
• Class discussion: Why did you take this course?

Reading this afternoon:

• Quiet Eye (continue throughout course)
• Gospel of John 1:1-2:25
• Egan: Introduction, pp. x-xxv
• Keating, Thomas: “Lectio Divina” (photocopy)
• Egan: Guigo, pp. 207-214
• Interior Castle [IC], Intro/prologue, pp. 1-31
  

2. Tuesday, October 31: Christ and Christian Mysticism

• Lecture: What is Christian Mysticism? Mystical themes; Introduction to major eras and mystics; chart of historical overview and “schools”
• Discussion: Egan introduction, Keating and Guigo on lectio; IC intro/prologue
• Lecture: The Historical, Mystical, and Cosmic Christ
• Video: "Images of Jesus"

Reading this afternoon:

• Quiet Eye (continue throughout course)
• Gospel of John 3:1-4:54
• Egan: Merton, pp. 591-602; LeSaux, pp. 603-608 (introduction only); Augustine, pp. 56-69
• IC: pp 35-64
• Newsweek on Jesus (Kenneth Woodward)

3. Wednesday, November 1: The Context of Christian Mysticism

• Discussion: IC: Dwellings 1 and 2; Newsweek on Jesus
• Video: "Koyaanisqatsi" (Life in and out of balance: the context of Christian Mysticism: 90 minute film)

Reading this afternoon:

• Gospel of John 5:1-6:71
• Egan: "Biblical Mysticism," pp. 1-16
• IC: pp. 67-114: Dwellings 3 and 4

4. Thursday, November 2: Christ and Biblical Mysticism

• Quiet Eye Reflections 1
• Discuss IC Dwellings 3 and 4 in small groups and report
• Class discussion: Biblical mysticism and scripture
• Discuss guidelines for student dialogues with the mystics
• DVD: Excerpts from "The Gospel of John"

Reading this afternoon:

• Gospel of John 7:1-8:59
• Egan: Origen, pp. 17-30; Gregory of Nyssa, pp. 31-42; review Merton and Augustine
• Fr. Dave Denny: Ray of Darkness, Riot of Symbols (handout)
• IC: pp. 118-151: Dwelling 5

5. Friday, November 3: Origins of Christian Mysticism; Apophatic and Cataphatic Approaches

• Quiet Eye Reflections 2
• Discuss IC Dwelling 5 in small groups and report
• Dialogue 1: Origen and Gregory of Nyssa
• Dialogue 2: Augustine and Merton
• Discuss Essay #1 (Due 9:00 am Monday, except for those playing Evagrius, Climacus, Francis, Bonaventure, and the Celts, whose essays are due Tuesday, November 7))

Reading this weekend:

• Write Essay #1: Images and Symbols
• Gospel of John 9:1-41
• Egan: Evagrius, pp. 43-55, Climacus, pp. 114-123; Francis, pp. 215-220; Bonaventure, pp. 234-246
• Sellner: the Celts (handout), and other Celtic handouts

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