Week One: Abraham in the Middle East

The essence of the spirituality of the desert was not taught but caught; it was a whole way of life.
Benedicta Ward, Wisdom of the Desert Fathers

1. Monday: Introductions, Our Father Abraham

• A brand new course
• Schedule-syllabus, assignments
• Belden Lane: critical scholarship and lived experience
• Student-Teacher responsibilities
• Three weekend essays, final paper and grading
• Class demographics
• Class discussion: Why did you take this course?
• Divide into eight Chavez reading groups

1:30-5:00 pm: DVD in classroom--“Abraham” (3 hours, with half-hour snack break)

• Reading for tomorrow:
  • Peters, pp. xv-23
  • Lane, “Connecting Spirituality and the Environment,” pp. 3-27
  • Calvin, Sky Determines: Foreword, Contents, Chapter 1: “Theme Stated”
  • Jewish Testament: Genesis 11:27-32 (Terah), 12:1-13:18, 14:17-24 (Melchizedek)
  • Christian Testament: Hebrews 11:8-19 (Abraham and Sarah’s Faith)
  • Qur’an: 2:124-135 (Abraham, Ishmael, Building the Kaaba, and Pristine Religion)
  • The Abrahamic Path (web site)
    

2. Tuesday: Landscape and Soulscape

• Lecture and Discussion:
  • Reading Landscape, Interpreting Soulscape
  • Text analysis, text appropriation
  • Purgation, illumination and union

• Discussion:
  • Abraham DVD, Sacred Scriptures; begin Judaism
  • The Abrahamic Path, first weekend paper
• Reading for tomorrow:
  • Peters, pp. 23-46; Lane, pp. 149-150
  • Calvin, Sky Determines: “Sky,” pp. 9-32
  • William McNamara, “The Desert Experience,” and following pages
  • Jewish Testament: Genesis 15 (Covenant), 16 (Hagar and Ishmael), 17 (Circumcision), 18 (Appearance at Mamre, Abraham’s Pleas), 22:1-19 (Sacrifice of Isaac), 25:7-11 (Abraham’s Death)
  • Qur’an: 2: 30-62 (Adam, Angels and Moses); 37:101-107 (Sacrifice of Isaac)
  • Jewish Poem: Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev

3. Wednesday: Judaism in the Middle East

• Discuss:
  • Sky Determines, Foreword, themes, sky
  • McNamara on the desert experience
  • Peters on Judaism, Jewish poem
• Read for tomorrow:
  • Peters, pp. 47-82
  • Calvin, Sky Determines: “Desert,” pp. 33-62
  • Lane, “Desert Catechesis: The Landscape and Theology of Early Christian Monasticism,”pp. 160-185
  • Christian Testament: John 8:31-42, 51-59 (Jesus on Abraham); Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13 (Christ in the Desert)
  • Qur’an: 3:33-55; 19:16-35 (Mary; Jesus Uncrucified; Birth of Jesus)
  • Christian Poem: “Christianity Was Once an Eagle Message”

4. Thursday: Christianity and the Desert Tradition

• Discuss:
  • Sky Determines, Desert; “Christianity Was Once an Eagle Message”
  • Lane on “Desert Catechesis,” Peters on Christianity
• Read for tomorrow:
  • Peters, pp.83-119
  • Calvin, Sky Determines: “Mountains,” pp. 63-84
  • Lane, “The Sinai Image in the History of Western Monotheism,” pp. 100-114;“Encounter at Ghost Ranch,” pp. 115-123; pp. 87-88
  • Lings, “The Desert,” pp. 23-26
  • Murata and Chittick, “The Hadith of Gabriel,” pp. xxv-xxvii
  • Ibn Khaldun, “Bedouin Civilization and their Conditions of Life,” from The Muqaddimah,pp. 91-122
  • Jewish Testament: Genesis 5:32, 7:13, 9:18-29 (Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth) Genesis 21 (Isaac Born, Hagar and Ishmael Dismissed)
  • Christian Testament: Galatians 3:6-14, 4:21-31 (Paul on Hagar and Sarah)
  • Qur’an: 17:1 (Night Journey to the Furthest Mosque); 53:1-18 (The Star, possibly the first revelation); 96:1-6 (Read! or The Embryo, also possibly the first revelation); 97:1-5 (Night of Destiny)
  • Muslim Poem: ‘Abd al-Qadir

5. Friday: Islam, Muhammad and the Five Pillars

• Discuss:
  • Sky Determines, Mountains
  • Peters on Islam; various Muslim selections, ‘Abd al-Qadir
  • Lane on the Sinai image
• Over the weekend:
  • Menocal, pp. 17-49
  • Fray Angelico Chavez: Prologue, pp. ix-xiv; pp. 1-59 (The Holy Land, Castile and New Mexico); pp. 119-147 (Anima Hispanica and Semitic Spain); Foreword by Thomas Steele, S.J. (handout)
  • Write first five-page paper (see separate sheet)

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