"American Catholic" A reading based seminar.
The Syllabus In our present circumstances much more intelligence and knowledge than heretofore are demanded of us by our duties, both public and private. At the same time we are bombarded with data of all sorts, and the rate of change accelerates: We find ourselves exposed to a general state of confusion and to deceptive claims. The clergy in our midst is reduced in numbers from that of previous generations, and not infrequently are priests and deacons overburdened. In such a sense, our reliance upon our pastors is lessened from what it once was. Our pontiffs John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI have called for the apostolates of the laity, for a new evangelization and re-evangelization, for a new catechising and re-catechising. Our Holy Father pointedly and constantly reminds us that the laity, the family, work, reason, secularity and civil society have their own proper spheres of responsibility. We all know well what it is to live as Americans--we can hardly escape the influence American culture has upon us--, but do we know at least as well the treasures of the Church, where our true riches lie? Do we submit our American lives to Catholic examination? What does it mean for us to be Catholic and American? Where have we come from and might we be headed? In this seminar we explore questions such as these by reading about and discussing American culture and Catholic thought in order to deepen our understanding of both. Our rich and common set of readings are framed by President George Washington's Farewell Address of 1796, in which President Washington discusses happiness, at the beginning, and at the conclusion Saint Thomas Aquinas' Treatise on Happiness from the Summa Theologia, First Part of the Second Part, questions one through five. Our socratic seminar method is a collegial inquiry by and for educated laity. You are expected to have read in advance and to participate in the discussion. The seminar will convene once each month in the Bay Area, providing ample time for reading. |