CATHOLIC CLASSICS IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT
HSTCMP 210 A
Professor James Felak
Office—Smith Hall, Room 112-B
Office Hours—Wednesdays 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. or by appointment
E-mail: felak@uw.edu
COURSE OVERVIEW:
An examination of some of the most significant works in the 2000-year Roman Catholic tradition, by some of the most significant figures in the history of the Catholic Church. The course will pay special attention to the historical context in which the work was produced, the life of the author, and the content of the writing. The course will span the ancient, medieval, and modern periods, and include writings from various genres, including autobiography, theological treatises, spiritual writings, monastic rules, personal letters, apologetics, and short stories. The course will consist of lectures, weekly short papers, and two essay examinations.
COURSE TOPICS:
I-Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
*excerpts from his Confessions
II-Saint Benedict of Nursia (c480-547)
*The Rule of Saint Benedict
III-Saint Francis of Assisi (c1182-1226)
*”Testament” and “Canticle”
IV-Saint Thomas Aquinas (c1225-1274)
*excerpts from his Summa Theologiae
V-Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
*excerpts from her Dialogue
VI-Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
*The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius
VII-John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
*excerpts from his An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
VIII-G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
*”The Paradoxes of Christianity”, a chapter from his Orthodoxy
IX-Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964)
*”The Lame Shall Enter First”, a short story from her collection Everything That Rises Must Converge
KEY DATES:
Every Saturday at Noon through Week Nine: Short papers are due, to be sent to me at felak@uw.edu as a Word attachment.
Thursday, April 30 at class time: First Examination--in-class
Wednesday, June 3 at class time--Second Examination--take-home—handed out
Monday, June 8 at 5:00 p.m.--final take-home examination to be returned via e-mail
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1-nine weekly writing assignments (each 2-pages total; double-spaced)--40% of overall grade collectively
2-mid-term essay examination--20% of overall grade
3-final essay examination (4 to 5 pages, double-spaced)--30% of overall grade
4-in-class discussion participation--10% of overall grade
TEXTS TO PURCHASE:
Saint Augustine, Confessions, (Penguin Classics), translated by R. S. Pine-Coffin
Saint Benedict, The Rule of Saint Benedict (Random House, Vintage Spiritual Classics), edited by Timothy Fry, O.S.B.
Saint Ignatius, The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius (Random House, Vintage Spiritual Classics), translated by Louis J. Puhl, S.J.
The other assigned readings are in the readings packet, which can be obtained from Professional Copy & Print at 4200 University Way NE.