Spring 2022

Instructor: Vigen Guroian
Semester: Spring 2022
Time: Wednesdays, 5 – 7 p.m. EDT
Dates: March 30 – April 27

You will forgive the teacher’s self-indulgence. I make no pretension of method in the selection of poets or poems other than my own desire to present some favorite poetry in a setting where a rich reflection on their content and meaning may take place. Robert Frost’s poem “Directive” may not be the first poem most think of when Frost’s name is mentioned.  But I assure you it is one of his best. It is a haunting reminder of the transience of life and yet an affirmation also, even a Christian affirmation, of the meaningfulness of human work, play, and community.   Wendell Berry’s “Meditation on the Spring Rain” may reveal a perhaps  unexpected  sacramentality but is also playful and humorous. The language of  Richard Wilbur’s “Lying” may initially perplex. But closer attention shows that Wilbur is teaching us about the figural nature of all meaningful speech.  And as for T. S. Eliot, well, his poem “The Wasteland” has achieved an emblematic status as a poem that takes us through wreckage of Western Civilization in search  of a renewal of the spirit. There will be other poems to discuss. But let this serve as an introduction.

Instructor: Dr. Frank Russell
Semester: Spring 2022
Time: Thursdays, 7–9 p.m. EDT
Dates: January 6 – February 3

It has been said that Thucydides is often quoted but rarely read – which is indeed a pity. His masterwork, the Peloponnesian War, is the first (and in some ways the greatest) example of a critical analysis of historical events. At the same time, it is a tragedy in the tradition of the iconic Athenian playwrights, in which the heights and depths of human nature are explored. In this class, we will devote ourselves to a close reading of this work, to grapple with Thucydides’ insights into our enduring dilemmas as citizens – reconciling the demands of justice and expediency, freedom and security, and popular consensus and individual wisdom.

Instructor: Dr. Jay Wile
Term: Spring 2022
Time: Tuesdays 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. EDT
Dates: January 4–April 19

The great natural philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “Nature has some perfections to show that she is the image of God, and some defects to show that she is only His image.” In many ways, this profound statement summarizes the findings of scientists throughout history. In this course, we will read selections from Archimedes’ On Floating Bodies, Ptolemy’s Algamest, Bacon’s Opus Majus, Copernicus’ On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Kepler’s Epitome of Copernican Astronomy, Galileo’s The Two New Sciences, Pascal’s Account of the Great Experiment Concerning the Equilibrium of Fluids, Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, Newton’s Optics, Huygens’ Treatise on Light, Ray’s The Wisdom of God as Manifested in the Works of Creation, Lavosier’s Elements of Chemistry, and Darwin’s The Origin of Species. These selections will help students learn how natural philosophy built the foundations of modern science and the pivotal role the church played in shaping it.