The course will study various expressions of Christian perfection throughout history. The readings will include the lives and writings of late antique, medieval, and modern saints, including Stt Polycarp of Smyrna, Antony of Egypt, Evagrius of Pontus, Benedict of Nursia, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius Loyola, Teresa of Calcutta, and others. We will discuss how human personhood is transformed at various stages of ascent towards God. By engaging classical authorities and modern sources, the course intends to stimulate an in-depth discussion of the realization of the Christian vocation today.
Paul L. Gavrilyuk 