This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
In this course, we will study this most intimate form of non-fiction, from the Epistles of St. Paul to emails written by close friends. The greatest writers have written the greatest letters and from them, a deeper understanding of the world and of God can be opened up to us.
Total classes: 6
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Suggested credit: 1/2 semester credit literature
Description
Fr. James V. Schall said the following about letters: “The letter is unique because, in its purest form, it deals with the person to whom we send it and with his or her relation to us. … The letter is a claim against time and distance … a letter is also a preparation to see face to face, something that requires not just sight, but inner sight … So there continues to be, I am convinced, something of a solemnity, the solemnity of anticipated joy, about good letters.” In this course, we will study this most intimate form of non-fiction, from the Epistles of St. Paul to emails written by close friends. The greatest writers have written the greatest letters and from them, a deeper understanding of the world and of God can be opened up to us.
Outline
The Epistles of St. Paul
Letters and the Spiritual Life
The Letters of JRR Tolkien
The Letters of Flannery O’Connor
CS Lewis – Letters to Malcolm
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” – Martin Luther King
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: Handouts in the form of pdfs provided by the instructor. Students may also choose a collection of letters to read and report on for a Final Project. A list of Final Project works to choose from will be provided by the Instructor.
Homework: Reading, quizzes and Final Project. Expect about two hours of homework per week.
