Just a quick update in regards the Summer Bleg. After talking with a guidance counselor yesterday (does that ever make me feel like I’m back in high school) and my priest, I signed up this morning for two classes this fall: Church History I and Patristics.
On the first, I’ve long described myself as a student of history. I was blessed to have a couple of good history teachers over the years, with my ninth-grade history teacher really making it come alive for myself and others. I’ve enjoyed what history I’ve picked up on the early Church and how people lived during that time. My hope is that we can and will get into the weeds a bit without having it become a slog of rote memorization of dates and such. The latter is how so many bad teachers kill any love for history, while the former is what makes history come alive.
On the second, Patristic and Conciliar Dogmatics may well be the key to a number of other courses. It will focus a good bit on the work of Saint John of Damascus, who laid out for the early Church it’s dogma (beliefs). That’s a bit of a simplification, but as I currently understand things his work codified those beliefs so that the Church had both a reference and a guide to share as they spread The Word. It will be interesting to see if that is a correct description or not, but understanding those dogmas will help with many other courses.
Any and all help with doing this and other things with walking a different path in a new life is very much appreciated!
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. If you would like to help me with seminary courses, pilgrimages, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Thank you.