Christian Classics Study Group (Page 2)

Christian Classics Study Group – The Epistle of Barnabas – Friday 13 April

Dear Friends in Christ: As mentioned at our last Christian Classics, this Friday the 13th of April we will be led, by the Rev Dr Jos Strengholt, through the very early anonymous Christian writing – The Epistle of Barnabas.  Though we don’t know for sure who wrote The Epistle of Barnabas, this work has been ascribed to Clement of Alexandria in Egypt.  It is generally thought to have been written sometime between 70 and 150 AD.  The Epistle reflects on the Old Testament practices…

Christian Classics Study Group: Gregory of Nyssa’s The Life of Moses

This Wednesday 21  of March we will be led through this classic spiritual work of Gregory of Nyssa by the Rev Jos Strengholt. The Evening begins at 8pm (no supper this time) at the Parsonage.  (There is a service of Holy Communion from 7-7:40pm beforehand at the Church.)  We will each receive a copy of the text, The Life of Moses, and a short workbook.  Fr Strengholt will give us a background on Gregory of…

Christian Classics Friday 9 February – The Heidelberg Catechism

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) is a well-known Protestant confession of faith.  It is one of the many catechisms in the form of questions and answers that were written in the 16th century and without doubt the most famous one in the Dutch Reformed Context.  Despite the caricatures that have been made of it, it is still an astonishing rich theological document.  Given its strong association with the Reformed tradition, it may be a surprise that it…

The Mystical dimension of the Liturgy

On Friday October 13, the Christian Classics Study Group will explore the mystical dimension of the liturgy. We will look at questions such as, What is the deeper meaning of that which is celebrated in the liturgy? How does the liturgy symbolise and deepen our inner relationship with God? Starting point for our discussion will be selected texts from late medieval mystics of the Low Countries which address the relationship between the liturgy of the Church…

Coming up: Christian Classics Study Group “The Abolition of Man”

WHAT: “The Abolition of Man” by C.S. Lewis (a short work, which you can download by clicking here.) WHEN:  THIS FRIDAY 26th MAY 6:30pm  Dinner 8:00pm  Presentation and Discussion (let Hannah know if you are attending dinner, so we can plan: office@holytrinityutrecht.nl) WHERE:  Parsonage Hall, Holy Trinity – van Hogendorpstraat 26, 3581 KE Utrecht WHO:  David Dodds will lead us through the text. This is David Dodds’ description…  On 20 February 1955, several years into a…

Christian Classics Study Group – Hadewijch – 3 Feb AD 2017

Renske Hoff is currently doing a Doctorate on Hadewijch – she has agreed to lead our next Christian Classics Study Group on Friday 3 February! She writes: “While reading those three texts, I think it might be interesting for you to observe and think about Hadewijch’s notion of ‘Love’. What does this mean, how is it connected to her notion of ‘God’ and the human soul, and how is it connected to love between human beings? I am looking forward to your ideas about this: scholars do not yet agree.”

Christian Classics Study Group – Jan 15, 2016

19th Century Russian Christian Classics Friday January 15, AD 2016 Our next Christian Classics Study Group is next Friday January 15 6:30-9:30pm at the parsonage Hall.   Erik Heemskerk will introduce and guide our discussion. 1.  Erik will give a brief introduction to what is characteristic about modern (19th) Russian Literature and what is particular about its Orthodox Christian character. 2.  We look primarily at THE GRAND INQUISITOR, which is an extract from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s celebrated novel, The Brothers…

Christian Classics Study Group – Spiritual Friendship

We have had a break from our Study Group over the summer, but will return on Friday, 20 November 18.30, to look at Aelred of Rievaulx’s great work called “Spiritual Friendship”. Aelred was the Abbot from 1147 to 1167 of the great English Cistercian Abbey of Rievaulx, near York in the North of England. From the back cover of a translation comes this description: “In a three-book Ciceronian dialogue Aelred defines human friendship as sacramental, beginning…

Christian Classics Study Group – June 26!

Last month we said we would take a pause over the summer months and re-engage in the Autumn. However, we have a surprise event – Friday June 26 – Peter Boswick (left) will lead us in a discussion of: The letter of Clement to the Corinthians. St Clement of Rome was an early bishop, perhaps even appointed as Bishop of Rome by St Peter himself.  This written work attributed to him is the earliest of…