Current Study Groups
The World Beyond Your Head
Do you have difficulty concentrating? What steals away your time? In short, what is going on with attention in the modern world? In his The World Beyond Your Head, Matthew Crawford argues that our problems with attention stem a loss of a sense of human existence as embodied. Join us as we read his book and assess his argument.
This group meets Fridays at 2:30 on Bortz’s back porch.
The Inspiration of Scripture
What does it mean to call the Bible scripture? What does it mean to say that scripture is inspired by God? Does it imply that everything in the Bible is true, or only some things—and if the latter, which ones? What does inspiration imply about what happens when you read the Bible? Join us as we discuss these and other questions about the Bible.
This group meets Fridays at 5:30 in Pannill Commons.
The Trinity
What does it mean to say that God is a Trinity? Does this doctrine even make sense? If so, how? Is belief in the Trinity really important for Christians, or is it just a matter for theologians? Join us as we read selections of classical and contemporary works on the Trinity and discuss these and other Trinitarian questions.
This group meets on Mondays at 6:30 in Pannill Commons.
The Gospel of Mark
Join us as we discuss the Gospel of Mark, at once the most paradoxical and puzzling of the Gospels and one that offers a profound meditation on the meaning of discipleship and Christian faith—this is a book that can change your life if you learn how to hear it. This group requires no outside reading and features high-end coffee, but it meets early!
This group meets on Fridays at 7am in College Church basement.
PREVIOUS Groups
Short Stories of Flannery O’Connor
Join us for weekly conversations about books we find significant. This semester, we’ll be reading various short stories by Flannery O’Connor, one of the American masters of the genre. There are two sections of this group, one meeting Fridays at 3pm in Maples, the other meeting on Tuesdays at 10am. This group will be closed to new members as of February 7.
Resurrection and Afterlife
What is resurrection? Why is it important to Christianity? How does it relate to other ideas of afterlife such as the immortality of the soul? And what does a resurrected life look like, anyway? This group meets Friday mornings at 7am in College Church to discuss these and other questions. It includes free coffee (good coffee), so you won’t want to miss it.
Love in Western Traditions
What is the nature of love? What is its proper object? What makes it true or perverse? How should we understand love in relation to vulnerability and suffering? In this group, we will read some of the most influential texts reflecting on the nature of love, including classical texts written prior to Christianity and texts in the Christian tradition. We’ll reflect on friendship, on romantic love, and the love of the divine, and we’ll consider how love in these texts relates to love as presented in our contemporary culture.
Prayer
Why do Christians pray? How does someone pray? Does God answer prayer? Is prayer irrational? What (if anything) happens when people pray? To consider these and other questions, this group will read what some of the ancient theologians of the church had to say about prayer. Join us as we read Origen, Augustine, and the author of The Cloud of Unknowing. This group also includes a weekly prayer component–members can choose to do the study group, the prayer group, or both.
2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians is perhaps the most personal of Paul’s letters, and it is likewise perhaps the most rhetorically powerful, portraying Paul himself as an emblem of Christ’s suffering for those estranged from him. Join us on Fridays at 7am in College Church to discuss this remarkable letter. This group includes coffee (good coffee), so you won’t want to miss it.
After Virtue
Join us for weekly conversations about books we find significant. This semester, we’ll be reading After Virtue by ethicist Alasdair Macintyre.
Anselm’s Circle
In this group, we’ll read C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy. These books engage some of the major questions of faith, life, and reason, but they are not for the fainthearted! So, whatever your faith background (Christian, agnostic, atheist, or otherwise), come prepared to be challenged and prepared to read!
For all questions about study groups (including meeting times), email Dr. Jarrett Knight at jknight@hsc.edu.