The Literary Alchemy of Contemporary Catholic Writer Tobias Wolff

June 9, 16, 23, & 30
9:45-10:45am
School Library

When describing his vocation as a Catholic literary artist and professor ofcreative writing, Tobias Wolff (born 1945, Birmingham, Alabama) remarks,“Storytelling is a sustaining, affirmative art and is one of the most intimate actsthat people experience together because storytelling assumes a community ofshared lives with a shared perception of the world. We are made to persist, andtelling and reading stories is how we find out who we are.”

In prose that critics describe as “taut, trim, and compressed as an athlete,”Wolff explores the emotional and moral sensibilities of characters in their effortsto persist. His craft is defined by his resistance to the traditional, plot-drivennarrative and to postmodern experimentalism; instead, Wolff is concerned withcreating stories that illuminate character rather than constructing plot or indulgingin experimental elaboration.

During June we shall study Wolff’s “illuminations of characters” by readingfrom his canon spanning four decades the short stories “In the Garden of theNorth American Martyrs,” “The Liar,” “The Rich Brother,” and “A White Bible.” Thelecturer is Victor Judge, the assistant dean for academic affairs and lecturer inliterature and religion at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.

Download Readings for Sunday, June 30

Download Readings for Sunday, June 23

Download Readings for Sunday, June 16

Download Readings for Sunday, June 9

Echoes in the Depth:
Conscience in Catholic Teaching and Practice

Featuring Fr. Dexter Brewer

Sundays in Easter
CKS Library 9:45am-10:45am

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes conscience as the person’s “most secret core…and sanctuary.” Is conscience the same thing as Catholic guilt? How do we learn to make good decisions? Is moral perfection the whole point of Catholicism? Join Fr. Dexter and Jon Stotts for several discussions on the role of conscience in the life of the believer.

Learning from the East, Pt 3

Presented by Fr. Peter Raad

Fr. Peter Raad concludes his discussion of the theology and spirituality of Syriac Christianity.

Is the Vatican 2 Mass New or Old?
Ancient Eastern Influences on the Reform of the Roman Rite

Presented by Fr. Bruce Morrill, SJ

Fr. Bruce Morrill, S.J., explores the story behind the Mass we celebrate today, known as the Mass of Paul VI. He highlights how the Vatican II reforms incorporated principles and ritual components from the rich traditions of Eastern Christianity, particularly Byzantine and Syriac traditions. By exploring these Eastern influences, we gain a deeper understanding of the legacy of Eastern Christianity and its impact on the development of the Mass. The session concludes with a comparison of Eucharist Prayer I, which is prayer closest to the pre-Vatican II mass, and Eucharistic Prayer IV, which most fully reflects the vision of Vatican II and its incorporation of ancient liturgical practice.

Learning from the East, Pt 2

Presented by Fr. Peter Raad

Fr. Peter Raad returns to discuss the theology and spirituality of Syriac Christianity, focusing on the influential work of St. Ephraim. St. Ephraim, also known as Ephrem the Syrian, was a prolific theologian and poet whose writings in Syriac have left a lasting impact on Christian spirituality. Syriac Christianity, with its rich theological tradition, offers a unique perspective that emphasizes prayer, contemplation, and asceticism. Fr. Peter’s talk promises to shed light on how St. Ephraim's teachings continue to inspire Christians today, providing valuable insights into the Christian tradition.

Seeing the World as Sacramental

Presented by Jon Stotts

In this session, we explore the critique of contemporary trends in Eastern Christianity by Alexander Schmemann, a prominent 20th-century theologian known for his contributions to liturgical theology. We will use Schmemann's insights to reflect on the balance between tradition and spiritual depth in our worship practices. Schmemann challenges us to consider how we can cultivate a more active and engaged laity within our communities, embodying the sacramental nature of our worship and participating in the mission of the Gospel in the world today. 

Learning from the East, Pt 1

Presented by Fr. Peter Raad

In this session, Fr. Peter Raad introduces the theology and spirituality of Syriac Christianity. Known for its preference for poetry over analysis, heart over head, and silence over speech, this most ancient Christian tradition has much to teach us.

Fr. Peter was recently assigned to the St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Mission as its regular priest. He is an immigrant from Beirut, Lebanon, who moved to the United States in 1977 to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He and his wife of more than 40 years raised their four children in the Catholic faith, attending Catholic churches in Dallas, Texas, including St. Patrick and later St. Rita. He began his priestly formation in the spring of 2020, was ordained on May 7, and is currently an associate pastor at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Lewisville, Texas, near Dallas. 

Love Your Enemies:
Nonviolence in the Synoptic Gospels

Sunday, January 28, February 4, & February 11

Presented by Jon Stotts
(West Wing, 9:45am-10:45am)

In anticipation of a book signing event with Fr. John Dear on April 10, join a three week series examining the gospels with the help of Fr. John Dear’s book The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the Perspective of Non-Violence.

Discounted copies of this book are available for $15. You do not need to purchase the book in order to attend this series.

Download the Introduction

Session 3

Session 2

Mercy in the Gray:
A Journey through Tim Gautreaux's Short Stories

Presented by Victor Judge

Sunday, December 3, 10, & 17
9:45am-10:45am
CTK School Library

Acknowledged as one of Southern literature's unquestionable literary-theologians who represents the post-Vatican II Catholic imagination, Tim Gautreaux's canon emphasizes postconciliar Catholic thought through his exploration of the themes of community and social action. His stories are constructed on questions of moral imperatives; however, the most righteous course of action is not always immediately obvious for Gautreaux's characters. As readers, we enter into the gray tension between what one thinks is right and just and what is compassionate and merciful. For Gautreaux, the fundamental questions are "Why are we here?" and "How should we live?" From Gautreaux's canon we shall study the short stories "Attitude Adjustment," "Good for the Soul," and "The Piano Tuner." The lecturer is Victor Judge who serves as the assistant dean for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and as lecturer in literature and religion. 

Session 1 Recording

With rare exceptions, Christians spent two millennia believing that we have little to learn from Jews, or even that Jews pose a threat to Christianity. From the rise of Christian empire to Inquisition to Shoah, it seems like Jew-hate has long been the shadow cast by Christian love. But what if Jews do not need to become Christians to participate in God's plan for restoring the world? What if Catholics have something crucial to learn from God's covenant of faithfulness to the Jews, a gift and call of which God has never repented? What can we do about the wounds we have inflicted on those whom Pope John Paul II called our elder brother?

This series will feature speakers from local synagogues to teach us more about Jewish life and practice today, interspersed with discussions that focus on the history and theology of Catholic-Jewish relations. All are welcome.

9/3 – An Orientation to Jews and Catholics in History (Jon Stotts)
9/10 – Everyday Jewish Practices (Rabbi Rami Shapiro)
9/17 – Vatican II and Jewish-Catholic Relations (Jon Stotts) 
9/24 – Interpreting the Jewish Scriptures (Patty Marks, The Temple)
10/1 – Anti-Judaism: Mending our Myths and Misconceptions (Jon Stotts)
10/8 – Being Jewish in Nashville (Panel Discussion)
10/15 – Jewish Worship and High Holy Days (Rabbi Strosberg, Sherith Israel)

 

Session 7 - Jewish High Holy Days

Medieval Spain witnessed a fascinating era marked by the coexistence of Christians, Muslims, and Jews on the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule.

Despite significant conflicts and tensions, it was a time of cultural exchange, intellectual flourishing, and significant advancements in various fields such as science, art, architecture, medicine, and philosophy.

Join Dr. Howard Miller, associate professor of history, politics, and philosophy at Lipscomb University, for two presentations on the complex dynamics of religious coexistence during this period.
 

Sunday, August 07th & 27th
9:45am-10:45am
West Wing of the Parish Center

Listen to Part 2 on Spotify or Youtube

Listen to Part 1 on Spotify or Youtube

During December, we were introduced to the canon of the contemporary Irish writer Claire Keegan whose novella titled Small Things Like These served as the foundation for our Advent studies.

For the month of June, we resume our exploration of Keegan’s writings by reading the novella Foster in which the author embeds a re-imaging of the Lucan narrative of the prodigal son.

Set in rural Ireland in 1981, the novella unfolds from the perspective of a young, unnamed girl whose parents “foster” her to an aunt and uncle for the summer before she returns to school; however, during the days of her fosterage, she learns different lessons in familial love.

The lecture series will be delivered on June 4, 11, 18, and 25, by Victor Judge, the assistant dean for academic affairs and lecturer in literature and religion at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.

Session 4 - June 25, 2023

Session 3 - June 18, 2023

Session 2 - June 11, 2023

Session 1 - June 4, 2023

Nearly every Sunday in the liturgical year, we hear an excerpt from one of the letters of St. Paul. What makes this particular apostle such a towering figure in the history of the Christian faith?

In this series, parishioner and catechist Justin Brinkley will explore St. Paul's:

• historical context

• vocational calling

• pastoral adventures

• pet peeves

• legacy in the canonical Scriptures and the tradition of the Church.

We invite all interested in better understanding and appreciating nearly half of the New Testament books to join us! 

Session Four - Paul for Today's Church and World

Session Three - Paul the (Pastoral) Prophet

Session Two - Paul the Pastor

Session One - Paul the Person

Download Slides (PDF) Download Handout (PDF)

You can also listen to these sessions as a podcast!

April Synod Update 

Streams in the Desert:
Learning from the Desert Fathers and Mothers

Presented by Dr. Jon Stotts,
CTK Director of Adult Faith Formation

"A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, 'You are mad; you are not like us.” -St. Anthony the Great

As Christianity began to spread across the Roman empire in the 4th century, thousands of men and women fled to the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to seek God in simplicity and silence. The wisdom of these seekers was captured in "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers," an anonymous collection of stories and aphorisms that paint a delightfully human picture of early Christian attempts to become holy. As our Lenten journey toward Easter begins, what can we ordinary Catholics learn from the successes -- and failures -- of these remarkable women and men who renounced everything to follow Christ?

2/26  – Who are the Desert Fathers and Mothers? 
3/12 – Dead Or Alive? Empire, Church, and the Desert
3/19 – A Ballad of Love and Hate: God, Neighbor, and Self in Desert Spirituality
3/26  – Fighting with Demons: Thoughts and Desires in the Spiritual Life
4/2 – Becoming Like Fire: What It Means to Be Saved
 

Session 5: Becoming Like Fire: What It Means to Be Saved

Session 4: Fighting with Demons: Thoughts and Desires in the Spiritual Life

Session 3: A Ballad of Love and Hate: God, Neighbor, and Self in Desert Spirituality

Rowan Williams - Where God Happens - Life, Death, and Neighbor
Session 3 Powerpoint Slides (PDF)
 

Session 2: Dead Or Alive? Empire, Church, and the Desert

Peter Brown, "Church and Empire," The Rise of Western Christendom (2013) (PDF)
Session 2 Powerpoint Slides (PDF)
 

Session 1: Who are the Desert Fathers and Mothers?

Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers Handout (PDF)
"The Wisdom of the Desert" by Thomas Merton Handout (PDF)

Contemplating Transformation with Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower

Session 1 - Foundations - Please read Chapters 1-13 for this session as we will be in conversation around inner transformation; juxtaposing Lauren Olamina with Jesus, her country and community with our current society, and Earthseed with Christianity. 

We will lean on Cynthia Bourgeault’s 2018 article on the Wisdom Tradition for The Center for Action and Contemplation to ground our discussion: https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-wisdom-tradition-2018-01-28/

Nourished by Sacred Scripture:
How to Read the Bible Well

Presented by Justin Brinkley

The Church has always held that the Bible is greater than the sum of its parts. We throw around terms like “inspired” and “authoritative” to speak about the scriptures, but what exactly do we mean?  

In this series, CTK parishioner Justin Brinkley will explore why the scriptures are important in the authority and life of the Church, helping us to read them through the lens of the incarnate, crucified, and risen Christ as individuals and as a community. Anyone with an interest in the Bible is welcome to participate!

9:45am-10:45am
Sunday, January 15, 22, & 29
West Wing of the Parish Center

The Gravity of the Understated
Presented by Victor Judge

9:45am-10:45am

December 4 (CKS Library), Dec. 11 (West Wing) and Dec. 18 (West Wing)

In the novella Small Things Like These by contemporary Irish literary artist Claire Keegan, the national scandal of the Magdalene laundries is narrated in understated prose so stark and quiet that we as readers are rendered breathless. During the Advent Season of 1985 in the town of New Ross, the protagonist, Bill Furlong, makes a discovery while delivering coal to the Good Shepherd Convent. The revelations that ensue become the catalyst by which Bill confronts his past and the silences of a town controlled by the Church. Awarded the 2022 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, Small Things Like These is a moral study in resistance to complicity. The lecturer for the series is Victor Judge, the assistant dean for academic affairs and lecturer in literature and religion at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
Audio recording available upon request.

Audio recording available upon request.

Building a Bridge:
What can we learn from James Martin about the Catholic Church and the LGBTQ+ Community?

Sunday, November 6, 13, & 20
9:45-10:45am in the West Wing

According to the synod report published by the Diocese of Nashville earlier this year, Catholics in this diocese demonstrate “a clear struggle regarding the issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community,” a struggle shared by Catholics all over the world.  

To help us examine the complicated relationship between the Catholic Church and the LGBTQ+ community, CTK’s Sunday morning adult education is offering a series in November focusing on Jesuit priest James Martin’s book Building a Bridge, published in 2017 with an Imprimi potest. Martin argues that the role and inclusion of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the Church must be examined with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. What can we learn from this book about our parish, our diocese, and the global church?

Limited copies of Building a Bridge are available on a first come, first served basis. Contact Jon Stotts.

Digital and hard copy excerpts from the book will be provided for participants. For the second week, we'll read pp. 29-75. 

DOWNLOAD READING FOR WEEK 2 (11/13) (PDF)

Download Reading for Week 1 (11/6) (PDF)

What Was Vatican II?
A Basic Introduction to the Second Vatican Council

9:45-10:45am in the West Wing
10/9, 10/16, 10/23, & 10/30

On October 11, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to mark the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

No one expected Vatican II to make any major changes. Yet it became the most significant religious event in the 20th century, with much of its vision still unrealized.

What made the Council necessary? How did the landmark decisions of the Council come about? What do we have to learn from Vatican II today? Join Dr. Jon Stotts, CTK director of adult faith formation, on Sunday mornings in October in the West Wing for a presentation on these questions and more. All are welcome!

Holy Labor and the Right to (Dignified) Work
Presented by Aimee Shelide Mayer
9:45am, Sunday, September 11 & 18
West Wing of the Parish Hall

Work is made for humankind and not humankind for work. Since the Industrial Revolution, our Church has reiterated that "work expresses human dignity and increases it" (Pope John Paul II, Laborm Exercens 9). But a stagnant minimum wage and Right to Work laws in Tennessee hurt workers and devalue human dignity.

In honor of Labor Day, this series will use Catholic Social Teaching as a foundation for exploring a new "Nashville Living Wage" campaign, federal pro-worker legislation including the PRO-Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and a problematic "Right to Work" constitutional amendment on our November ballot.  While intentionally featuring the voice of working people, Aimee Shelide Mayer, Nashville Representative of the Catholic Labor Network, will guide these discussions.

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