Fr. John Hemer is a Mill Hill Missionary who has worked in several countries and now teaches at Allen Hall seminary.

A2: A CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE
Fr John Hemer MHM

We often hear talk of ‘Bible Christianity’ as though that were something opposed to Catholic Christianity. In this course we will aim to show first of all that the Catholic Church is THE ‘Bible Church’ par excellence. We will see how the Church wrote the Bible and how without the Church we simply wouldn’t have it. We will see how the New Testament, as well as bearing witness to Jesus, is a profound interpretation of the Hebrew Bible – beginning with Jesus’ own interpretation. We will look at various ways in which the Church uses and interprets the Bible, at what sort of interpretation is helpful to faith - and what is not. We will ask what the Bible is and what we mean when we say it is true. Sometimes Bible study can seem very dry and academic, sometimes it is deliberately divorced from any faith. We will try to see how we can study this incomparable collection of writings in a way that is both academically rigorous and still feeds the life of faith: how we can read it for all its worth.

Suggested reading:

Bailie, G., Violence Unveiled (New York, 1997).

Brueggemman, W., The Bible Makes Sense (Louisville, 2001).

Hahn, S., A Father Who keeps His Promises (Cincinnati, 1998).

Johnson, L. T. & Kurz, The Future of Catholic Biblical Scholarship. (Grand Rapids – Cambridge, 2002) 35-47

Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church (Vatican Press, 1993). 

GROUP B COURSES

Participants choose one course from Group A and one from Group B

Fr Fredrik Heiding, a Swedish Jesuit,
is currently writing a doctoral thesis
on Ignatian Spirituality at the University of Oxford.

B1: PRAYER - TALKING TO YOURSELF?
Fr Fredrik Heiding SJ

Is there anyone at the other end, or is prayer a monologue? The nineteenth-century philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach held that God is a mere human projection. Contemporary Christians, by contrast, believe that God really exists. Yet many wish to tell the difference between their own thoughts and the voice of God in prayer. We shall search for guidelines in prayer from five Christian mystics: John Cassian, John Climacus, Bonaventure, Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila. The aim of the course is to develop one’s prayer-life with the help of these spiritual masters. The teaching style will consist of lectures followed by conversation in the group on the basis of selected primary sources.

Suggested reading:

Burrows, Ruth, Interior Castle Explored: St. Teresa’s Teaching on the Life of Deep

Union with God (London: Sheed & Ward, 1981)

Climacus, John, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York, Paulist Press, 1982)

Cavallini, Giuliana, Catherine of Siena (London: Continuum, 1998)

Delio, Ilia, Crucified Love: Bonaventure's Mysticism of the Crucified Christ (City: Saint Anthony Messenger Press, 1998)

Stewart, Columba, Cassian the Monk (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998)

Fr. Peter Burrows is a biblical scholar trained at a Jewish seminary and at Harvard in the USA; he is also a psychotherapist.  He teaches at Allen Hall Seminary in London and has done lay education in the Church for over 50 years.  He has taught widely at universities, seminaries and institutes in the US and in the UK.

B2: THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE, SEXUALITY, THE FAMILY AND CHILDREN AND THE TEACHING OF SCRIPTURE
Fr Peter Burrows

We very much regret to announce that Fr Peter Burrows has to have an operation on his back, and so will be unable to present this course.

It is proposed therefore to transfer those who have already booked for this course over to B1: PRAYER - TALKING TO YOURSELF? presented by Fr Fredrik Heiding SJ. New applicants please note B2 will not now take place.

We wish Fr Peter well, and are sorry for any disappointment that his unavoidable withdrawal may have caused.

Saturday 10^th July 4:30pm

P1: CATHOLICS AND THE BIBLE
Fr John Hemer MHM

Sunday 11^th July 4:30pm

P2: PRAYER - WHY BOTHER?
Fr Fredrik Heiding, SJ

Fr Stephen Wang is a priest of the Diocese of Westminster. He teaches Philosophy and Theology at Allen Hall where he is also Dean of Studies.  In 2009 he published his first book, Aquinas and Sartre, with the Catholic University of America Press.

Monday 12^th July 2:30pm

P3: THE CATHOLIC MORAL VISION: A Guide to finding true happiness
Fr Stephen Wang

For prices and booking form Word version click here

For prices and booking form .PDF version click here

For Timetable click here

For directions to Allen Hall click here