Showing results by publisher "Learn25" in Religion & Spirituality

For centuries, Franciscan spirituality has brought Christians a fresh perspective on Christ with its simple and heartfelt approach. Now you can follow the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi in this special retreat experience with gifted Franciscan Br. Bill Short, O.F.M., as your guide. In this series of 12 retreat sessions, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your own spiritual journey with insights from the writings of Francis and Clare of Assisi.

This is the Genesis course you've always wanted. Engaging, thought-provoking, and humorous, this delightful course promises fresh insights into the Bible's second most popular book. Genesis contains some of the most familiar stories of the entire Old Testament, and it features some of the most unforgettable characters in all of history: Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and his wives Rachel and Leah, and their 12 sons, including the famous Joseph.

The messianic prophecies of Jesus are one of the most discussed, yet often misunderstood, topics of the Bible. Join one of the world's leading scripture scholars in exploring this fascinating subject.

How would you like to take a retreat with one of the leading spiritual teachers in the country? Fr. Anthony Gittins, PhD, is a world-renowned scholar who delivered the keynote address for the 2012 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. A teacher par excellence and scholar at the Catholic Theological Union, Fr. Gittins will guide you to deeper understanding about what it means to search for Christ in Seek First the Kingdom: A Spiritual Retreat.

New York Times best-selling author and monk, Thomas Merton, exploring the literature and spirituality of 20th century’s greatest novelist: James Joyce. Born in 1882 to a Catholic family in Dublin, James Joyce wrote some of the most acclaimed masterpieces of modern literature: Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Dubliners, and Finnegans Wake. Educated by Jesuits and deeply influenced by Thomas Aquinas, Joyce wove Catholicism into his works.

You will explore Thomas Merton's remarkable life and works while actively developing a relationship with him. For many, Merton has become a lifelong mentor and spiritual guide, and he will bring you to new places with the questions he raises and the experiences he shares. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, Thomas Merton will speak to you.

Brilliant professor, Sr. Dianne Bergant, guides you through the greatest work of prayer ever written. Under the guidance of Sr. Bergant, PhD, the former President of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, you will experience the timeless power of the psalms.

You will love this fascinating and exceptionally well-taught course. What really happened at the Council of Trent? After Luther, Calvin, and Henry VIII, the Council of Trent is one of the most frequently invoked names regarding the Reformation. Even so, few know much about it. As renowned historian Fr. John O'Malley demonstrates, the reality of Trent differs radically from how you probably conceive of it.

"Thy kingdom come." Christians frequently recite these words. But what is God's kingdom? Such a question has fascinated the faithful for more than two millennia. Throughout history we have pondered our ultimate salvation and the "end times", from St. Paul's eschatological epistles to modern best sellers like the Left Behind series. Now this brilliant course introduces you to that history and practice of eschatology, or the study of the final events in history.

In The Synoptic Gospels: A Bible Study on Matthew, Mark, and Luke, a comprehensive audio course, Fr. William Burton, OFM, breaks down the first three gospels for an astute audience. Carefully situating each in its historical and cultural context, Fr. Burton gives you fresh insights into the similarities and differences across their accounts of Jesus's life and ministry. Under his guidance, you will dissect the chronology and authorship of the gospels,the religious milieus in which the evangelists wrote, and issues of translation over time.

No one’s life has made such a great impact nor sparked such immense curiosity as that of Jesus of Nazareth. The enormous influence of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection has fueled a widespread search for knowledge about his earthly existence - a quest undertaken for both religious and scholastic reasons. Led by Rev. Donald Senior, one of the world’s leading New Testament experts, this audio course has touched the hearts and minds of the faithful around the world.

Why are we so fascinated by the Dead Sea Scrolls? In the mid-20th century, several Bedouin shepherds happened upon ancient scrolls housed in a cave. These documents, called the Dead Sea Scrolls, are often considered the most important manuscript discovery of the modern era. A veil of mystery, however, shrouds these ancient scrolls.

The chronicle of Catholicism can seem daunting: full of names, dates, places, and phrases. Getting ahold of such a rich and diverse history requires guidance and a skillful approach. In this brilliant survey course, you'll explore traditions of belief and innovate ways to describe, share, and live that faith. With Dr. Bellitto as your guide, you'll look at the major periods of church history: early, medieval, reformation, and modern. As you take this journey, you'll examine changes and continuities across the centuries.

St. Thomas Aquinas OP (1224-1274) towers in the history of Christian thought as a mystic, spiritual master, theologian, philosopher, teacher, and preacher. Along with St. Augustine, his synthesis of Christian teaching and exposition of the truth of the Catholic faith remains unsurpassed in Western Christianity.

Find hope in suffering in this lecture set by Henri Nouwen, one of the 20th century's great spiritual masters, as your guide. In our society, we learn to hide our grief, to suppress our joy, to fight darkness with darkness. We are like Jesus' generation, to whom he says, "We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry" (Luke 7:32). Now, the spiritual master Henri Nouwen helps you practice healing through both suffering and joy.

In the final year before his death in 1996, Henri Nouwen wrote an account of the death of his friend Adam, a severely handicapped young man from L'Arche. In the story of Adam he found a way to describe his own understanding of the Gospel message. Adam could not speak or even move without assistance. Gripped by frequent seizures, he spent his life in obscurity. And yet, for Nouwen, he became his friend, teacher, and guide. It was Adam who led Nouwen to a new understanding of his faith and what it means to be Beloved of God.

No other institution, except possibly the papacy, has more greatly influenced the church and the larger history of the Western world than the ecumenical council. Most of us, however, know little about it. This course is designed to take you through the fascinating history of the ecumenical (church-wide) council, from its first appearance in Nicaea (325) through Vatican Council II (1962-1965). This 12-part audio series explores the deep issues of faith and the sometimes curious issues of clerical behavior with which the councils dealt.

From internationally acclaimed New Testament scholar Fr. Raymond F. Collins, essential listening for Christians, Catholics, and all who seek to understand scripture. Through this audio course, the capstone of Fr. Collin’s decades of teaching and scholarship, you’ll understand Paul’s Epistles like never before. Through 24 erudite and engaging lectures, you will gain new insights into the 13 letters attributed to Paul, the New Testament’s oldest texts.

You likely have questions about Catholic canon law. Brilliantly taught and filled with helpful, real-world examples, this survey course was designed with your questions in mind. You are invited to join one of America's leading canon law experts in exploring the principles and rules that govern our religious conduct. In 12 lectures, you will see how religion and the lives of all Catholics are intertwined in spiritual, practical, cultural, and historical ways.

Explore the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas with Thomas Merton as your guide. While he was a student at Columbia University, Thomas Merton stumbled upon The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy by renowned neo-Thomistic philosopher Étienne Gilson. An essential work on St. Thomas and other Christian philosophers, it led him down a path of spiritual seeking that would culminate with his conversion to the Catholic Church and entrance into a Trappist monastery.