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Overview Notre
Dame Vienna Admission Financial
Aid Student Reports Faculty The summer programs bring together students and professors to explore the enduring ideas of Western civilization through the disciplines of political philosophy, philosophical anthropology, ethics, literature and Law. |
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“THE STUDY OF WESTERN INSTITUTIONS” OPENING SEMINAR The introductory seminar commences on Saturday, July 3rd. Participation in the Opening Seminar is compulsory for all students, faculty and staff. Bach, Mozart and the development of Christian culture In the history of Western music J. S. Bach (1685-1750) is unsurpassed in his mastery of technique and profundity of thought. As a devout Lutheran he had a broad knowledge of Scripture and theology that is mirrored in his compositions. Given Bach’s combination of musical competence, personal devotion, and theological depth, it is not surprising that his music stands pre-eminent among artistic expressions of the Christian faith. With the passage of time, however, many of these essential keys to understanding Bach’s music have been lost. In this class we try to reconnect modern listeners of music with Bach’s music, enabling them to listen to him with renewed understanding and appreciation. After an introduction to his biography, his theological knowledge, his musical language and the various genres of sacred music in the composer’s repertoire, we will turn to specific works that express, interpret and vivify some of the principal doctrines of faith. The aim of this class is to contribute to a more perceptive and “character forming“ listening to the work of this European genius of Christian culture. The second part of the course is dedicated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791). In this class we will try to discover this extraordinary
musical genius in his music and as a man who lived through the great
changes from the old society to the modern one in which we still
live. In his time European society as a whole began to move from
accepting the Christian scheme of things (doctrine) to being predominantly
secular. They started to move from letting themselves being ruled
by parents and superiors to rebelling against them. Mozart himself
stood at the threshold to the new Saeculum and was already one of
these “new men” of the age. His music gives voice to that in its
anxieties and consolations... We try to set Mozart’s life and music
within the history of an age plunging into revolution and wars. Thereby
we will not forget to discover his subtle humor and his piety which
are present in his compositions. Some characteristic examples of
his music will be studied and we will ask what they can tell us about
their author and ourselves. This will be done in an environment where
Mozart loved to walk - when he stayed at a health resort in the town
of Baden near Vienna. Dr. Bernhard Dolna.- Assistant Professor of Ecumenical Studies and Jewish Studies and Dean of the International Theological Institute. Researcher at the University of Vienna. Dolna publishes extensively internationally. Belief, Certainty and Truth. Ancient Philosophers and Orators
on the Foundations of Moral Thought, and their Relevance to Christian
Faith How can we be sure that the principles of morality are valid and true? And how can we know them? These questions have occupied the great minds of Antiquity since the beginnings of philosophical and religious thought. It seems that our present day and age is still standing in need of careful reflection on these issues, in order to search for true and inspiring answers. The vitality of Western culture and its institutions depends on it. Classical Athens witnessed the great debate on these issues, particularly in its relevance to education and moral formation. What is the best way of life, leading to human flourishing and happiness? The sophists discovered the power of reason, but also gave relativism and radical scepticism a chance to develop. Plato and Aristotle continued to emphasise the fundamental role of rational thought in the discovery of knowledge and metaphysical truth. Isocrates of Athens, representing the important school of ethical rhetoric, pointed to reason, informed common sense and religion as the cornerstones of certainty based on tradition. All these philosophies and ideas were eventually incorporated into Early Christianity and interpreted to become essential and necessary constituents of Christian morality. The contributions of both the philosophers and the orators were adapted and enriched, in order to support Faith as a source of knowledge and certainty, and eventually human flourishing. The course introduces fundamental concepts of moral thought, such as truth, certainty, belief, knowledge, reason, informed common sense, tradition and religion. They will be studied from the perspective of both philosophy and rhetoric, being the two fundamental intellectual modes of thought in the history of education. The focus will be on reading and analysing relevant primary sources (in translation). In this way their vital importance to contemporary debates on and anxieties about moral thought will become clear. Reading materials (required!): Plato. Gorgias. A New Translation by Robin Waterfield,
Oxford 2008 [isbn 978-0-19-954032-7] John Paul II, Encyclica Fides et Ratio (Encyclical Letter Faith
and Reason), 1998 Course Reader Dr. Jeroen A.E. Bons.- Fellow of the Humanities Department of the University College Utrecht. Professor for the History of Rhetoric at the University of Amsterdam. Senior Lecturer in Classics and Comparative Literature at Utrecht University. St. Augustine: The City of God. A close reading In the year 412 A.D. St. Augustine started to work on what was to
become his Magnum Opus, the monumental De Civitate Dei (Concerning
the City of God, against the Pagans). This was requested by
his friend and fellow-Christian Marcellinus, a high civil servant
of the Roman Empire. Marcellinus was very concerned about the frequent
and intensifying attacks on Christianity from influential pagan circles
in Rome and elsewhere, blaming Christianity for the catastrophic
decline of the Roman Empire, culminating in the sack of Rome by the
Visigoths on August 24, 410 A.D. The City of God is not only a defense of the Christian
religion – in fact the most extensive and thorough apology of the
Christian faith that has survived from Antiquity – but it also contains
a superb overview of the history of man from the beginning of time
and onwards, including predictions about the future. Augustine described
this history as a dramatic struggle between two distinct communities,
two cities: the City of God and his faithful, and the city of those
who have abandoned Him. It is the relation between these two that
has shaped Western thought regarding the relation between State and
Church for centuries. From the fifth until the 21st century, this all-encompassing synthesis
of Christian apology and history has influenced readers from many
different backgrounds: Christians and non-Christians; kings and monks;
philosophers, academics and politicians… Some have understood it
better, others less; some have admired it, others have rejected it;
but it has never let any reader unmoved or untouched. One simply
cannot think of European religious, theological, philosophical and
political history without Augustine’s City of God. Apart from its meaning as a fundamental source for those who want to study the origins of Western institutions, De Civitate Dei is of persisting interest for contemporary debates about, for example, the relation between state and church, secularism and the relation between the sacred and the public sphere. He who finds the patience to read this book from cover to cover shall discover its meaning to his benefit and not seldom to his delight. In three week’s time we will discuss many of the Books of which The City of God is composed. In the first week we will read Books I, II, IV, V and VI and VIII (until ch. 22); in the second week Books XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV and XVI; and in the last week Books XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI and XXII. Reading: St. Augustine, The City of God, Penguin Classics Dr. Bart C. Labuschagne LL.M:
- studied Law, History and Philosophy at Groningen University, where
he received his doctorate in 1995 with a dissertation on the philosophical
aspects of the freedom of religion. His interests are the history
of the philosophy of law, religion, ethics and politics. He teaches
(among others) Plato, Augustine, Kant, Hegel, Voegelin and Habermas,
and publishes mainly about the role of religion in democratic, post-secular
societies. He is also a translator of Hegel in Dutch. He has written
a number of articles and books. COSTS FOR THE GUMPOLDSKIRCHEN-VIENNA SUMMER SEMINAR
Applicants from outside the EU need to inform at the Austrian Embassy or consulate in their home country whether a (student or tourist) visa is required for entry into Austria. Prior to arrival in Austria, all participants must purchase a full medical insurance policy that covers any medical emergencies or needs whilst attending the course. The Phoenix Institute Europe Foundation cannot provide for any medical care or medical costs- and insurance coverage. Participants, who have not sent the Institute prior written proof of their medical insurance coverage for their stay in Austria, will not be admitted. For information about the summer seminar location see www.do-schloss.at
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2010 Summer Seminars are now open for registration |
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