| CODE | MRT5511 | ||||||
| TITLE | The French Carmelite School | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Moral Theology | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The 17th century Religious Wars in France, as well as the deadly surge of the plague, impacted the Religious Orders with unfortunate effects on religious observance leading to laxity in monasteries and lack of observance of the Rule. Within this context, a reform movement of renewal emerged within the Carmelite Province of Touraine, which was pioneered by Pierre Behourt, who sought to restore community life, religious observance and care of the mystical dimension of Carmel. In Paris, the circle of Philip Thibault likewise introduced new ideals of spirituality into Carmelite life based on the latest forms of mysticism. Soon, this movement flourished not only in numbers but also as a proper school of mystical life, producing also a number of influential spiritual and ascetical writings. The reform movement's soul was a blind brother, John of Saint Samson, whose mystical doctrine had a great impact not only on the French spirituality of "le grand siécle", but also on a wider scale in the history of Christian mysticism. In Carmel, the spirit of the Reform of Touraine survived the test of time until the 20th century with the publication of the "Spiritual Directory of the Carmelite Life" by John Brenninger, itself a classic still appreciated today. Study-Unit Aims: - To provide a link between the historical events and the charismatic spirit by whch the Carmelite Order was reformed in 17th century France; - To discuss in some detail the spiritual life of the blind mystic John of St Samson, who is consdered to be the soul of the Reform of Touraine; - To evaluate the impact that John of St Samson had on his disciples as well as on the wider mystical circle. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: – Establish a historical link between 17th century mystical development and the wider Carmelite Order; – Classify what is the proper spiritual heritage of the Reform of Touraine; – Identify the key figures and spiritual notions that characterise this Reform; – Recognize the timely impact of this Reform on Christian mysticism in general. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: – Interpret texts in terms of the key values of the Reform of Touraine; – Demonstrate how mystical expereince is a response to a particular historical context; – Sketch the development of mystical theory in the Reform of Touraine. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Joachim Smet, The Mirror of Carmel: A Brief History of the Carmelite Order (Melbourne: Carmelite Media, 2011). - Kilian Healy, Methods of Prayer in the Directory of the Reform of Touraine, Vacare Deo 1 (Rome: Edizioni Carmelitane, 2005). Supplementary Readings: - Robert Stefanotti, The Phoenix of Rennes: The Life and Poetry of John of St Samson, 1571-1636, Medieval and Early Modern Mysticism Series (Lausanne: Peter Lang, 1994). - Wilfrid McGreal, John of St Samson (Faversham, Kent: Carmelite Press, 1962). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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