In this powerful audio and video course, celebrated lecturer Fr. Anthony Ciorra, Ph.D. reveals the marvelous gifts bestowed by our spiritual ancestors. 

These 36 lively, enlightening lectures will take you on a journey from the age of the apostles to our current day. Along the way, you’ll meet the greatest spiritual figures of the Christian tradition, explore the wisdom of the church fathers, experience the mystical visions of St. Catherine of Siena and St. John of the Cross, encounter the towering works of St. Augustine, and much more.

As you explore the major themes that have shaped the hearts and minds of countless believers, you will discover the full richness and beauty of the Christian spiritual tradition. Too often the treasures of the Christian tradition have not been passed along from one generation to the next. Now you can meet the inspiring men and women who have gone before you on the spiritual journey.

Let the spiritual writers and our compelling history speak to your heart and empower you to carry their torch into the 21st century. Our spiritual tradition and its practices are relevant now more than ever.

Embark on this journey and enrich your spiritual life today.

Course curriculum

    1. Study Guide

    1. 01 Introduction to the History of Spirituality

    2. 02 Methods, Issues, Suggestions and Definitions

    3. 03 An Overview and Sweep of Christian Spirituality from the First Century through the Twentieth Century

    4. 04 Our Jewish Roots

    5. 05 The Vision and the Message of Jesus Christ

    6. 06 An Introduction to the Patristic Period

    7. 07 The First Christian Generations

    8. 08 Martyrdom

    9. 09 The Giants of the Second and Third Centuries: Irenaeus, Clement and Origen

    10. 10 The Writings of Clement of Alexandria and Origen

    11. 11 The Monastic Movement

    12. 12 The Desert

    13. 13 The Fourth Century: The Cappadocian Fathers: St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Gregory of Nyssa

    14. 14 Some Concluding Reflections and Comments on the Spiritual Movements from the Monastic Traditions of the Early Centuries

    15. 15 The Golden Age: St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and St. Augustine

    16. 16 St. Augustine

    17. 17 Our Hearts Are Restless Until They Rest in You, Oh God

    18. 18 Endings and Beginnings

    19. 19 The Middle Ages

    20. 20 The High Middle Ages: 1100-1300

    21. 21 The Schoolmen of the Twelfth Century

    22. 22 The Thirteenth Century: The Century of the Friars

    23. 23 The Canticle of Brother Sun

    24. 24 St. Bonaventure and St. Dominic

    25. 25 The Late Middle Ages: 1300-1500

    26. 26 The Rhineland Mystics

    27. 27 Delving Deeply into the Rhineland Mystics

    28. 28 Meister Eckhart

    29. 29 The English Mystics

    30. 30 Julian of Norwich

    31. 31 The Cloud of Unknowing

    32. 32 The Fifteenth Century and the Devotio Moderna

    33. 33 Introduction to the Modern Period and to St. Ignatius of Loyola

    34. 34 St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross

    35. 35 Developments in Modern Spirituality as a Gateway into the 21st Century

    36. 36 The 21st Century: Where do We Go from Here?

About this course

  • Free
  • 37 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content