John Milton stands as one of the most important poets in the English language. His greatest work is Paradise Lost and in it he attempts to explain the story of creation and of the Fall. His work stands in a line with the great epics of the ancient world and presents a uniquely Christian take on the genre. More importantly, Milton was a deep theological thinker and took active part in the theological debates of the day; Paradise Lost stands as an enduring attempt to convey the splendor of God and God’s creation to the world. The text grapples with questions about human agency, creation, and God’s sovereignty that continue to perplex and occupy us to this day.

This course is designed as a contemplative reading of Paradise Lost, wherein we consider the poem as a living text in dialogue with theology, philosophy, and spirituality. We find spiritual resonances everywhere in this text as we all bring our own unique perspectives to this great work of literature.

The class meets for four consecutive Thursday evenings at 7pm. It began March 10; tonight is the final session.

No previous experience with poetry is necessary.

To register, please contact the parish office. As of the writing of this calendar entry, the location for the class had not yet been determined.

When purchasing the book, consider the Modern Library Classics translation. If purchasing on Amazon, consider using the Bethesda AmazonSmile Link.