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The Soul of a Lion
Reading Group
April 12, 19, 26, May 3
A four-week reading group through The Soul of a Lion, the biography of Dietrich von Hildebrand with with John Crosby.
The group will meet over Zoom on Wednesdays (April 12, 19, 26, and May 3, 2023) from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT.
About the Text
Dietrich von Hildebrand, widely regarded as one of the great Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, is well-known for his numerous books, but, until this present work, not much has been known of his remarkable and inspiring life. Written by his wife, Alice, also a highly respected Catholic thinker, this is a fascinating, moving, and, at times, gripping account of a truly great man of the Church who suffered much on account of his faith.
Based on his memoirs—given as a 5,000 page, handwritten “letter” Dietrich wrote to his wife late in his life—this biography tells his story from his glorious youth with a unique intellectual and cultural formation, his conversion to Catholicism, his great passion for truth and beauty, his extensive writing on Christian philosophy and theology, and his steadfast, determined opposition to Nazism that made him a marked man who miraculously escaped execution. A powerful biography of a relentless fighter against injustice, a devoted son of the Church, a man who had the “soul of a lion”.
Format
The meeting will be conducted live in Zoom. Links for the session will be sent out ahead of time.
This format differs from our more academic reading groups. Whereas those are more discussion-focused, this group will be centered around a lecture from the leader, who leads our participants in a focused meditation on the text, allowing everyone involved the opportunity to wrestle with the thoughts contained here.
Moderator
Dr. John Crosby was himself a student of Dietrich Hildebrand. Besides writing major studies on the thought of John Henry Newman, Max Scheler, and Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II, and making his own contributions to personalist philosophy, Dr. Crosby devoted his long and distinguished academic career—first at the University of Dallas, then at the International Academy of Philosophy, and finally at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he recently retired—to introducing his students to the intellectual legacy of Hildebrand, and also to making Hildebrand better known in scholarly circles. Dr. Crosby was the translator of the English edition of Hildebrand’s philosophical masterpiece, The Nature of Love, and he also serves as the General Editor of all our present and future translations of Hildebrand’s works.
Costs
Reading groups are free to attend.
If you are able, we invite you to make a donation to help defray the costs of organizing (reading groups cost the Hildebrand Project ~$900 for a four-week group). We are committed to making reading groups accessible to all; therefore, participation is not contingent on a donation.
Your gift support this reading group, our publications, web resources, and other events, all of which contribute to bringing the vital, life-giving witness of personalist philosophy into new and uncertain times.
Level:
Suitable for all levels of familiarity with the material.
Time:
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT