2025 Online Summer School; Hope - for our pilgrim journey

Pilgrims of Hope is the theme for the Jubilee Year 2025, opened by Pope Francis and now continued by Pope Leo.
This summer course is an opportunity to reflect how Hope as a virtue from a Christian understanding differs from positive optimism. In the world today
where there is a lot of depression and anxiety, we are urged to “think differently” and “think positively.” However what we mean by Christian hope
is different! It is a real grace and participation in what Christ has alreadydone for us by coming into the world and reconciling us to the Father,
through his life, death and Resurrection. Hope is not just wishful thinkingbut as Pope Francis reminds us in his Bull, Spes Non Confundit, his bull forthe Jubilee, Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). A Jubilee year is atime of grace and renewal for individuals and the Church and indeed for the world.
In lectures 1,2 and 3, when we speak of this theological virtue hope we discuss that we are not just referring to what is in the future, the life of eternal beatitude and union with God in heaven, but rather to what sustains us in this life, as viatores, “on the way,” on pilgrimage. While the virtue of
faith tells us that our God is faithful and that we can therefore trust in him completely, the virtue of hope provides us with the strength for the journey
while we are in this life.
In Lectures 4, 5 and 6, we consider how hope is based on what Christ has won for us in his Paschal Mystery. It therefore strengthens us in the midst
of difficulties and struggles since he has won the victory over sin, suffering and despair. We are invited to go through the “door” of St Peter’s Basillica,
however the Jubilee invitation is actually an invitation to go to Christ who is the real door (Jn 10: 9), to salvation, peace, ‘pasture’ or true rest- our
fulfilment as human beings is in him.
As well as considering how we are to journey in hope in this life, we shall also consider our final end – heaven and the last things in Lecture 7.
In our final lecture we reflect on how we can be missionaries of hope, bringing this message to others, in a world where so many suffer from
anxiety and despair since they are without meaning in their lives.
The course is very flexible and no previous study of theology is required.

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Course Delivery

The course consists of eight recorded presentations and two Zoom meetings and is delivered by Dr Mary McCaughey. There are four video presentations during each week beginning on Monday August 11 and they will become available each day, so on Monday 11th August there will be access to one recording and on Wednesday access to two recordings and so on. Participants can watch the lectures whenever suits them, and revisit lectures they have already viewed. At 7pm on each Friday there will be a live Zoom discussion with Mary.

Mary is Director of Studies and a lecturer in Dogmatic Theology at St Mary’s College, Oscott, Birmingham. Before that she taught theology for many years in Ireland to both Seminarians and lay people.

Format

Week 1:

11 August Lecture 1: Introduction to the Theological virtue of Hope

12 August Lecture 2: Hope in Sacred Scripture

13 August Lecture 3: The Theological Nature of Hope

14 August Lecture 4: Christ, the Fulfilment of Hope

15 August 7pm: Live Discussion of Presentations

Week 2:

18 August Lecture 5: Hope and Suffering

19 August Lecture 6: Hope and the Christian Life

20 August Lecture 7: Hope and the Last Things (Eschatology)

21 August Lecture 8: Spreading Hope in the World

22 August 7pm: Live Discussion of Presentations and Conclusion

Dates

Monday 11th August - Friday 22nd August 2025

There will be two one hour Friday evening 7pm Zoom sessions.

15 August

22 August

Cost

€120, €100 for current students

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