Course Description
The world imagined by the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is one decidedly at odds with its contemporary world and our own. It is a strange place in which the poor and the hungry are blessed; in which strength is demonstrated through nonviolence and compassion; in which debts are forgiven, enemies are loved, and God and Mammon are seen as contradictory masters, rather than two sides of the same (literal) coin. From its delivery onward, the Sermon on the Mount has both inspired and offended, providing inspiration for some of the most radical experiments in Christian living, as well as some of the most complacent. Are we truly called to “be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect,” or is the Sermon intended to demonstrate the impossibility of this perfection? Should the Sermon’s demands be read literally (off with that lusting eye!) or figuratively? What to make of its Lukan counterpart–the so-called “Sermon on the Plain”–and its more direct elevation of the lowly and condemnations of wealth? Does the Sermon merely describe the neurotic projections of the weak and resentful masses, or does it point the way to Kingdom of Heaven?
In this four-session course, we will investigate these questions and others through a close study of the Sermon on the Mount and influential commentary upon it. We will begin with the early church, examining the earliest reception of the Sermon (as seen in the Didache, for instance) and both tensions and affinities between the teaching of the Sermon and the value systems of Roman antiquity. We will then study Patristic interpretations of the Sermon, especially those of Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa. The third class will review medieval and Reformation interpretations, devoting special attention to the commentaries of Aquinas, Bonaventure, and Luther. In the final class, we will study the Sermon’s influence on 20th century figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Dorothy Day, and John Howard Yoder. Readings will be optional, and will consist of excerpts from primary texts. Central themes will include the role of nature and grace in moral life, universal and particular morality in the Sermon, and the motivations and methods of spiritual vs. material interpretations of the Sermon.
Course image: The Sermon on the Mount by Karoly Ferenczy
When, Where, Who
When: The course will meet over four Wednesdays: 8/12, 8/19, 8/26, 9/2. All course meetings will take place from 7-8:30pm CST.
Where: All sessions will be held on Zoom. Live sessions are available to Maurin Academy partons at the Worker-Scholar tier or above. Recordings will be made available to patrons at the Salt of the Earth tier or above. Check out our Patreon for more info!
Who: The course is taught by Caleb Owens, a graduate student in theology at Boston College. Previously Caleb taught a course on Jacques Maritain’s concept of ‘antimodern progress‘ for TMA.
Course Schedule
- Week 1 – August 12, 2026
- TBD
- Week 2 – August 19, 2026
- TBD
- Week 3 – August 26, 2026
- TBD
- Week 4 – September 2, 2026
- TBD