Course Description:
“The eye with which I see God is exactly the same eye with which God sees me.
My eye and God’s eye are one eye: one seeing, one knowing, one loving.”
Meister Eckhart 
 
Claims like this, found throughout Eckhart’s writings, lure us into the playful wisdom of paradox, the path that beckons us into the depths of divine mystery—within the human ordinary. This course invites participants to explore the sources of this wisdom in Eckhart’s writings, drawing upon selections from his sermons and writings together with poems inspired by these texts. Bold, courageous, and often even outrageous, Eckhart’s writings startle us in our complacencies, inviting us to live into drama of radical freedom and creative responsibility. Come for an immersion in startlement and wonder. 

Everyone is welcome to attend this retreat. If you are taking this course for enrichment, we invite you to fully participate in all aspects of the retreat. The schedule includes morning and evening prayers, plenary sessions, and small group discussions. There will be free time on Friday and Saturday afternoons to rest, reflect and enjoy the beauty of Montreat. We also invite you to write the book reflections and integration paper following the course. These are required for credit toward the Certificate in Spiritual Formation. 

Location: Montreat Conference Center 

With: Mark S. Burrows is well-known and much in demand as a retreat leader and lecturer on theology and the arts, poetry, and spirituality, in Europe and across the United States. A poet, scholar of historical theology, and award-winning translator of German literature, he resides in Camden, Maine, having returned to the United States after teaching religion and literature at a German university for most of the last decade. His recent publications include Meister Eckhart’s Book of Secrets: Meditations on Letting Go and Finding True Freedom (2019) and Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart: Meditations for the Restless Soul (2017), both co-written with Jon M. Sweeney, and a collection of his own poems, The Chance of Home (2018). He is a past recipient of the Witter Bynner Prize in Poetry and is a member of the “Bochumer Literaten,” a circle of professional writers in the Ruhr Region of Germany. www.msburrows.com  

Schedule: The program will begin at 5:30 pm on Thursday, April 13 and conclude Sunday, April  16 at 12 noon. The schedule includes morning and evening prayers, small group conversations and free    time to enjoy the beauty of Montreat Conference Center. 

Program Fee: $370 

Housing: Housing is not included in program fee. Please contact Montreat Conference Center to arrange.  

Meals: Meals are included with Montreat housing and can be purchased separately at the conference. 

Additional Information:   The reading list will be included in the confirmation email on registration. 

We care about your health! CTS follows current COVID-19 protocols for in-person programs.  

Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu 
 
 

Earning CEUs for this course: If you desire to earn a certificate confirming earned CEUs in this course, please contact the Center for Lifelong Learning.

In order to qualify for CEUs in this course you must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Confirm that you have read the assigned text.
  2. Participated in the full course and all discussions.
  3. Completed any assignments, papers, and projects.
  4. Completed the course evaluation.
  5. Made a formal request for a CEU certificate.