The Center for Contemplative Studies seeks to promote interest in the rich spiritual tradition of the Christian West, in the belief that this tradition is central to our common intellectual heritage.
Through the study of significant texts and movements, it aims at a better understanding of the nature of spirituality itself, the unfolding of Christian spirituality in the West and the role spirituality has played in the development of Western culture and thought.
The Center’s interests lead it beyond narrow disciplinary perspectives. It not only welcomes, but requires, the varied approaches of the historian, the literary critic, the philosopher, the theologian. Indeed, the Center wishes to be an interdisciplinary forum for all those who study the history of spirituality.
In addition, while it emphasizes the Western tradition of spirituality, it recognizes the importance of viewing this tradition within the largest possible human and religious perspectives. The Center sponsors the Christian Contemplative Tradition concentration. In addition, it sponsors colloquia, minicourses, weekend seminars and lectures by visiting professors and members of the university faculty. These activities are intended to illuminate the authors and texts of the spiritual tradition from as wide a variety of scholarly perspectives as possible.
The student should declare his or her intention to concentrate by coming to speak to the director no later than the first semester of the junior year. No more than two courses may count toward both the concentration and the major. Substitutions in the concentrations must have the written approval of the Director. Theology students may also be interested in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Concentration. If a student wishes to concentrate in both Medieval and Renaissance Studies and Christian Contemplative Tradition, no overlap will be allowed in the courses required for either concentration. Doing both concentrations requires 30 hours of course work.
UD students not only read St. Augustine's Confessions in Rome, traveling to Ostia to marvel at the place in which, according to Book IX, St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica, had a joint mystical vision of God -- they also travel 4.4 miles from the Irving campus to read the text with residents of South Irving.
+ Read MoreAs you know if you’ve read even some of our first UD Reads book, "All the Light We Cannot See," it’s possible to build a radio from random, scavenged parts, as long as you can find the necessary random, scavenged parts, as Werner does in the book. This is also essentially what Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Physics Jacob Moldenhauer did as well: He scavenged parts from the Physics Department, and built a radio.
+ Read MoreThe University of Dallas Board of Trustees announced today that it has unanimously selected Thomas S. Hibbs, Ph.D., BA '82 MA '83, to serve as the university's ninth president. The first alumnus of UD to be president, Hibbs has served as dean of the Honors College and distinguished professor of ethics and culture at Baylor University since 2003.
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