“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.” Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430 CE)
Following in the
Footsteps of the Apostle Paul Through Greece and Cyprus
January 20 - February 1, 2015
Summer School in the ‘Other’ Holy Land
Turkey and Patmos May 19 - June 11, 2015
The Francis and ClareInstitute
Assisi & Rieti, Italy July 7 - 27, 2015
via Rome and Florence
Take the Walls off the Classroom!www.downancientpaths.com
Down Ancient Paths Ventures for 2015
Following in the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul
Through Greece and Cyprus
January 20 - February 1, 2015
COME TO GREECE! ... a storied cradle of western civilization, land of the Olympian gods and games, home to the philosophical heavyweights of the western world – Aristotle, Plato and Socrates, birthplace of democracy and first century bridgehead for European Christianity.
Another customized Down Ancient Paths educational travel venture specifically designed for you to ex-plore the history, geography and spirituality of early Christianity as recorded in the pages of the New Testament originally written in the Greek dialect, koine. You’ll enjoy the professorial lectures, the onsite guide commen-taries and the convivial interactions with fellow travellers as we savour the topographical diversity of Greece from Macedonia in the north to the Peloponnesus in the south.
This intensive ‘Pauline’ itinerary is site rich with locations to which the Apostle courageously travelled on his oftimes dangerous missionary journeys and established early Christian communities – to whom he later penned letters of spiritual counsel which have survived and guided Christians for almost 2 millennia. Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens and Corinth are treasure troves of Graeco-Roman archaeology where the dramatic stories of the first generation of Christ followers can come to life again with biblically inspired imagination.
For students of classical civilization, the itinerary also features some of Greece’s legendary and world famous attractions of perennial interest to visitors. At Vergina, we’ll see the the tomb and treasures of the Mace-donian military genius Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. We’ll soak in the spectacular, mountainous scen-ery surrrounding the internationally revered Delphic Oracle which exercised a prophetically charged spiritual influence over the ancient world for over a millenium. Delving into the medieval Christian heritage of Greece, we’ll ascend to the Byzantine monasteries of Meteora a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are perched pre-cariously on the tops of fingerlike rocks which soar skyward as if connecting earth with heaven. They prompt us to consider the spiritual athleticism of medieval monks who sought purity of heart in these lofty, solitudes beyond the encroaching reach of urban distractions. The magnificent Acropolis, a vestige of classical Athens, returns us to life in a Greek city-state in the 5th century BCE, the age of Athenian cultural prowess when phi-losophers and tyrants ruled.
CONTINUE ON TO CYPRUS! ... our travels takes us to another significant but under appreciated biblical landscape – the charming and scenically adorned island of Cyprus, a favorite Mediterranean tourist destination. In Christian antiquity it was associated with Paul’s first missionary journey and home to his Cypriot companion, Barnabas. We’ll commence with a visit to the divided capital of Nicosia and then travel in both the southern and northern parts of the island to contemplate the Book of Acts narratives which recount the ex-ploits of Paul and Barnabas in Salamis and Paphos. As you may be aware, the northern sector of the island was for many years sealed off to visitors approaching from south Cyprus due to the Turkish/Greek conflict which erupted in the 1970’s. This is an opportunity for readers of the New Testament to see sites of biblical import in the north which have previously been inaccessible – a definite bonus on this Down Ancient Paths journey.
Take the Walls off the Classroom!www.downancientpaths.com
Down Ancient Paths Ventures for 2015
Summer School in the ‘Other’ Holy Land: Turkey and Patmos May 19 - June 11, 2015
with an optional Extension to Eastern Anatolia to Explore the Ancient Armenian Christian Tradition
June 11-15, 2015
(maximum 20 persons)
Few Christians are aware that more than two thirds of New Testament sites and many Old Testament ones are located in Turkey! Once students of the Scriptures realize that Asia Minor is modern Turkey then the possibilities for faith-based travel which explores the non-Jewish roots of Christianity expand enormously. This venture begins in ancient Constantinople/modern Istanbul, situated at the crossroads of the world straddling Europe and Asia. Once the coveted jewel of an imperial Christian empire, the city is now a showcase of Islamic civilization and the dreamed destination of many travellers.
Here, in one of the most intriguing, storied cities of the world where East and West meet, we will contemplate the monumental achievements of Byzantine Christianity which created an imperial Christian empire that sent missionaries to convert Ukrainians, Russians and other Slavic peoples and beyond them to China and India. Among the historic landmarks in old Istanbul is the largest church in the world in the 6th century CE. Istanbul is where modernity and antiquity meet in an exotic atmosphere created by the sights, sounds and smells of its history soaked streets. We’ll savour the past and the present of this city and environs on a relaxing Bosphorus cruise.
As we travel we’ll go further back in time to the world of primitive Christianity. We’ll reflect on the first-century prophetic oracles written to the churches of Asia Minor – Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis and Laodicea – trying to grasp their contemporary significance. We’ll journey by boat across the Aegean to the Holy Island of Patmos to read the Book of Revelation with its mysterious, endtime apocalyptic characters and beasts. We’ll revisit memorable moments in the missionary journeys of the Apostles at Alexandria Troas, Assos, Miletus, Perge and Attalia. You’ll listen to expert, on-site commentary and lectures on early Christian history and spirituality, enjoy many spontaneous interactions with fellow travellers and discover the treasures of important museums that complement what we see on site.
AND... this edition of Summer School in the Other Holy Land includes something totally new – a five day, idyllic, ‘Blue Voyage’ in a gulet (wooden yacht) along the Turkish Turquoise Coast. The tempered winds, secluded coves, unspoiled inlets, bays, beaches, sunken Roman ruins in crystal clear waters, quaint coastal vil-lages and archaeological sites inaccessible by land will transport you into an imaginary, paradisaical classroom where learning and leisure converge. All of this is set against the dramatic backdrop of rugged coastal moun-tains that rise to almost 3000 metres above sea level.
AND MORE... for those who want to experience still more of the immense geographical and historical and cultural diversity of Turkey, at the end of the itinerary, there is an optional four-day extension to explore the ancient Armenian Christian tradition in Eastern Anatolia.
For more on the Christian significance of Turkey read my article, “Why Christians Should Travel in Turkey” which can be accessed on the Down Ancient Paths website.
Take the Walls off the Classroom!www.downancientpaths.com
Down Ancient Paths Ventures for 2015
The Francis and Clare Institute Assisi & Rieti, Italy
July 7 - 27 , 2015
with prelimary and concluding days in Rome and Florence
(maximum 20 persons)
What is spirituality? What does spirituality do? Can religion be spiritual? What are the dynamics and indicators of spiritual growth? How does one receive spiritual guidance?
Answering these frequently asked questions takes us to beautiful, sun bathed Umbria, the alluring, green heart of Italy where life slows down amid the gentle hills and winding valleys of the region. Among the many quaint, Umbrian hill towns, where one can pull back the curtains of time and step into the world of the Middle Ages, is Assisi which lies serenely on the slopes of Mt. Subasio. It is one of the most famous, global destina-tions of religious pilgrimage because of its association with the itinerant, medieval reformer, Francis of Assisi who preferred actions to sermons and writings as a means of promoting spiritual renewal. He was a pacifist in an age of inter-city warfare and crusades against Muslims. No personality in western Christianity has received more attention. In addition to being a favoured destination for huge numbers of spiritual seekers and tourists who come to imbibe its air of tranquility and purchase its souvenirs, Assisi is also a treasure trove for art connoisseurs. Its basilica has the western world’s best collection of medieval art frescoed on its walls. The story of Francis has been depicted with vibrant splendor in the upper church by the great Renaissance artist, Giotto.
In the annals of western Christian history few persons have inflamed the spiritual imagination of men and women more than Francis of Assisi (c. 1182-1226 CE) and Clare of Assisi (c.1193-1253 CE). Their luminous, courageous lives have cast a spiritual glow over western civilization which has lasted undiminished for centuries. In the minds of Christians of all traditions they are synonymous with ‘Gospel living’ in its truest sense. They embraced a life on the margins which was prayer dominated, faith-filled and uncompromisingly committed to a radical living out of the virtues of poverty, humility and moral purity, utterly dependent upon the generous grace and mercy of God to sustain them. Wendy Murray probes the nature of Francis’ relationship with Clare in her study of Francis’ life, A Mended and Broken Heart (2008):
Friars, scholars, historians, scientists, tour guides, nuns and theologians find plenty to argue about regarding Francis and Clare’s mysterious bond. There is however, general agreement on two points. First, Clare of Assisi was irrefutably a primary force in Francis’ life. To know Francis truly one must also know Clare... Second, whatever their relationship had been before their respective conversion, after their religious vows it remained pure.
Francis experienced a conversion in his mid twenties; Clare was already devout in her youth. Theirs was a prophetic, ascetically disciplined, spiritual quest sharply at odds with the spirit of the age. They renounced the conventional religion, militaristic violence, consumptive materialism and sensual indulgence of their times. In so doing they called the secularized church of their time to repent of its obsession with worldly power and wealth and to recover true Christianitiy in the midst of a decaying ‘Christendom’ ruled by the Roman papacy.
Down Ancient Paths Ventures for 2015
Never intent upon founding movements, they dressed in the garb of penitents, set aside earthly love for a shared spiritual passion and companionship and radiated a depth of devotion to God which overflowed in sacrificial service to the sick and needy.
They were heralds of holy living and dying. Their spirituality is timeless. The memory of them has not evaporated with the passage of time. If anything, their personas have grown larger than life in the modern era through a nonstop stream of books, movies, religious pilgrimages and scholarly treatises. Ironically, they are the claimed heritage of many who might have little to do with each other in real life – religious devotees, environmentalists, friars, flower power hippies and scholars alike.
This Down Ancient Paths venture is specifically about the essence of spirituality as embodied in the lives of Francis and Clare. Who were they in history? Who did they become in their vocational formation? What were the catalysts for their spiritual development? What is their abiding legacy? We will immerse ou-selves in their lives with ample time to become knowledgeable of early Franciscan history and spirituality as well as the Rules which govern the Franciscan way of life. We will explore the places which played a signifi-cant role in their conversion process. We can relive the dramatic unfolding of their lives in today’s Assisi, a veritable, medieval time capsule, and the verdant landscapes of the Rieti Valley which recall Francis’ love of nature. We’ll reside in both places.
Our learning will be multi-dimensional. Lectures, study, field trips, rituals, prayer, meditation and conversations with fellow travellers will converge to make this holistic version of travel study genuinely lifechanging.
On Francis
He was raised to Christ by devotion,Transformed into Christ by compassion,
Brought near by condescension to his neighbour,And by the love which he bore all creatures,
He attracted them to himself.
Bonaventure in The Life of St. Francis of Assisi.
On Francis
The first flower among them all, who,like a sweet spring blossom
diffused a fragrant odor around her,and shone like a brilliant star
in the church of God.
Bonaventure in The Life of St. Francis of Assisi.
AND...THERE IS MORE!
Down Ancient Paths Ventures for 2015
The Prelude
After arriving in Rome, the ‘Eternal City’ (founded in 753 BCE), built on seven hills, we’ll spend three and a half days visiting sites which connect us to Christian antiquity. Rome has had a magnetic attraction to pilgrims over the centuries. The Christian roots of the city are deep. In the first century CE the Apostle Paul wrote an epistle to the Roman Christians confirming the establishment of the the church there. According to tradition, both the apostles, Peter and Paul, were martyred in Rome. As the centuries passed, the city of the Roman emperors, some of them persecutors of Christians, became the city of the Roman popes whose religious and political power grew globally after the Roman empire was christianized in the 4th century CE.
The Colosseum, the Forum, the Catacombs, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican and Rome’s earliest Christian churches are all on the itinerary in a city which has cast its historical, cultural and religious spell over western civilization for over two millennia.
The Postlude
Before returning home, we’ll stop in fabulous Florence, the capital of Tuscany and the cradle of the early Italian Renaissance. Its entire, historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rich architectural and artistic heritage of Florence warrants its being designated one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city is much more than we can digest in two days but we can nonetheless savour a few of its resplendent, master-pieces of art and architecture created by some of western civilization’s greatest artists – Ghiberti, Michelangelo, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico and Botticelli.
Take the Walls off the Classroom!www.downancientpaths.com
