File 2115 - Reading notes for the summer of 1977

2.6 cm of textual records

File consists of a bound volume of handwritten reading notes by Nouwen created during the summer months of 1977, many of which were written during Nouwen's Pendle Hill retreat from June 26 to July 1. Many of the reading notes are dated, and cover works by Max Frisch, William A. Barry SJ, John Howard Yoder, R.P. Martin, Parker Palmer, Thomas Hora, Kai Erikson, Margaret Lewis Furse, Gerard Dekker, Jacques Ellul, Saint Seaphim of Sarov, Gene K. Hoffman, Kenneth Wooden, Gerard Egan and Michael Cowan, Basil Pennington, Archimandrite Sophrony, Kalistos Ware, Saint Alban and St. Sergius. There are four pages of reading notes that are written on the back of a letter from Parker Palmer to Nouwen outlining the schedule of the Pendle Hill retreat. There is also a heavily annotated draft of a course syllabus for the fall 1977 lecture course Compassion. There are also eight handwritten pages of sermon notes for the Mercy Center for the dates June 6, to June 20.

Title based on contents of the file.

Pendle Hill is a Quaker Centre for study and contemplation and is located in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. Parker J. Palmer was Dean of Studies at Pendle Hill during the 1970s and formed a close collaborative relationship with Nouwen. Palmer often guest-lectured many of Nouwen's courses at Yale Divinity School. Nouwen spent considerable amounts of time at Pendle Hill from 1976 to 1982, attending and teaching at the Center's summer institutes. There is evidence that Nouwen and Mogabgab spent many afternoons at Pendle Hill in the late 1970s discussing spiritual issues with Parker Palmer. Nouwen did not appear to regard his teaching at Pendle Hill as an extension of his function as a university professor. The bulk of materials were filed as Calendar files, and Nouwen did not have his lecture notes or handouts for the Summer Institute bound as he did his university courses. However, the insights Nouwen gained through his experiences and collaborations at Pendle Hill had a significant influence over his course content at both Yale Divinity School and Harvard Divinity School, specifically Ministry and Spirituality, Compassion, Thomas Merton, and Education and Community.

Revised by L Joson, 13 November 2018