File 2147 - Reading notes on the Gospel of Luke

1.5 cm of textual records

File consists of a leather-bound notebook containing handwritten reading notes on the Gospel of Luke. Nouwen has titled the notebook "Reflexions On the Gospel of Luke". The notebook is also stamped with Nouwen's address in Maryknoll Residence (Cambridge, MA). Nouwen has only written on the first 37 pages, the rest are blank. Many of the pages of notes have titles similar to the lecture titles he was giving for his course Introduction to the Spiritual Life at Yale during the spring semester of 1984, such as "Waiting", "Listening" and "Speaking". Much of the notes are biblical quotes from Luke but also from other books of both the Old and New Testaments.

Title based on contents of the file.
There is also the possibility that these notes were recorded before the beginning of the course (January 1984) and are preparatory reading notes for the construction of the course. In this case, it is possible Nouwen wrote down these reflections while on retreat from November 1983 to December 1983 at the L'Arche community in Trosly, France.

Introduction to the Spiritual Life (course code 2543), offered during the spring semester of 1984, was the first full course Nouwen taught at Harvard Divinity School. The course was held Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. The Gospel of Luke was the basis for the course. The course was divided up into 5 sections: Waiting in Expectation, Compassion and Hiddenness, Healing and Confrontation, Death and Resurrection, and The Holy Spirit in Worldwide Mission. Each student was required to write a personal spiritual commentary on the Gospel of Luke as well as a spiritual diary that had to be read by at least three other people, one of whom had to be a member of the class. Students were also required to attend small group discussions of six to eight people, and instructed to seek out a 'spiritual friend'. No grades were given for the course. Teaching Assistants included Jeff Coppage, Pat McCallum, Michael O’Laughlin, Jim Smith, and Peter Weiskel.

Revised by L Joson, 14 November 2018