On Redemptor Hominis - An Introduction to the Life and Thought of St. John Paul II
John Hittinger, Ph.D.
"Redemptor Hominis" is about Christ and the message of Mercy.
-John Hittinger in On Redemptor Hominis
Pope Saint John Paul II was one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. A recent biographer has described him as one of the “freest” men who ever lived, having had a clear sense of his mission and role within his own particular moment in history from a very early age. What animated this remarkable pope and saintly man? This course serves as an excellent introduction to the thought of Pope Saint John Paul II through a study of his first encyclical letter, Redemptor Hominis, “The Redeemer of Man.” It provides a context for understanding the encyclical, a section by section analysis, and explains how this encyclical--which Dr. Hittinger calls John Paull II's "Mission Statement"--provides a unique and important vantage point from which to understand the life and thought of this great pope.
30-minute lectures
Poland – The Pope from a Distant Country
Poetry and Theater – Beauty, a Profile of God
Philosophy – A Noble Task
Priesthood – Steward of the Mysteries of God
Vatican II – A gift of the Spirit to the Church
What the New Pope Inherits
Who is the Redeemer?
Divine and Human Dimensions of Redemption
The Church’s Mission and Human Freedom
Man is the Way of the Church
The Twentieth Century: Progress or Regress?
Do we have rights? Conscience and Religion
Dynamic restlessness and man’s Supernatural destiny
Prophet: Responsibility for Truth
Mary and the New Evangelization
Conclusion: Anticipating the Achievements of His Pontificate
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Study Materials
Lessons, supplementary reading, suggested assignments.
