Roman Forum/Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute

14th Summer Symposium: Early Christianity and the Greco-Roman World
Gardone Riviera, Italy: June 30th-July 10th, 2005 (10 nights)

Explore the early Christian world from the time of the Emperor Augustus until the days of SS. Augustine and John Chrysostom, together with Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro, Fr. Richard Munkelt, and Drs. Gerry Matatics and John Rao, in a classic European village on glorious Lake Garda in northern Italy. The daily program consists of four lectures and Traditional Mass. Price of 1,600 Euros includes transfers from Malpensa Airport in Milan to Gardone, lodging in double rooms at the beautiful Locanda agli Angeli, breakfast, dinner, drinks, and gratuities, plus excursions. Singles available at higher price. Plenty of time for swimming, hiking, and private side trips. Call up Lake Garda and Gardone Riviera on the web for photos of the hotel and the area in general.

Rome/Papal States Tour
June 14th-June 28th (14 nights)

The Institute will also re-offer its highly popular Rome and Papal Tour, guided and commented upon by Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro, Fr. Richard Munkelt, and Dr. John Rao. This will include one week in the Eternal City and one week on the road. Visits will be made to early Christian sites in and around Rome, and to Orvieto, Todi, Gubbio, Assisi, Perugia, Urbino, and Ravenna. Cost of 2,500 Euros includes all travel inside Italy, accommodation in a lay-religious residence in Rome and in three star hotels outside, breakfast, dinner, drinks, and gratuities. Singles and accommodation at higher quality hotels in Rome are extra.

All inquiries to:
Dr. John Rao, Director
The Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute
dvhinstitute@aol.com
11 Carmine Street, # 2C
New York, NY . 10014-4442

The Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute
2005 Summer Symposium, Gardone Riviera
Rome/Papal States Tour

Early Christianity & the Greco-Roman World

"Even if the wounds of this shattered world enmesh you, and the sea in turmoil bears you along in but one surviving ship, it would still befit you to maintain your enthusiasm for studies unimpaired. Why should lasting values tremble if transient things fall?" (Prosper of Aquitaine)

The 2005 Summer Symposium of the Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute of the Roman Forum returns to the start of the historical cycle last begun in 1993, offering a fresh and expanded look at Early Christianity and the Greco-Roman World (27 B.C.-Early 400’s A.D.). This will meet, as usual, at the Trattoria agli’Angeli, from June 30th through July 10th. The Institute will also re-offer its highly popular Rome and Papal States tour, from June 14th through June 28th (14 nights). This will include one week in the Eternal City and one week on the road. Visits will be made to early Christian sites in and around Rome, and to Orvieto, Todi, Gubbio, Assisi, Perugia, Urbino, and Ravenna.

Faculty

• Fr. Ignacio Barreiro
• Professor Gerry Matatics
• Fr. Richard Munkelt
• Dr. John C. Rao

Topics to Be Addressed

• The Greco-Roman World at the Coming of Christ
• Religion, Education, & Daily Life in the Principate (27 B.C.-180 A.D.)
• The Acts of the Apostles
• A Grand Tour of the First Century Christian World
• Millenarians, Gnostics, Apostolic Fathers, and Apologists
• The Third Century & the Manifold Crises of the Empire
• The Problems of Creating a Unified Catechesis: The School of Alexandria and its Allies East and West
• The Problems of Creating a Unified Catechesis: Tertullian and the Church in Africa
• The Problems of Creating a Unified Catechesis: Antioch and Opposition to the School of Alexandria
• Determining the Sources and Bulwarks of the Faith: The Scriptures
• Determining the Sources and Bulwarks of the Faith: The Question of Church Order and Authority
• Fighting for the Truth in the Third Century: Sabellianism, Subordinationism, and the Beginning Trinitarian Conflict
• The Third Century, "Deification", Grace, Sacraments, and Individual Effort
• The Ordinary Christian and the 3rd Century World
• From Imperial Persecution to Encouragement and Overbearing Protection
• The Court Bishop and the Ever-Present Sophist Menace
• The Trinitarian Conflict From Arius and the Council of Nice through Athanasius, the Cappadocians, Hilary, and the Council of Constantinople
• The Evangelization of the Empire and the Occupation of Public Space
• The Strengthening of Patriarchs and Papacy, the Parent Liturgies, and the Life of the Ordinary Christian in the 4th Century
• The Growth of Monasticism: Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, Gaul & Italy
• Church and State Under the Theodosian Dynasty, St. Ambrose, and St. John Chrysostom
• St. Augustine
• The Donatist, Priscillian, and Pelagian Conflicts
• The Beginnings of the Christological Battles
• Early Christian Art, Architecture, and Poetry
• The Fourth Ccntury Christian World

Daily Program

The daily program consists of four lectures and Holy Mass, according to the 1962 missal (the Tridentine Mass). No lectures on Sundays.

Cost

The cost of the Gardone program is 1,600 Euros. The Rome/Papal States Tour is 2,500 Euros. This includes: tuition, room (singles 450 or more Euros extra, depending upon quality of accommodation) and board (breakfast and dinner with drinks; gratuities), transportation to and from Malpensa Airport in Milan and one excursion.

Scholarships

Some scholarships may be available. Preference will be given to students, but anyone who genuinely cannot afford the full tuition and believes himself to be a worthy candidate for assistance may apply.

Accommodations and the Setting

Accommodation and lectures for the Gardone program are at the Trattoria Agli Angeli, on Lake Garda, in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy. Rooms are mostly doubles, with bath. A limited number of singles is available. The Trattoria is located in Gardone Sopra, a ten minute walk from the lakefront. Special arrangements, at different prices, can be made for those who wish to stay and take their meals in one of the many higher quality hotels in Gardone or Salò. Arrangements to arrive earlier or stay later, at additional cost, may be made through the director.

Gardone is within easy traveling distance of Verona, Venice, Trent, Brescia, Milan, Ravenna, Pavia and Padua. In years past, participants have rented cars to tour the area, taken boat trips on the lake and attended the opera in Verona. The region offers opportunities for swimming, hiking, biking, boating and scenic walks. The lectures are scheduled in such a way as to allow time for recreation and sightseeing.

Space for the Rome program has been reserved at the Villa Bassi, in an excellent location on the Gianiculum in Rome, from June 14th through 21st. Accommodation at the Bassi is basic, with facilities outside the rooms. Those wishing to stay at higher quality hotels at a higher price may do so through the Institute. Hotels for the week from June 21st through the 28th are three and four stars.

Transportation

Each participant must make his own arrangements for flying to Italy. Transportation will be provided from Roman Airports to the Villa Bassi on June 14th and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport to Gardone on June 30th . Transportation to Rome or Milan on June 28th and to Malpensa on July 10th will also be arranged. All other transportation costs are separate. Participants arriving and leaving at different times or arriving at and leaving from different airports are responsible for making their own arrangements for getting to and from Rome and Gardone.

The Application Procedure (For Gardone alone)

The deadline for application is March 31, 2005. Successful applicants will be notified no later than May 5. Applications must be typed and include:

1. Name, Address, Telephone, E-Mail
2. Date of Birth
3. Occupation
4. Academic Degrees attained/pending; name(s) of institution(s), if applicable
5. The names and phone numbers of two references.

First-time applicants must write a one-page typed essay explaining why they are interested in attending the symposium. Applicants who require assistance in order to attend should indicate this in their essays and should state whether they would like to be considered for a full or partial scholarship, based upon an honest assessment of the minimum assistance necessary to make their attendance possible.

Mail all applications and address all questions to:

Dr. John Rao, Director
The Dietrich von Hildebrand Institute
11 Carmine Street, # 2C
New York, NY . 10014-4442
Or E-mail to: dvhinstitute@aol.com

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