Philosophy of
Pope Saint John Paul II

Course Description

St. John Paul II’s pre-papal writings are rich in dialogue with the great philosophical minds of the past. As John Paul was himself a professor of philosophy, this course presents a tour of the history of philosophy from ancient Greece to the present with an eye toward empowering students to fruitfully understand and engage his philosophical writings. With an emphasis on his personalist anthropology, we will examine in-depth one such philosophical text of Karol Wojtyla and proceed to show how his philosophy informs Theology of the Body and the Papal Encyclicals and Letters he penned as Pope.

Experience the Retreat

We offer two ways to experience this journey: as an immersive in-person retreat or as an online course. The details below describe the all-inclusive nature of our on-site retreats. Our online students receive the same world-class teaching and comprehensive study guide from the comfort of home.

Five days of learning & interactive lecture (30 hours of master’s level instruction)

Fantastic study guide so you can focus on receiving vs. note-taking

Daily Mass, adoration, and confession

Hotel style accommodations & delicious meals

Time for relaxation and networking

Gorgeous grounds to soak in God’s natural beauty

Optional round trip shuttle from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

Meet your instructor

Peter Colosi, PH.D

Dr. Peter Colosi is assistant professor of philosophy at Salve Regina University in Newport RI. From 2009 – 2015 he was assistant/associate professor of moral theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA. From 1999 – 2007 he was instructor/assistant professor of philosophy for Franciscan University of Steubenville at their program in Gaming, Austria. He earned his BS in mathematics from Franciscan University, an MA in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure University, and his M.Phil and Ph.D from the International Academy of Philosophy in the Principality of Liechtenstein. Since 2007 he has been organizing, with friends in Europe, a series of International Symposia on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. There have been 4 Symposia thus far, in Austria, Ireland, England and Portugal. All of the Symposia talks can be viewed here. Dr. Colosi is a recipient of the Theology of the Body Institute Award for this international work in spreading knowledge of Theology of the Body.

Enroll Now

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