Recently the Maritain Center sponsored the research of one of our student fellows, Samantha. Samantha attended the Hildebrand Project's summer course, "Two Pillars of Personalism: Dietrich von Hildebrand and Karol Wojtyła [John Paul II]." The summer class took place in Gaming, Austria in late May/early June. Below is a reflection from Samantha on her experience:
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Gaming, Austria to participate in the Hildebrand Project’s Summer Residency. The goal of the residency was to compare the personalist philosophy of Dietrich von Hildebrand with that of Karol Wojtyla/Pope John Paul II. In preparation, we read 450 pages of primary source material, allowing for a rigorous and deep dive into the thought of both authors. We were blessed with an excellent lineup of professors who lectured, answered questions, and facilitated impromptu, supplementary sessions when students hoped to discuss certain topics further. Most notably, Professors Rocco Buttiglione, Josef Seifert, and John F. Crosby were all close friends of either Dietrich von Hildebrand, John Paul II, or both; they were able to share many personal stories of their time with both, and it was such a special gift to get a glimpse into the hearts of the men we were studying.
In the lectures, I was struck by each professor’s intimate knowledge of the texts and their careful mode of articulation. The residency style of the program was conducive to many conversations with the professors outside the lecture setting, i.e., during meals, on hikes, and during social time in the evenings. We also had several opportunities to meet with professors for office hours, present to them our own works in progress, and take an oral exam at the end of the program to solidify what we had learned.
My time at the residency was most fruitful academically, socially, and spiritually. Before attending, I had some undergraduate-level knowledge of the thought of John Paul II, and I had never read any von Hildebrand. Now, I feel confident articulating key similarities and differences in their work, what each contributed to the field of personalist philosophy, and how each is related to both his immediate philosophical context and the broader history of philosophy. I also feel prepared for, and am greatly looking forward to, teaching my own undergraduate course on John Paul II this coming fall. In addition to all the knowledge gained, I also made several connections and formed many dear friendships with the professors and participants of the program. I was particularly grateful for conversations with Professors Maria Wolter, Maria Fedoryka, and John Crosby. They really sharpened my knowledge of not only von Hildebrand and John Paul II, but also of Max Scheler and Edith Stein. I am so grateful for all their help and interest in my work—I know I will find my conversations with them most valuable as I begin to write my dissertation.
I am also grateful to many new friends, a few of whom I suspect will be life-long, for their willingness to discuss and to share the knowledge and wisdom they brought from their various academic backgrounds. Finally, the two weeks in Gaming were such a spiritual gift. We lived in an old Carthusian monastery, had a minimum of one Holy Hour per day, communal reading of the Divine Office, daily Mass, and said many rosaries and chaplets together on long drives and during hikes in the Alps. I loved how prayer, physical exercise, and natural beauty were all incorporated into each day to complement our academic work. I really came to understand the true sense of leisure during the time at the residency, and I am so grateful both for all that I learned and for the time of retreat.
I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the Maritain Center for their generosity in funding this experience. It was truly the best of my academic career so far, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it!
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