Writing Seminar: The Foolishness of Faith and the Mystery of Evil

​Participants will read, in advance, two pieces from The Rivers North of the Future, a collection by Ivan Illich (co-produced with David Cayley): The first is "Gospel," and the second is "Mysterium." Together they convey a brilliant and fascinating perspective on Christianity in the past, present, and future. I've recently found them extremely generative, hence my organizing this informal symposium.

​Crucially, however, participants also commit to developing their own perspective on these texts, in a short essay of about 500 words, before meeting. (You may write more than that, but in the meeting everyone will take turns reading about 500 words). After each reading, each person will ask a question or suggest some constructive criticism to sharpen each piece of work.

​If you happen to have a current passionate interest in a different work or idea by Illich, you're welcome to write on that, alternatively. If in doubt, these particular texts will work as excellent pre-texts for anyone interested in Illich and/or related themes.