The summer’s really here! The campus is quiet – only five of us there in the circle of the Chapel to break the bread and share the wine this past Wednesday. The transquility around also invites for a reflection, both on the future, the upcoming academic year, and the past – not only the recent past but also the often-forgotten past which nevertheless has brought about the present as it is. As a taste of such past, here’s an interesting piece done by the Czech Radio. It’s on Jan Amos Komenius, or Komenský, as he is known among the Czechs – a 17th century Christian thinker whose life reflects the turbulences of the 30 years’ war. Thus the radio programme comes in two parts: the first one mostly on his life in Moravia, and the second on his life in exile, particularly in Amsterdam. (These links require RealPlayer, and if you’re experiencing trouble accessing the programme, click here for Part One and here for Part Two for pages with text and additional options.)
What an amazing story of someone who deserves to be heard again – his clash with Descartes’ modernism, his passion for holistic education, his committment to God and God’s church. In fact, his ideas were explored by one of our PhD graduates in his dissertation, but this radio programme is an excellent introduction to those of us who may not know very much about this fascinating man.
– Lina
