Academics and Adventure

After a somewhat quieter night, highlighted by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the 2022 California High School Summer Program students arose refreshed and rested this morning, prepared for a very full day. They got dressed, headed over to St. Joseph Commons for a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and bacon, and then braced themselves for the morning’s academics.

Having previously read about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac in the Book of Genesis, today the programmers considered Søren Kierkegaard’s four different depictions of the same story in Fear and Trembling. The sections examined the significance of Kierkegaard’s additions to the Scriptural account. They asked questions such as, “Did Abraham lie to Isaac about what he was doing?” Or, “How did Isaac react?” Yet the most significant questions they contemplated were: “What was the emotional and psychological fallout of this episode? How does that fallout affect one’s faith?”

These questions brought out challenging but rewarding conversations, as students banded together to understand the text and find a solution to the problems raised by our Danish philosopher. Their discussions continued over the ensuing lunch of burgers and fries in St. Joseph Commons and, no doubt, in the charter buses which they then boarded for a trip to Santa Barbara and the beach. See the Summer Blog tomorrow for photos and an account of their adventure!