Quakerism and Hannah Arendt: Hope in Dark Times
Thursday 11 June - Thursday 2 July 2026
The live Zoom sessions are at 19:00-20:30 (UK time) every Thursday.
Lily Chadwick
,
Benjamin Wood
Recent years have witnessed a global resurgence in authoritarian and populist sentiments that have, for many, sparked emotions of fear and despair. This course draws on the writings of Hannah Arendt, whose analysis of totalitarianism offers lessons for Quakers facing contemporary international challenges.
This course offers a thematic overview of some of the most influential writings from philosopher and political theorist, Hannah Arendt, whose works analysed the rise of totalitarianism in Europe in the early twentieth century. The weekly themes guided this exploration include: ‘Truth and Power’, ‘the Banality of Evil’, ‘Rootlessness & Loneliness’, and ‘Hope’.
This four-week course is comprised of weekly, 90-minute live sessions in which participants will hear presentations from a historian and a theologian on the subject of Arendt’s writings. These presentations will be followed by a period of guided discussion for participants to reflect on how the course content might be applied to modern life. No prior knowledge of Hannah Arendt or her writings are necessary to participate.
There will be some material to look at before the first session. We will email you around one week prior to the course with information about accessing the course, including this material, on our online learning platform (Moodle).
This course will involve:
Discussion, Online discussion forum, Written and visual, Zoom Session
Accessibility info:
On the booking form, there is a chance for you to let us know about any accessibility or communication adjustments that will enable you to participate more fully in the course. Automated Zoom closed captions are available for all live sessions but if you feel you require more accurate closed captioning please email us directly in addition to booking.
See more courses in this category: History & Theology
