Under the Auspices of
Quintessential St. Paul
QUINTESSENTIAL ST. PAULWalk St. Paul’s steps as he preached through Greece
fusing ancient Greek spirituality with our Lord Jesus’ Word.
fusing ancient Greek spirituality with our Lord Jesus’ Word.
1,550€
Includes accommodation (3-star), full board, all domestic transfers, entrance fees, taxes and tuition
10 days / 9 nights
Departing:
Contact us for details
St. Paul’s influence on Christian thought and practice has undoubtedly been as profound as it has been pervasive.
Join us while we follow the steps of one of Christianity’s greatest pillars, the others being Lord Jesus and St. Peter, as his God-sent vision of a Macedonian man diverted him from his initial plan to preach in Asia Minor to visit Northern Greece instead.
Explore the sites where St. Paul preached, worked and was even held captive during his three missionary journeys to Greece, and let our expert Professors of Theology decipher his epistles for you.
DAY 1 / ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI
Whether you have travelled across continents or from a neighboring country, you will be warmly welcomed to an exclusive three course dinner by NKUA professors and our expert staff who shall introduce you to your upcoming and truly amazing adventure through St. Paul’s missionary journeys in Greece!
Dinner
DAY 2 / NOTHERN GREECE I
Tutor: Karakolis (Dr)
We will start our day with a road-trip to Amphipolis and the recently discovered tomb at Kasta hill where you shall be initiated to its secrets and left to decide for yourself whether Alexander the Great was actually buried in it or not. We will then proceed to ancient Philippi where St. Paul first addressed the Macedonians following his vision of a Macedonian man that diverted him from his initially intended journey to Asia Minor.
Our next stop will be the picturesque city of Kavala, also called the blue city as it is overlooking a cosseted blue bay.You shall be treated to local delicacies and desserts during lunch, and then we will set off on foot to explore the narrow streets and the history of the city.
Dinner will be enjoyed in one of Thessaloniki’s traditional mezze restaurants upon our return to the hotel.
Breakfast 
Lunch Dinner
DAY 3 / NOTHERN GREECE II
Tutor: Karakolis (Dr)
The city of Thessaloniki has so much to offer - it truly is an open-air museum with a plethora of ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks, and a truly vast history.
We shall spend our day immersing ourselves in 2,000 years of Greek history as we visit the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture to experience the city's imposing status in the longest surviving empire known to man, the Byzantine. We shall attempt to commune with God in Thessaloniki's captivating byzantine churches - Aghia Sophia, Aghios Demetrios, Aghios Georgios and Prophet Elias - as well as appreciate Greek ingenuity in the form of the White Tower, the Byzantine Castles and the Arch of Galerius.
Lunch and dinner shall walk you through the city's unique gastronomic influences over the course of three millennia.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 4 / NOTHERN GREECE III
Tutor: Liantini (Dr)
We depart Thessaloniki and central Macedonia to explore western Macedonia and the city of Veria where St. Paul preached the gospel, faith, salvation and love to the local Jewish community and Verians who were worshipping the Gods of Olympus at the time. We then resume our road-trip to Kalambaka, home to arguably the most breathtaking landmarks of mainland Greece – the monasteries of Meteora. Sitting atop gigantic boulders, their sight is - figuratively speaking - out of this world. No wonder then these picturesque byzantine monasteries inspired the producers of Game of Thrones in creating The Eyrie! You shall spend the second half of the day here communing effortlessly with God while learning all about monastic life from our expert professor and the monks themselves.
You shall be treated to traditional local delicacies for both lunch and dinner at Kalambaka where we will be spending the night.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 5 / DELPHI
Tutor: Liantini (Dr)
We start our day with a road trip up Parnassus Mountain, home to the Delphic Oracle and the Temple of Apollo. We spend the day touring the ancient site, learning about its life and importance through the centuries, its decline and eventual demise, as well as the excavations that brought it back to surface for all visitors to appreciate through eternity. We will then proceed to visit the local museum before heading off to a local restaurant to try local delicacies over the stunning view of the Corinthian Gulf.
On our way back, we will stop to appreciate tholos – a rare circular and beautifully decorated building dedicated to Goddess Athena. Should the day permit it, the sunset view is believed to be second to none!
Dinner will be served at Arachova, a picturesque mountain resort, popular with Athenians who visit for skiing and local cuisine.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 6 / ATHENS RIVIERA & THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM
Tutor: Despotis (Dr)
We start our day with a short drive to the church of St. George at the ancient port of Faliron, where St. Paul first set foot in Athens. Our next stop will be one of the city’s most celebrated modern buildings, the Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Designed by the world-renowned architect Lorenzo Piano, it houses the new National Library of Greece and the new Greek National Opera. It is the first cultural project of such scale to earn the LEED Platinum Certification in Europe. You are guaranteed to take amazing pictures of the Saronic Gulf and the city of Athens from both its rooftop and stunning gardens. However, this shall not be the only rooftop to sweep you off your feet today!
Lunch will be served at a picturesque tavern offering traditional Greek delicacies.
Next stop is the world-famous Acropolis Museum, built to honor the spirit and former grandeur of the Parthenon. You will spend the evening being guided by our expert Professor through its halls and exhibits, and perhaps you may then share the PanHellenic aspiration to repatriate the Parthenon marbles currently on display at the British Museum. The Museum’s terrace is the perfect venue for our dinner tonight as we promise you that the night view of the Parthenon will be imprinted on you for the rest of your life!
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 7 / TOURING CLASSICAL & ROMAN ATHENS
Tutor: Liantini (Dr)
A busy city, a naval power, the head of arguably the most powerful league of its time, the city of Athens had always seen its commercial, cultural and civic life concentrate around its agorae where traders, politicians, poets and philosophers met, conversed and fiercely disagreed.
We start our day by exploring Keramikos, the clay potters’ quarter of the city, where excavations have given the world some of the finest examples of Athenian vases. We will then continue our walk to the Museum of Keramikos, Thission and the Roman agora, immersing ourselves in the city’s history and vibrant energy.
Traditional Mediterranean lunch will be served at a charming little taverna before we head off to Europe’s prime landmark and UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, the Acropolis.
We will spend the afternoon touring the Acropolis rock with our expert professor and you shall experience the site’s architecture through the ages with the help of Augmented Reality (AR). Goddess Athenas’ statue in the Parthenon may be missing nowadays, but you shall still be able to see it in its grandeur through AR on the iPads we shall provide you with.
Following a 10’ walk, we will visit the western hills where the Assembly of the city of Athens met and exercised their democratic rights. You shall have the privilege to stand at the exact spot where Pericles addressed his fellow Athenians and St. Paul preached Jesus’ word.
Dinner will be taken at a traditional Greek taverna in Plaka where you shall have the opportunity to purchase whatever memorabilia suit your taste, from ancient Greek masks to olive branches, and blue-eyed jewelry to little tsoliades (traditional Greek guards)!
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 8 / THE PELOPONNESE I
Tutor: Despotis (Dr)
Our day holds a beautiful road-trip across Corinth’s canal to Corinth and ancient Kechriae where St. Paul addressed ancient Corinthians and lived for 18 months working as a tent-maker. We will visit the archaeological sites of ancient Corinth, evident of the city’s classical glory that not only rivaled Athenian and Spartan domination, but also gave the world a most beautiful and ornate architectural style.
Lunch shall be enjoyed by the sea before we proceed to ancient Kechriae where we will be spending the second half of the day.
Dinner will be taken in Athens upon our return in the evening.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 9 / THE PELOPONNESE II
Tutor: Despotis (Dr)
We start our day with a short drive to Faliron where we shall board a small boat for a most memorable day cruise of the Saronic Gulf. The cruise shall take us to Epidaurus where an once-in-a-lifetime experience will be awaiting you.
We will enjoy lunch at a fish tavern by the sea before we proceed to visit the archaeological museum of ancient Epidaurus.
Dinner shall be taken at the foot of the ancient theatre before we take our seats at its 2,200-year-old marble stalls for a rare treat - a subtitled authentic ancient Greek drama or comedy, amongst hundreds of fellow spectators gathered from all over the country.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
DAY 10 / DEPARTURE
All good things must come to an end. After 9 days of tracing St. Paul’s steps through his missionary journeys in Greece, it is time to part our ways until the next time we meet again!
Whether you felt his spirit the strongest at Pnyx, where he preached to the ancient Athenians, or while conversing with the monks at the magnificent byzantine monasteries of Meteora, your heart and mind will undoubtedly be filled with new knowledge, stories, images, thoughts, sounds and flavors, and the abundant Greek kallos!
Breakfast
| Course code: | ToG - 006 |
| Subject area: | Bible, St Paul, Classic and Roman Greece, Christian History, Christian Culture, Pilgrims. |
| Credits: | 10 credits/5 ECTS /2 US |
| Credit level: | 10 |
| Contact hours: | 64 |
| Academic eligibility: | 1 year of undergraduate study |
| Language requirements: | IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or equivalent |
| Destinations in Greece: | Kavala (Neapoli), Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessaloniki, Veria, Vergina, Meteora, Delphi, Athens, Corinth, Epidaurus |
| Tuition fee: | POA |
| Course length: | Ten (10) days |
| Course dates: | Flexible |
| Application deadline: | 12 weeks before the course starts |
Description
Quintessential St. Paul traces St. Paul’s footsteps through his missionary journeys in Greece and offers aspiring educators the relevant tools to incorporate outdoor learning into their teaching and curriculum planning.
The purpose of this course is to explore, contact and live the places that gave birth to the ancient Greek civilization and ancient Greek religion, all the while laying the foundations for the spread of Christianity. Several types of places of worship will be thoroughly studied on- and off-site (including but not limited to archaeological sites, monuments, temples, monasteries and churches), thus providing participants with invaluable knowledge and firsthand experience of how ancient history and Christian culture was shaped.
Athens, Thessaloniki, Kavala and Corinth - just to name a few of the modern cities to visited and studied, with their long collection of ancient, early-Christian and byzantine archaeological sites and structures, offer a unique stage to experientially explore how ancient Greeks transitioned to Christianity. Participants will be familiarized with the basic principles of the local architecture, art, culture and religious life that developed through the ages.
The Course takes a multi-disciplinary approach in tracing St. Paul’s footsteps through his missionary journeys in Greece and aims to provide participants with the relevant tools to educate and be educated on the origins of Christian history, culture and religion across the curriculum. Designed to offer both indoor and outdoor learning experiences, the Course aims to provide participants with some understanding of the benefits, processes, and skills related to learning in the outdoors, without, though, training them as outdoor specialists.
Carefully designed experiential learning, teaching in context, and on- and off-site exercises will bring all visited sites and destinations in life before the participants and thus help them better understand, and crucially teach, Greek mythology and Christian Orthodox liturgical life.
Aspects of the course content are driven by the participants’ unfolding curiosity about the history, geography, culture, and religion of the visited and thoroughly studied destinations and sites.
Teaching
- A variety of teaching and learning approaches will be used, including but not limited to lectures, discussion seminars, workshop tasks, and outdoor activities, designed and delivered by the world acclaimed and highly specialized academic faculty of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
- The course will conclude with student-led outdoor teaching sessions.
- Even though the Course is designed to be taught primarily by the Course Organizer, other experts may occasionally contribute to onsite teaching.
- Teaching contact time is scheduled at 64 hours over 10 days comprising but not restricted to practical sessions, lectures, and workshops.
- Participants are expected to complete relevant readings and assignments in their own free study time.
- Participants will spend a considerable amount of time learning, exploring, and teaching indoors and outdoors in both enclosed areas and green-space. Appropriate clothing and footwear is crucial.
- The ways in which theory and policy inform practice is a dominant theme of the course. This is reflected in the teaching and, in particular, the three forms of assessment – all of which are inter-linked.
- The closing teaching session and essay at the end of the Course require participants to refer to available literature on indoor and outdoor learning, as well as national/state education policy documents.
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their teaching assignment, pamphlet and written assignment with their course instructor and peers during formative feedforward tutorials.
Assessment
- Educational pamphlet (30%): Participants shall design and produce a 2-page educational pamphlet on one educational aspect of the Course (1000 words equivalent)
- Outdoor teaching session (30%): In pairs, Participants shall plan, facilitate and evaluate a short outdoor lesson (accompanied by a lesson plan and risk management plan; 1000 words equivalent)
- Essay (40%): Participants will deliver an academic paper outlining the theoretical underpinning of the lesson and a critical reflection on the teaching performance (1500 words).
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their teaching assignment, pamphlet and written assignment with their course instructor and peers during formative feedforward tutorials.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Course, Participants will have acquired:
- An understanding of the broad concepts that underpin curricular outdoor learning,
- Detailed knowledge on the great Classic and Roman monuments of Greece and a good understanding of their architecture,
- A deep understanding of religious tradition in Greece,
- A good understanding of Orthodox Christianity,
- Detailed knowledge and deep understanding of the different architectural styles of the Christian Orthodox churches,
- An appreciation for the liturgical life of Christian Orthodox Church,
- The ability to search for, evaluate and use information to develop their knowledge and understanding,
- An appreciation for new ideas, methods and ways of thinking,
- The ability to take responsibility for their own learning, and a commitment to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement,
- The ability to sustain intellectual interest and be academically curious,
- The ability to effectively use oral, written, and visual means to critique, negotiate, create, and communicate their understanding, and
- The flexibility to transfer their knowledge, learning, skills, and abilities from one context to another.
Fees
The Course Fee is all inclusive and covers tuition costs, entrance fees to all venues, accommodation, full board and all transfers for the entire duration of the Course.
Full information on the Course itinerary, destinations and accommodation options can be found here.
A 20% deposit per Participant is required upon registration and no latter than 12 weeks before the Course starts. The deposit will be reclaimed towards the total Course Fee.
Please note that study in Greece may incur additional costs e.g. visa application fees.
Early bird rates, as well as special rates for academics of valued partner institutions apply (faculty members, researchers, students).
DAY 1 WELCOME
- Thessaloniki
DAY 2 NORTHERN GREECE I
- Thessaloniki
- Amphipolis
- Kavala
- Philippi
DAY 3 NORTHERN GREECE II
- Thessaloniki
- Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
- Museum of Byzantine Culture
- Church of St. Sophia
- Church of St. Demetrios
- Church of St. Georgios (Rotonda)
- Church of Prophet Elias
- White Tower
- Byzantine Castles
- Arch of Galerius (Kamara)
DAY 4 NORTHERN GREECE II
- Thessaloniki
- Veria
- Kalambaka
- Meteora Monasteries
DAY 5 DELPHI
- Kalambaka
- Delphi Archaeological Site
- Delphi Archaeological Museum
- Tholos
- Arachova
- Athens
DAY 6 ATHENS RIVIERA & THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM
- Ancient Faliron Port
- Church of St. George (St. Paul’s arrival point)
- Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center of Athens
- Athens
DAY 7 TOURING CLASSICAL & ROMAN ATHENS
- Athens
- Sacred Rock of the Acropolis
- Areopagus
- Pnyx
- Keramikos
- Keramikos Archaeological Museum
- Thissio
- Roman Agora
DAY 8 THE PELOPONNESE I
- Athens
- Corinth
- Ancient Corinth
- Ancient Kechriae
DAY 9 THE PELOPONNESE II
- Athens
- Cruise of the Saronic Gulf
- Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
- Epidaurus Archaeological Museum
DAY 9 THE PELOPONNESE II (alternative itinerary)
- Corinth
- Nafplion
- Winery & Vineyard
- Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
- Epidaurus Archaeological Museum
DAY 10 DEPARTURE
We can customize your Short Course any way you want to ensure a most memorable Greek adventure!
Do not hesitate to request more information by dropping us a line here.
All Short Courses are taught by our expert NKUA professors in English, however they may be also offered in Greek, German, French, Italian, Russian and Romanian upon request.
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