THE GEORGETOWN CLUB OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, ST. IGNATIUS INSTITUTE WOULD LIKE YOU TO JOIN US FOR A RECEPTION WITH SPECIAL GUEST FATHER G. RONALD MURPHY, S.J.
PROFESSOR OF GERMAN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY GEMSTONE OF PARADISE THE HOLY GRAIL IN WOLFRAM’S PARZIVAL
PROFESSOR OF GERMAN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY GEMSTONE OF PARADISE THE HOLY GRAIL IN WOLFRAM’S PARZIVAL
Monday, October 16, 2006
5:30pm – 7:00pm
University of San Francisco • Fromm Hall, Xavier Chapel, Room 120
2130 Fulton St. San Francisco, California
5:30pm – 7:00pm
University of San Francisco • Fromm Hall, Xavier Chapel, Room 120
2130 Fulton St. San Francisco, California
The phenomenal success of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code has given new life to the
perennial debate about the nature and meaning of the Holy Grail.The story of the Grail,
usually identified as some kind of mystical vessel, has gripped the imaginations of millions
since it first appeared in several medieval romances. Of these,Wolfram von Eschenbach’s
Parzival (c.1200) is generally recognized as the most complex and beautiful. Strangely, in
Parzival, the Grail is identified as a stone rather than a cup or dish.This oddity is usually seen
as just another mystery, further evidence of the difficulty of discerning the true sources of the
Grail legend. In this groundbreaking study, Ronald Murphy seeks to dispel this mystery and
to enable a far better appreciation of Wolfram’s purposes.Wolfram, Murphy argues, wanted to
chastise his contemporaries who looked for the Grail in the possession of Muslims in the
Holy Land. This is Georgetown teaching at its best—stellar scholarship combined with
warm humanism. In the past Fr. Murphy has spoken about the Brothers Grimm,The History
of the Christmas Tree, Ritual and Realization and the role of the Christ as Warlord in
medieval Saxon Literature.
Fr. Murphy will be available to sign books after the presentation.
Please RSVP by October 6
to Jennifer Niedermeyer at jniedermeyer@gmail.com or (415) 351-1848
The Club would like to thank University of San Francisco for hosting us.
Space is limited. For more information about Father Muprhy’s work, please visit www.gronaldmurphy.com
Space is limited. For more information about Father Muprhy’s work, please visit www.gronaldmurphy.com
