Sessions will be facilitated by Barry Rabe and Eric Stull.

“Knowledge forbidden?

Suspicious, reasonless.

Why should their Lord

Envy them that?

Can it be a sin to know?

Can it be death?”

The Agora Foundation is pleased to add to its 2024 online intensives - Paradise Lost by John Milton. This is the first time Agora has offered this reading, one book at a time, instead of discussing the entire text over one weekend, which was barley more than an introduction.

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First published in 1667, John Milton wrote Paradise Lost at the age of nearly 60, composed entirely though dictation due to his blindness. The book is a masterpiece and considered one of the greatest English poems of all time. The text concerns the biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

The wide arc of the angelic war is contrasted with the domestic epic of first humanity. When Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden, the angel Michael says that Adam may find "a paradise within thee, happier far". Adam and Eve now have a more distant relationship with God, who is omnipresent but invisible, unlike the tangible Father in the Garden of Eden. The wisdom, efficacy, and mystery of God’s plan also provides an energetic backdrop to the action and character dialogue throughout.

These complex and sometimes ambiguous themes have been the subject of analysis since the poem’s unveiling, and the characters of Satan, humanity, and God are unfolding sources of fascination throughout the piece. We invite you to join us as we explore this foundations text, one book at at time, over twelve weekly online seminars. No previous knowledge or seminar experience is required.