Content

This unit explores the institutionalised charisms of religious orders. These are a ‘gift’ to the wider church and students will explore the origin, history, expression and content of such charisms. The spirituality associated with these charisms and its contemporary expressions will be emphasised in the course.

Unit code: DS9321Y

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Spirituality

Delivery Mode: Blended

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

Enumerate and assess the principal elements of a given religious charism

2.

Explain the interplay of history, theology and spirituality in a given religious charism and its development

3.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the charism’s expression in given time periods

4.

Articulate and justify the presentation of a given religious charism in an appropriate form for contemporary society

5.

Integrate aspects of the charism with the broader mission of the post-conciliar church

Unit sequence

18 points of DS

Pedagogy

One charismatic tradition will be the focus of the unit each semester to permit concerted attention to the breadth of the sources and expressions of that tradition. This unit prompts students to explore these many expressions of ‘charism’ and to evaluate their fidelity, effectiveness and worth in contemporary religion.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Badcock, Gary. The Way of Life: A Theology of Christian Vocation. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998.
  • Coombs, Marie, and Francis Nemeck, Called by God: A Theology of Vocation and Lifelong Commitment. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992
  • Donnelly, Doris. Retrieving Charisms for the Twenty-First Century. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999.
  • Hahnenberg, Edward. *Awakening Vocation: A Theology of Christian Cal*l. Collegeville, IN: Liturgical Press, 2010
  • Hereford, Amy. Religious Life at the Crossroads. Maryknoll, NT: Orbs, 2013
  • Jamison, Christopher (ed.). The Disciple’s Call. London: Bloomsbury, 2013.
  • Merkel, Judith. Beyond our Light and Shadow: Charism and Institution in the Church. London: T&T Clark, 2016
  • Nemeck, Francis, and Marie Coombs. Discerning Vocation to Marriage, Celibacy and Singlehood. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1994
  • Tillard, Jean-Marie-Roger. There are Charisms and Charisms. Brussels: Lumen Vitae, 1977

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Essay (2000 words)

2000 35.0
Essay

Essay (1500 words)

1500 25.0
Multi-media project

Multi-media project (equivalent to 2500 words)

2500 40.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 27 Jun, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-27 15:08:54 +1000