Supervised Reading Unit: Mission and Ministry (DA9424M)

Viet Huong Vu (Joseph)

1. Ministry Journal (3,000 words) Keep a personal Journal and critically reflect on your ministry as a Deacon.
   
2. Essay (5,000 words) “Major seminaries are needed for priestly formation. Their entire formation program should aim at enabling students to be formed as true pastors of souls, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, teacher, priest and shepherd” (Optatam Totius n.4). With reference to this statement, critically assess how your own theological studies have prepared you for priestly ministry. What are the main challenges you will face in becoming an effective pastor in Vietnam/Australia?

The Journal exercise will provide me with the opportunity to reflect critically on my ministry praxis. This honest reflection on my service as a Deacon will be the foundation for future planning, assisting me to confirm “best practice” and recognise when and how to do things differently.

The Essay explores the relevance of the theological studies required for priestly ordination, exploring the links between my theoretical studies and the practical workplace and ministry scenarios I will encounter in priestly ministry. What connections are there between methodologies and concepts in areas such as philosophy, systematic theology, biblical studies, moral theology, church history and pastoral studies and the exercise of priestly ministry in the Church?

The key focus is the link between theory and practice, between theology studies and practical Christian mission and ministry. The Document from the Second Vatican Council, Optatam Totius, Decree on the Training of Priests, will be a valuable frame for this discussion, confirming some experiences and calling for renewal in other areas.

Upon successful completion of this unit, I expect to be able to:

1. Engage in honest and informed theological reflection on issues arising from my ministry as a Deacon.

2. Identify my strengths and weaknesses in ministry, and outline how I can offer more effective service to others.

3. Demonstrate an informed, critical perspective on the Vatican II document, Optatam Totius, Decree on the Training of Priests.

4. Integrate and critically assess links between my theological studies and my preparation for priestly ministry.

5. Identify challenges to be faced in the exercise of priestly ministry in my home country and illustrate strategies to address them.

6. Plan and produce a major essay demonstrating advanced levels of academic practice, integrative insight and pastoral application.

Nadja Slovak

Still Life/ Creation in motion: • An investigation of the purposes, processes and consequences of still life art; from the prosaic to the profound. • The artwork central to my inquiry is Margaret Preston / Australia 1875—1963 / Aboriginal still life 1940 / Oil on canvas • The text central to my inquiry is Pope Francis. 2015. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home [Encyclical]. 21 Sept 2015 • How does still life speak to us of God’s Creation? • In my essay I intend to examine still life art through the lens of visual criticism and exegetical analysis within the context of Catholic Theology • I first saw the original of the subject artwork as a black and white image in an original 1941 catalogue. The original Aboriginal still life 1940 is held at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. My experience of the work will be mediated by the print technology of 1943 and the digital technology in current use.

I will limit my inquiry to examining only the one work by Margaret Preston and only those other artworks that are Australian, contemporaneous and belong to the same genre.

Upon successful completion of this unit, I expect to be able to:

1. Demonstrate advanced skills in visual criticism and exegetical analysis as applied to a particular work of art belonging to the genre: still life
2. Use primary and secondary resources (print, electronic) accurately and in keeping with academic practice.
3. Communicate a sophisticated and critical understanding and awareness of the inherent complexities and inter-relationships in and between the artwork and Catholic Theology: terminology, concepts, art theories, frameworks, systems and practices.
4. Demonstrate a contemporary theological understanding of Creation and explain its connections to still-life: showing how still life, from its inspiration through to its apprehension, can potentially be a catalyst for change.
5. Develop a bibliography that reflects the focus and extent of my research.