Spirituality and Wisdom in Practice (DP2305C)

Content

This practice-based unit seeks to integrate spirituality into daily life, work, and ministry. It will focus on the notion of ‘wisdom’ and the contribution of Christian wisdom in a context of increasing interest and need for wisdom today. Wisdom will be approached as a way of ‘participatory knowing’ and intrinsically connected to human wholeness. The unit will firstly establish a spirituality of wisdom. It will then propose a ‘wisdom framework’ for practical application with four dimensions: compassion, contemplation, creativity, and communion. Through a process of ‘theological reflection’ students will engage with the framework in an area of life/work of their choosing. Particular attention will be given to ‘caring for the carer’ in a range of contexts. The unit is for anyone who would like to explore a deeper living of spirituality in life and leadership.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Prerequisite: 1 DS, DP or DR unit or equivalent

Pedagogy

Learners will engage in intensive mode with lectures, workshops, facilitated peer discussion, electronic resources and practical experience.

Indicative Bibliography

• Barnhart, Bruno. The Future of Wisdom: Toward a Rebirth of Sapiential Christianity. New York: Continuum, 2007.
• Dunn, James. "Jesus: Teacher of Wisdom or Wisdom Incarnate?" In Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? Wisdom in the Bible, the Church and the Contemporary World. Edited by Stephen C. Barton, 75–92. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1999.
• Frohlich, Mary. "Spiritual Discipline, Discipline of Spirituality: Revisiting Questions of Definition and Method." In Minding the Spirit: The Study of Christian Spirituality. Edited by Elizabeth Dreyer and Mark S. Burrows, 65–78. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.
• Holder, Arthur G., ed. The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality. Maldon: Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
• Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. New York: Continuum, 1998.
• Keator, Mary. Lectio Divina as Contemplative Pedagogy: Re-appropriating Monastic Practice for the Humanities. New York: Routledge, 2017.
• Perrin, David Brian. Studying Christian Spirituality. New York: Routledge, 2007.
• Sternberg, Robert J., and Jennifer Jordan, eds. A Handbook of Wisdom: Psychological Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2005.
• Thompson, Judith, Stephen Pattison, and Ross Thompson. Theological Reflection. 2^nd ed. London: SCM Press, 2019.
• Woods, Richard and Peter Tyler, eds. The Bloomsbury Guide to Christian Spirituality. London: Bloomsbury, 2012.

Assessment