Teaching Meditation and Prayer (DS3611C)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit develops the skills to teach meditation and prayer in a variety of contexts. It will consider the spiritual life across the lifespan and meditation methods appropriate for various age groups including children, teenagers and adults. Students will explore various approaches such as scriptural and mantra meditation, mindfulness, breath, symbols, and the place of the body in meditation, with an emphasis on Christian approaches. The focus will be on silent meditation, and establishing places of silence in a contemporary context. Leadership qualities and ethical considerations required for teaching meditation to groups in a variety of settings will also be discussed. Students will engage in the teaching of meditation and prayer at such locations as schools, hospitals, youth groups, parish groups, universities, aged-care facilities, retreat centres and homes.

Unit code: DS3611C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Spirituality

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate the biblical and theological background for meditation and prayer in the Christian tradition in a contemporary context.
2.

Describe and analyze spiritual growth at various stages of life development.
3.

Assess and apply appropriate models of prayer and meditation in various pastoral contexts.
4.

Demonstrate and reflect on the leadership and communication skills required in Christian meditation settings such as schools, parishes, hospitals, and palliative care facilities.
5.

Articulate the fruits of meditation and prayer, and show how meditation is linked to action in these pastoral situations.

Unit sequence

Prerequisite: 36 points in Spirituality (DS) and/or Systematic Theology (CT), or equivalent.

Pedagogy

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

Indicative Bibliography

  • Christie, Ernie. Coming Home: A Guide to Teaching Christian Meditation to Children. Mulgrave: John Garratt, 2007.
  • Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2012.
  • Keating, Thomas. Intimacy with God. New York: Crossroad, 2001.
  • Keating, Thomas. Invitation to Love. New York: Continuum, 1998.
  • Mason, Michael, Andrew Singleton, and Ruth Webber. The Spirit of Generation Y: Young People’s Spirituality in a Changing Australia. Mulgrave: John Garratt, 2007.
  • May, Gerald G. The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2005.
  • Stead, Tim. Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality: Making Space for God. Louisville: John Knox, 2017.
  • Treleaven, David A. Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2018.
  • Vaillant, George. Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2002.
  • Woods, Richard, and Peter Tyler, eds. The Bloomsbury Guide to Christian Spirituality. London: Bloomsbury, 2012.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Report 1500 30.0
Portfolio

Note: a component of the portfolio is engaging in professional practice to which a hurdle task is attached.

 3500 70.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 27 Jun, 2024

Unit record last updated: 2024-06-27 10:57:03 +1000