Christian Spirituality B (DS8004C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit will focus on the literature and experience of Christian Spirituality in the modern period from the Enlightenment of the 16th Century to the present. The emphasis will be on the study of these texts in their theological and cultural settings. The impact and aftermath of Vatican II on the development of Christian Spirituality will be considered. Students will be required to consider how this relates to the living of Christian Spirituality today, and to engage in an experiential process by visiting some expressions in their contemporary context (for example monastic, prayer groups, other Christian denominations).

Examples of texts studied may include: Enlightenment Period: Thomas More, Erasmus, Francis de Sales; Classical Spanish School: Teresa of Avila of John of the Cross; Classical French School: J.P. de Caussade; Modern English Writers: Selected poetry, John Chapman, John Henry Newman and the modern English writers such as Evelyn Underhill, Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis; Modern Writers: Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Teilhard de Chardin, Karl Rahner; Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Aspects of the documents of Vatican II and the development of Christian spirituality to the present.

Unit code: DS8004C

Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Spirituality

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Discuss a representative selection of classical texts from the traditions of Eastern and Western Christianity in the patristic and medieval periods
2.

Discuss the particular areas of Christian spirituality that were developed by some leading authors and texts during this period
3.

Analyse the relationship between the writings and the wider cultural context
4.

Analyse how these writings relate to contemporary expressions of Christian spirituality
5.

Assess ways in which the Christian spiritual tradition and its contemporary expressions can influence the life of the individual
6.

Research a specific topic in a critically rigorous, sustained and self-directed manner

Pedagogy

Lecture, workshops

Indicative Bibliography

  • Avens, C., and R. Zelley. Walking the Path of ChristoSophia: Exploring the Hidden Tradition in Christian Spirituality. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2005.
  • Downey, Michael. Understanding Christian Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1997.
  • Dreyer, Elizabeth, and Mark S. Burrows. Minding the Spirit: The Study of Christian Spirituality. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.
  • Holder, A., ed. Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005.
  • Miller, R.W., ed. Spirituality for the 21st Century: Experiencing God in the Catholic Tradition. Liguori, MO: Liguori, 2006.
  • Perrin, D.B. Studying Christian Spirituality. New York: Routledge, 2007.
  • Sheldrake, P.E. Explorations in Spirituality. New York: Paulist, 2010.
  • Sheldrake, P. Spirituality: A Brief History. Oxford: Blackwell, 2013.
  • Wakefield, G., ed. A Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. London: SCM Press, 1983.
  • Woods, Richard O. P., and Peter Tyler, eds. The Bloomsbury Guide to Christian Spirituality. London: Bloomsbury, 2012.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Text Study – 2000 words

 2000 30.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

Seminar Report

 500 10.0
Essay

Essay – 4000 words

 4000 60.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 22 Sep, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-09-22 17:08:37 +1000