Courses

What does it mean to be human in the presence of God? What are the goals of the spiritual life? What does spiritual maturation consist of, and how is it fostered? What difference does spiritual temperament make to pilgrimage? Whereas Christian theology and education typically focus on the relationship between “knowing” and “doing,” spirituality concerns ways of “being.” Not reducible either to intellect or to agency, spirituality speaks of our identity in the presence of God, as a precondition that provides the context for Christian understanding and ministry alike. Accordingly, this course will discuss models of Christian identity and explore ways in which spirituality shapes our thinking, ministry, and mission in relation to the life of the church.

Knowing

• To understand the nature of Christian spirituality in its various expressions
• To gain a basic understanding of different forms and models of Christian spirituality
• To define the goals of Christian discipleship

Being

• To identify, appropriate, and validate a model of personal spiritual identity
• To reflect in personal terms on ministry rôles as expressions of Christian identity

Doing

• To practise (and assess) various forms of spiritual discipline
• To formulate approaches to discipleship and ministry that take spiritual identity into consideration
• To design and assess programmes of personal and/or congregational spiritual formation