Fall2016SPIR264:MINISTRY,PRAYER,ANDPRACTICE
(Tentative syllabus: subject to change)
Clare Ronzani
[email protected] (510) 504-8441
Office hours: by appointment (please email)
Course Description:
Strong spiritual roots are essential for effective ministry in a fractured world. What
deepens these roots to sustain us in the midst of the challenges of our time? This course
will consider various forms of prayer and spiritual practice with a focus on both personal
and ministerial growth. We will explore the relationship between personality and
spiritual growth, ways of discernment, approaches to prayer, and other practices that
support our growth. Students will be offered the option of developing a personal “rule of
life” to guide their ongoing practice.
Learning Objectives:
This course addresses the following Goals and Objectives of the GPPM Program,
especially for students with a concentration in spirituality:
Goal 2: Students will develop pastoral skills, ministry knowledge, and liturgical
fluencies in at least one key field of study relevant to Christian ministry. (Pastoral
proficiency/Spirituality)
Objective A: Students will demonstrate a depth of practical and theoretical knowledge
in pastoral ministry. (class discussion, reflection papers)
Goal 3: Students will become competent leaders dedicated to serving the Church and to
creating community in parish and other pastoral settings.
Objective B: Students will apply skills from their area of concentration for use in their
faith community. (option for presentation/final paper)
Writing Assistance: It is expected that all written assignments reflect graduate level writing.
Writing assistance is available for students. Please contact The Hub, SCU’s Writing Center,
at www.scu.edu/hub/. Please seek appropriate writing assistance before submitting
assignments. See “Written Work” below for evaluative criteria for written assignments.
Academic Integrity: Santa Clara University is committed to academic honesty and integrity.
Students are expected to do their own work and to cite any sources they use. For academic
integrity policies of SCU, please see the following:
http://www.scu.edu/studentlife/resources/upload/Academic-Integrity-Policy-and- Protocol.pdf
http://www.scu.edu/studentlife/resources/policies.cfm .
Disability Accommodation Policy: To request academic accommodations for a
disability, students must be registered with Disabilities Resources, located in Benson 216.
Students register using DR Online Services at www.scu.edu/disabilities. Students need to
register and provide professional documentation of a disability prior to receiving
academic accommodations. Please read “Required Documentation” on the website
before starting the registration process. Students may contact Disabilities Resources at
408-554-4109 if they have questions.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
I. READINGS
Required:
Thompson, Marjorie J, Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
(newly revised edition, 2014)
Bieber, Nancy L., Decision Making and Spiritual Discernment
Rath, Tom, Strengths Finder 2.0
Reading materials posted on Camino
Recommended:
Guenther, Margaret, At Home in the World: A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us
II.
INFORMED AND ENGAGED CLASS PARTICIPATION
III.
WRITTEN WORK: Written work will be evaluated on quality of content,
organization, clarity of expression, grammatical correctness, and appropriate
citations.
1. Reflection papers: Due dates: Oct. 6, Oct. 27, Nov. 17 (3-4 pages; double
spaced, 12 pt. font; please do not staple). The purpose of these papers is to
articulate and integrate insights from your reading and our class discussion.
Questions for your consideration will be posed in class sessions. Feel free
to incorporate poetry, art, etc., as well as prose, in your reflection papers
(the spiritual practice of creativity!)
2. Final paper (8-10 pages) or project (with accompanying 3-4 page paper; Due
date: December 8. (Topics to be discussed individually and/or in class)
IV.
CLASS PRESENTATION (20 min.) Focus: Explore, research, and engage in
one spiritual practice other than those considered in class. Suggestions will be
offered in class. Presentations to include: 1. Introducing the practice (its
background/history/meaning in the spiritual tradition); 2. Reflecting on your own
experience of this spiritual practice and/or engaging the class in a brief experience
with it; 3. Identifying implications of this practice for ministry in general or for
your ministry in particular.
Grading: 25% attendance/informed & engaged class participation; 25%
reflection papers; 25% presentation; 25% final paper.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
SEPT. 22: CLASS ORIENTATION AND CONTEXT: MINISTRY, PRAYER,
PRACTICE.
INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY TYPOLOGY (MBTI)
Reading: Please prepare the following readings for Sept. 22 class session.
Thompson, Marjorie, Soul Feast, Forewords, Introduction and Chapter 1
Camino:
Rupp, Joyce, “Rediscovering God in the Midst of Our Work”
(Handbook of Spirituality for Ministers, vol. 1, ed. Robert J. Wicks)
Wicks, Robert J., “The Stress of Spiritual Ministry: Practical
Suggestions on Avoiding Unnecessary Distress” (Handbook of
Spirituality for Ministers, vol. 1,ed. Wicks)
SEPT. 29: JUNGIAN PERSONALITY TYPE: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRAYER
AND MINISTRY
Reading – Camino:
Faucett, Robert & Carol Ann, “Typology – Some Background” (Personality
and Spiritual Freedom)
“Typology and Prayer”
Appendix
Pearman, Roger & Albritton, Sarah, “Habits of Mind: Jung and Psychological
Type” (I’m Not Crazy, I’m Just Not You)
“Beyond Patterns and Types: Being True to Ourselves”
Duncan, Bruce, Pray Your Way (selections)
Additional reading tba
OCT. 6: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES: Spiritual Reading. Approaches to Prayer
Reading:
Soul Feast, ch. 2, “Chewing the Bread of the Word: The Nature and Practice of
Spiritual Reading”
ch. 3, “Communication and Communion with God: Approaches to
Prayer”
readings continued on next page
Camino readings (Oct. 6)
Studzinski, Raymond, “Reading and Ministry: Applying Lectio Divina Principles
in a Ministerial Context” (Wicks, Handbook of Spirituality for Ministers, vol. 2)
Ruffing, Janet, “Socially Engaged Contemplation: Living Contemplatively in
Chaotic Times” (Wicks), Handbook of Spirituality for Ministers, vol. 2)
Paintner, Christine Valters & Lucy Wynkoop, “What is Lectio Divina?” (Lectio
Divina)
Merton, Thomas, “About Prayer” (Road to Joy: Letters to New and Old Friends)
Recommended:
Yacoboni, Celeste, ed. How Do You Pray? (Selections)
Reflection paper due
OCT. 13: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES: Communal Worship. Sabbath, Silence,
Solitude. Presence and Awareness.
Reading:
Soul Feast, ch. 4, “Gathered in the Spirit: Our Common Worship”
ch. 5, “Reclaiming Sabbath Time: The Sacred Art of Ceasing”
Camino:
Guenther, Margaret, “Living in Awareness” (At Home in the World)
“The Cultivation of Solitude” (At Home in the World)
Keating, Thomas, “Cultivating the Centering Prayer” (Finding Grace at the
Center)
Merton, Thomas, “Silence and Solitude” (from “Creative Silence,” Love and
Living)
Muller, Wayne, “Inner Music” and “Let It Be” (Sabbath)
Additional reading tba
OCT. 20: SPIRITUAL PRACTICES: Food, Fasting, and Hospitality.
Engaged Spirituality. Nonviolence.
Reading:
Soul Feast, ch. 6, “The Practice of Self-Emptying: Rediscovering the Fast”
ch. 9, “Entertaining Angels Unawares: The Spirit of Hospitality”
Readings continued on next page
Camino: (for Oct. 20)
Donnelly, Doris, “Eating” (Spiritual Fitness)
Nangle, Joseph, “Prayer and Contemplation” (Engaged Spiritualty)
Additional reading tba
Recommended:
Soul Feast, ch. 7, “Of Conscience and Consciousness”
OCT. 27: BUILDING THE TRELLIS: RULE OF LIFE.
Reading:
Soul Feast, ch. 10: “Putting It All Together: Developing a Rule of Life”
Bieber, Nancy, Decision Making and Spiritual Discernment; Introduction and
Part I: Willingness
Camino:
Farrington, Debra, “Balancing Life by the Rule”
Guenther, Margaret, “Building the Trellis” (At Home in the World)
Reflection paper due
NOV. 3: SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. CLASS PRESENTATIONS
Reading:
Bieber, Part II: Attentiveness
Additional reading tba
NOV. 10: DECISION-MAKING & DISCERNMENT. CLASS PRESENTATIONS.
Reading:
Bieber, Part III: Responsiveness
Additional reading tba
NOV. 17: MINISTRY: LIVING OUR STRENGTHS. CLASS PRESENTATIONS
Reading
Rath, Tom, Strengths Finder 2.0 (selections)
Reflection paper due
NOV. 24: THANKSGIVING BREAK (no class session: Happy Thanksgiving!)
DEC. 1: CELEBRATING: PRAYERS, PRACTICES, RULES OF LIFE. CLASS
PRESENTATIONS.
Reading: for final paper/project
DEC. 8: Final paper/project due: please include SASE envelope for return.