CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY
AND THE PRAYER OF THE HEART—
AN ADVANCED COURSE IN PRAYER
PM790AP
Spring 2009
Professor: Dr. Chris Erdman, O.S.B. Cam. Obl.
Location: University Presbyterian Church
COURSE DESCRIPTION
At the center of human life is the longing of the heart for God. But in these days of turbulence and distraction, so many other things too often overwhelm this deep, inner longing. The busyness of life, even for those in active ministry, can bully the life of prayer out of us. This course seeks to provide resources and establish time-tested practices for a sustainable life of prayer in the midst of a busy life. The course surveys the fountainhead of New Testament spirituality as it flows through the early church and beyond into the experience and practice of the “prayer of the heart,” “interior prayer,” or “contemplative prayer.” The contemplative stream, as one form of Christian spirituality among many, provides students with historic resources and practices for a durable spirituality; it sustains a vibrant active life, nourished by the eternal spring which is unceasing, interior prayer.
Note: This is an advanced course, and expects the learner to develop toward a habit of daily private prayer (from a minimum of 15 minutes/day beginning the first week to 60 minutes/day by week 9, and which is included as a homework assignment. This, of course, is for students taking the course for credit; audit students may set their own goals), and includes in-class prayer practices. It may build on a disciple’s existing prayer practice or it might require a total renovation. This course should not to be taken without genuine openness to a bold new invitation from the Holy Spirit to enter deeply into a life of prayer.
(Note:in the above the emphasis is in the original, change in text color - red - is mine. -BK)Some of the Assignments:
Speaking of Faith Podcasts. For enrichment only. These exception world-class interviews are excellent to download and listen to while exercising or commuting. I highly recommend them. They will expose you to discoveries, values, and experiences from a wide array of disciplines and religious traditions that enrich your understanding of the practice of prayer.
- Speaking of Faith podcast: “The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi” with Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz. http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/rumi/ (Note:Rumi is a Sufi Hindu)
- Speaking of Faith podcast: “Obedience and Action” with Sister Joan Chittister. http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/obedienceandaction/index.shtml (Note: Joan Chittister is a Benedictine nun and the founder and current executive director of Benetvision, a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality)
- Speaking of Faith podcast: “Quarks and Creation” with the Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne Phd. http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/quarks/index.shtml (Note: "quarks" is a term used in quantum physics and quantum spirituality)
- Speaking of Faith podcast: “The Inner Landscape of Beauty” with Irish poet John O’Donahue http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/john_odonahue/ (Note: "John O'Donohue was an Irish poet and philosopher beloved for his book Anam Cara — Gaelic for "soul friend" — and for his insistence on beauty as a human calling and a defining aspect of God. Before his untimely death this year, he spoke with Krista in our studios. And so this hour has become a remembrance of him. But John O'Donohue had a very Celtic, lifelong fascination with what he called "the invisible world." And he would also surely see this also as a serendipitous continuation of his life's work — of bringing ancient Celtic wisdom to modern confusions and longings." 1.)
- Speaking of Faith podcast: “Brother Thay” with Thich Nhat Hanh http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/thichnhathanh/index.shtml (Note: Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Bhuddist monk and Zen Master)
- Speaking of Faith podcast: “Listening Generously” with Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen M.D. http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/listeninggenerously/index.shtml (Note:Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the earliest pioneers in the mind/body holistic health movement and the first to recognize the role of the spirit in health and the recovery from illness. She is Co-Founder and Medical Director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program featured in the Bill Moyers PBS series, Healing and the Mind and has cared for people with cancer and their families for almost 30 years. She is also a nationally recognized medical reformer and educator who sees the practice of medicine as a spiritual path. 2.)
Books form the backbone of our reflection. You are expected to change the way you read for this course. You are to read spiritually, that is, for the sake of prayer and encounter with God, and with an eye of enriching your practice not merely to master the field. Most of these books are available used through amazon.com at reduced prices. You can buy these books for as little as $45 total, including shipping.
1. Streams of Living Water, Richard Foster, (408 pages). ISBN-10: 0060628227, $5 used.2. Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way, Matthew the Poor, (292 pages), ISBN-10: 0881412503, $9 used.
3. Course Reader in Christian Spirituality. A packet of photocopied articles; available first day of class. $10 paid to MBBS.
(The notes in the section above, regarding the "Speaking of Faith" podcasts, with bold emphasis are mine except those with a footnote, which come from an outside source. See the footnotes at the bottom of this blog posting for the sources. -BK)
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From: http://www.mbseminary.edu/fresno/courses/syllabus/13240264
THE ANGLICAN WAY OF THEOLOGY
TE-680
The Rev. Karl E. Dietze
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is intended to be a survey of the major convictions and concerns of Anglican theology from the Reformation to the present. This course will include readings from theologians in the Evangelical, Anglo-Catholic, Holiness and Liberal traditions, and will also include a discussion of Anglican identity today.
During the Sessions:This course will require a good deal of selected reading on the part of the student, but that reading will enable the student to plug in to this survey of the theological and spiritual streams that make up Anglicanism. Lectures will involve some class participation and Prayer Book worship.
COURSE OBJECTIVESIdentify leading Anglican thinkers, schools of thought and traditions. Gain an understanding and appreciation for the rich theological and spiritual heritage of Anglicanism. Develop the ability to engage in theological analysis and application.
(Note: emphasis mine -BK)###############################################################
OTHER COURSES OF NOTE AT MBBS (TEACHING THE MIXTURE OF SPIRITUALITY, PSYCHOLOGY AND SEXUALITY, A SYNTHESIS OF HUMANISM AND THE GOSPEL)
From: http://www.mbseminary.edu/fresno/courses/syllabus/13234935
THEOLOGY FOR INTEGRATION
IS/TS-670 (3 Units)
Spring 2009
Professor: Mark D. Baker, Ph.D.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A survey of Old Testament Theology, New Testament Theology and Systematic Theology to provide the theological basis for the integration of psychology, counseling and theology.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- To be able to describe and evaluate four approaches to integration of Christian theology and psychology
COURSE TEXTS
Alter, Margaret. Resurrection Psychology. Wipf & Stock, 2004 or Loyola, 1994.
Hays, Richard. The Moral Vision of the New Testament. Harper, 1996.
Kraus, C. Norman. God Our Savior. Herald Press, 1991.
Longenecker, Bruce W. The Lost Letters of Pergamum. Baker Academic, 2003.
Martens, Elmer. God’s Design: A Focus on OT Theology, 3rd
Stevenson, Eck & Hill. Psychology & Christianity Integration: Seminal Works that Shaped the Movement, CAPS, 2007 ed.. Bibal Press, 1998.
Young, William. The Shack. Windblown Media, 2007.
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From: http://www.mbseminary.edu/fresno/courses/syllabus/13235147
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
SPRING 2009
COURSE: MF 620 INSTRUCTOR: CYNTHIA MCGRADY, PH.D.
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From: http://www.mbseminary.edu/fresno/courses/syllabus/13441160
HUMAN SEXUALITY
MF - 610
Jan 28 to May 13, 2010, Thursdays 6:00-9:00 p.m. Delores Friesen, Ph.D.
There are many ethical and counseling issues in the area of human sexuality, for example: premarital sex, infertility, desire disorders, church discipline for "sexual sins", surrogate mothering, abortion, genetic engineering, gay rights, pornography, sterilization of mentally disabled persons. Choose an issue where you need to develop counseling skills or clarify your own thinking and convictions. Plan some kind of project that will get you in touch with the real life dilemmas behind this issue, e.g. visit the crisis pregnancy center, New Creation, AIDS Center, Rape Counseling Center; or talk with a person who does sexual counseling, prepare and present a Sunday School or youth group session on the issue, survey and critique books, resources, research, current debate, etc. Briefly describe what you did in your project to acquaint yourself with the various facets of the issue then write your position statement. It would be good to also briefly describe alternate positions.
(Note: one of the options for a required paper is a Project/Positional Paper in which Delores Friesen lists 'church discipline for "sexual sins"' as one of the ethical and counseling issues. I'm just a little curious as for the reason she places "sexual sins" in quotation marks, since it almost seems to indicate that sexual problems can't be sinful in nature, that sexual sin is a concept made up by man rather than God. Please do not get the wrong reason for my inclusion of this course on this blog posting. I am not a prude by any means; however, the Bible has all we need to really know about sexual conduct contained within its pages, and sex apart from marriage is always listed as sin, and the sexual act within marriage is pure if practiced according to biblical principles. Why do we need to psychologize sexuality? -BK)
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FOR FURTHER READING ON THE HUMANISTIC PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS INTEGRATION WITH THEOLOGY, go to:
PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries
For the link to the ebook Psychoheresy: The Psychological Seduction of Christianity, click HERE.
Some quotes from the book from page 39:
Unscientific, unsubstantiated, unproven psychological opinions of men have now been leavened into the church through the semantic sorcery of “All truth is God’s truth.” The equating of psychology and theology reveals that the leaven has now come to full loaf.From page 40:
The terms used for the hoped for hybridizing of the psychological way and the biblical way are integration or amalgamation. The goal is to integrate or amalgamate the truth of Scripture with the so called truth of psychology to produce a hybrid that is superior to the truth of each. However, there is an assumption that psychological “truth” is scientific truth. The faulty foundation of this amalgamation is ‘All truth is God’s truth.” This slogan seems to be the alpha and omega of the amalgamationists.
They talk about it but cannot demonstrate the connection between “all truth is God’s truth” and so-called psychological truth. The lack of uniformity in psychological theories and practices among those who preach integration should prove that theological-psychological amalgamania is in a sad state of confusion.
The use of psychotherapy in Christianity is not a testimony to science. It is a testimony to how much the church can be deceived.
2. http://www.rachelremen.com/about.html
