Ignatian Discernment and Christian Decision Making

UFT Code: 
DS201/301
Unit Credit Points: 
15
Timetabling
Semester: 
Intensive
Lecturer Profile: 
Michael Smith
Location: 
Institute for Christian Spirituality and Pastoral Formation
Years Offered: 
2010
Notes: 

Students should enrol for this unit at the UFT, then contact Campion on 9854 8110 during business hours to book their place. Further charges are payable to Campion for accommodation and / or catering expenses.

7.30-9.30pm August 20, 9am-5pm August 21, 9am-3pm August 22 and 7.30-9.30pm October 8, 9am-5pm October 9, 9am-3pm October 10
 

This seminar is run over two weekends in Semester II and aims to help participants deepen their prayer, develop the capacity for identifying the Spirit of God in their lives, and grow in the ability to discriminate between that Spirit and other ‘spirits’. Based on (i) the rules for discernment of spirits, and (ii) the Election in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, this unit will provide a theoretical framework for personal discernment.
 
A significant proportion of each weekend will be devoted to personal prayer and group reflection as a way of integrating the experiential with the academic.
  
Each student must attend and participate in both weekends. Each student will make an individually directed seven-week retreat in daily life between these two weekends and keep a detailed reflective journal of their prayer experience — this will require that each student pray daily and meet with a director once a week for seven weeks. Applicants from all traditions are welcome.
  

Description
Learning Outcomes: 

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

  1. articulate a detailed theoretical understanding of the Rules for Discernment of Spirits in the Spiritual Exercises [313-336] 
  2. apply the Election in the Spiritual Exercises [169-189] in their lives
  3. demonstrate an appropriated theoretical framework for personal discernment and decision-making.    
Prerequisites: 
Level 2: 15 points each of Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology at Level 1 Level 3: 30 points each of Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology
Assessment: 

Level 2      

  • 1 x 4500 word reflective essay       100%

Level 3

  • 1 x 5000 word reflective essay       100% 
Mode of Teaching: 
Intensive
Bibliography: 
Set Texts
Fleming, D.L. Draw me into your Friendship: The Spiritual Exercises. St Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1996.
 
  • Green, T. H. Weeds among the wheat: discernment: where prayer and action meet. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1990.
  • Ivens, M. Understanding the Spiritual Exercises. Surrey: Inigo Enterprises,1998.
  • Lonsdale, D. Dance to the music of the spirit: the art of discernment. London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1992.
  • Toner, J. J. A commentary on Saint Ignatius' Rules for the Discernment of Spirits. St Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1982.
  • Toner, J. J. Discerning God's will. St Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1991.    

  

Unit Fields
Course: 
Bachelor of Theology
BTheol Field: 
Field D Theology: Mission and Ministry
BTheol Discipline: 
Spirituality
RTI: 
United Faculty of Theology
Department Name: 
Department of Moral and Practical Theology
Unit Level
Undergraduate Level: 
2
Undergraduate Level: 
3
MTS: 
No
Postgraduate: 
No

© United Faculty of Theology, 2008-2010