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DESCRIPTION:
This course will trace the history of Christian spiritual traditions from their precursors in Judaism and ancient Mediterranean spirituality to the present time. Particular emphasis will be laid on different definitions and methods of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. The rich ethnic and cultural diversity of Christian spiritual theology will be highlighted through study of primary sources from the Jewish, Roman, Greek, Celtic, Anglo-European, Slavic, Middle-Eastern (Syriac), and Egyptian (Coptic) traditions. During each class the development of specific traditions of Christian prayer, meditation, and contemplation will be studied and discussed in light of assigned readings from primary sources.
GOALS:
The student will be able to identify important persons, events, and schools of thought that influenced the development of Christian spiritual theology. The student will learn to make use of primary and secondary sources available in both printed and electronic formats, and will become familiar with appropriate reference works in Christian spirituality.
COURSE FORMAT and EVALUATION:
1. This course will combine lecture and class discussion. In order to maximize the effectiveness of lectures in our culturally diverse student population, representing a wide range of different linguistic experience and ability, all audio-visual materials presented in lectures will be available through the course website or on CD-ROM in the library. The weekly discussion will be based on assigned readings from primary sources. Brief, introductory selections will be found in the assigned text; longer texts for discussion should be downloaded from the course website and read in advance. Active participation in discussions is essential, and will figure into the final evaluation.
2. The midterm and final examinations will take the form of a set of “take-home” essay questions. Students are expected to turn in their essays at the beginning of class the following week: these must be typed and double-spaced.
3. Late work will be accepted for a grade only if the professor grants an extension. Out of fairness to those who submit their work on time, late work will normally be graded down by one-half letter grade for each day it is late.
4. Students must clearly distinguish between: (a) their own work; and (b) ideas or text they have taken from other sources, including the Internet, published texts or audio-visual materials. Failure to give credit to cited sources constitutes plagiarism and will result in a grade of “F” for both the material presented and the course. Please note that “Wikipedia” is not a reliable source for historical study and should not be cited in exams.
5. The final course grade will be computed as follows:
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Class participation |
20 % |
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Midterm Examination |
40 % |
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Final Examination |
40 % |
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Ways of Imperfection, by Simon Tugwell (Templegate, 1985) ISBN: 0872431649
2. Aumann, Jordan, Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition (Sheed & Ward, Ignatius Press, 1986). ISBN: 0722019173.
SPIRITUALITY PRIMARY SOURCES:
Brief introductory selections will be found in the assigned texts. Optional (but strongly-encouraged) longer selections will be assigned at least one week in advance, and will be available on the course website. They should be reviewed before the class at which they will be discussed.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
Bouyer, Louis, ed., A History of Christian Spirituality, 3 vol. (Seabury, 1977),
Cross, F. L., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, (Oxford University Press).
Downey, Michael (ed.), The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, (Liturgical Press, 1993).
Evennett, H. Outram, The Spirit of the Counter-Reformation (Cambridge University Press, 1968).
Louth, Andrew The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition from Plato to Pseudo-Dionysius, (Oxford University Press).
McGinn, Bernard, Christian Spirituality: Origins to the Twelfth Century (World Spirituality, No 16) (Crossroad, 1987); ISBN: 0824508475.
–– Christian Spirituality : High Middle Ages and Reformation (World Spirituality, No 17) (Crossroad, 1988) ISBN: 0824507657.
–– The Foundations of Mysticism, The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism, vol 1, (SCM Press, 1992). ISBN: 0824514041
–– The Growth of Mysticism The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism, vol 2, (Crossroad/Herder & Herder, 1994) ISBN: 0824514505
–– The Flowering of Mysticism: Men and Women in the New Mysticism (1200-1350), The Presence of God, vol 3, (Crossroad/Herder & Herder. 2001) ISBN: 0824517431
The Church Fathers in Translation: Fathers of the Church (Catholic Univ. of America Press);
McGrath, Alister E., Christian Spirituality (Blackwell, 1999).
Quasten, Johannes, Patrology ,4 vol., (Christian Classics, Inc., 1988).
Sheldrake, Philip A Brief History of Spirituality, (Blackwell Publishing, 2007) ISBN: 978-1-4051-1771-5
Tyson, John R. Invitation to Christian Spirituality, An Ecumenical Anthology, ed. by (Oxford U. Pr., June 1999) ISBN: 0195106377
Ancient Christian Writers (Paulist Press); Ante‑Nicene, Nicene, and Post‑Nicene Fathers (Eerdmans: download from Christian Classics Ethereal Library at http://www.ccel.org)
COURSE OUTLINE and READINGS:
Classes will meet Thursdays from 2:00 to 3:50 pm in Classroom 2.
1. Apophatic and Kataphatic Theology: The Spirituality of the New Testament
The Transfiguration of the Lord; the Descent into hell; St. Paul as Visionary and Mystic. READINGS: Aumann ch. 1.
2. Jewish and Ancient Mediterranean Spirituality
3. Prayer and Mystical Vision in the Persecuted Church
Ignatius of Antioch; The Didache; Irenaeus; Polycarp of Smyrna; The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicity; Tertullian; Cyprian. READINGS: Tugwell 1-12; Aumann ch. 2.
4. Christian Neo-Platonism and the Beginnings of Mystical Theology
Plotinus; Clement of Alexandria; Origen.
5. Trinitarian and Christological Controversies: the Meaning of “Theosis”
Athanasius; Macrina; Basil, Gregory Nazianzen; Gregory of Nyssa.
6. Early Monastic Spirituality
Antony; Pachomius; Evagrius; The Sayings (Apophthegmata) and Lives of the Desert Fathers; Sulpicius Severus; Martin; (Pseudo-)Macarius; John Cassian; Benedict. READINGS:, Tugwell 13-36; Aumann, ch. 3
7. Syrian Christianity
Aphraates of Persia; Ephrem the deacon; Isaac of Ninevah. Readings: Tugwell 47-58.
8. Excursus: Getting Out of Hell – the Apokatastasis
Origen; Gregory of Nyssa; Evagrius; Isaac of Ninevah; Justinian.
9. The Latin Mystical Tradition
Ambrose; Jerome, Augustine; Gregory the Great. READINGS: Tugwell 37-46, 59-92; Aumann ch. 4.
10. Liturgical Mysticism and Apophatic Theology
Cyril of Jerusalem; Eucherius of Lyons; Dionysius the Areopagite; Maximus Confessor; Suger of St. Denis; Books of Hours; The Golden Legend (on the Mass).
11. Byzantine Spirituality: Hesychasm and Icons
Diadochus of Photike; John Damascene; John Climacus; Barsanuphius and John of Gaza; Symeon the New Theologian; Gregory of Sinai; Gregory Pallamas.
12. Celtic Spirituality
Patrick; Columbanus; the Irish Penitentials. READINGS: (classnotes/website).
13. Monastic Reform Movements
Anselm; Benedict of Aniane; Smaragdus; Amalarius of Metz; Bruno; Romuald; Peter Damian; Bernard of Clairvaux. READINGS: Aumann ch. 4.
14. Medieval Monastic Spirituality
Aelred; Peter the Venerable; Hildegard; Gertrude; Mechtild. READINGS: Tugwell 93-124; Aumann ch. 5.
15. The Spirituality of the New Orders
Norbert; Francis; Clare; Bonaventure, Dominic; Thomas Aquinas; Catherine of Sienna; Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart. READINGS: Tugwell 125-151; Aumann, ch. 6.
16. Late Medieval Spirituality: The Devotio Moderna and the Brethren of the Common Life
Thomas a’ Kempis; Florence Radewijns; Gerhard Groote; Ludolph of Saxony; Catherine of Genoa. READINGS: Tugwell 152-207; Aumann ch. 7
17. Christian Humanism and the Philosophia Christi
Erasmus of Rotterdam; John Colet; Thomas More.
18. Spirituality of the Protestant Reformers
Martin Luther; Jean Calvin; Ulrich Zwingli; Thomas Cranmer.
19. Spirituality of the Catholic and Counter Reformations and the Reorientation of Religious Life
Ignatius Loyola; Teresa of Avila; John of the Cross; Augustine Baker. READINGS: Aumann, ch. 8
20. Early-Modern Spirituality
George Herbert; Francis De Sales; Jean-Pierre de Coussade, Blaise Pascal; John and Charles Wesley; Jonathan Edwards;. READINGS: Tugwell, 208-232; Aumann, ch. 9.
21. Refoundation and Romantic Renewal
Gueranger; Placid and Maurus Wolter; John Henry Newman; Soren Kierkegaard; Therese of Lisieux. READINGS: Tugwell, 208-232; Aumann ch. 10.
22. Contemporary Spirituality
Evelyn Underhill; Columba Marmion; Edith Stein; C.S. Lewis; Vatican II; Mother Teresa; Pope John Paul II.