February26–March2,2018Intensive
INTRODUCTIONTOCREATIONSPIRITUALITY
FulfillstherequirementforCORECLASS:INTRODUCTIONTOCREATIONSPIRITUALITY
INSTRUCTORS:JeannineGoode-Allen,DMinandDavidSharp,DMin
CONTACT:
COURSEDESCRIPTION:ThiscoursewillteachstudentsthefourpathsofCreationSpiritualityaswellasprinciplesassociatedwithCreationSpirituality.Specialemphasiswillbeplacedontheprinciplesofpanentheism,deepecumenismandecologicaljustice.Afterthisintroductionstudentswillthenlookatthelivesandworksofthefollowingmystics,artistsandprophetsthroughthelensofCreationSpirituality:JoseHobday,JoannaMacy,M.C.Richards,TheDalaiLamaandDesmondTutu.ThiscoursewillconcludewiththestudentsinvestigatingtheirownlivesthroughthelensofCreationSpirituality.
LEARNINGGOALS:ThefirstgoalinthisclassisforstudentstogainanunderstandingofCreationSpiritualityaspresentedinMatthewFox’sbookOriginalBlessing.UsingtheworkofJoseHobday,JoannaMacy,M.C.Richards,TheDalaiLamaandDesmondTutuasinspiration,thesecondgoalisforstudentstodemonstratetheapplicationofCreationSpiritualityintheirownlives.
DAILYSCHEDULEDAY1:VIAPOSITIVA-WewillexplorethethemesoftheViaPositivaoutlinedinOriginalBlessing.ThenwewillinvestigatethelivesandworkoftheauthorsofourrequiredreadingsthroughthelensoftheViaPositiva.WewillbeshowingfilmandphotographsofJoseHobday’slifeandwork. DAY2:VIANEGATIVA–WewillexplorethethemesoftheViaNegativaoutlinedinOriginalBlessing.ThenwewillinvestigatethelivesandworkoftheauthorsofourrequiredreadingsthroughthelensoftheViaNegativa.WewillbeshowingfilmandphotographsofJoannaMacy’slifeandwork. DAY3:VIACREATIVA–WewillexplorethethemesoftheViaCreativaoutlinedinOriginalBlessing.ThenwewillinvestigatethelivesandworkoftheauthorsofourrequiredreadingsthroughthelensoftheViaCreativa.WewillbeshowingfilmandphotographsofMCRichard’slifeandwork. DAY4:VIATRANSFORMATIVA–WewillexplorethethemesoftheViaTransformativaoutlinedinOriginalBlessing.ThenwewillinvestigatethelivesandworkoftheauthorsofourrequiredreadingsthroughthelensoftheViaTransformativa.WewillbeshowingfilmandphotographsofDesmondTutuandtheDalaiLlama’slifeandwork. DAY5:SYNTHESIS–InsmallgroupswewillaskthestudentstoinvestigatetheirlivesthroughthelensofCreationSpirituality.Someofthequestionswewillaskthesmallgroupstodiscusswillinclude:WheredoyouseeCreationSpiritualityflowinginyourlife?WheredoseechallengestoimplementtheCSprinciplesinyourlife?
Canthegroupcomeupwithwaystoworkthroughthechallenges?Wewillthenreportbackasalargegroup,synthesizingthediscussionsofthesmallgroupsandcreatingaGroupCreationSpiritualityManifesto.OurgrandfinalewillbeagrouprecitationofourManifesto.
REQUIREDREADINGS:- Fox,Matthew.OriginalBlessing.NewYork:JeremyP. Tarcher/Putnam,2000.- Hobday,Jose.StoriesofAweandAbundance.NewYork:Continuum PublishingCompany,1995.- Richards,MaryCaroline.Centering:InPottery,PoetryandthePerson. Hanover,N.H.:WesleyanUniversityPress,1989.- Macy,JoannaandMollyBrown.ComingBacktoLife.Canada:New SocietyPublishers,2014.- Llama,DalaiandDesmondTutu.TheBookofJoy.NewYork:Avery, 2016. RECOMMENDEDREADINGS:- Fox,Matthew.SinsoftheSpirit,BlessingsoftheFlesh.NewYork: HarmonyBooks,1999.- Berry,Thomas.TheGreatWork:OurWayIntotheFuture.NewYork: BellTowerPress,1999.- Fox,Matthew.ChristianMystics.Novato:NewWorldLibrary,2011.PRE-PAPER:Writea5-10pagepaperansweringthequestion,“Whichoftherequiredbooks(notincludingOriginalBlessing)speakstoyouthemost,andwhy?”DescribehowyouseeCreationSpirituality,outlinedinOriginalBlessing,apparentinthebookyouchoose.POST-PAPER:MastersStudentsWritea10-12pagepaperdescribinghowyoulivetheprinciplesofCreationSpiritualityinyourlife.DoctorofMinistryStudentsWritea10-12pagepaperdescribinghowyouwouldtaketheprinciplesofCreationSpiritualityandusetheminyourcurrentorfutureworkintheworld.DoctorofSpiritualityStudentsWritea10-12pagepapercomparingandcontrastingtheworkoftwoofthepeopleusedasinspirationinthisclass(JoseHobday,JoannaMacy,MCRichards,DesmondTutaandTheDalaiLama)throughthelensofCreationSpirituality.Studentsmustuseatleastoneadditionaltextoftheirchoicewrittenbyeachofthepeopletheyarewritingabout.
GRADESAREBASEDONTHEFOLLOWING:-ClassParticipation-DemonstrateanunderstandingofCreationSpiritualityandpersonalapplicationofitsprinciples.-Pre/PostPapers:Abilitytoaddinsightsasindependentthinkers,clearlystatedideasthatshowknowledgeofthecourselecturesandreadings,propercitationandfootnotes,basicgrammarandspellingskills.
