DESCRIPTION: This course will teach students to integrate faith, spiritual traditions, spiritual practices, ecclesiology, and urban ministry. Such integration has helped ordinary people live extraordinary lives. Students will apply and cultivate their faith, learn and practice spiritual disciplines (e.g., reflection, contemplation, compassion) and be involved in weekly urban experiences which will help them understand more broadly and profoundly their call to a deeper spiritual life that includes being agents of change within the communities and congregations in which they live, work, worship, and serve.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing the class will (1) learn about several historic and contemporary Christian leaders who have shaped spiritual traditions and practices by their faith and urban ministry (cognitive); (2) learn and practice several spiritual activities such as incarnational solidarity, lectio divina, examination of consciousness, and wounded healer that have been used by others to integrate their faith and social ministries (skills); and (3) experience a deepened commitment towards their own personal relationship with God and with their urban neighbors (affective).

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Students will be challenged to engage in urban experiences during the course and integrate their urban experiences with spiritual practices that will be introduced in class each week. Experiences will involve interactions with persons engaged in activities such as arts/music, affordable housing, gangs, homelessness, informal economy, local government, mental illness, parks/recreation, and substance abuse recovery.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet once a week for a three-hour session. Each session will consist of a lecture, spiritual exercises, introduction to spiritual traditions, discussion of readings, sharing of urban experiences, and include occasional guest panelists combined with class interaction. Class activities will also include interaction in the community.

REQUIRED READING:

Cummings, Charles, OCSO. Monastic Practices. Cistercian Publications, 1986.

Maas, Robin, and Gabriel O'Donnell, OP. Spiritual Traditions for the Contemporary Church. Abingdon, 1990.

Sucher, David. City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village. Rev. ed. City Comforts, Inc., 2003.

Course Reader.

Callahan, Annice, RSCJ. Spiritualities of the Heart. Paulist Press, 1990.

O'Connor, Elizabeth. Servant Leaders, Servant Structures. The Servant Leadership School, 1991.

Paulsell, William O. Tough Minds, Tender Hearts. Paulist Press, 1990.

Whyte, William H. The Social Life of Small Urban Space. Project for Public Spaces, 1980.

1. Attend class, complete required readings, and participate in discussions (20% of grade).

2. complete eight (8) two- to three-page integration papers for each of the class's required on-site urban experiences (40% of grade);

3. Complete a research and integration paper (minimum 10 pages) about how you will continue to integrate your faith, spiritual traditions, spiritual practices, and urban experiences (40%).