Spring 2018/Fuller Online
SP536
Howard
SP536: MONASTICISM(S) OLD AND NEW (4 Units: 160 hours). Evan B. Howard.
DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the history, theology, and practice of Christian monasticism. Through this course we will gain a sympathetic understanding of Christian religious life both past and present. We will grow to appreciate the character and contributions of religious life to the advance of personal sanctification, Church community, and Christian mission. We will explore and experiment with a few distinctive elements of monastic practice.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to (1) summarize the chief forms and characteristics of Christian monasticism throughout history, identifying their unique contributions to the Christian community; (2) evaluate the structure and forms of religious life past or present, showing how that form of life concretely embodies a view of the Christian Gospel; (3) articulate a strategy for integrating forms of religious (or semi-religious) life within the context of the students' own ministry contexts; (4) apply key monastic practices to their lives and to assess their growth in light of these practices on an ongoing basis.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller's academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.
REQUIRED READING: Approximately, 1,100 pages of required reading total.
Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of St. Benedict. Available for free online at http://www.osb.org/rb/ or purchase the English version by Timothy Fry, translator, RB1980: The Rule of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1980. 978-0814612729, Pub. Price $2.95 [90 pp. in the print volume assigned].
Chittister, Joan. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today. HarperCollins, 1990/2009. ISBN: 978-0060613990, Pub. Price $14.99 [150 pp. assigned].
Cray, Graham, Ian Mobsby, and Aaron Kennedy, eds., New Monasticism as Fresh Expression of Church (Ancient Faith Future Mission). Canterbury Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1848250444, Pub. Price $27.00 [150 pp.].
Janzen, David. The Intentional Christian Community Handbook: For Idealists, Hypocrites, and Wannabe Disciples of Jesus. Paraclete Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1612612379, only available used or as an e-book, Kindle Price $8.49 [200 pp. assigned].
Palladius, The Lausiac History. Available for free by clicking this link The Lausiac History or purchase the version by Robert T. Meyer, translator, Palladius: The Lausiac History. The Paulist Press, 1991. ISBN: 978-0809100835, Pub Price $34.95 [100 pp. assigned from the print edition I have identified here].
Rutba House, ed. School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism. Wipf & Stock, 2005. ISBN: 978-1597520553, Pub Price $24.00 [170 pp. assigned].
Choose from EITHER:
Laboa, Juan María, general editor. The Historical Atlas of Eastern and Western Christian Monasticism. The Liturgical Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0814627785, Pub Price $99.95 [150 pp. assigned]. Note - this book is a beautiful, expensive "coffee-table" book which does a better job with Eastern monasticism and gives very little coverage to Protestant expressions. OR
Peters, Greg. The Story of Monasticism: Retrieving an Ancient Tradition for Contemporary Spirituality. Baker, 2015. ISBN: 978-0801048913, Pub. Price $23.00. [150 pp. assigned]. Note - this book was written with evangelical Protestants in mind, is less expensive, but has no pictures and offers very little coverage of Eastern monastic developments.
Choose from EITHER:
Agamben, Giorgio. The Highest Poverty: Monastic Rules and Form-of-Life. Stanford University Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0804784061, Pub Price $17.95 [150 pp. assigned]. OR
Macchia, Stephen. Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way. InterVarsity Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-0830835645, Pub Price $17.00 [190 pp. assigned].
RECOMMENDED READING:
Bessenecker, Scott A. The New Friars: The Emerging Movement Serving the World's Poor. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830836017, Pub Price $16.00.
Davies, Oliver and O’Loughlin, Thomas, editors. Celtic Spirituality. Paulist Press, 2000. ISBN: 978-0809138944, Pub. Price $31.95.
Dunn, Marilyn. The Emergence of Monasticism. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003. ISBN: 978-1405106412, Pub. Price $62.95.
Harmless, William. Desert Christians. Oxford UP, 2004. ISBN 978-0195162226, Pub. Price $135.00.
Peters, Greg. Reforming the Monastery. Cascade Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-1606081730, Pub. Price $22.00.
Maguire, Nancy Klein. An Infinity of Little Hours. Public Affairs Books, 2007. ISBN: 978-1586484323, Pub. Price $16.99.
Merton, Thomas. The Monastic Journey. edited by Brother Patrick Hart. Cistercian Publications, 1977. ISBN: 978-0879075330, Pub. Price $24.95.
Tugwell, Simon, trans. Early Dominicans. Paulist Press, 1982. ISBN: 978-0809124145, Pub. Price $36.95.
Rybolt, John E., Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. Rules, Conferences, and Writings. Paulist Press, 1995. ISBN: 978-0809135646, Pub. Price $24.00.
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS:
Philip Groning, director, Into Great Silence, Zeitgeist films 2007. Paints a portrait of a French Carthusian monastery. [almost entirely silent, with a little French/subtitles at one point]
Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men, Sony Pictures Classics, 2011. Covers the story of Benedictines in Algeria and their community decisions. [French with subtitles]
The Monastery 2005. This is a British TV series available in 18 parts on YouTube. See also The Monastery Revisited.
Pavel Lungin, director, Ostrov (the Island), Vox Video, 2006. Presents the story of a Russian monastic holy man. [Russian with subtitles]
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.