Spring 2019/Fuller Online

CN567

Ryan

CN567: SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND THE TWELVE STEPS (4 Units: 161 Hours). Dale Ryan.

DESCRIPTION: The process of recovery from addictions is almost universally understood to involve a substantive spiritual transformation. There is, however, little agreement about the nature of the spiritual dynamics of this process. For example, “spirituality” is sometimes understood to refer to internal transformational processes and sometimes the word is used to refer to external activities requiring a social context. This course will explore this and many other issues related to the meaning of spirituality in the context of twelve step traditions. The theological and biblical foundations for the spiritual disciplines which are embedded in twelve step process will also be explored.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: This class has three main objectives. (1) to help students develop an understanding of the complexity and diversity of spiritual practice within the Twelve Step tradition; (2) to help students develop a better understanding of the spiritual disciplines which are structurally embedded in the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous; and (3) to help students critically assess and develop personal perspectives about the relationship between spirituality in the twelve step tradition and other forms of spirituality which are common in contemporary American culture.

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: 1,200 total pages required for full credit

Anon. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA World Services, 2001. ISBN: 978-1893007161, Pub. Price $21.95 (Available free online: http://www.whytehouse.com/big_book_search/; audio version available free: http://silkworth.net/audiobigbook/audiobigbook.html) [164 pp. assigned].

Anon. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. AA World Services, 2002. ISBN: 978-0916856014, Pub Price. $16.95 (Free online at: http://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions) [192 pp. assigned].

Miller, J. Keith. A Hunger for Healing: The Twelve Steps as a Classic Model for Christian Spiritual Growth. Harper One, 1992. ISBN: 978-0060657673, Pub. Price $16.99 [288 pp.].

Rohr, Richard. Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps. Franciscan Media, 2011. ISBN: 978-1616361570, Pub. Price $18.99. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [147 pp.].

Ryan, Dale, and Juanita Ryan. A Spiritual Kindergarten: Christian Perspectives On The Twelve Steps. Create Space, 2008. ISBN: 978-1440444814, Pub. Price $12.95 [112 pp.].

Additional relevant reading to make a combined total of 1200 pages. A list of recommended books will be available in the syllabus. It is possible to modify the reading assignments with the approval of the faculty.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

Instruction hours (20% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3]

Weekly video presentations [22 hours]
250-word weekly posts [10 hours]
250-word weekly replies [10 hours].

Introduction Assignment. Submit a 800-1000 word essay introducing yourself to other class participants (5% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3] [4 hours].
Reading Assignment. Read all required texts plus additional reading for a total of 1,200 pages (15% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3] [74 hours].
Case Study Assignments. Submit 2, 750-word essays (30% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3] [24 hours].
A 2,000 word (approx. 8 page) theological reflection paper addressing in depth an issue related to the spiritual practices of the twelve steps (30%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3] [16 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.