Winter 2013/Pasadena
FullerLive! with Menlo Park and Houston
SP500
Barsotti
SP500: TRADICIONES Y PRACTICAS ESPIRITUALES
[Spiritual Traditions & Practices]. Catherine Barsotti.
DESCRIPTION: This course provides an opportunity for further exploration, through readings, discussion, and practice, of Christian spiritual traditions and practices to current and future leaders ministering within the Latino context. A diversity of spiritualities found within Protestant and Roman Catholic Latino churches will be put into conversation with the various Christian traditions of spirituality throughout the ages. In this pedagogical journey students will become acquainted with spiritual pioneers such as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Bartolomé de las Casas, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Thomas Kelly and others. Students will also explore and practice a variety of spiritual disciplines.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Lay leaders and clergy alike long for intimacy with God, while at the same time there is much conversation about the nature of spirituality. These factors take on a specific flavor/accent in Latino communities. Those involved in ministry with and to this community must be able to participate effectively in this conversation, guide others as they seek to follow the spiritual way, as well as nurture their own spiritual health within their ministry.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) an increased understanding of the nature of spirituality; (2) an acquaintance with the richness of traditions in Christian spirituality; (3) basic skills or spiritual disciplines for developing and deepening an intimate relationship with the triune God; and (4) the desire to be a leader who continually nurtures his or her own life in the Spirit in the midst of ministry demands.
COURSE FORMAT: A total of 34 hours of class meetings will include: 3 Saturday FullerLive sessions between all three campuses; 2 evening visits/experiences and discussions of three hours; and a 7-hour retreat (see schedule note for all dates and times). Course content will be communicated through readings, lectures, student discussion groups/forums, formational activities, site visits, and assignments.
REQUIRED READING:
Barbosa de Sousa, Ricardo. Cuida tu corazón: Ensayos sobre la espiritualidad cristiana. Kairós, 2005. Pub. Price $14.00. ISBN: 987-9403-73-8. (259 p. assigned).
Cassese, Giacomo. Comunión y comunidad: Una introducción a la espiritualidad cristiana. Nashville: Abingdon, 2004. Pub. Price: $15.60. ISBN:978-0687740710. (171 p. assigned).
Foster, Richard. Ríos de aguas vivas. Editorial Peniel, 2010. Pub. Price: $11.99. ISBN: 978-987-557-233-1. (416 p. assigned).
Foster, Richard, and James Bryan Smith. Devocionales Clásicos. Editorial Mundo Hispano, 2004. ISBN: 0-311-40069-8. $9.00. (410 p. assigned).
Rivera, Roberto Amparo. Introducción a las disciplinas espirituales. Nashville: Abingdon, 2008. Pub. Price: $15.00. ISBN: 978-0-687-65580-9. (124 p. assigned)
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Attendance at all sessions and activities, and participation in all aspects of the course is required to complete the course. This includes:
Class leadership, a weekly spiritual practice/discipline, Moodle forums, and attendance at the retreat and two other events outside of FullerLive (30%).
Completion of all required readings (1,380 pp.) and submission of a reading report (15%).
Five short reflection papers (2 pp. each) or quizzes on the required texts and course experiences (25%).
Reflection/research paper on some aspect of spirituality explored in the course (8 pp.; 30%).
PREREQUISITES: Spanish.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets program requirement for MAT, MATM, MACL, MAIS (2010); meets the following MA spirituality requirements: FSP or SPIR.