Winter 2005/Pasadena
GM514
Peace
GM514: THE PURSUIT OF WHOLENESS. Richard Peace.
DESCRIPTION:
- The image of the Christian life as a goal-oriented pilgrimage is
used to explore the nature of wholeness in six areas: the cognitive, the
affective, the behavioral, the relational, the physical, and the spiritual. The
two-fold emphasis will be on personal experience of growth in each area and on
the process of structuring growth-oriented experiences in a church context that
will produce growth in others. In addition to the various types of growth
discussed in class, special attention will be given to the art of spiritual
journaling and the process of spiritual autobiography.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
- Nurturing Christian growth is a central task of ministry. However,
at times our view of growth is too constricted. The kind of growth envisioned
in the Bible is wholistic in nature, impacting all of one's life. It is
important, therefore, that we have a clear understanding of how growth is
understood in the Bible and how it takes place, and that we have the skills
needed to guide others in their growth. The aim of this course is to help
students learn how to develop effective growth-producing programs that reflect
a biblical understanding of the dynamics of growth.
COURSE FORMAT:
- A mixture of lecture, interactive discussion, reflective exercises,
in-depth small group experiences, and journal exercises. Class will meet weekly
for three-and-a-half-hour sessions.
REQUIRED READING:
- Read in each area for a total of 1200 pages including required
books, which are in bold.
- Workbooks: Peace, Richard. Pilgrimage. Baker, 1976; Postema,
Don. Space for God.
- Spiritual Disciplines: Peace, Richard. Spiritual
Journaling AND Spiritual Autobiography, NavPress,
1995.
- Health: Hart, Arch. Adrenaline and Stress.
Word, 1986.
- Behavior: Zimbardo, Philip. Shyness.
Addison-Wesley, 1978.
- Journals: Nouwen, Henri. The Genesee Diary. Doubleday,
1976, OR Gracias! Harper & Row, 1983; Merton, Thomas. The
Journals of Thomas Merton. HarperSanFrancisco, 1995-1998; Norris, Kathleen.
The Cloister Walk. Riverhead Books, 1996.
- Prayer: Foster, Richard. Prayer. HarperSanFrancisco,
1992; Guenther, Margaret. The Practice of Prayer. Cowley, 1998; Leech,
Kenneth, True Prayer. Morehouse, 1995; Louf, André. Teach Us
to Pray. Cowley Publications, 1992; Willard, Dallas. Hearing God.
InterVarsity Press, 1999.
- Spirituality: Chittister, Joan. Heart of Flesh.
Eerdmans, 1998; Ford, David. The Shape of Living, Baker, 1997; Johnson,
Ben Campbell & Andrew Dreitcher. Beyond the Ordinary: Spirituality for
Church Leaders, Eerdmans, 2001; McGrath, Alister. Christian
Spirituality. Blackwell, 1999.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Regular attendance and participation in all aspects of the course including
the small group.
- Completion of the assigned exercises (journaling, spiritual autobiography,
genogram, stress log).
- Various reflection papers (15 pages total).
PREREQUISITES:
- None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
- Meets the requirement in Spirituality (SPIR) for M.A.
degrees.
FINAL EXAMINATION:
- None.