Courses offered 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Monday - Friday

Foundations of Spiritual Direction
*This course continues at 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Nicki Verploegen, Ph.D.
This formative and informative course will allow students to deepen their understanding of a theology for spiritual direction and the essential dispositions needed for effective work in this field.

The course will explore models of spiritual direction, the centrality of desire in the spiritual life and how hospitality aids the directee through prayer, meditation, journaling, and discussion. Students will explore their own spiritual story, their chronology of prayer and their present personal prayer practice as a means for informing them of what they bring into the direction process.

This course will lay the groundwork for a reflective, contemplative approach to the practice of spiritual guidance, including the personal development of attentiveness, listening and noticing of shifts in the directee and director.

World Religions: Spirituality and Healing
Mary Bookser, SC, Ph.D.
The core question that people have asked from the beginning of reflective thought can be summed up in one sentence: What is the meaning or purpose of my life?

In a world filled with conflict and war, in a country held bound by consumerism and fear, the answers provided by some of the major world religions can illustrate ways to a vibrant life. By studying the age-old wisdom found in Hunduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Jodaism, and Islam, students will reflect how this knowledge can energize them to become peacemakers and healers of the global home.

Holistic Wellness: Theory and Practice
Mary Duennes, MA
This interactive course will introduce participants to a number of simple, effective holistic practices from different countries and cultures.

Practices include Tai Chi, meditation and body movement, acupressure for alleviating pain and streee-related problems, visualization and breathing, and hand massage. There will also be time for reflection and sharing. The simplicity of the work invites participants to easily share what they learn with others and is especially valuable to those working in education, health ministries, parish nursing, counseling, etc.

Much of the content of the workshop is based on the work of Dr. Patricia Can and Capacitar International, Inc.

Innovative Models and Methods of Religious Education
Sue Grenough, Ph.D.
The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to a variety of models and methods for facilitating faith formation.

The students will examine not only the rationale for each model but also various methodologies to develop the identified models. Each student will design a session using one of the models with appropriate methodology.

Life Through Death
KenCzillinger, M. Div.
Undergraduate Course Description: The center of this course will be the Christian understanding of the Paschal Mystery - the belief of life through death. Discussion will also center on becoming more comfortable with helplessness in the face of death, the mourning process, why bad things happen to good people, children and death, and the value of support groups.

Opportunities will exist to discuss with bereaved persons and local professionals about suicide, murdered children, cancer, stillbirth and miscarriage, and life as a widowed person.

Graduate Course Description: Students in the graduate program in Spiritual and Pastoral Care are engaged in a three-fold process of increasing their self-understanding, deepening their capacity to minister to families throughout the life-cycle, and developing a theological perspective that is integrated with both personal and professional functioning.

The human encounter with death and dying poses a significant challenge to persons as spiritual, psychological and social beings. By focusing in an in-depth manner on this issue, all three processes are facilitated, and students develop increased competency to respond in a meaningful humane and theologically informed manner to these challenges.

Theology and Human Ecology/Soc-Eco Dimensions Pastoral Care
Marge Kloos, SC, D.Min. and Kay Clifton, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Course Description: Students will examine how human ecology – the study of the impact on and interconnectedness of humans in relationship to the environment – and contemporary Christianity are working together to find lasting solutions to ecological degradation.

Graduate Course Description: Using a systems approach, students will examine pastoral care and spirituality through the lens of human ecology – the study of the interdependence of humans with all of nature. This course will consider pastoral care interventions that promote relationship building and environmental ethics, using the resources of the Christian tradition.

Christian Mystical Traditions: Spirituality & Theological Resource Lay Ministry
Mary Jo Weaver, Ph.D.
This course provides an indepth view of the writings of John of the Cross, mining his writings for theological insights and contributions to spiritual formation.

Class sessions will primarily consist of the discussion of texts, but individual and communal contemplative practices will also be introduced. Students will gain a greater appreciation of the Christian mystical tradition in general as well as developing spiritual practices for their ongoing personal/spiritual development and for their pastoral work.

Science and Religion
Jim Bodle, Ph.D.
Students will examine neuroscience and social science research on beliefs, common elements of faith, and relationships among faith, practice, and organized faith systems in this course.

Through panel discussions with faculty guests, field experiences and class discussions, students will examine specific conflicts between and possibilities for reconciling scientific and faith perspectives. Both students and faculty will write and present belief statements to the class.

Religion and Human Development
Connie Widmer, Ph.D.
This course will help students explore the interaction between religion and personal growth throughout the life cycle using psychological and theological resources.

A basic assumption made in this course is that religion and psychology are both disciplines that seek to define and describe aspects and dimensions of fundamental human experience, and, when integrated, can work together in a mutually supportive fashion to enhance our understanding of what it means to be fully human.

View graduate course syllabus.

Courses Offered 6:30 p.m.-9:20 p.m., Monday - Friday

Spirituality of Leadership
Rev. Michael J. Posey, Ed.D.
This course targets the relationship between one’s personal spirituality and effective leadership. Further, it considers leadership in the workplace as a personal calling.

The course will explore one’s innate desire for integrity of life, and will examine the common good as both the purpose of business, and as necessary for human development. The good habits of acting, known as virtues, will be considered. The application of virtue to practical situations in the workplace, and in the world at large, will allow the principles of Christian social teaching to be integrated with management theory.

Personal Spirituality
Harriet Luckman, Ph.D.
This course will explore the principles and methods of the development of a personal spirituality using the resources of both the Eastern and Western religious traditions as well as the incorporation of life experiences and decisions into religious growth.  

Theology of Health Care Ethics
Jozef Zalot, Ph.D.
This course is designed to offer students an introduction to Christian health care ethics. 

Students will explore foundational issues such as the nature of morality, the distinction between philosophical and theological ethics, and the importance of rightly formed conscience. There will be a focus on specific medical issues such as abortion, artificial methods of conception, genetic testing/cloning, stem cell research, and euthanasia as well as the underlying moral principles.

Students will be challenged to appropriate into their own lives the lessons learned from both the readings and classroom discussions in order to help them formulate Christian responses to these issues.

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