Formation in the Contemplative Life

Description: This course introduces students to a practical vision for the kind of life that helps form us toward the likeness of God through spiritual practices as a shared way of life.

Outcomes: Having fully engaged with this class, students will be able to (1) discuss the role the Church can play in our spiritual formation, (2) discuss a vision for asceticism or spiritual training in the 21st century, and (3) apply the practices of formation in 21st century life and in community.

Format: A self-paced “eight-week” class consisting of eight 10- to 20-minute instructional videos, each paired with integrative-reflective writing assignments—including some practices and conversational assignments to be engaged with the student’s existing community relationships.

Supplementary reading: Jared Boyd, Finding Freedom in Constraint: Reimagining Spiritual Disciplines as a Communal Way of Life, IVP, 2023, $20.00, 226 pp. assigned.