| CODE | MRT5842 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Principles of Spiritual Discernment | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Moral Theology | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Discernment, or “diakrisis”, is the act of sieving, distinguishing, understanding truth from falsehood, i.e., acquiring experiential knowledge. Often fundamental spiritual questions are asked: what is the relation between the grace of God and human freedom? How is one to understand God’s role in one’s spiritual life? How is one able to distinguish God’s grace from one’s human capacity and personality? Thus, discernmemt implies the capacity for self-introspection into one’s thoughts, inner movements, and the capacity, or lack thereof, to take decisions in line with one’s own formed and informed conscience. The study-unit will present the following theoretical frameworks: - biblical notions of a “discerning heart” as the seat of decision taking; - classical ‘psychological’ insights given by the Desert Fathers and Mothers; - Ignatian “rules” and principles of discernment; - contemporary issues related to discernment and its applicability as an ecclesial paradigm for the communitarian as well as the personal life of the faithful. Study-Unit Aims: - To introduce the theory and practice of the schools of Christian discernment throughout the ages; - To present the fourteen rules of discernment according to the “Spiritual Exercises” of Ignatius of Loyola; - To propose the application of the insights of these schools of discernment to contemporary issues in the life of the Church. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Define “discernment” in its proper theological-spiritual framework; - Characterise different qualities of discernment according to different schools of spirituality; - Identify the proper terminology and its appropriateness in different schools and scenarios. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Employ theoretical framework in case studies and classrom discussions; - Qualify often-used phrases – such as “the will of God” and “conscience” – in their proper, rightful, and reasonable contexts; - Explore ethical implications of the practice of discernment. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Kees Waaijman, “Discernment: A Blueprint for the Method,” in Spirituality: Forms, Foundations and Methods, trans. John Vriend (Leuven: Peeters, 2002), 483-515. - Kees Waaijman, “Discernment: The Compass on the High Sea of Spirituality,” Acta Theologica 17 (2013): 13-24. - The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius (New York: TAN Books, 2010). Supplementary Readings: - Luke Timothy Johnson, Scripture and Discernment: Decision Making in the Church (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1996). - Antony D. Rich, Discernment in the Desert Fathers: Diakrisis in the Life and Thought of Early Egyptian Monasticism, Studies in Christian History and Thought (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2007). - Timothy M. Gallagher, The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to Everyday Living (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2005). - Henri Nouwen, Discernment (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2013). Ladislas Orsy, Discernment: Theology and Practice, Communal and Personal (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2020). - Ladislas Orsy, Discernment: Theology and Practice, Communal and Personal (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2020). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Glen Attard |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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