Start Here
Welcome to Spirituality and Contemplative Practice
Welcome to Spirituality and Contemplative Practice.
Every tradition teaches that spiritual life is not only believed but practiced. Monks chant the psalms, Muslims pray five times a day, Buddhists sit in meditation, Hindus repeat the names of God, Quakers wait in silence, and Sikhs sing the Guru’s hymns. These practices train attention, open the heart, and sustain people through hardship.
This course is both academic and experiential. Each module studies the history and purpose of a family of practices and invites you to try one. You will also learn what research says about their effects, how to adapt them for people who have experienced trauma, and how to lead them in diverse groups. A minister who does not pray, meditate, or practice in some way soon runs dry. This course is an invitation to drink deeply.
How This Course Works
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | None. Titles and degrees begin with ordination through the Ordination Orientation. |
| Pace | Self-paced. Most students finish in four to six weeks, studying about four to five hours a week. There are no deadlines. |
| Structure | Eight modules. Each module has a lesson, a reading assignment, and a ten-question quiz. |
| Book report | Read one of the books offered, pass its ten-question quiz, and write a one-paragraph summary, after Module 8. |
| Final exam | Fifteen multiple-choice questions and one essay of 1,500 to 2,000 words, taken after Module 8. |
| Credit | 3 credit hours toward further titles and degrees. |
Grading
| Part | To pass |
|---|---|
| Module quizzes (8) | Pass each with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report quiz (10 questions) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report summary (one paragraph) | Approved by the school |
| Final exam, Part 1 (multiple choice) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Final exam, Part 2 (one essay, 1,500 to 2,000 words) | Approved by the school |
Required texts
- Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster
- The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh
- New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton
- Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
Many of these books are available from public libraries, used bookstores, and as ebooks.
What you will study
Module 1: What Is Spiritual Practice? Module 2: Prayer Module 3: Meditation Module 4: Sacred Reading, Chant, and Song Module 5: Body, Movement, Fasting, and Sabbath Module 6: Silence, Nature, and Reflection Module 7: Spiritual Direction and Community Module 8: Leading Practice in Ministry
Book report choices
Celebration of Discipline, Richard J. Foster; Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
Academic honesty
All written work must be your own. You may quote and discuss the course readings and other sources, but you must say where the words and ideas came from. Submitting work written by someone else, including work generated entirely by AI tools, is not permitted.