Units offered on Sentir Campuses
WELLSPRING SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
Please see the downloadable Sentir Handbook for more detailed unit descriptions
ART OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION I (GDS312.15)
Peter Bentley (Coordinator)
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This unit is designed particularly for those wishing to test and explore a sense of vocation to the ministry of spiritual direction. The unit outlines the tradition and examines some of the central aspects of the ministry of spiritual direction. Practicums offer the experience of both giving and receiving direction and provide a foundation for future development in this area.
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ART OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION II (GDS313.15)
Peter Bentley (Coordinator)
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This unit will extend the work of the first unit and is designed for those who feel a sense of call towards the ministry of spiritual direction. It includes seminars which explore different aspects of spiritual direction, practicums which will challenge and extend the students' gifts in this area and individual supervision. It will provide a foundation for the third level of the course. Topics to be covered will include: discernment, psychological aspects of spiritual direction, theological dimensions, ethical and contextual issues, the nature of religious experience.
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ART OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION III (GDS314.30)
Revd Peter Bentley (Coordinator)
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This course (which is the equivalent of two semester units) will further develop the work of the first two WellSpring units (Art of Spiritual Direction I and II). The course extends over the full academic year. It is particularly designed for those already offering the ministry of spiritual direction. It will include seminars, practicuums of various kinds, as well as personal and group supervision. In addition, each student will undertake a major research project in an area of interest concerning the ministry of spiritual direction. Seminars continue to explore theological and psychological issues of significance in spiritual direction as well as prayer, discernment and a variety of elective issues which reflect the student's special interests. A post-graduate year of personal and group supervision is also included in this course.
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THE ART OF RECONCILIATION I: PRINCIPLES & PRACTICE (DS330.15) & (DS430.15)
Timothy McCowan
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This unit explores the practice and theology of forgiveness and reconciliation in a range of specific contexts. It is designed to assist participants cultivate the theological and practical understanding and spiritual disciplines necessary for engaging in the ministry of reconciliation in Australia. Students are required to engage in one appropriate context for reflection, approved by the lecturer, (for a minimum of 12 hours) as part of their assessment. Recognition is made of the need to protect the confidentiality of the personal disclosures made within this unit.
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THE ART OF RECONCILIATION II
(DS 331.15) & (DS431.15)
Timothy McCowan
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This unit extends and builds on the foundations provided in the Art of Reconciliation I unit, for those wishing to explore a possible vocation in this ministry. It will specialise in the dynamics and processes of individual and social reconciliation, in relation to specific issues in the Australian context as chosen by the participant. Particular attention is also paid to the integration of these areas with ministerial practice.
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THE ART OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE (GDS374.15)
Peter Bentley, Geraldine Bachowski, Lynette Dungan, Jill Manton, Joan Wright Howie
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This unit explores the foundational principles of contemplation and its relevance to our life, work and ministry contexts. The formation program will draw on the various contemplative elements of inner silence, solitude, Sabbath, prayer, listening, discernment and the human experience of God. Participants will be invited to reflect on these aspects of contemplation and their impact on their developing awareness of God in their everyday life experience.
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MAPPING THE LANDSCAPES OF THE SOUL (GDS376.15) & (PDS476.15)
Peter Bentley, Geraldine Bachowski, Lynette Dungan, Jill Manton, Joan Wright Howie.
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
This unit explores the relationship between the spiritual aspects of our lives and our identities. The unit will draw on a personality mapping system – the Enneagram - to identify how it provides pointers to our spiritual awareness in areas including self identity, personal development, prayer and the ways they experience God, discerning life goals, engagement in work and ministry. Students will be invited to reflect on their own personality frameworks and the impact they have on their developing awareness of self, God and the world in their everyday life experiences.
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EXPLORING THE INNER LANDSCAPES THROUGH CONTEMPLATIVE GROUPS (GDS375.15) & (PDS475.15)
Dr Christopher Page
WellSpring Spirituality Centre
Parker J Palmer, an American Quaker scholar, has developed a model for exploring the inner spiritual life by drawing on the insights of Meister Eckhart, Carl Jung, Thomas Merton and other spiritual writers. This has been helpful in the formation of community; exploring religious and secular vocation; discernment and life decisions and the integration of the self with authentic action. This unit will critique both the work of Parker J Palmer and the contemplative group approach to spiritual growth. The focus of the unit will be on the principles and practices that lead to inner spiritual development and authentic action. The student will be introduced to, and taught to use, the resources of narrative, poetry, art and personal and group reflection with a goal to spiritual growth and wellbeing. These objectives are achieved through lectures, discussion, contemplative group work and a retreat experience.
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CAMPION CENTRE OF IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY
Please see the downloadable Sentir Handbook for more detailed unit descriptions
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES: THEORY
(GDS305.15) & (PDS405.15)
Michael Smith, Bernadette Miles, Joan Jennings
and Marlene Marburg
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This two semester long unit aims to help the student reflect on the experience of making the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and understand the dynamic of the Exercises and prepare him or her to become a giver of the Spiritual Exercises.
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES: PRACTICE
(GDS306.15) & (PDS406.15)
Michael Smith, Bernadette Miles, Joan Jennings
and Marlene Marburg
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This unit aims to prepare the student to become a giver of the Spiritual Exercises and a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition. The focus of this unit will be on looking at religious experience through the lens and framework of the Spiritual Exercises. At the completion of this unit there will be a discernment involving the student and the coordinator of the program as to whether the student should go on to GDS310.15 or PDS410.15 Supervised Retreat Direction.
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SPIRITUAL EXERCISES: THEORY AND PRACTICE
(GDS307.15) & (PDS407.30)
Michael Smith, Joan Jennings, Marlene Marburg, Bernadette Miles
Intensive over two years (on the same dates as PDS405.15 and PDS406.15)
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This 30-point unit is designed for the student who wishes to do a research Master of Arts (that is, with a 25,000-word thesis) which requires that he or she complete a 30-point unit in the Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction with a 12,000-word essay showing that he or she is capable of writing a longer piece of research. This unit combines PDS405.15 Spiritual Exercises: Theory and PDS406.15 Spiritual Exercises: Practice. The unit aims to help the student reflect on the experience of making the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and prepare him or her to become a giver of the Spiritual Exercises. At the completion of this unit, there will be a discernment involving the student and the coordinator of the program as to whether the student should go on to PDS410.15 Supervised Retreat Direction.
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SUPERVISED RETREAT DIRECTION
(GDS310.15) & (PDS410.15)
Joan Jennings
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This course aims to help students become competent directors of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. At the completion of Spiritual Exercises-Theory (GDS305.15) or (PDS405.15) and Spiritual Exercises-Practice (GDS306.15) or (PDS406.15) there will be a discernment involving the student and the Coordinator of the program as to whether the student should go on to (GDS310.15) or (PDS410.15), which is giving the full Spiritual Exercises under supervision. The course will involve guiding two retreatants through either: (i) the Retreat in Daily Life over 35 weeks, or (ii) the full one-month (30-day) experience. If the student is directing the full one-month experience, supervision would occur on a daily basis. If the participant is directing the Retreat in Daily Life over 30 weeks, supervision occurs on a weekly basis.
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THE WEEKS OF THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
(GDS315.15) & (PDS415.15)
Michael Smith, Bernadette Miles, and Marlene Marburg
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This intensive is a 15-point unit will be offered in both Semesters I and II. It will provide an in-depth study of the four "Weeks" of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. It will approach the Weeks of the Exercises from the perspective of the purgative or healing mode (The First Week), the illuminative mode (The Second Week), and the unitive mode (The Third and Fourth Weeks). Because a director's lived experience of the Spiritual Exercises is his or her main resource, the unit will also help the student to reflect on and deepen his or her experience of the retreat.
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KEY MEDITATIONS AND RULES IN THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES (GDS325.15) & (PDS425.15)
Michael Smith (Coordinator)
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This week-long summer school is a 15-point unit which will provide an in-depth study of the key meditations of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and his Rules for the Discernment of Spirits from a director's viewpoint. It will enhance a new director's understanding of the essential elements in the art of giving the Exercises according to the Eighteenth Annotation.
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DISCERNMENT AND ELECTION IN THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
(GDS308.15) & (PDS408.15)
Michael Smith (Coordinator)
Campion Ignatian Spirituality Centre
This seminar, run over two weekends in Semester II, is restricted to students who are being formed as spiritual directors and enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Ignatian Spirituality, the Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction or the Master of Arts (Spiritual Direction) programs. The course aims to help spiritual directors in formation develop their capacity to assist directees in identifying the Spirit of God in their lives, and grow in the ability to discriminate between that Spirit and other "spirits". Based on (i) the Rules for Discernment of Spirits, and (ii) the Election in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, this course will provide theoretical frameworks which spiritual directors can use with directees.
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IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY SEMINAR (DS200/300.15)
Robert Paterson and Joan Jennings
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This seminar is run over two weekends in Semester I and aims to help participants deepen their understanding of Ignatian Spirituality as described by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his book of the Spiritual Exercises. Participants will attend both weekends and undertake a seven-week retreat in daily life between the weekends during which they will pray each day and see a spiritual director once a week.
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GROUP LEADERSHIP, ORGANISATION AND SPIRITUALITY (DS202/302.15)
Michael Smith SJ and Bernadette Miles
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This unit - run over five Wednesdays in Semester II - aims to help participants become more aware of the structures and processes at work in the collaborative ministry teams in which they minister. The guiding matrix for this unit will be The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the spiritual pedagogy and dynamism of which are as valid for groups as for individuals, though the Spiritual Exercises for groups uses a different framework.
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IDENTITY INTEGRATION GROUP (GDS311.15)
Michael Smith, Bernadette Miles, Marlene Marburg
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
While identity questions are consistently raised in the various courses offered through Sentir, the Identity Integration Group provides an adult faith-learning community where students may share their cognitive learning, felt-experience, what they are reading, their questions, their life experiences and so on. The Identity Integration Group provides a setting in which to pursue questions of professional identity. Who is the spiritual director? How does the spiritual director relate to other ministers in the church? How does the spiritual director relate to other helping professionals such as psychologists? How does the spiritual director integrate his or her growing sense of professional identity?
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RELATIONAL PSYCHODYNAMICS
(GDS365.15) & (PDS465.15)
Michael Smith (Coordinator)
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
Contemporary research highlights the central role of the interpersonal relationship as a core element in any helping process. In the ministry of spiritual direction for example, a director needs to be able to enter into a relationship with a directee in a facilitative way and not have major intrapsychic blocks to relationship development. Using the foundational insights of Bernard Lonergan, Luigi Rulla and Magda Arnold, this unit focuses on self-awareness, self-exploration and self-understanding. Students will be given theoretical frameworks to assist them to gain greater understanding of their own psychodynamics, and insight into others.
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SPIRITUALITY RESEARCH SEMINAR (PGS420.15)
Peter Bentley (Coordinator)
Campion Ignatian Spirituality Centre
During the Master of Arts (Spiritual Direction) students are may attend the Spirituality Research Seminar which meets once a fortnight in Semesters I and II. The Spirituality Research Seminar is designed to be a research community in which students develop a deeper understanding of spirituality as an academic discipline as well as an appreciation of integrative Christian praxis. The main focus will be to familiarise students with basic research methodology, to alert students to key research in the area of spirituality and to help them develop their understanding of the particular aspect of spirituality that they have an interest in exploring at depth.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE SUPERVISION OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS (GDS335.15) & (PDS435.15)
Marlene Marburg, Bernadette Miles, Michael Smith
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
Supervision is a formal arrangement whereby (i) a person in initial formation to become a spiritual director, or (ii) a qualified spiritual director, works regularly with someone who is experienced in spiritual direction and supervision. Supervision is a process to maintain adequate standards of professionalism and a method of consultancy to widen the horizons of an experienced practitioner. Supervision focuses on the development of the skills, attitudes and knowledge in both those in formation and newer members of the ministry. This five-day (36-hour) intensive unit aims to help spiritual directors grow in the competencies (enunciated below in the learning outcomes) necessary to supervise others in the ministry._
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SUPERVISION AND THE DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
(GDS345.15) & (PDS445.15)
Marlene Marburg, Bernadette Miles, Michael Smith
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This five-day (36-hour) intensive unit aims to help spiritual directors grow in the skills necessary to supervise others involved in the ministry of spiritual direction, with a particular focus on the Ignatian Rules for Discernment of Spirits and the contemplative approach to supervision of spiritual directors.
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PEER AND GROUP SUPERVISION (GDS355.15) & (PDS455.15)
Marlene Marburg, Bernadette Miles, Michael Smith
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality
This five-day (36-hour) intensive unit introduces spiritual directors to peer and group supervision. Peer and group supervision are two adjuncts to individual supervision. Each can optimize learning processes during (i) the formation of a spiritual director, and (ii) in his or her ministry. The purpose of group supervision is to develop the directing skills of the spiritual directors within the group. The focus is not so much on the case being presented, but rather on what is going on in the room at the time of supervision. Peer groups offer opportunities for ongoing formation among spiritual directors. This unit aims to help students grow in the skills of facilitating peer and group supervision.
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