Center for Christian Spirituality
Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the Center for Christian Spirituality. Over the course of these decades the Center has taken a leading role in the field of Christian Spirituality. The Center offers a variety of courses preparing lay people and clergy for leadership in ministries of spiritual direction. I hope the information you find here will engage your interest and that you will contact us with any further questions you may have.
For Center for Christian Spirituality academic programs, please visit the degrees webpage or part-time non-degree study webpage. For classes, please visit the Course Listings.
Cordially in Christ,
Jonathan Linman
Director's Page - Epiphany Term Course List - Trinity Term Course List - Center for Christian Spirituality Course List
About The Center for Christian Spirituality: The Center for Christian Spirituality educates and forms leaders for ministries of Spiritual Direction in Christian communities and offers opportunities for spiritual enrichment to all of God’s people. Established in 1976, the Center offers degrees in Spiritual Direction, academic study of Christian spirituality, and enrichment programs that engage the practice of prayer. The Center is unique among Episcopal seminaries and in theological education more generally.
Our Understanding of Spiritual Direction: We employ the term Spiritual Direction expansively to mean a variety of ministries that nurture the spiritual formation of the people of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. Because community is a normative dimension of the Christian faith, we view individual spiritual direction as one aspect of a broader ministry rooted in Christian community. Therefore, courses focus primarily on group contexts for Spiritual Direction. Students who wish to specialize in Spiritual Direction for individuals may receive academic credit from General Seminary for completing the program in Individual Spiritual Guidance offered by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland, or they may take a sequence of courses in Individual Spiritual Direction at Fordham University in New York City and transfer those credits into our programs.
Students and Contexts for Ministries of Spiritual Direction: The certificate and degree programs prepare students for Spiritual Direction ministry in a variety of contexts: congregations, religious communities, schools, health chaplaincies, and vocational and religious counseling centers. Students may be lay or ordained persons, Episcopalians or members of other churches, chaplains, teachers, counselors, artists and performers, directors of religious education, members of religious orders, or other lay professionals and volunteers. Master of Divinity degree students are encouraged to take practicums and courses in areas of their interest to enrich their formation for ordained ministry, and may apply for a Certificateof Study by taking coursesover and abovethose credits required for the M.Div. degree. With faculty permission, part-time non-degree students may elect to take practicums for their personal and vocational enrichment.
Spiritual Direction Degree Programs and Curriculum: The Center for Christian Spirituality offers Master of Arts and Master of Sacred Theology degrees and a Certificate of Studies in Spiritual Direction. The course titled “Christian Spirituality: Theological Foundations and Social Implications” (AT1) serves as a foundational academic course for the certificate and degree programs. Practicums, an action-reflection based pedagogy consistent with the historical focus of Christian spirituality on religious practice and experience, form the core of the curriculum in Spiritual Direction. Students take four practicums, choosing those that best fit their vocational aspirations and interests. They are required to earn three credits in Supervision for Individual and Group Spiritual Direction, where their practical work is supervised by an instructor alongside peers in formation for ministries of spiritual guidance. Electives in Ascetical Theology complement the practicum learning with further academic study of topics in Christian Spirituality. M.A. students also take foundational courses in Bible, Church History, and Theology, and they write a thesis or prepare a project articulating their understanding of and intended focus for ministries of Spiritual Direction. S.T.M. students have the option of writing a thesis or pursuing a non-thesis track, which focuses more on coursework.
Learning Outcomes: Consistent with the criteria for assessment established by the Association of Theological Schools, the Center’s learning outcomes for programs in Spiritual Direction focus on four dimensions:
- acquisition of knowledge related to the history, theology, theory, and practice of Spiritual Direction, complemented by coursework in Ascetical Theology and other theological disciplines;
- formation of persons of mature faith, a foundation for any engagement in ministry of Spiritual Direction;
- development of skills for ministries of Spiritual Direction;
- application of knowledge and leadership skills to the particular contexts in which students will serve.
While the Center’s education and formation programs prepare students for ministries of Spiritual Direction, the Center does not purport to train students for licensure or certification (such credentials currently do not exist within the field of Spiritual Direction). Moreover, the Centers programs do not prepare students for any form of licensed counseling, though its programs may serve to complement and enrich those who are already so licensed and/or certified.
Formats for Study: Courses offered by the Center during the Michaelmas and Easter Terms generally meet once a week, typically in the afternoons or evenings. Practicums scheduled during these semesters typically meet Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays. The Center offers a number of courses in intensive formats during Epiphany Term (January) and Trinity Term (May, June, July). For the intensive courses, students undertake reading and practical work in advance of the time in residence and then complete final written and praxis-related work within several weeks after the residence. Other short courses may be offered in weekend formats.
Faculty: Professor Jonathan Linman, who also serves as the Director of the Center for Christian Spirituality, and Professor Elisabeth Koenig are the principal full-time faculty members responsible for courses in Spiritual Direction and Ascetical Theology. They are complemented by adjunct faculty and visiting professors, all of whom have advanced terminal degrees and extensive experience in their field, and who regularly teach both practicums in Spiritual Direction and electives in Ascetical Theology.
Academic Study of Ascetical Theology: Academic study itself is a rich spiritual discipline, drawing us through intellectual inquiry into deeper engagement with the Divine. By offering courses and degrees in the context of a theological seminary, the Center provides unique opportunities for study that is academically and experientially stimulating. Students wishing to focus on the academic study of Christian Spirituality may pursue the M.A. or S.T.M. degrees with a concentration in Ascetical Theology. After a foundational course on Ascetical Theology, electives within the field provide flexibility so that students may focus on their particular areas of interest. Students also draw on diverse academic fields such as theology, scripture, ethics, liturgy, and history, all of which complement the study of spirituality.
Co-Curricular Enrichment Opportunities and Programs: Quiet Days, prayer groups, conversation groups, and the Annual Lecture in Christian Spirituality offer opportunities for spiritual enrichment and reflection, and are open to the entire seminary community and the general public. Elective courses and these enrichment programs are intended for a diverse audience: lay persons who want to explore the spiritual dimensions of their vocations in the world; parish lay leaders and employees who seek education for formation ministries; deacons and pastors, priests and bishops desiring foundations for specialized ministry in Christian spirituality and formation; artists and performers, business leaders, and employees of non-profit organizations. Students from a variety of Christian traditions come to the Center for spiritual enrichment, deeper understanding and experience of their faith, discernment of God’s guidance, sabbatical study, and formation toward new ministries in the church and the world.
Certificate and degree programs may be undertaken through either full-time or part-time study; classes are offered in multiple formats and places:
Michaelmas and Easter Terms: In fall and spring terms, Center courses are offered throughout the week and at various times of day including late afternoon and evening, with practicums usually offered on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Classes typically meet one day a week.
Epiphany Term: In January the Center offers three courses, each in an intensive one-week format, which may be applied toward any of the programs described above. The three one-week classes in January 2009 are marked with the symbol [resembling a snowflake] on pages 41-42 of Catalogue 2008-09 under “Ascetical Theology.”
Trinity Term: In May, June and July, the Center offers several multi-day, one-week, and two-week intensive courses which may be applied toward any of the programs described above. The classes for Trinity Term 2009 are marked with the symbol [resembling a sunburst] on page 42 of Catalogue 2008-09 within the course listings.
Intensive classes in alternative formats: Please watch for updates in brochures and on the website for classes offered at alternative times, such as a series of Saturdays or single-week or weekend classes outside of the standard academic terms discussed above.
For more information, please reach the Center, either by e-mail ccs@gts.edu or by telephone, toll-free (888) 487-5649, ext. 269 or, if local, (212) 243-5150, ext. 269.
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