Elective Courses
NOTE: In addition to the electives taken from among those listed below, ISRF diploma students are required to take four Tangaza Electives (total of eight credits), that is, electives chosen from the School of Theology or other Tangaza Institutes. This is an opportunity for our students to take advantage of the electives offered in the Theology School, Institute of Social Ministry for Mission, Institute of Social Communications, Institute of Youth Ministry, Maryknoll Institute of African Studies, and the Christ the Teacher Institute of Education. If students wish and there is time in their timetable, then they may enroll in more than four electives.
SRFE 140 Leadership Skills: On Becoming a Leader Today
Aim:
This course aims at investigating principles and theories of leadership and identifying the necessary qualities of the leader. It will also help in developing some of the skills and the art of effective leadership and give directions for assessing personal strengths and weaknesses as leaders.
Content:
Topics include: introduction to leadership; necessary skills in leadership; the first steps toward effective leadership; communication as an essential aspect of successful leadership; decision making; delegating in an effective way; conflict management; mentoring-coaching; managing stress; vision and transformation.
SRFE 222 Introduction to Franciscan Spirituality
Aim:
This course is intended to introduce students to the spirituality of Francis as seen from his writings, Franciscan spirituality in general and how this spirituality is ever more appealing in the 21st century.
Content:
Franciscan spirituality is evangelical spirituality as lived in a new existential approach by Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan movement. Francis himself showed that the Gospel is not a prerogative of the clergy and religious but is for all Christians. Franciscan spirituality is based on a personal conversion, centred on living the eucharist, in penance, simplicity and humility. The virtue of poverty is exalted according to the different ways of life one is called to.
SRFE 246 Stages of Religious Formation and African Rites of Initiation
Aim:
This course explores the relationship and draws parallels between stages of religious formation and African rites of initiation, in a move to inculturate religious formation in the African context.
Content:
Topics include: an overview of rites of passage in the African indigenous context; the psychological, spiritual, physical and social aspects; stages of initiation and formation; the African indigenous context in religious formation; the appropriateness, relevance and application of African rites of initiation to religious formation; inculturating religious formation.
SRFE 261 Spirituality and Formative Reading
Aim:
To introduce the students to some of the Spiritual Classics in Western Christian spirituality, and to help students understand the difference between reading that forms and reading that informs so as to help them develop skills for the former.
Content:
Selections from the writings of the following will be explained in terms of the historical context and the school/tradition of spirituality being promoted: Ignatius of Antioch, Pseudo-Dionysius. Augustine, Benedict. Bernard, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Walter Hilton. Devotio Moderna/Thomas à Kempis, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross. Frances de Sales, Thérèsè of Lisieux, Thomas Merton.
SRFE 263 Mysticism
Aim:
This course aims to introduce students to the mystical dimension of the spiritual life by opening them to the awareness of the presence of God in daily life. It implies a way of life that involves the perfect fulfillment of loving God, neighbor, all God's creation, and oneself.
Content:
Topics include: a brief history of the word “mysticism” – its Greek origin, its use by the Greek Fathers (Origen), and its development in theology (John of the Cross); the nature of mysticism and how it is related to the everyday Christian living in the world; the interrelationship between kataphatic and apophatic ways of knowing God and God knowing us; mystical aspects of African traditional spirituality – God's intimacy, transformed self, visions, locutions, psychosomatic reverberations of God's self-communication taking hold of the entire person.
SRFE 264 Spiritual Guidance: Practicum
Aim:
To provide students with the opportunity to learn from experience the art of spiritual guidance. The course will provide theory and practice. The latter will consist of 10 weeks one-to-one participation in prayer guidance.
Content:
Discerning the “call” to become a spiritual guide; dispositions necessary for the ministry of spiritual guidance; gostering of the contemplative attitude; developing listening skills and the ability to help another to grow in attentiveness; the role of supervision in spiritual guidance.
SRFE 265 Church and the Spiritual Life
Aim:
Taking as a point of departure the Vatican II constitutions Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, the course aims at contemplating the mystery of the church from the point of view of Christian spiritual theology. This approach will help us to study Christian spiritual Attitudes, especially “sentire cum et in ecclesia”, a characteristic of authentic Christian spirituality.
Content:
Topics include: the mystery of the church (what it means to contemplate the church, the concept of mystery, the church as an object of faith); elements for contemplating the mystery of the church (the divine dimension of the mystery of the church, the mystery of convocation and its spiritual consequence); the historical dimension of the mystery of the church; biblical images of the church (the church as people of God, the Body of Christ, the spouse of Christ, and the family of God); the missionary dimension of the church (the church as the sacrament of salvation); the eschatological dimension of the church: Mary, “the Mother of God is the type of the church in the order of faith, charity, and perfect union with Christ” (St. Ambrose).
SRFE 266 Retreats: A Practical Course
Aim:
To prepare students to become retreat directors. The course will take a practical approach toward introducing and acquainting the student with the role of director for various types of retreats. The role of the director, the approach, the content, and the techniques for directing; preached retreats, directed retreats, guided retreats for liturgical seasons or themes, and journaling retreats will be studied and applied.
Content:
Topics include: the role of the retreat director; checklist of what has to be in place before starting; how to begin a retreat; design and structure of preached retreats, directed retreats, guided retreats and journal retreats.
SRFE 268 Spirituality of Creation
Aim:
To narrate the story of the universe, with particular emphasis on the story of the formation of the earth and the emergence of the human species. To gain a better understanding of the implications of recent observations of the universe, particularly the implications for the spirituality of human existence. To reflect on the contribution to spirituality of the mystery of our planet earth, the diversity of its manifestations and the complexity of its development. To explore the consequences for humanity and the spirituality of a humanity that exercises extensive control over the systems of the earth.
Content:
Topics include: the story of creation (an overview from religious, cultural and scientific narratives); human emergence and the settlements of humans (the African, Christian and scientific explanations and their contribution to humanity’s understanding of itself in creation); the emergence of complex social structures in classical civilizations and in the rise of nations with their identities, territories and boundaries; the modern revelation of the universe as an irreversible sequence of transformations and the emergence of the ecozoic era with the consequences of the diminishing well-being of the earth for humans.
SRFE 270 Introduction to Carmelite Spirituality
Aim:
This course provides a basic introduction to the great spiritual teachers and models of the 800-year-old Carmelite tradition, which has profoundly influenced Christian spirituality and produced three “doctors of the church” as well as a co-patron of the missions.
Content:
Topics include: 13th century beginnings and the “Carmelite Rule”; medieval Carmelites and devotion to Mary and Elijah; Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross; expansion and missions; Lawrence of the Resurrection and John of St. Samson; the “dark night” of revolution; 19th century rebirth and St. Thérèse of Lisieux; Carmel in the 20th century (Elizabeth of the Trinity, Edith Stein, Titus Brandsma, Jessica Powers); Carmel’s legacy for the church today.
SRFE 271 Principles and Methods in Religious Formation in Africa
Aim:
To explore different models of formation, especially recommending the pilgrimage/discipleship model; to integrate Gospel and traditional values and methods in formation for living the consecrated life in Africa today and in the future; and to explore the various methods of implementing this model in formation.
Content:
Themes include: exploring the meaning of religious formation (both initial and ongoing); holistic formation (the difference between integration and compartmentalization as developed by Vita Consecrata); the supporting role of the human sciences in formation, e.g. psychology and the idea of human identity and stages of growth; various obstacles to growth, e.g., fear, anxiety, doubt, lack of openness, ability to be reflective; various models of church and their impact on formation, e.g., hierarchical model, models based on community of disciples, the family of God; and the role of self-awareness and reflection, paying attention, seeking understanding, making changes in the formation process.
SRFE 272 Prayer Guidance: Practicum
Aim:
This course provides those students training as religious formators with the opportunity of accompanying a retreatant over a period of weeks in which they will learn how to be with the person as she/he reflects on her/his prayer experience. The lectures prepare the students for this task by introducing them to an understanding of the retreat process and how it is meant to guide the retreatants into a deeper awareness of their relationship with God. Students are helped to develop skills in listening and assisting the retreatants to explore their experience.
Content:
Topics include: Ignatian spiritual exercises; the retreat in daily life and the principles underlying it; the development of a contemplative attitude in the retreat guide and retreatant; listening skills (including mirroring and summarising); learning to “stay with” the retreatant; the importance of assisting the retreatant to explore his/her experience so that discernment may take place; problems encountered in the retreat situation; obstacles to deeper listening; the importance of self-awareness in the prayer guide; impact of the retreatant’s story on the prayer guide; different issues in the prayer guide situation such as transference, counter-transference and projection.
SRFE 273 Pastoral Counselling Skills
Aim:
To equip students with knowledge and counselling skills and to create a self-awareness necessary for Christ-centred effective pastoral counselling and fuidance.
Content:
A description of Christ-centred pastoral counseling; a Christian examination of personhood; identification of problems; intervention; skills and qualities of a pastoral counselor; a counselling model for pastoral counselors; the challenges of pastoral counseling, including transference and counter-transference; ethical principles, including confidentiality, responsibility and competence; personal growth; common problems in formation (relationships, addictions, chronic illness, trauma, sexuality, handling change, developmental crises).
SRFE 274 Planning a Formation Programme
Aim:
The aim of this workshop is to help present/future directors and directress of formation to deal with some basic issues that arise in the setting up and living out of a formation programme. The workshop is practical in nature and each participant will be expected to work on the development of a programme concerned with the specific area of formation in which he/she will be working.
Content:
Some basic paradigms; guidelines for the process; the essentials of healthy community living; community dialogue and dynamics; communication in community; interviews and assessments; dealing with conflict; looking to the future.
SRFE 275 Cross-Cultural Communications
Aim:
To acquaint those involved in the ministry of accompaniment as religious formators and spiritual guides with principles of communications that may enable them to freely interact with people of divergent cultures. Communication and culture are not separate entities. Each is produced through a dynamic relationship with the other. The underpinning is that the notion of communication is strongly culture-driven, thus requiring various forms of cultural literacy. This literacy can be achieved through a systematic study of cultural themes, words, signs, symbols, art, rituals and practices of a host culture. Only after becoming culturally literate can one be articulate, and therefore claim to be an adult in a host culture. The old models of cross-cultural communications through translation and transliteration are not only inadequate but fundamentally erroneous. This course is practical in nature as students will be expected to demonstrate their cultural literacy by inquiring into a problem of cross-cultural communications within an African setting.
Content:
Topics include: understanding the concepts of culture and communication; the individual and culture: relating culture to an individual; individual and cultural changes; communications within a culture: language and meaning (words, genres, symbols, signs, art); forms and contents; texts and contexts; cross-cultural perspectives: principles of cross-cultural communications; analysis and solution to problems of cross-cultural communications; practicum addressing the problems of cross-cultural communications.
SRFE 278 Faith, Conversion and Human Transformation
Aim:
To study the centrality of faith in human development as it shapes a person's world view, concept of self and choice of values. To explore the significance of: self-appropriation, conversion, and inner healing, in the process of human transformation. The cultural implications from the African and Western perspective will be explained.
Content:
Topics include: definitions of faith: human and religious; African and Western stages of faith in the personal journey from birth to death; human development theory and personal faith; dealing with a crisis of faith; understanding the reality of conversion through a comparative study of different patterns: biblical, patristic, medieval and modern.
SRFE 279 History of Spirituality
Aim:
To offer a brief overview of major figures and trends in the historical development of Christian spirituality, from the early church to the present day (including contemporary approaches influenced by feminism, liberation theology, ecological concerns, etc.) and to trace how the study of spirituality itself has evolved in modern times.
Content:
Topics include: Christian spirituality in the early church and patristic period, East and West; Christian spirituality in the medieval period; Christian spirituality in the modern period; contemporary trends in Christian spirituality; the emergence of spiritual theology as an independent discipline..
SRFE 280 Women in the Bible
Aim:
The basic aim of the course is to enable students to come to a deeper appreciation and understanding of the evolving role of women in the unfolding of God’s revelation in the Old and New Testaments. The lives of significant biblical women will be presented in their historical, religious and cultural contexts as women in whose lives the action of God is clearly seen, called by God to minister and give life to Israel and the early church. Meanwhile, students will examine the African situation critically, and explore what women are doing and can still do in order to save the continent from the multifaceted dangers facing it now: ecologically, economically, spiritually, etc. Students will come to discover similarities between the Jewish and African cultures.
Content:
Themes include: how God renders the barren fruitful; the biblical view of barrenness (Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, etc.); how God calls women to save Israel (e.g., Judith, Esther); God as restorer of women’s lives; Jesus’ response to women; women in the Gospel of Luke; changing attitudes to women in the early church.
SRFE 281 Canon Law and Consecrated Life
Aim:
This course is especially designed for younger members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as well as their (present and future) formators and superiors. Students will be introduced to the church’s legislation regulating the concept, life, and mission of such Institutes and Societies, as well as the positive role of canon law in helping members to live out their religious values.
Content:
Topics include: the ecclesiology of the 1983 Code of Canon Law; admission and formation in consecrated life; obligations and rights of members; consecrated life and apostolate; Institutes and Societies of diocesan and pontifical approbation; proper law of Institutes and Societies in relation to the Code; administrative and governance issues (external and internal); canonical procedures for separation.
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