Graduate Program in Spiritual Theology
Registration is open for the Fall Quarter at the Graduate Program for Spiritual Theology. The Graduate Program is a Masters-level certification program in spiritual theology. Students study the mystical tradition of the Church while incorporating what they learn into their own spiritual lives. The program equips students to teach others the richness of the mystical tradition.
Below is a list of the courses being offered in the upcoming Fall Quarter.
Introduction to Spiritual Theology: Taught by Dr. Joseph Holcraft,
this systematic presentation of Spiritual Theology and the principles of spiritual direction is geared toward personal appropriation for those involved in the apostolate. Lecture topics include the universal call to holiness, the indwelling of the Trinity, the nature and stages of Christian perfection, the supernatural organism and the Christian life, identification with Jesus and Mary, kinds and stages of prayer, the means to spiritual maturity appropriate for the various states of life, discernment of spirits, and ordinary and extraordinary mystical phenomena.
Theology of Divine Mercy and Suffering: Taught by Dr. Michael Gama, this course will explore the theology of mercy, the spiritual doctrine of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Maria Faustina, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and Saint John Paul II. These are thematically surveyed in relation to the realities of conversion and suffering in the Christian life. In light of these modern day witnesses and the teachings of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, Divine Mercy remains the dominant spiritual theme of our era and a key to approaching the new evangelization.
Evangelical Counsels and the Beatitudes: Taught by Dr. Ben Nguyen, this course covers the nature and call of poverty, chastity and obedience and how they are means to beatitude. These vows that many religious take are also the evangelical counsels and can be lived out in varying degrees by all Christians.
We hope you can join us for the fall quarter of the Graduate Program at the Avila Institute. Apply here.
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Photographs of Dr. Holcraft, Dr. Gama, and Dr. Nguyen for this post on the fall quarter of the Avila Institue Graduate Program used with permission.
About Dylan Jedlovec
Dylan Jedlovec is an Operations Administrative Assistant at the Avila Foundation, parent organization of SpiritualDirection.com, the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, and Divine Intimacy Radio. Finishing up an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Economics from Samford University, Dylan is first and foremost a disciple of Christ and a son of the Church. Dylan has a heart for evangelization on college campuses, and has worked closely with FOCUS as a student missionary and served as President of the Catholic Student Association at Samford. As a member of the University Fellows Program at Samford, Dylan developed a love for the writings of the Saints, particularly the Doctors of the Church, through his studies of the core texts of the Western Intellectual Tradition. This love for the rich intellectual tradition of the faith brought him to the Avila Foundation, where he seeks to further the kingdom through feeding Christ’s sheep. In his free time, Dylan enjoys watching baseball, reading, hiking, running, and lifting weights (although you can’t really tell).
