Adult Spiritual Renewal & Empowerment


The Institute for Adult Spiritual Renewal

Summer 2008

Week 3 July 13-July 18

— 8:30 am to 10:30 am —

Morwood310 - SOLID GROUND FOR A CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY
Michael Morwood


Many Christians no longer believe some aspects of "essential" Christian belief. This course addresses the shift in which they find themselves. It attempts to articulate a Christian vision of life that's faithful to Jesus and truly "catholic" in its respect for God's presence in all people.



Hernandez311 - A SPIRITUALITY OF IMPERFECTION: THE JOURNEY OF HENRI NOUWEN
Wil Hernandez


This course has a twofold focus: firstly, it synthesizes Henri Nouwen's schema of the inward, outward, and upward journey which we all embark upon - weaving psychology, ministry, and theology with spirituality into a seamless whole; secondly, it explores Nouwen's spirituality of imperfection which he embodied throughout his lived experience - where the journey toward perfection is through the realities of imperfection.



Hiebert312 - WOMEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Paula Hiebert



In ancient Israel every woman lived under authority of some male - father, brother, husband - for all of her life. From Eve, the first woman in Genesis, all the way down to Susannah in the book of Daniel, we encounter women as part of a male-dominated society. Yet the biblical text also portrays women as restless under the influence. They challenge and subvert male authority. They act under another influence. We will look at the biblical accounts of some Old Testament women (Eve, Hannah, Tamar, and others) and reflect on how knowing that these women lived "under the influence" affects our reading, praying, and relating to these texts.



— 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm —

Sparks320 - BIOMEDICAL MORALITY: PERSONAL DILEMMAS & PUBLIC CONCERNS
Richard Sparks, CSP


A mini-course in biomedical ethics - some core principles, followed by a session each on end-of-life issues, beginning-of-life issues, financing healthcare for all, and cutting-edge technologies. An excellent overview for pastors, chaplains, pastoral ministers, teachers, catechists, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in the medical issues that confront all of us in our 21st century world.



Stella321 - A COMMUNITY OF MYSTICS: PERSONAL DILEMMAS & PUBLIC CONCERNS
Tom Stella


Mystics were not uncommon in the early church. Many people both had, and trusted their experience of the Holy leading them to recognize the intimate communion with God that constituted their deepest self, and that of all people. When the Church is understood as a community of mystics, it reclaims its true meaning and power. The course will examine what it means to be a mystic, explore aspects of religion from a mystic's perspective, and consider how this self-understanding might revitalize the Church.



Ludwig322 - THE ART OF THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
Robert Ludwig



In this course we will learn and practice a process that helps us grow our awareness and learn from our experience. Theological reflection brings self-awareness and our faith tradition together in prayerful and critical reflection - helping us understand better our relationships and activities, our interactions at work and at home. Today theology is something that all adult believers are called to do - not in an ivory tower or library, but in the everydayness of our lived existence. This course will help participants learn how to do theology - and do it well.



Viviano323 - CREATION REVISITED
Pauline Viviano



There have been many answers given to the question, "How did we get here?" Our focus will be on answering the question from the Bible, with special attention directed to Genesis creation accounts and what they tell us about who God is, who we are, and how we relate to God and to the world in which we live. We will also see how modern biblical scholarship and papal statements can help Catholics understand the doctrine of creation while accepting the facts of modern science.

— 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm —

Fiand330 - PRAYING PEACE: HARNESSING THE ENERGY OF CREATION
Barbara Fiand, SND de Namur


We live in times of national as well as international emergency. In moments such as these it is easy to feel discouraged and helpless, small and inconsequential. Our time together will be spent in challenging these feelings and reclaiming our heritage as peacemakers and "transformers of space." By our baptism we are committed to live in the resurrection energy. We will explore what this means and try to experience prayer as a way to transmit peace, a way to claim our personal and very direct power of God's reign, a way to use the insights and discoveries of our time-grace-filled opportunities for spiritual renewal - to bring about transformation and healing?

[ ASRE Home ] - [ The Retreat Experience ] - [ Director's Message ]
[ Retreat Center List ] - [ Institute for Adult Spiritual Renewal ]
[ Speakers Bureau ] - [ Recommended Readings ] - [ Contact Us ]

Contact us at:
E-Mail: retreatsintl@luc.edu
Phone: (312) 915-7970
10 East Pearson Street 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60611

URL: www.retreatsintl.org