Spiritvocmiss

This course is an elective in the field of educational leadership. It explores the rich wealth of Christian frameworks for understanding and nurturing spirituality, vocation and mission. Research on social and psychological development in adulthood is connected to shifting understandings of religion and spirituality. Students explore both the promises and contradictions of this research for the design of effective strategies for adult education and faith formation.

Here is a print version of the syllabus, but please note that any revisions that exist in the online moodle version of the class take precedence over this syllabus.

There are several resources I will mention during the semester, in addition to the required readings.

Required reading:

• Rutger Bregman, Humankind: A Hopeful History
• Robert Kegan, In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life
• Valarie Kaur, See No Stranger
• Casper ter Kuile, The Power of Ritual
• Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering
• S. Lewis, M. Williams, D. Baker, Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose

Additional Books:

• Dorothee Soelle’s The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance
• Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited
• Maggie Ross’s Silence: A User’s Guide
• Margaret Wheatley’s Perseverance
• Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider
• Anything by Elizabeth Johnson, but maybe start with Creation and the Cross
• Anything by Parker Palmer, but I’d start with To Know As We Are Known
• Anita Farber-Robertson, Learning While Leading
• Jennifer Garvey Berger, Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps
• Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, Immunity to Change and An Everyone Culture
• Bushe and Marshak, Dialogic Organization Development

Websites/email lists:

• Richard Rohr’s daily meditations

There are several resources we will mention during the semester:

• Stephen Brookfield’s website (full of articles, handouts, etc.)
• racial identity development chart

Agreements for conversation

• Covenant of presence
• respectful conversation agreement
• ground rules
• norms of collaboration (includes a useful toolkit)
• brave spaces

Spirituality resources more generally

• Creighton’s link list
• PracticingOurFaith
• TitusBrandsma Institute
• Christ in the Desert monastery
• Taiz
• Lift Up Your Hearts
• Common Good radio for kids
• Institute for Welcoming Resources
• D365.org
• mindfulness breathing
• Lord’s prayer dance anthem
• the Ignatian examen
• A “cookbook” of spiritual practices

During the term we will be talking about a variety of ways in which Christians might exercise leadership in public settings. Towards that end it is worth noting some of the following organizations and associations which work in the civil sector:

• LSE links (huge list)
• Res Publica
• Deliberative Democracy
• Parliamentarians for Global Action
• Avaaz.org
• Public Agenda
• Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance
• World Bank’s list of CSO’s
• Mediators Beyond Borders

People exercising public leadership in ways I find interesting

• CounterStories podcast
• Alterguild podcast