Monastic Studies
Spirituality & Monastic Studies
It would be great if we could offer something that would complement the License in Spiritual Theology
with a Benedictine and Monastic character that is taught at the Istituto Monastico, Sant’Anselmo, Rome.
Monastic Studies traces its descent from the early traditions of monastic learning that are ‘sapiential’, rather than ‘scholastic’. Pope Benedict XVI referred to the value of ‘monastic theology’ in a General Audience of 28 October 2009. Monastic theology also has its home in medieval Benedictine and Cistercian monastic colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. At Oxford St. John’s, Trinity and Worcester are colleges which descend from such foundations. The monastic colleges aimed to provide the monks of their time with a formation in theology, philosophy or other useful subjects, such as canon law.
We would like to make the sapiential tradition available to a wider public than monks and to include great diversity.
Monastic
The monastic core of St Benedict’s Abbey in Ealing is part of its essential character or ‘spirituality’, appreciated by employees, neighbours and tutors alike. While students and tutors of the Benedictine Institute come from all religious traditions and none, living and working alongside monks always proves to be a positive experience for them. In turn, monks can gain from mingling with a very diverse student body, while maintaining the monastic character of their life.
It would be great if we could offer a programme adapted to our contemporary European cultures.
The following courses will be offered in the future at unspecified dates
Module: MS 401 Understanding Spirituality: An Introduction : (offered 2016)
Module: MS 402 New Monasticism: (offered 2016) : Michael Casey OCSO
Module: MS 403 World Spirituality: Historical Figures : tbc
Module: MS 404 Monastic traditions: Fundamentalism & moderation : tbc
Module: MS 405 Interfaith Dialogue: Conflict resolution : xxx xxx
Module: MS 406 Contemporary Europe: Traditions of religion and non-religion: tbc
Module: MS 407 Understanding Spirituality: Community & Maturation : tbc
Module: MS 408 Religious Fundamentalism: James Leachman OSB, Giorgio Pittalis OP, Paul Ellis (offered 2016)
optional: MS 409 Desert Fathers & Mothers : (offered 2014, 8-11 October 2018) Ephrem Carr O.S.B.
optional: MS 410 John Cassian‘s Institutes and Conferences : (offered 2015) Ephrem Carr O.S.B.
optional: MS 411 Rules of St Basil for monastics : (offered 2016): Ephrem Carr O.S.B.
optional: MS 412 Early Latin Rules: St Augustine of Hippo, Cassiodorus & Caesarius of Arles: 4 days for monastics, 9-12 October 2017: Ephrem Carr O.S.B; 2 days for oblates and lay people, 13-14 October 2017.
optional: MS 413 Rule of St Benedict: Context and interpretation : tbc
optional: MS 414 Evagrius Pontikus: Context and interpretation : tbc
optional: MS 415 Early Latin Rules: The Master and St Columban : tbc
optional: MS 416 Monastic identity in Contemporary Societies: Developments and Self-Positioning
optional: MS 420 Psychology of Groups: Cultural sensitivity to celibacy and couples : tbc
optional: MS 421 Rules of St Basil for all: 2 days, 14, 15 October 2016: Ephrem Carr O.S.B.
© Ealing Abbey edited JL 9 April 2018