Christian Spirituality Focus
Join the Next Christian Spirituality Cohort
After serving some years of ministry, many people find that not only are their own souls feeling empty but that they never really learned how to help others deepen their lives of prayer, even though this is something they long to do.
The Christian Spirituality Focus gives Doctor of Ministry students the opportunity to explore the depth and breadth of Christian spirituality across time periods, cultures, and contexts. You will also gain key skills to help the people and communities you serve become increasingly open, available, and responsive to the work God is doing in their lives and in the world God loves. You will experience the joy of study in a community of learners, the rejuvenation that comes from attending to your own spiritual life, and the satisfaction of widening the impact of your ministries through preparation for Spiritual Direction in Ministry or Leading Spiritual Formation. The Christian Spirituality Focus attends to spiritual practices across a diverse spectrum of Christian traditions.
How do I earn a certificate along with the D.Min. Christian Spirituality degree?
All students must be in one-on-one spiritual direction before Intensive II and throughout the remainder of the program and should ideally have experience in one-on-one spiritual direction before the program.
After Intensive II, students seeking a certificate will engage in the ministries of either spiritual direction or spiritual formation with bi-monthly distance peer-supervision sessions.
- Spiritual Direction in Ministry: Monthly meetings with at least two directees beginning after Intensive II and continuing for 18 months, with nine peer-supervision sessions.
- Leading Spiritual Formation: Monthly leadership of spiritual formation (or equivalent—leading a retreat would count as two months of spiritual formation) beginning after Intensive II and continuing for 18 months, with nine peer-supervision sessions.
Students may choose to receive a DMin in Christian Spirituality without receiving a certificate. In this case, students will not engage in peer-supervised ministry, but will engage in all other practices sessions and complete the DMin project/thesis.
What are the classes like?
Each course will:
- Engage students in biblical and theological reflection
- Make space for the students to practice prayer and reflect on their own lives of prayer
- Attend to how the subject matter of the course is shaped by culture and context and takes diverse expressions
- Provide some opportunity for students to relate the subject matter of the course to their own ministry contexts or to the ministries of spiritual direction and spiritual formation
WHAT DO CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY STUDENTS STUDY?
Introduction Christian Spirituality: Traditions, Contexts, Practices
Introduces the program, historical/biblical orientation to Christian spirituality, the contextual nature of Christian spirituality, understanding and practicing spiritual disciplines, and developing and keeping a rule of life.
Research Methods Seminar
Explores research methods necessary for the academic work of the program; teaches basic ethnographic or other appropriate research methods. Gives students the opportunity to explore a research question that might become the basis for a D.Min. project.
The Ministry of Spiritual Direction
Orients students toward the historical, theological, and practical nature of spiritual direction. Addresses issues of spiritual direction across contexts and in diverse communities. Incorporates practice spiritual direction sessions. Includes skills in asking formative questions and deep listening.
The Ministry of Spiritual Formation/Teaching and Leading Spiritual Practices
Introduces students to the art and practice of leading spiritual formation experiences, corporate spiritual disciplines, and teaching prayer. Attends to issues of how spiritual formation differs across cultural contexts. Includes workshops in which students practice leading/teaching prayer.
Spirituality, Church, and World
Explores the relationship between spirituality/spiritual formation and the church’s ministry in the world and relates questions of justice with traditions of Christian spirituality. Includes biblical and theological reflection and may relate the themes of the course to deep exploration of figures in Christian spirituality such as Julian of Norwich, Pauli Murray, and Howard Thurman.
Deep Listening/Psychological Concepts for Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation
This course covers a number of topics important for the ministries of spiritual direction and spiritual formation. It deepens the practice of listening students have been exploring throughout the program, and it introduces students to psychological concepts important for these ministries, including human development/faith development, addiction, when to refer, and professional boundaries.
Spirituality and Discipleship in the Gospels
Close study of the Gospels explores the various ways notions of spirituality, spiritual formation, and discipleship take shape in these biblical accounts. Attends to how cultural context shapes how we read and the way the Gospels have influenced subsequent Christian spiritual traditions.
Practicing Discernment Together
Explores the topic of discernment in Christian spirituality, its various expressions in the Christian spiritual traditions and across diverse cultures. Introduces students to the art of leading/teaching discernment in one-on-one setting and in groups. Explores practices of discernment in various ministry contexts.
Protestant Spiritual Traditions
This course explores the theology and development of several major Protestant spiritual traditions, including Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican (including Wesleyan), and Anabaptist, and spiritual practices/emphases associated with them. Attends to how culture and context shape these traditions.
African American Christian Spirituality
Explores the expressions of Christian spirituality in African American Christian traditions. Relates those expressions to the ministries of spiritual direction and spiritual formation.
Christian Spirituality Final Project
The program requires satisfactory completion of a doctoral project and paper, which must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to identify a problem, issue, or concern in his or her own ministry, integrate appropriate theological, biblical, and professional resources, and develop a method for resolution. The doctoral project/paper must reflect depth of theological insight and its positive integration with the practice of ministry. (6 credits)
LEARN MORE ABOUT PITTSBURGH SEMINARY’S D.Min. PROGRAM
Connect with the Doctor of Ministry Office to learn more about our next Christian Spirituality cohort. We'd love to have you join us! Apply now to reserve your space in a future focus. Financial aid and scholarships are available for those who qualify.
