Spirituality Syllabus 2017.pdf

Founda(ons of SPIRITUALITY St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary Fall 2017 • 3 cr. Hieromonk Herman (Majkrzak) And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir. —Gal. 4:6–7 Tuesday: 10:30–11:20 am Thursday: 9:30–11:20 am Course number: Instructors’ email Office Office hours Room 232 SPR 5301 fr.herman@stots.edu 221 MWF, 1:30–3:30 pm Course Descrip(on: This course might be thought of “advanced catechesis,” with a focus on prayer and the spiritual life, also known as “orthopraxis.” After a detailed exposition of the quintessential Christian prayer – the Our Father – we will discuss several key aspects to Orthodox Christian spiritual life: personal and liturgical prayer, the Jesus Prayer and the Psalms, fasting and almsgiving, the liturgical calendar, “dryness” and boredom (the withdrawal of grace), Confession and Holy Communion, spiritual discipleship, and a brief overview of the spiritual tradition of the Philokalia. Parallel to the lectures, there will be a series of reading assignments that will constitute a small survey of some key spiritual texts. The readings may not always be discussed in class, but they are an indispensable element of the course: hence frequent reading quizzes (see below). A note on reading and writing: Most of the reading assignments are relatively short, and students are asked to read them attentively, quietly, and prayerfully. All reading and note-taking for this course are to be done with paper and ink (or pencil): no digital media may be used, as, by design, they lead to distraction. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Required Texts Chariton, Igumen of Valamo. The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997. (Older Faber & Faber edibons much nicer, if you can find them.) Coliander, Tito. Way of the Asce@cs: The Ancient Tradi@on of Discipline and Inner Growth. Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2003. Aimilianos, Archimandrite. The Way of the Spirit: Reflec@ons on Life in God. Maximos Constas, trans. Athens: Indiktos: 2009. Not required to purchase, but will be used extensively. Other short readings will be provided by the instructor throughout the semester. ALendance Policy Students are expected to adend all class sessions. All absences should be discussed, preferably in advance, with the instructor. Failure in this regard will affect the final grade. Habitual tardiness will be noted and also affect final grade. Adendance will also be required at Archimandrite Zacharias’s lecture here on Friday, Oct 27, 7 PM. Grading weights: Class parbcipabon: 8% 9 Reading Quizzes: 27% (3% each) Exam 1: 20% Exam 2: 20% Final exam: 25% Exam 1: Thursday, Oct 5 In class, no notes. 50 min. For each pebbon of the Lord’s Prayer, each student must (a) explain how Christ himself prayed or fulfilled this pebbon (as detailed in study guide); (b) give two other brief, interprebve comments, drawn from the class lectures. Exam 2: Thursday, Nov. 9. In class, no notes. Wriden essays. 50 min. Students will write two out of a choice of three essays. Essay topics to be provided the previous week. Final Exam: tenta(vely Thursday, Dec. 14. In class, no notes. 2 hrs. Three out of a choice of four essays. Essay topics to be provided the previous week. COURSE PLAN Tues., September 5 • Introducbon to course • Spiritual life at seminary • Technology and adenbveness in class and at home TO READ: Colliander, chs 1 & 2 TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 267–279 Thurs., September 7 • Our Father • Who art in heaven TO READ: Colliander, ch 3 Tues., September 12 • Hallowed be thy Name TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 279–289 Thurs., September 14 NO CLASS: Exalta(on of the Cross TO READ: Colliander, ch 4 Tues., September 19 • Thy Kingdom come TO READ: Colliander, chs 5 & 6 TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 289–294 Thurs., September 21 • Thy will be done • On earth as it is in heaven TO READ: Colliander, ch 7 Tues., September 26 • Give us this day our daily bread TO READ: Colliander, chs 8 & 9 TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 317–327 Thurs., September 28 • And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive… • And lead us not into temptabon TO READ: Colliander, ch 10 TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 327–333 Tues., October 3 • But deliver us from the evil one. • For thine is the kingdom… TO READ: Colliander, chs 11 & 12 TO READ: St Ignabus, The Arena, pp. xxi–13 Thurs., October 5 • Exam 1: The Lord’s Prayer • The three temples: in heaven; on earth; in the heart of man TO READ: Colliander, ch 13 TO READ: To be determined Tues., October 10 • Liturgical and private prayer Thurs., October 12 • Developing a Prayer Rule (guest lecture: Archimandrite Sergius) TO READ: Colliander, ch 14 TO READ: St Ignabus, The Arena, pp. 64–67 Tues., October 17 • Liturgical and private prayer, con’d TO READ: Colliander, chs 15 & 16 TO READ: St. Athanasius’s LeJer to Marcellinus on the Psalms (first half) Thurs., October 19 • The Psalter in Chrisban Prayer TO READ: Colliander, ch 17 TO READ: St. Athanasius’s LeJer to Marcellinus on the Psalms (second half) Tues., October 24 • Human cultural foundabons for the spiritual life TO READ: Colliander, chs 18 & 19 TO READ: Archim. Zacharias. Remember, pp. 17–26 Thurs., October 26 • Human cultural foundabons, con’d • The three stages of the spiritual life according to Elder Sophrony of Essex TO READ: Colliander, ch 20 TO READ: Archim. Zacharias. Remember, pp. 26–35 Friday, October 27: 7 PM. Monastery Trapeza G U E S T L E C T U R E: aLendance required Archimandrite Zacharias of St John the Bapbst Monastery, Essex Tues., October 31 • Boredom, dryness, and the departure of grace TO READ: Colliander, chs 21 & 22 TO READ: Schmemann, For the Life of the World, pp. to be determined Thurs., November 2 • The liturgical calendar • Fasbng • Almsgiving TO READ: Colliander, ch 23 TO READ: To be determined Tues., November 7 • Two pisalls: Anbnomianism & legalism TO READ: Colliander, chs 24 & 25 Thurs., November 9 • Exam 2: Essay topics will be provided previous week • Preparabon for Holy Communion TO READ: Colliander, ch 26 TO READ: Schmemann, Confession and Communion Tues., November 14 • Confession TO READ: Art of Prayer, pp. 9–27 TO READ: Farrer, A Faith of Our Own, pp. 65–74 Thurs., November 16 • Spiritual fatherhood, discipleship, friendship TO READ: Art of Prayer, pp. 27–38 November 21 & 23 NO CLASSES: Entrance of Our Lady & Thanksgiving Day TO READ: Farrer, A Faith of Our Own, pp. 75–80 Tues., November 28 • Logismoi, temptabon, and revelabon of thoughts • Repentance TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 71–80 Thurs., November 30 • Viewing of America’s Holy Mountain. a documentary history of St. Tikhon’s Monastery. Tues., December 5 • The Philokalia TO READ: Aimilianos, Way of the Spirit, pp. 81–93 Thurs., December 7 • The Philokalic tradibon in Slavic Countries • Concluding thoughts Thurs., December 14 • Final Exam: Essay topics will be provided previous week SELECT ORTHODOX BIBLIOGRAPHY Augusbne of Hippo, Saint. Confessions. F.J. Sheed, trans. Indianapolis: Hacked Publishing, 2006. (recommended transla(on) Bloom, Metropolitan Antony. Beginning to Pray. New York: Paulist Press, 1970. Brianchaninov, St. Ignabus. The Arena: Guidelines for Spiritual and Monas@c Life. Lazarus Moore, trans. Jordanville: Holy Trinity Publicabons, 2012. Cassian, St. John. The Conferences. Boniface Ramsey, trans. New York: Newman Press, 1997. Deseille, [Archimandrite] Placide. Orthodox Spiritual and the Philokalia. Wichita: Eighth Day Press, 2008. Florovsky, [Archpriest] Georges. “The Ascebc Ideal And The New Testament: Reflecbons on the Cribque of the Theology of the Reformabon.” From The Collected Works of Georges Florovsky, vol. 10, The Byzan@ne Asce@c and Spiritual Fathers (Vaduz, Europa: Buchervertriebsanstalt, 1987), pp. 17–59. ———. Chris@anity and Culture. The Collected Works of Georges Florovsky, vol. 2. Elchaninov, Alexander. The Diary of a Russian Priest. Yonkers: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997. Golitzin, [Archbishop] Alexander. The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain. South Canaan: St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 1996. New edi(on forthcoming from STM Press. Isaac the Syrian, Saint. Prayers of Saint Isaac the Syrian. Sebasban Brock, trans. Manton, Calif.: Divine Ascent Press, 2011. Khrapovitsky, Metropolitan Anthony. Confession: A Series of Lectures on the mystery of Repentance. Jordanville: Holy Trinity Monastery, 1975. Korsun, Sergei. Herman: A Wilderness Saint: From Sarov, Russia to Kodiak, Alaska. Jordanville: The Printshop of St Job of Pochaev, 2012. Lives of the Opbna Elders. Several vols. St. Herman Press. Patriarchate of Anboch. A Pastoral Guide to the Holy Mysteries. Cambridge: Aquila Books, 2001. Schmemann, Protopresbyter Alexander. Confession and Communion: Report Accepted and Approved by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America. 1972. ———. Of Water and the Spirit. Yonkers: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997. Sophrony, Archimandrite. Saint Silouan the Athonite. Yonkers: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1999. ———. Striving for Knowledge of God: Correspondence with David Balfour. Essex: Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Bapbst, 2016. Theophan the Recluse, Saint, ed. Unseen Warfare. Yonkers: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997. Zacharias, Archimandrite. Remember Thy First Love: The Three Stages of the Spiritual Life in the Theology of Elder Sophrony. Dalton, PA: Mount Thabor Publishing, 2010. NOTEWORTHY WORKS By Non-Orthodox Writers Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. Farrer, Ausbn. A Faith of Our Own. Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1960. Knox, Ronald. Pastoral Sermons. London: Burns & Oates, 1964. Laird, Marbn. Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Chris@an Prac@ce of Contempla@on. Oxford University Press, 2006. Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape LeJers. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. ———. The Great Divorce. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. Mascall, E.L. Christ, the Chris@an and the Church: A Study of the Incarna@on and its Consequences. London: Longmans, 1963. Newman, John Henry. Parochial and Plain Sermons. Sundry edibons. Ratzinger, Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI). Jesus of Nazareth. New York: Doubleday, 2007. (Contains, among other things, an excellent commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, including the Lord’s Prayer.) INVALUABLE POETRY AND FICTION Dickens, Charles: David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, etc., etc. Lewis, C.S.: The Space Trilogy. The Chronicles of Narnia. Tolkien, J.R.R.: The Lord of the Rings. (i.e., the books.) The poems of John Donne, George Herbert, and T.S. Eliot.