DCU Home | Our Courses | Loop | Registry | Library | Search DCU
<< Back to Module List

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

All Module information is indicative, and this portal is an interim interface pending the full upgrade of Coursebuilder and subsequent integration to the new DCU Student Information System (DCU Key).

As such, this is a point in time view of data which will be refreshed periodically. Some fields/data may not yet be available pending the completion of the full Coursebuilder upgrade and integration project. We will post status updates as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Date posted: September 2024

Module Title Spirituality
Module Code TP148 (ITS) / RET1027 (Banner)
Faculty Humanities & Social Sciences School Theology, Philosophy & Music
Module Co-ordinatorJohn Murray
Module Teachers-
NFQ level 6 Credit Rating 7.5
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
Coursework Only
[a] To redo a weekly journal for a period of time agreed with lecturer. [b] To redo an essay, in consultation with lecturer on its title/topic.
Description

The purpose of this module is to study Christian Spirituality. This includes examining prayer and spirituality in the Scriptures, in particular in the book of Psalms. An overview of the history of Christian Spirituality is presented. The tight connection between prayer and the mystical theology tradition is explored. A consideration of Trinitarian Spirituality is central to this module. It also investigates spiritualities found in other religious traditions and philosophies, and explores how these relate to Christian spirituality. In this module students develop knowledge and skills in the history and theology of the practices of Christian prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Students will participate in the following learning activities – [a] weekly lectures on the history and theology and practice of spirituality, [b] weekly practice of various methods of meditation, [c] class discussion of these practices and the theory behind them, [d] keeping a weekly personal reflective journal, and [e] completing an essay displaying critical understanding of the key concepts and themes in Christian Spirituality.

Learning Outcomes

1. 1. Engage with the sources, beliefs and practices which have defined Christianity, making guided use of primary and secondary documentation.
2. 2. Critically reflect on and engage with the rich Christian mystical tradition.
3. 3. Initiate and structure a dialogue between contemporary life experience and the Christian traditions of prayer, meditation, and contemplation.
4. 4. Critically appreciate and appraise how Christian traditions of Spirituality are related to those found in other religious and philosophical traditions.



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture24No Description
Assignment Completion30No Description
Independent Study133.5No Description
Total Workload: 187.5

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Spirituality as grounded in philosophy and anthropology

Foundations of Spirituality in Christian Scripture and Faith

Praying with scripture

History of Christian Spirituality

Spirituality and Sacrament/Liturgy/Worship

Vocal and Imaginative/Mental Prayer

Lectio Divina – spiritual reading

Ignatian Spirituality – The Examen

John Main’s ‘Christian Meditation’ – a mantra approach

Mindfulness and other Modern Trends

Christian Spirituality and Spirituality in other Religions

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment0% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Reflective journalStudent will keep a weekly journal in which he or she will reflect on the learning and experience and practices arising out of the module as it unfolds.50%n/a
EssayEssay on one of a number of options, as specified by the lecturer in class. Allows student to choose in consultation with lecturer what topic to study and write about. 2000 words maximum length.50%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories:
Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module.
Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category -
Indicative Reading List

  • Carrette, Jeremy R. and Richard King: 2005, Selling Spirituality: The Silent Takeover of Religion, Routledge,
  • Coakley, Sarah and Paul L. Gavrilyuk (eds.): 2021, The Spiritual Senses: Perceiving God in Western Christianity, Cambridge University Press,
  • Flanagan, Bernadette and László Zsolnai (eds.): 2019, The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions, Routledge,
  • Holder, Arthur (ed.): 2005, The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality, Blackwell,
  • McGrath, Alister: 1999, Christian Spirituality: An Introduction, Blackwell,
  • McPherson, David (ed.): 2017, Spirituality and the Good Life: Philosophical Approaches, Cambridge University Press,
  • Sheldrake, Philip: 2013, A Brief History of Spirituality, 2nd, Wiley and Sons,
  • Torrell, Jean-Pierre: 2013, Christ and Spirituality in St. Thomas Aquinas, Catholic University of America Press,
  • Turner, Denys and Oliver Davies (eds.): 2002, Silence and the Word: Negative Theology and the Incarnation, Cambridge University Press,
Other Resources

None

<< Back to Module List