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Pastoral Care and Counseling
- The Human Person In Modern Western Thought
- Ministry In The Marketplace
- The Modern Search For Personal Meaning
- Moral Development And Child Psychology
- Myth, Theology, and Pastoral Ministry
- Personal Meaning And Spiritual Wholeness
- Psychoanalysis And The Whole Person
- The Sacred In Modern Society
- Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy: Method Of Choice In Pastoral Psychology
The Human Person in Modern Western Thought
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: Erich Fromm is a depth psychologist who is called the “psychologist of love,” a love that is responsible, responsive, and comprehensive. His insights greatly compliment the Christian idea of love as more than compassion and includes social justice in the world and integrity in human relationships. Morgan’s book compliments the great classic of Fromm on the art of loving responsibly.
Readings:
- The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm
- Being Human: Perspectives on Meaning and Interpretation by John Morgan
Ministry in the Marketplace
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: Those in ministry, whether among the clergy or the laity, all feel the pressures of the workplace and in the marketplace. The professional stress felt by those involved in ministry, whether in the parish, in the classroom, in the hospital, or in the world, is further aggravated by the growing confusion as to the nature and meaning of ministry today. The role of professional ministry is explored from three different perspectives in this course.
Readings:
- The Priestly Office: A Theological Reflection by Avery Dulles, SJ
- A Preface to Theology by W. Clark Gilpin
- Scholar, Priest, and Pastor: Ministry Priorities Among the Clergy Today (A Study of Stress and Satisfaction in the Workplace) by John Morgan
The Modern Search for Personal Meaning
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: A medical psychiatrist and survivor of the Holocaust, Viktor Frankl is the creator of a counseling method called “logotherapy,” or “meaning therapy.” In contrast to Freud who concentrated on the deeply represented dark side of human personality, Frankl was extremely optimistic about healing the wounded person by concentrating on his “will to meaning” in a world in which the search for the purpose and direction of life was available to all who would seek it. His classic book is complimented by an introductory commentary on his system of thought in Morgan’s book.
Readings:
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Viktor Frankl and the Will to Meaning)
Moral Development and Child Psychology
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: Jean Piaget is considered the greatest child psychologist of the 20th century and his expertise in the field of educational psychology and the psychology of children is unsurpassed. His classic on educational method and child psychology is complimented by Morgan’s summary of Piaget’s understanding of children’s moral development.
Readings:
- Science of Education and the Psychology of the Child by Jean Piaget
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Chapter IX: Jean Piaget and the Development of Mind)
Myth, Theology, and Pastoral Ministry
Faculty: Timothy Allen, Ph.D. (GTF), John Macquarrie Fellow
Description: The Church as seen today in its ministerial functions relies too much on rational, scientific theologies for its explanations of pastoral phenomena. A specific example is the use of God-talk. Whereas many caregivers and theologians dismiss such language as theologically unsound, when examined in the categories of myth it can be seen to have a meaningful pastoral purpose. Myth helps explain the unexplainable and provides support in times when current "acceptable" theologies fail to adequately explain the event. This course demonstrates the importance and use of myth as a meaningful interpretive tool for pastoral ministry and theological explanations of religious phenomena.
Required Readings:
- Eliade, Mircea (trans. by Willard R. Trask). Myth and Reality. New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1963.
- Allen, J. Timothy. A Theology of God-talk: The Language of the Heart. New York: Haworth Press, 2002.
Personal Meaning and Spiritual Wholeness
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: This course is designed for those interested in reading and discussing the works of the leading figures of the 20th century. The emphasis will be upon the concept of "meaning" as relates to the purpose and direction of personal existence and the pursuit of spiritual well-being. The student will read a major text in the field which consists of a careful analysis of the key thinkers, followed by three classic texts of the student's choice related to the assigned readings for each of six 500-word essays.
Required Readings:
- BEING HUMAN: Perspectives on Meaning and Interpretation (Essays in Religion, Society, and Culture) by John H. Morgan
- Select one classic text from three of the six selected thinkers from the bibliographies following each chapter.
Psychoanalysis and the Whole Person
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: This is an introductory course for the uninitiated student in the general field of depth psychology. From the concept of the pleasure principle to the reality principle as developed by Sigmund Freud, the student will be introduced to the fundamental ingredients in modern psychoanalytic theory. The student will read a major classic by Freud in the field within the context of a discussion of the major points in Morgan’s book.
Readings:
- Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Chapter IV: Sigmund Freud and the Principle of Reality)
The Sacred in Modern Society
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: The erosion of the idea of the sacred in modern society is evident to everyone. Peter Berger, the modern prophet of rediscovering the Sacred in secular society today, explores the fundamental problems of secularization and argues that rediscovering the sacred in a commercialized world is possible if we truly understand that the “secular” means simply “the practice of the absence of God,” whereas the “sacred” means “the practice of the presence of God.” Reversing the trend will be our focus.
Readings:
- The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion by Peter L. Berger
- A Rumor of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Sacred by Peter L. Berger
Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy: Method of Choice in Pastoral Psychology
Faculty: Dr. Ann V. Graber (Profile)
Description: The spirit-centered method of treating the suffering person, termed “logotherapy,” was developed by Viktor Frankl who was a psychiatrist, philosopher, and a man of faith. Logotherapy views meaning orientation that leads to the pursuit of a person’s highest values as the primary motivation in life. Thus, it is ideally suited for those serving in ministry and in diverse areas of pastoral care. This course will explore the foundations and applications of logotherapy through Dr. Frankl’s lecture series, which was presented at a school of theology and is captured in his book The Will to Meaning. Ann Graber’s book adds a historical and contextual perspective.
Required Readings:
- The Will to Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
- Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy by Ann V. Graber
Suggested Prerequisite Course: The Modern Search for Personal Meaning