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COURSES

The following is a list of courses that I have taught at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA,

and Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA.

 

LITURGICAL SPIRITUALITY

 

This course invites participants to reflect upon the spiritual and ritual aspects of Christian liturgy in order to acquire a deeper appreciation of what transpires during liturgical celebrations.  By way of reflection and faith sharing, we will concentrate on the texts of three books written by leading authorities on liturgical spirituality: Paul Janowiak, Nathan Mitchell, and Bruce Morrill.  The subtopics and themes that will be unearthed include a wide range of spirituality interests: the paschal mystery, the four modes of Christ's presence in Eucharistic celebrations, sacrament and symbol, ritual speech and revelation, the Lord's Prayer, the body in Christian worship, and the positioning of liturgical worship within postmodern life.

CHRISTIAN LITURGY: PRINCIPLES OF

PASTORAL LITURGY

This course is designed as a pastoral introduction to the actions, symbols, texts and contexts which comprise the breadth and depth of Eucharistic celebrations.  It is intended for pastoral ministers (presiders, directors of liturgy and worship, music ministers, lectors, eucharistic ministers, etc.), M.Div. and other Masters level students.  By the end of the course, co-learners will:

 

  • Acquire a deeper theological understanding and historical background of each of the four parts of the Mass;

 

  • Become exposed to key official documents and pastoral resources;

 

  • Gain familiarity and mastery of foundational principles for the planning, preparation, and ritual performance of liturgies, including, but not limited to: the shape, structure and flow of the Mass, the liturgical seasons, art and environment, inculturation, and the various liturgical roles (presider, deacon, preacher, music minister, lector, acolytes/servers, sexton/sacristan, and eucharistic and hospitality ministers).

RITUAL, POWER, AND LITURGY

This lecture and discussion course explores the liturgical life of the Christian community as viewed through the lens of ritual studies.  Writings of ritual scholars including David Ketzler, Nathan Mitchell, and Catherine Bell are placed in conversation with practices of Roman Catholic liturgy within the larger context of Christian worship.  Co-learners will gain insight into official liturgical documents and liturgical law, and then investigate how worshippers come to negotiate a variety of ritual sensibilities of power and cultural-identity affiliations.  Pastoral concerns will include, but not be limited to, how worship communities have implemented the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. Other topics will be considered based on the pastoral needs and interests of the students. 

LITURGY, CULTURE AND INCULTURATION

This course will explore the relationship between liturgy and the many sociocultural practices of religiosities and spiritualities that currently mark our modern lives.  After exploring preliminary definitions of sociocultural identity terms (e.g., culture, race, nationality, ethnicity, etc.), we will consider how expressions of these identities come to be celebrated during official and non-official worship practices (e.g., Sunday Eucharist, weddings, popular devotions, etc.), as well as how technological practices are shaping and challenging liturgical worship today (the use of the internet, iPhone and iPad apps, etc.).  Methodologically, we will place writings on liturgy, culture, and inculturation in dialogue with modern and postmodern practices, ending with practical suggestions for pastoral settings, which includes the planning and preparing of liturgies in multicultural contexts, and the development of intercultural competence.  This course is aimed towards pastoral leaders, music and liturgy directors, youth ministers, and clergy. 

ASIAN LITURGIES

AND DEVOTIONS

Offered at GTU in  Spring 2008, this course was the first of its kind to be offered in a U.S. Roman Catholic Institution.  We explored the liturgical celebrations and devotional practices that stem from the various Asian Pacific heritages.  Areas of interdisciplinarity included: Asian/Asian American identities and ecclesial identity; Asian/Asian American history; popular piety and devotions in Asian contexts; the process of liturgical inculturation; intercultural communication and pastoral considerations.  Our approach to this subject was explored from a Roman Catholic perspective within a larger ecumenical context.  Representatives from the Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities provided preliminary framings and helped lead our investigations and discussions. 

         LITURGICAL THEOLOGY

This course is designed as a theological introduction to the actions, symbols, texts, and contexts which comprise the breadth and depth of Christian liturgy.  It is intended for M.Div. and other Masters level students, and has Roman Catholic liturgy as its particular focus. Classes will be comprised of both lectures and discussions on assigned readings and projects.  

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