Discernment: Theology & Practice

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course studies the theology of discernment in the Christian tradition, principally in relation to a theology of vocation as the challenge and possibility of "hearing the word of God and acting on it." In order to study what it means to "hear", the course will attend to the importance of solitude, contemplation, and developing a scriptural memory within the Christian tradition, while also diagnosing the challenges to listening in the modern world. To study what it means to "act" on the word of God, the course will attend to the priority of mercy, commitment, and sacrifice in the Christian life. Methodologically, part of the study of discernment will include engaging in and reflecting on practices of discernment that relate to the "hearing" and "acting" dimensions of the Christian vocation.