Master’s Courses
Course Title: P6203 Sages and Crones: Ministry to and for Older People
Professor: Vivianne Crowley, Ph.D.
Class Description: As the Pagan community matures, we are called to address the demographic shift of increasing numbers of older Pagans. This challenges clergy to both offer spiritual models that value and encourage spiritual growth in old age and to cater for the needs of older Pagans to enable them to play an active role in the community. In this master’s level course, you will become familiar with aging issues for the general population and how these may impact Pagans and Paganism. The course will assist clergy in helping Pagans and Paganism meet the challenges of old age, in developing models of spiritual development and maturity that can point the way to how the last third of life can be lived in a fulfilling and constructive way, and in reflecting on personal issues related to aging.
Required Reading: No text required. Relevant journal articles will be supplied by the professor.
Class Meeting: Alternate Sundays 11:00 AM ET
Class Begins: September 7, 2020
Course Title: M5900 The Art and Craft of Sacred Speech: Homiletics
Professor: Erica Baron M.Div.
Course Description: Pagan clergy, as all clergy, are called to speak to, for and about the religious community. An exploration of authentic preaching as a ministry of exhortation, encouragement, teaching and working with energies always present in ritual, we aim to cultivate these ministries and the individual gifts of the preacher. Emphasis is placed on identity, presence, as well as the power of story within narrative and nonnarrative preaching. Explore the preparation and delivery of messages in sacred context and the understanding of what it means to speak and proclaim truth from an authentic sense of the community’s values that inspires, edifies, and challenges others.
Required Books: Breathing, Awareness, and Joy by Carol Fox Prescott. Available at http://carolfoxprescott.com/book-breathing-awareness-joy/
Class Meeting: Mondays, 7:00 PM ET
Class Begins: September 7, 2020
Course Title: P6101 Counseling Theories
Professor: Keith Cates, Ph.D.
Course Description: Counseling Theories will explore the historical origins and evolution of contemporary models of psychotherapy and counseling, and current professional research and practice in the field. The student will learn various interventions modalities that may be applied to similar client presentations, and gain insights on how to tailor the most appropriate intervention for a specific client and develop his/her personal paradigm for counseling. Spiritual issues are often an integral but subtle part of counseling process; students will enhance their abilities to recognize and address these issues from a Pagan perspective.
This course will provide an in-depth examination of current psychotherapies and the underlying framework on which each are built. The psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral and humanistic approaches will be compared and contrasted. How race, gender, ethnicity, culture, and religion impact an approach and outcome to counseling will also be explored.
Prerequisite: P5106, Personality Theories, or permission of instructor.
Required Books: Bankart, Talking Cures: A History of Western and Eastern Psychotherapies. (1st edition). Brooks Cole. ISBN-13:978-0534343835. (1996)
Class Meeting: Tuesdays at 10 PM ET
Class Begins: September 7, 2020
Insights 4-week Courses
Insights 1 – Sept. 14 – Oct. 11
Class Title: Per Ankh II
Instructor: Holli Emore, M.Div.
Class Description: four more weeks about one of the most fascinating cultures of the past. More study of the goddess and her importance, the god and the priestly king, the legacy of Djehuty-hieroglyphs, magic, medicine, and rituals.
Required Reading: Pinch, Geraldine, Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Naydler, Jeremy, Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred. Inner Traditions, 1996.
Class Meeting: Sundays, 1:00 PM ET
Class Begins: September 14, 2020
Class Title: Archetypal Imagery in Counseling II
Instructor: Angela Chamberlain, MA
Class Description: Learn experientially how to achieve personal and client goals using techniques that incorporate mythology from Asian, Middle Eastern, and European myths.
Required Reading: Nelson, A. Archetypal Imagery and the Spiritual Self: Techniques for Coaches and Therapists. Singing Dragon Publishing.
Class Meeting: Thursdays, 8:00 PM ET
Class Begins: September 14, 2020
Insights 2 – Oct. 12 – Nov. 8
Class title: Pathworking for Healing
Instructor: Shane Nelson, MA
Class Description: This course will explore the use of pathworking as a healing practice through the lens of stages of development and archetypes, building on the learner’s knowledge of self through the practice of guided visualization and reflective journaling. Coursework will culminate with exploration and incorporation of tools, exercises, and resources for a sustainable practice of using pathworking for healing.
Required Reading: Materials will be provided by instructor
Class Meeting: Tuesdays 8:00 PM ET
Class Begins: October 12, 2020
Insights 3 – Nov. 9 – Dec. 6
Class Title: Grief and Pagan Practice
Instructor: Katherine Bayne, MA
Class Description: Suffering from bereavement in the Neo-Pagan world can be especially difficult when seeking understanding, community and even simple answers. In this Insight, we’ll examine the special challenges Neo-Pagans face when bereaved: disenfranchised grief, the lack of family or even group support, the struggle to find effective and relevant counseling, effective interventions, and more.
Required Reading: Readings will be provided.
Class Meeting: Wednesday 9:00 PM ET
Class Begins: November 9, 2020
