Graduate-level courses (anyone may take, just email us for permission)
January 20, 2020 to May 4, 2020
Course Title: C 5101: Ethics and Boundaries
Instructor: Anne Hill, Ph.D.
Class Description: As professional Pagan ministry, we are not only practitioners of our craft, we are its representatives in the wider world. In a society where freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed yet often under siege, the need for minority religions to have robust ethics and boundaries is more important than ever. Students in this class will develop an individual code of ethics and explore personal and organizational boundaries from a wide range of perspectives. Our class forums will explore a wide variety of real-life situations with a focus on both ethical action and achieving positive social outcomes.
Required Reading:
Myers, Brendan, the Other Side of Virtue: Where Our Virtues Come From, What They Really Mean, and Where They Might Be Taking Us. Moon books, 2008
Pastin, Mark, Make an Ethical Difference: Tools for Better Action. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013
Class Meeting: Thursday, 8:00 pm EST
Class Begins: January 20, 2020
Course Title: P5102: Pastoral Counseling
Instructor: David Oringderff, Ph.D. Shane Nelson, MA
Class Description: Pastoral counseling is a unique form of counseling which uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth. It is provided by certified pastoral counselors, who are not only mental health professionals but who have also had in-depth religious and/or theological training. In this we will explore the opportunities and limits of Pagan pastoral counseling, what it is and what it is not. We will trace the history of pastoral counseling as distinguished from psychotherapy, pastoral care, chaplaincy and spiritual guidance. We will address professional issues and develop a Pagan perspective to pastoral counseling.
Required Reading:
Townshend, L. Introduction to Pastoral Counseling. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2009.
Harrow, J. Spiritual Mentoring: A Pagan Guide. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press (2002).
Ivey, Kay and Zaloquett, Intentional Interviewing and Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a Multicultural Society (2014)
Recommended Reading:
Lawrence, Raymond J. Recovery of Soul: A History and Memoir of the Clinical Pastoral Movement, 8th ed. New York: CPSP Press (2017)
Class Meeting: Tuesday 6:00 pm EST
Class Begins: January 20, 2020
Course Title: T5800 Sacred Texts
Instructor: Jeffrey Kupperman, Ph.D.
Class Description: The course will survey sacred texts of the world religions, including the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Quran, the Upanishads, and more. Students will study the historical and cultural contexts in which sacred texts developed, the canonical content of those texts, and the strategies for interpretation of and religious interaction with sacred texts. Students will also problematize the role of text within modern Paganisms.
Required Reading*:
The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised and Updated. HarperOne, 2006 ($27.18 – $17.99); Stephany, Timothy. Enuma Elisha: The Babylonian Creation Epic includes “Atrhasis,” the first Great Flood myth (6.99). Create Space, 2013;
Hart, David Bentley, The New Testament: A Translation ($19.89 – $10.99). Yale University Press, 2019;
Cook, Michael, The Koran: A Very Short Introduction $9.30 – $6.99). Oxford University Press, 2000;
Khalidi, Tarif, trans. The Qur’a ($19.53 – $8.99)n. Penguin Classics, 2009; Tanahashi, Kazuaki, The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic of Mahayana Buddhism ($17.95 – $14.99), Shambala, 2016;
Hirose, Nobuko, trans. Immoveable Wisdom: The Art of Zen Strategy – The Teachings of Takuan Sooh ($24.95) o, Floating World Editions, 2014;
Dogen, Eihei, Moon In A Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen ($14.95) , North Point Press, 1995;
Henricks, Robert G., trans. Lao Tzu;Te-Tao Ching – A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts ($15.88 – $12.99). Ballantine Books, 1992;
Legge, James, trans. Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean ($6.43 – $6.11). Dover Publications, Inc., 1972;
Feurstein, Georg. Introduction to the Bhagavad-Gita: Its Philosophy and Cultural Setting ($17.43). Rider and Company, 1974;
Pravrajika Vrajaprana, Vedanta: A Simple Introduction ($6.95 – $6.60). Vedanta press, 1999;
Easwaran, Eknath, trans. The Bhagavad Gita ($5.79 – $5.43). Nilgiri Press, 2007; easwaran, Eknath, trans. The Upanishads ($6.79 – $5.60). Night Press, 2007.
*Note: Books are not needed all at once – may be spread out over the semester. Prices listed are Amazon prices – the lower price is for an E-Book. Used books are also available.
Class Meeting: Wednesdays, 8:00 PM EST
Class Begins: January 20, 2020
Special 4-week master’s offering: M5200 Introduction to Spiritual Mentoring (G)
Instructor: Rev. Amy Beltaine, MDiv.
Course Dates: March 16 – April 12
Class meetings: Monday, 8PM ET/12AM GMT (1 hour)
Credit: Earns .5 (one-half) credit towards a master’s degree
Course Description: For those considering a profession as a spiritual guide. This course is based in part on the instructor’s two-year training course for professional spiritual directors. Learn from the teachings of psychologists, religious leaders, and mystics. Explore the impact of temperament and psychological type on spiritual growth. Experience spiritual practices to nurture your relationship with the holy. Delve into the growth and acquisition of spiritual wisdom, noting the stages, pitfalls, remedies, and rewards, as well as the importance of sharing the spiritual journey, especially during times of crisis. Explore ethical considerations for spiritual helpers and learn about further training options. NOTE: This link is to register for the graduate section. Scroll down if you want to register as an Insights or continuing education student.
Required texts:
Spiritual Direction 101: The Basics of Spiritual Guidance, by Teresa Blythe (available as ebook and paperback), Other readings will be provided electronically in the online classroom.
Prerequisite: None, Soul Work: Spiritual Formation is recommended
Insights 4-week courses
Insights 1 – Jan. 20 – Feb. 16
The Fair Folk: A Thanatological Perspective
Instructor: Katherine Bayne, MA
Class Description: Who are the Fair Folk? Many do not expect one of the answers to be “the dead”! In this Insights course we will parse through the different types of Fair Folk (focusing on the Irish traditions), examine species of Faery with clearly human folklore (including hauntings, burials and premature deaths) and contemplate the possibility of the Fair Folk as ancestral figures.
Required Reading:
Catherine Briggs, Faeries in Tradition and Literature. Routledge, 2002. There will also be readings online.
Class Meeting: Friday, 8:00 pm EST
Class Begins: Jan. 20, 2020
Insights 2 – Feb. 17 – March 15
Self-Care as Spiritual Leaders
Instructor: Shane Nelson, MA
Class Description: This course will explore the practice of self-care through the lens of Emotional Intelligence, building on the learner’s knowledge of self through the incorporation of exploratory assessments and reflective journaling. Coursework will culminate with the identification of personal tools, practices, and resources for sustainable self-care as spiritual leaders.
Required Reading:
Selected articles and assessment tools are provided in course materials.
Class Meeting; Tuesdays, 8:00 PM EST
Class Begins: Feb. 17
Insights 3 – March 16 – April 12
Introduction to Spiritual Mentoring (I)
Instructor: Amy Beltaine, M.Div.
Class Description: For those considering working with a spiritual director or seeking processes to become spiritually whole. This course is based in part on the instructor’s two-year training course for professional spiritual directors. Learn from the teachings of psychologists, religious leaders and mystics. Explore the impact of temperament and psychological type on spiritual growth. Experience spiritual practices to nurture your relationship with the Holy. Delve into the growth and acquisition of spiritual wisdom, noting the stages, pitfalls, remedies and rewards, as well as the importance of sharing the spiritual journey, especially during times of crisis. (Graduate credit available with additional work, for matriculated CHS graduate students considering becoming spiritual directors.)
Required Reading:
Spiritual Direction 101: The Basics of Spiritual Guidance by Teresa Blythe (available as ebook and paperback). Other readings will be provided electronically in the Moodle classroom.
Class Meetings: Monday, 8:00 PM EST
Class Begins: March 16, 2020
