Spiritual Journey

Below you will find lists of some spiritual classics that would work for discussion/project groups, along with full-text versions of the books online and a suggested published version for a group. I've included a couple of informational web sites for each, though there are plenty more out there (use google.com).

You will need to give me first, second, and third choices by e-mail by 9-23 or in class on 9-24. If I don't hear from you, I may assign you to a group, so be sure you get back to me.

Once you have chosen a book, remember that everyone in the group needs to use the same edition. Most of these books can be ordered through Amazon.com and gotten used. Use the on-line text versions to sample the books to see what attracts you.
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The Desert Fathers: Translations from the Latin (Vintage Spiritual Classics)
by Helen Waddell (Translator), John F. Thornton (Editor), M. Basil Pennington (Introduction)

This is a collection of short stories of very early Christian mystics, individuals who fled the decay of the Roman cities to seek God in the desert. Their self-denial and living conditions were harsh to modern sensibilities, but they provided the model for Christian monasticism that developed later in charity and self-less seeking of the Divine. Here's a taste of this material and some background: http://www.balamandmonastery.org.lb/fathers/indexdesert.htm

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Revelations of Divine Love (Penguin Classics)
by Julian, Elizabeth Spearing (Translator), Julian of Norwich, A. C. Spearing, Julian Norwich

Julian was a 14th century anchoress living in England. An anchorite or anchoress was a person who lived in a little room attached to the church and spent the rest of life in meditation and prayer (along with doing some spiritual guidance for people in the surrounding area). Julian's book was written in the vernacular (that is, English) rather than in Latin, so she describes herself as "unlettered". She actually has two books in one: a short book telling a series of visions she had while very sick; the second book is a more elaborated and interpreted version of the visions, including the insights she had received through prayer and reflection on the meaning of her visions. Julian was in truth a creative theologian, but as a woman, had to communicate her insights in a very deft way. Her understanding of God was that God was very tender, forgiving, and loving; her big intellectual crisis was how to square that sort of God with the Church's teachings about hellfire and damnation. She came away with a reassurance that, though humans can't figure it out and make it right, God can. She also experienced Christ as a mother - pretty radical for us, but something that other mystics of her day had done as well. This web site includes lots of information, including full-text versions of her book (but in very archaic language - much better to buy the version above). http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/julian.htm -- but watch out for the music, which can be a little hard to turn off!

Here's another web site with information on Julian and also some internet-available booklets on Julian and on other mystics before her and after her - some really good stuff: http://www.umilta.net/julian.html

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The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi (Vintage Spiritual Classics)
by Ugolino (Editor), W. Heywood (Editor), Ugolino Di Monte Santa Maria, Carol Zaleski (Preface)

St. Francis is a well-known and beloved Italian saint, who founded an order of poor friars in the early 13th century. The book was written in the middle of the century by Brother Ugolino, one of the early Franciscan friars (presenting an idealized picture of Francis and the early movement). Here's a rather extensive Catholic Encyclopedia article on St. Francis: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm

Here's a reading guide for the book put out by the publisher (Vintage): http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides/little_flowers_of_st_francis_of_assisi.asp

Here are some electronic versions of the book (though the Vintage version is a better choice for a reading group):

http://www.ccel.org/u/ugolino/flowers/

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Interior Castle
by St. Teresa of Avila, E. Allison Peers (Translator)

Teresa of Avila, of 16th century Spain, is one of the most brilliant and insightful of mystics in the canon of spiritual classics. She wrote (or perhaps dictated) in Spanish and has been described as an important formative literary influence in Spanish literature. She writes plainly, citing her own experience and using Biblical references, but portrays some very sophisticated psychological issues facing people doing serious prayer and meditation (such as, "how do you know whether you are really in contact with the Divine or experiencing an illusion?").

Here's another link with a brief bio and additional links for more information:

http://www.ccel.org/t/teresa/teresa.html

Here's a web site that has some information about Teresa and also the full text of the book (but for the group project MUCH better to get the book in print):

http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/catholicclassics/stteresa/castle/interiorcastle.cfm

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The Journal of John Woolman and a Plea for the Poor
by John Woolman, Frederick B. Tolles (Introduction) (Paperback - October 1972)

John Woolman was an American Quaker working and writing in the early second half of the 1700s. He came to have a deep and profound leading (as Quakers call it) to work within the Society of Friends to guide Quakers away from owning slaves. In doing so, he seeded a strong abolitionist movement among Quakers that was very influential. The Journal traces his own spiritual development on this issue, and on other related issues, such as the moral responsibility of consumers to know something about the conditions under which our consumer goods are created - still VERY timely. The published book has more of his work that goes in this direction.

Here's a link to a full-text version of the Journal:
http://www.strecorsoc.org/jwoolman/title.html

Here's another full-text version, with an introductory note:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1772woolman.html

Here's another introductory note:

http://www.bartleby.com/1/2/1002.html

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Dark Night of the Soul : A Masterpiece in the Literature of Mysticism by St. John of the Cross
by E. Allison Peers (Translator), St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross was a 16th century mystic and reformer, like St. Teresa from Spain (and influenced by her), who wrote spiritual poetry.

Here's an introductory note about this book and about St. John of the Cross:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/dark_night.html

Here's the full text of the book:

http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/catholicclassics/johnofthecross/dark_night/darknight1.cfm
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Imitation of Christ
Thomas a Kempis - There's a published version by Vintage.

Born in the 14th century and lived in Holland. This book has been one of the most influential of spiritual classics in the world. First published anonymously in 1418, it has more recently been firmly attributed to Thomas a Kempis. See this site for a long biographical article from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14661a.htm

Electronic version: http://www.ccel.org/k/kempis/imitation/imitation.html

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The Practice of the Presence of God
Conversations and Letters of Brother Lawrence
I'd suggest this edition for a group:
Revell; Reprint edition (January 1, 1999)

Here's a piece about Brother Lawrence, born in France in the early 1600s. He was a soldier, then worked in the kitchen in a monastery, practicing a simple devotion that is reflected in the book (recorded by others and edited from his letters).

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice.html

Electronic version of the book full text: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice.html

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Here's a description of Wild Ivy The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin, Translated by Norman Waddell - from the publisher (Shambala Press). Please note: this is a book reflecting a complex culture and historical time, much like the Christian texts that are set in an earlier time, but including references to Japanese culture and history that will take some thought (and time!) I've read part but not all of the book. Master Hakuin seems to be quite a character, fond of having a good time.

"Hakuin Zenji, also known as Hakuin Ekaku (1689-1769), is often referred to as the "father" of the Japanese Zen Rinzai school. His reforms revitalized the school, ensuring its endurance even to our own day. A fiery and dynamic teacher and renowned artist, Hakuin reemphasized the importance of zazen, or sitting meditation, in his teaching.

This intimate self-portrait of the Zen master includes reminiscences from his childhood, an account of how he came to practice Zen, and a description of his enlightenment experiences."

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Possibility for anyone interested in being more daring and stretching a bit: choose one of these Sufi classics - find descriptions on this web site of Paulist Press under Classics of Western Spirituality: http://www.paulistpress.com/ClassicsWesternSearch.html?id=AVq4aN5i

Ibn Al' Arabi: The Bezels of Wisdom
edited and introduced by R.W.J. Austin; preface by Titus Burckhardt

Fakhruddin Iraqi: Divine Flashes
translated with an introduction by William Chittick and Peter Wilson; preface by Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Ibn 'Ata 'Illah/Kwaja Abdullah Ansari: The Book of Wisdom and Kwaja Abdullah Ansari, Intimate Conversations
translated, introduced, and notes by Victor Danner and Wheeler M. Thackston; preface by Annemarie Schimmel

Ibn 'Abbad of Ronda: Letters on the Sufi Path (Classics of Western Spirituality)
by John Renard (Translator), Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn 'Abbad, Annemarie Schimmel (Translator)

Posted by Mary Shaw at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I am including a list below of selected questions for reflection that come from a process called "Quaker Dialogue," which was designed to prompt deep sharing among a small group of committed members of a Quaker community over a 6-meeting span. I am inviting you to spend some time prior to writing your spiritual history reflecting on these questions one at a time, choosing those that resonate to your experience, and just spending some time thinking or journaling about them. (However, this is NOT intended to replace your reading journal on the course readings and discussions - do these only for your own reflection, not to be handed in.)

The questions are intended to initially sharpen your memory of early experiences, and move you forward into your more mature years. You'll notice that both formal and informal religious experiences are included in the reflections. Skip any questions that don't speak to you. They are simply for your own use in self-reflection and reconnecting to your memories, not designed to shape your subsequent writing.

Questions for reflection:

1. Where were we around the ages of 4, 6, or 8, and can we recall some spot, occasion, or event that remains especially vivid and memorable to us?

2. What was the make-up of the family group or of those to whom we were closely related when we were young, and how did we seem to fit in? How would we assess the "minuses" and "pluses" or our early circumstances?

3. Have we had experiences of nature which were deeply meaningful to us? Do we recall experiences when nature seemed ominous to us?

4. Did we know some or all of our grandparents personally or through stories, and what did they mean to us? Did one of them mean the most? Do we see traits in ourselves like some we remember in our grandparents?

5. What is our experience with animals? Have we known pets who meant a lot to us? What did we value in them? What is our experience with animals today?

6. What were our experiences of friendship as a child? Were they happy or unhappy? What is our experience of friendship now?

7. What play and games filled out childhood? Whom did we play with? Was there a particular friend among these? How do we remember the influence of this person?

8. What or whom did we fear as children? When growing up? What did we do about it? What or whom do we fear now?

9. Who represented authority to us when we were young, and how was order maintained? Did we at some time rebel against authority, and in what way? Who or what is our authority now?

10. Where we now have authority over others, how do we use it? How do we obtain order?

11. How do we tend to relate to people in a new situation? Do we mix readily, or tend to hold back and let others make the first move? Has this pattern changed over the years? How does this characteristic affect the way we relate to others in a religious community?

12. What is our attitude toward our faults or imperfections, and how have we tried to deal with them? Has our attitude changed over the years, and if so, how?

13. What was the attitude toward faults and imperfections in our family? How were these dealt with as a child? How do we deal with them in ourselves now?

14. What kinds of things, in others or in ourselves, make us angry? How was anger expressed in our home?

15. When troubles arise involving other people, what tends to be our reaction: anger, withdrawal, or what? How do we express ourselves? What have we learned about handling ourselves in these situations?

16. What was our religious background? What sort of religious activities, if any, took place in our homes and elsewhere when we were young? And how did we participate? What meaning did these activities have for us?

17. Did we come to have religious experiences of our own, and of what sort? Do we have memory of some moment or happening as the first or early spiritual experience? Have we had crucial emotional or spiritual experiences which represented turning points in our lives?

18. Thinking of our earlier religious background, if any, have we had to find new ways, ideas, and words to meet our religious needs? Have we been able to recover the meaning of some of the religious ideas and words from which we may have been alienated at one time?

19. How has our earlier experience in religion affected our participation in a later religious community, if any?

20. Do we realize now that there were persons in our early lives who conveyed an unconditional sort of love toward us? Have we met such persons later in life? Can we distinguish this sort of love now, in ourselves and others, from other more limited sorts of love?

21. Have we had an experience when our ability to love failed another person? What did we learn from that experience?

22. How do we communicate with those we love? Do we express it in hidden or open ways? How does this differ, if it does, in communications with others?

23. Have we examined in the light of conscience or presence of Deity/Spirit our own attitudes and sublimated prejudices?

24. Have we had the experience of being in the majority group? Of being in a minority group?

25. How has gender acted to make us part of a majority or minority? In what ways have we responded?

Posted by Mary Shaw at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Paper #1 - Spiritual Autobiography – Due October 29

Reflection on our lives in the context of the themes of the course may reveal patterns and directions that we weren’t fully aware of. This paper project encourages you to frame your experience in a new way (to some of you). You may find yourself coming to a greater appreciation for and trust in the direction of your life, or you may find that you are able to articulate challenges and periods of difficulty in new ways.

Before you start writing, go to the course Web site and read over the “Spiritual Memoir Preparation Reflection Questions� that come from a process called “Quaker Dialogue,� which was designed to prompt deep sharing among a small group of committed members of a Quaker community over a 6-meeting span. I’d like you to spend some time prior to beginning the paper project reflecting on these questions one at a time, choosing those that resonate to your experience, and just spending some time thinking or journaling (privately, not to be handed in) about them. The questions are intended to initially sharpen your memory of early experiences, and move you forward into your more mature years. You’ll notice that both formal and informal religious experiences are included in the reflections.

After spending at least a couple of weeks thinking (or journaling) about these questions, you are ready to start writing this paper. Please be as frank as you are comfortable being, but I also want to respect your privacy, so don’t share experiences if you feel uncomfortable doing so.

In this paper, reflect on childhood, youth (teenage and early adulthood), and mature periods of time in your life, and discuss how at least some of the course “themes� have figured in your own spiritual experience, either formal (part of an organized religion) and informal (spontaneous or individualized beliefs and experiences). By the time this paper is due, you will have done quite a bit of the course reading as well, and can make connections to ideas that have sparked reflection or memory for you. Here are the themes again:

* naming and discerning the divine
* ritual and practice
* transcendence and immanence
* ethical and social concerns
* nature and the sacred
* gender in religious language, experience
* false self and authentic self
* metaphor, symbol, and myth
* individual and community
* race/ethnicity and class shaping religion
* spiritual path or progress on the journey

I’d like to see a minimum of five double-spaced, typewritten pages or the (neatly written) handwritten equivalent. Longer is fine. Please don’t skip extra lines between paragraphs; double-space; font size of 11 or 12; use 1-inch margins.

Grading will be based not on the profundity of your experience, but on the degree of clarity you bring to your discussion, especially in your ability to articulate your experience in light of at least some of the themes above. Focus on those themes that connect to what really matters to you, rather than just going down the list. Refer to course reading or outside reading if you feel a personal connection to it, especially where something you have read has changed your experience or thinking in a significant way. I’m not going to suggest an organizational structure, because I think that different individuals will have very different stories to tell.

Be sure to proofread, and if you refer to specific material in the course readings, indicate the author and page number (no need for elaborate or formal footnotes for this paper).

Posted by Mary Shaw at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Required Web-Based Reading for The Sacred Pipe

Please read the supporting material from the web sites below in the following order, paying particular attention to the ways that Black Elk's interviews were used by the writers of the books featuring his words, and to the controversy around his conversion to Catholicism.

The Wikipedia article (very brief - has some links you can explore):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk

http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/BlackElk.html
Copy of the account of Black Elk's vision as a young person (from Black Elk Speaks).

http://www.freestone.com/blkelk.html
Black Elk's account of the Winter of the Hundred Slain (from Black Elk Speaks).

http://www.peace.mb.ca/00.Native/nlrnz02.htm
Brief account of Black Elk's later years as a Catholic catechist (teacher).

http://www.heroesofhistory.com/page89.html
An overview of Black Elk's life with some additional pages and links, along with a nice bibliography of additional works. Read the sections BELOW the bibliography (also linked). Pay particular attention to the bottom of this page, "Why is Black Elk So Controversial?"

http://www.sage.edu/faculty/salomd/mystic-l/9810.html
Then read this brief book report of Clyde Holler, Black Elk's Religion: The Sun Dance and Lakota Catholicism. From this and the site above, think about the question of whether (and how) someone can be a proponent of and practitioner of two faiths without being false to either of them.

Posted by Mary Shaw at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Spiritual Journey -- Questions for Week # 5-6

Sep 24 - Week 5 - Do Web assignment reading first, then read through chapter 4 (p. 66) of The Sacred Pipe;
Oct 1 - Week 6 - Complete The Sacred Pipe.

Reading straight through The Sacred Pipe at one sitting is probably not the best way to proceed. The language and way of thinking found here is quite different than most urban Americans are used to. Try reading one or two sections and then go back and reread again. Read the entire book over these two weeks, while focusing especially on four of the ceremonies: the rite of purification; crying for a vision; the sun dance; and preparing for womanhood. As you read, keep in mind some of these questions, which we will use for class discussion (and you can use any of them that spark particular interest as prompts for your reading journal as well, but are NOT required to write on them).

1. What are some of the common themes, visual images, materials, actions, and rituals that run through the various sacred ceremonies? What unites them?

2. Reflect on Black Elk’s life experience: early life embedded in Lakota culture; visions at age nine; response by his community to these visions over his youth; his experience with the destruction of his people and the Ghost Dance religion; his experience as a dedicated Christian catechist (prayer leader and teacher); and his “discovery� late in life by the writer/compilers of his two books, Neirhardt and Brown, as an expert on Native ways. How is this history reflected in The Sacred Pipe? Do you think his years of active Catholicism have influenced his views? If so, in what ways?

3. In this book, what attitudes does it appear that the Lakota people hold toward spiritual beings? How would their approach to the divine compare to the Jewish or Christian approach, as you understand it?

4. These are sacred ceremonies, and in that sense the book is a sacred text. Certainly contemporary Native people are treating this work as a source of inspiration. Did this reading provide you any opening or window to the divine? What parts of the text did you find most personally engaging?

5. What did your own religious upbringing teach you about relating to the natural world? How is that different from the attitude reflected in this book?

6. After reading about these rituals from a different tradition, do you see the rituals of your own tradition differently? If so, in what ways?

Posted by Mary Shaw at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)