Introduction to Spiritual Theology

These postings offer those preparing for the Roman Catholic priesthood information towards a systematic presentation of Spiritual Theology. This information is specifically geared toward preparation for ministry and supplements classroom lectures and reading assignments. Topics cover the nature of spiritual theology in priestly ministry, the history of Christian spirituality, the universal call to holiness, identification with Jesus, the indwelling of the Trinity, the supernatural organism and the Christian life, the nature and stages of spiritual growth in Christian perfection, the kinds and stages of prayer, the means to spiritual maturity appropriate for the various states of life, discernment of spirits, and ordinary and extraordinary mystical phenomena. These subjects are considered in relation to the cultivation of the parish community as “a school of prayer” and provide a significant portion of the minimal content that must be mastered to successfully complete Fall Semester 2005 theo 6105 Spiritual Theology at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. The course begins on Sept. 1, 2005 and continues until December 16, 2005. The mastery of at least two years of philosophy and three years of graduate level theology in Scripture, Morals and Dogma are presumed in the postings, although I hope that others might benefit from what is posted as well. Your comments and questions are most welcome.