Living Spirituality - Series 1

By Peter Mudge

The study, cultivation and 'teaching' of spiritual formation in Australian Catholic schools, parishes and online environments has faced many challenges, not the least being that it has been neglected and 'gone missing' in many contexts and environments. Its formal Australian genesis continues to arise from its 'First Peoples' – the original Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inhabitants of Australia. Influences have also transpired from the multiple First Fleet religious traditions arriving in 1788 and further back through the golden seams of mysticism and spirituality that can be mined within Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Eastern, Celtic and other traditions.

Living Spirituality is unique in its capacity to propose a new approach to cultivating spiritual formation for teachers through a Quadrivial or 'Four Rivers' model of spirituality. The Quadrivial approach to spirituality is described as a 'metaapproach' or way of proceeding that privileges four 'movements', touchstones or markers of spirituality – Spiritual Traditions, Narratives, Disciplines and Virtues. Following its prefacing chapters, this text explores foundational topics in this Series 1 edition – an introduction to Christian spirituality, Ecological spirituality and conversion, Christian breathing meditation, the Jesus Prayer, the Jewish Jesus and, finally, Lectio Divina. Each chapter integrates significant insights and practices from seminal figures particularly across the Abrahamic traditions, as well as key disciplines such as resouling the Sabbath, and virtues such as humility and detachment. Three teacher-friendly icons point the reader to 'Teacher Tips', 'Did you know' ideas, and rich academic insights from 'Scholars Corner'.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peter Mudge
• Release date: Aug 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9780648526209

Peter Mudge

Dr. Peter Mudge (BADipEd, DTheol, Honorary Research Associate, Sydney College of Divinity) initially taught in Catholic schools for four years, on a retreat team for one year, and then worked across four Catholic education offices in two States for twenty-four years, including two country dioceses. Peter taught tertiary online courses for a further seven years at the Broken Bay Institute/TAITE as a Senior Lecturer in Religious Education and Spirituality. He has worked as a consultant and online lecturer at the Australian Catholic University and as an academic advisor and ‘critical friend’ in R.E and spirituality across many Australian dioceses and archdioceses. He is one of the few academics researching and publishing materials directly for the use of P-12 classroom teachers of spiritual formation, for parishioners, and tertiary lecturers.  

Book preview

Contents

Foreword

In a series of general audience catecheses in 2010, Pope Benedict addressed the complementary yet different approaches of two great Doctors of the Church – St Thomas Aquinas and St Bonaventure. These two theologians of the Christian Middle Ages contributed significantly to the intellectual liveliness and ecclesial renewal of their period and their thinking and emphases continue to influence modern theological discourse.

In his summary of the two doctors and their understanding of the ultimate goal of humanity Pope Benedict concluded that for St Thomas Aquinas it was to see God, where knowledge was preeminent. For St Bonaventure it was to love God, where affection took pride of place. To know and to love God are two sides of the one coin. Both are necessary and both have a part to play in the work of educating young people in faith.

In Living Spirituality, Peter Mudge superbly draws on the emphases of both Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure. He helps us understand and know the God we are seeking to communicate to the young people whom we are evangelising, as well as proposing and explaining a range of affective practices that will bring them into communion with the God who loves us abundantly and invites us into that love. The innovative approach of Quadrivial Spirituality – tradition, narrative, discipline and virtue – is an insightful and practical way of bringing Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure into communion in a rich resource for those who evangelise children and young people.

In Australia, and indeed many countries in the Western world, we are wondering about the purpose and effectiveness of Catholic education, and Religious Education in particular. Living Spirituality makes a unique contribution in helping us achieve what baffles us most; bringing faith and life into dialogue. This resource, from an experienced theologian and practitioner has the potential to help educators bring back to religious education a new sense of the sacred. At a time when Catholic schools can be tempted to give way to a secular humanism, where flourishing depends solely on our own efforts, without reference to the transcendent from whom we come, in whom we dwell, and with whom we will rest, Peter Mudge proposes understandings and practices that root us deeply in our Christian tradition and does so in dialogue with Judaism, Islam and other religious traditions.

At the risk of being too simplistic I’m inclined to conclude that our present Pope Francis is more inclined to a Bonaventure emphasis. In his 17 March 2010 catechesis, Pope Benedict concludes: For St Bonaventure, all our life is a journey, a pilgrimage, an ascent to God. But we cannot climb towards the heights of God only by our own efforts. God himself must help us, He must ‘pull us up’. We see such sentiments in the teachings of Pope Francis and we are supported in pursuing this path through the contents of this resource, Living Spirituality, particularly through the exploration of The Jesus Prayer, Christian Meditation, and Lectio Divina. We also see Pope Francis’ emphasis on ‘caring for our common home’ in a chapter on Ecological Spirituality.

School practitioners are overloaded with expectations and are increasingly required to have expertise in too many areas. In succinct and practical ways Living Spirituality gives educators access to a wealth of material that might be otherwise unknown to them and certainly tedious and difficult to find amid the many demands placed on their time. Many innovative features of the book include not only practical exercises for teachers but specific feature boxes in Teacher's Tip, Did you know, and Scholar's Corner. This resource is also firmly rooted in an Australian context with regular references to Australian demographics and challenges and especially Australian Indigenous spiritualities.

As is the case with Thomas Aquinas, Peter Mudge draws from a remarkably wide variety of sources to illustrate key points; e.g. Martin Luther on lectio, the Native American Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, and the Hindu Mahatma Gandhi. He also suggests other variations on a discipline that might open up other spiritual formation pathways to readers; e.g. complementing lectio divina with audio, visio, sculptura and other types of divina. A final most helpful feature is linking each topic to children's books so that Quadrivial Spirituality can be learned from the youngest possible ages.

This is a unique piece of work that packages together a wealth of information and new ideas that might only otherwise be gleaned from accessing multiple sources beyond the time available to busy school and parish educators. It addresses the issues key to the evangelisation of young people and helps achieve what should be our ultimate goal: to open our young people to the mystery of a God who loves them abundantly and having experienced that love find themselves compelled to participate in ‘building of a civilisation of love’.

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Professor Br David Hall, FMS

Dean, La Salle Academy

Office of the Vice President

Australian Catholic University

How to use this book

This compact book is designed for ‘hands on’ people working in the area of ‘spirituality’ or ‘spiritual formation’, such as teachers, adult educators, parishioners and online educators. It is not an academic book in the strict sense but rather a book that employs straightforward, practical language which in turn is supported by solid academic references. It summarises the views of key authors rather than citing them directly. The book points its readers in the direction of what I consider to be the best sources so that they can locate these and apply them. A common phrase employed across the chapters is ‘refer to’ such and such a source. This is meant to point the reader towards deeper and more informative insights on the relevant topic.

What is described below is, in my view, the most effective way to derive the maximum benefit from this book. It contains explanations that guide teachers and their students, adults and parishioners, in ways to engage with each section.

Symbols for the Quadrivial Model of Spirituality:

At the beginning of each chapter you will see the graphics reproduced below. These are the elements that constitute the ‘Quadrivial Model’ on which this book is based. Quadrivial not only means ‘four parts’ but ‘four rivers or pathways flowing together’. I would argue that these are the four foundations of the spiritual (and religious) life:

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The acronyms within the graphics stand for, in order:

ST = Spiritual Traditions: The first foundation of the spiritual life, these traditions range across the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with the principal focus on Catholic Christianity. Occasionally references are made to Eastern religions. The chapters also make frequent reference to both the Eastern and Western Church traditions within Christianity, and to various Christian denominations/variants such as Anglicanism and Quakerism. This is to assist schools in addressing similarities, especially between the Abrahamic traditions, and to lead students towards interfaith dialogue, an important aspect of Pope Francis’ preaching and activity, and that of many recent popes and church leaders.

SN = Spiritual Narratives. The second foundation of the spiritual life, this refers to stories that can be found within the relevant traditions, such as the stories of Julian of Norwich or Thomas Merton. They are listed in this section but also threaded throughout each chapter. Sadly, such narratives are often left out in school syllabi and programs. Or they are reduced to bullet points – born, died, etc. This is comparable to associating the equivalent of a ‘1965–2012’ descriptor to each spiritual writer without considering the contents of the em-dash, which is the substance of their lives and contribution.

SD = Spiritual Disciplines. The third foundation of the spiritual life, these include the spiritual practices which sustain the contemplative life in its day to day activities. They include: lectio divina, the Jesus Prayer, breathing meditation, interpretation of selected scripture passages, mindful walking, mantra prayer, journalling, and many more.

SV = Spiritual Virtues. The fourth and final foundation of the spiritual life, this section includes the better-known virtues of mercy, compassion, service, and gratitude. However, the ‘standard list’ doesn’t normally accommodate what Spencer (2010) refers to as ‘the quieter virtues’. These he identifies as: discernment, innocence, authenticity, modesty, reverence, contentment, generosity, and ‘shouting softly’! And perhaps often left out of conversations on virtues are other important contenders such as humility and, the most important of all according to the Dominican mystic Meister Eckhart (c.1260 – c.1328), the virtue of ‘detachment’. Each of the elements of ST, SN, SD to SV will be addressed at some stage in every chapter.

The reader will also encounter three other important symbols which are repeated multiple times across each chapter. The first is called ‘Teacher Tip’. This provides the spiritual formation teacher with a thought, question or idea on how to

apply the ideas under discussion or how to apply the

Quadrivial Model in general:

The second is a ‘Did you know’ symbol, which seeks to provide novel insights on the topic. These are often accompanied by other teaching strategies.

The third is Scholar’s Corner and directs readers to some of the latest academic insights on related topics.

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Each chapter also contains the following elements, each of which I list here with a brief explanation. I also note where ST, SN, SD and SV are accentuated in the relevant section:

Introduction: While the symbols above provide the key themes and threads of the chapter in question, the ‘Introduction’ opens up the topic by offering a few pertinent examples or quotes. This section also refers to some of the relevant research which is listed in full at the end of the chapter.

Religious traditions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam and some Eastern religions: this section focuses on the ST pathway and includes insights mainly from the Abrahamic traditions. It is concerned to identify common points for dialogue and collaboration between those three traditions (refer to Paul VI, 1965, Nostra Aetate, nn.2-4). Sometimes links are explored with Eastern religions. This section mainly provides the scriptural and theological foundations for the focus of the chapter. Sometimes related topics are examined such as relevant insights from the post-apostolic writings (after the New Testament), or from poetry and the arts. Here and throughout each chapter, the author also includes some of his own artworks to supplement the points made for each topic, accompanied by notes on further activities. The theme of SN or Spiritual Narratives is threaded throughout this section and each of the others that follow.

Spiritual disciplines for practising: In this section, the pathway of the spiritual discipline or SD dominates. For example, the spiritual discipline that accompanies the chapter on ‘Breathing meditation’ is naturally ‘breathing meditation’. This section provides theory and praxis on how to engage in breathing meditation. It often contains further links to the other Abrahamic religions and additional ideas on teaching strategies.

Virtue or virtues for cultivation: This is the section where the final spiritual foundation of SV dominates, and where a virtue is practised or cultivated. For example, the virtue that accompanies ‘Breathing meditation’ is ‘Presence’. However, the question also arises, can virtues actually be ‘taught’ or are they merely ‘caught’ or a combination of both. My approach throughout the book is that of ‘cultivation’ or offering to the students certain guidelines or approaches based on particular virtues. I discuss this issue further in Chapter 1, Introduction to spirituality.

Instead of addressing every student grade or decade of the adult life span, I have instead provided some key working principles and a ‘script’ that the reader can adapt for his/her purposes. This feature occurs only in Chapters 1 and 2, after which I provide regular ‘practical exercises’ in Chapters 3 through 6.

Teachers know their students and parish educators know their adults. So, the idea in this section is to take note of the principles within the script provided and adapt these for your particular group. For example, in the ‘Breathing meditation’ chapter I provide some Jewish, Christian and Australian Aboriginal models that can be adapted for your particular context. The principles are central and need to be retained – the wording is adaptable for each particular group.

Reflection and discussion questions, extension activities: This penultimate section is valuable for personal adult reflection, for adapting for student questions, or for formulating questions for staff meetings and personal development. It would be quite straightforward to design a brief discussion on the topic based on a number of questions in this section. Questions are for reflection and discussion and rarely for ‘resolution’ or ‘closure’! Questions tend to open up the field of enquiry – namely spirituality – answers generally close it down, ‘solve’ it, and thus atrophy it.

Sources and further reading: This final section includes introductory as well as more advanced academic sources. It also suggests a range of web sites, YouTube clips, and even a selection of children’s books (older students and adults often enjoy these, as they have many levels of meaning). Here and throughout the chapter I also often include some interfaith quotes (for example, a Buddhist quotation on ‘breathing meditation’). Due to space restrictions and the desire to lower the cost of the book, all chapter ‘Sources’ have been made available as a free download at the website listed in the front of this book.

Sources and further reading

Paul VI, Pope. (1965). Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate. (28 October 1965). Refer to the Holy See site.

Spencer, G. (2010). Awakening the Quieter Virtues. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books.

Introduction

Most of the comments that I wish to make about spiritual formation are contained in Chapter 1 below. However, at this juncture, I wanted to introduce the reader to the nuances of the Quadrivial or four rivers model, which I prefer to call a metaapproach with four movements. I will explain each of those terms below.

Suffice to note at this stage that the diagram (right) falls naturally into two horizontal halves. All four movements are required for Quadrivial spirituality to be taught and learned effectively. Without its spiritual traditions and narratives (the upper half of the cycle), spirituality lacks it theoretical foundations. Without its disciplines and virtues (the lower half of the cycle), spirituality is deprived of its praxis and potential for transformation. Take away one and the whole dynamic nature of spirituality suffers and finally collapses.

In his writings on ‘shared Christian praxis’, Thomas Groome (1998) describes a ‘metaapproach’ as ‘an overarching perspective and mode for proceeding that can be readily adapted to a great variety of teaching/learning occasions...’ (p.2). Elsewhere he considers the associated term of ‘movement’: ‘I use the term movement intentionally. It implies that shared praxis is a free-flowing process to be orchestrated, much like the movements of a symphony or a dance. The movements have a logical sequence...but in an actual event [or application] they overlap, recur, and recombine in other sequences’ (p.146). They are ‘dynamic activities and intentions to be consistently honoured over time rather than steps in a lockstep procedure’ (p.279). These movements can only be rendered intelligible within a concrete and intentional learning event – such as a class, seminar, sermon, retreat, lecture, or in a discussion about a particular virtue such as courage (p.146). Here I am applying ‘metaapproach’ and ‘movement’ to Spiritual Formation (SF) and the Quadrivial Model.

Given the above, I would strongly suggest that the Quadrivial model not be programmed or turned into a series of outcomes, indicators, a pedagogical teaching cycle, or lesson plans – least of all dot points! I believe that this would lead to the slow demise and eventual extinction of both the Quadrivial Model and spiritual formation in the classroom, school, staff meeting or parish. It should be ‘cultivated’ in such a way that it is threaded as a series of ‘markers’, ‘intentions’ or ‘touchstones’ through appropriate school activities (the total curriculum), and deemed ‘successful’ when students can express it independently in their own spirituality and lives, without the teacher – as sacred reading, examen, mindful walking, and so on.

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Sources and further reading

Groome, T. H. (1998). Sharing Faith: The Way of Shared Christian Praxis. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Christian Spirituality

Judaism, Christianity and Islam; references also to Eastern Christian Churches and Sufi mysticism

Includes: narratives of Martha and Mary, Zacchaeus, from church documents, spirituality and mission, St Benedict, Jesuits, St Augustine, ‘Nones’, Hildegard of Bingen

Paying attention; references also to Lectio Divina, discipleship, meditation, sacred music, fasting, Jesus Prayer

Cleaving to God; references