Healing & The Divine Spirit

" I am the Lord, your Healer" ~ (Exodus 15: 22-27)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

Concerning matter, we have all been wrong. What we have called matter is energy, whose vibration has been so lowered as to be perceptible to the senses. There is no matter. ~Albert Einstein

If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibrations. ~Nikola Tesla

In the first place, there does seem to be a warm current of healing power that often flows from the minister of healing to the sick person. Precisely what happens when we feel this current we are not sure, but it seems like a transfer of life-giving power. . . .   Often we experience this same transfer of power, occasionally like a gentle electric current, but more often like a flow of warmth. Whatever it is, it is often connected with healing. It almost always feels like a transfer of life. ~Francis MacNutt

Healing & The Divine Spirit - Spring Term 2022

IST 2178: Weekend-Praxis Course with Online/Hybrid Component on Canvas (2 credits)

Start Date: Monday March 28, 2022

End Date:  Friday May 20, 2022

NOTE-WELL: In order to receive full-credit, this course requires attendance at Iliff on Friday April 22nd, 2022 from 9am-4:30pm and on Saturday April 23rd from 9am-4:30pm.

Instructor: Albert Hernández, Ph.D.

Co-Instructor: Chaplain Allison Salvino, BCC-MH (Rev. Salvino joins us Fri. 4/22 & Sat. 4/23)

Guest-Speaker: Mona Moayedi, Doctoral Candidate; University of Denver & Iliff School of Theology Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion. (Ms. Moayedi joins us Sat. 4/23 from 10am to Noon)

Office: Iliff Hall, Room 115 Office Hours: By Appt. on Zoom, Mobile call, or In-Person during Gathering Days.

Course Description/Synopsis:

This course focuses on beliefs and ideas at the intersections of pneumatological practice and healing. What is the relationship of the Holy Spirit to historic and contemporary notions of biological, spiritual, psychological, and social approaches to the care of the sick? Themes of religion and spirituality will be examined alongside themes of wholeness, human flourishing, and holistic medicine. Representatives from the fields of nursing and medicine, and from non-Christian/non-Western religious traditions may be featured as guest-speakers.

Course Learning Objectives: 

1. Student will acquire a pluralistic understanding of the relationship of the Divine Spirit to historic and contemporary notions of biological, spiritual, psychological, and social approaches to the care of the sick.

2. Students will acquire a basic understanding of the major themes and terms in Christian pneumatology, with a special focus on Christian conceptions of "healing" in relationship to the Biblical tradition and to the Holy Spirit.

3. Students will examine and discuss the changing professional definitions and epistemological discourses among traditional/historic notions of "healing" practices alongside contemporary/scientific notions of medical knowledge and "healing" as well as best-practices for clergy health and wellness.

4. Following Wolfhart Pannenberg's theological ideas about the presence of the Third Person of the Trinity, Holy Spirit, as a "force-field" in human life and in the world-at-large, students will examine and discuss emergent practices and scientific evidence from the domains of energy-medicine, Harmonics, and neuro-theology. 

5. Students will listen to and interact with certified mental health and medical professionals on themes/topics ranging from the relationship of religion and medicine to promoting health and wholeness among professional clergy and health-care professionals.

6. Through small-group and larger-group discussions/interaction, students will apply their learnings in this course to the one or more of their respective professional and praxis areas such as (but not limited to) the following domains:  preaching/teaching, spiritual direction, prayer/worship, pastoral care/counseling, professional nursing or professional medical practice, and community ministries in secular settings.         

Required Course Textbooks & Readings:

Carl Jung, Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle . From The Collected Works of C. G. Jung , Bollingen Series. Translated by R.F.C. Hull. Princeton Univ. Press, 1960; Reprinted 2010. [ISBN: 978-0-691-15050-5].  Any edition is fine, and editions available in the public domain.

Francis MacNutt. Healing. Revised & Expanded Silver Anniversary Edition. Ave Maria Press, 1999. [ISBN-13: 978-0-87793-676-3; and ISBN-10: 0-877-93-676-5].

Additional Required Readings ---- All other readings from primary or from secondary sources will be provided to students and listed with Links in the "Course Summary" outline of the Syllabus (under the respective week of the class in which the reading is due) with full author, title, and page number information as well as any relevant external links for each secondary source or for each primary source.  All additional required readings will also available to students under the "Files" tab of our Canvas course site.

Suggested Additional Reading: (Optional Texts; Purchase Not Required) - T.B.A.

 Evaluation Procedures, Canvas Discussions, & Final Assignment

Course Procedures & Expectations

Accessing and Regularly Checking our Canvas Course Site:

• Before the start of  Spring Term 2022: Students are expected to use the Canvas course site/page to familiarize themselves with the entire course syllabus, the required weekly reading assignments from the different primary and secondary sources, and with the instructions and deadlines of all required and graded assignments and online group discussions throughout the duration of the course.
• Checking Canvas Regularly: Students are expected to check the Canvas course site/page regularly for important announcements or updates from the lead instructor.
• Inclusive Language: It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language and appropriate pronouns in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to fostering an effective and respectful classroom community.
• Pass/Fail Grading Format: This two-credit praxis course will be graded on the Pass/Fail grading format. Students for whom this is a problem need to consult with Prof. Hernandez as soon as possible before the end of the second week of the course.
• Technology Issues/Concerns : If you need assistance managing Canvas please email the Iliff School of Theology HELP DESK or call them at 303-909-9321.  Please leave a message and the staff will get back to you as soon as possible. They are typically available from about 8:30 AM to about 4:30 PM in the Mountain Standard Time Zone (MST).

Guidelines for Online Group Discussions/Open Forums:

• In order to participate effectively with their peers, and with the instructor, in each required/graded Group Discussion/Open Forum, students will be expected to have read the assignments for each week of the course, and to have viewed the respective video lecture(s) for that week's class discussion.
• A paragraph or so, or four to six complete sentences, is sufficient to receive credit. You can always do more if you like, but the idea is to generate conversation with each other while reflecting on the discussion topic.
• Each Group Discussion/Open Forum is usually structured on Canvas so that you must first post your reply to the actual discussion topic, and then the next time you log-in to post you will be permitted to see other students' replies to the topic.
• Please remember to log back in to the Group Discussion/Open Forum to post your second required response to the respective week's theme or topic, and to extend the conversation by engaging at least two of your classmates before moving on to the next week's course topics and reading materials.
• You will get credit for doing the discussion assignment, and you will receive no credit/points if you don't do it, or you will receive reduced credit/points if you don't engage at least two of your peers in the week's discussion--- simple as that.
• Late postings or incomplete participation in the online Group Discussion/Open Forum will result in a point deduction.
• Students are expected to participate respectfully in all Group Discussion/Open Forum assignments by interacting in both positive and critically thoughtful ways with their peers and the instructor.

Writing Lab:

Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab . , which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft.

Academic Integrity and Core Values:

All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity , as published in the Master's Student Handbook , or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook , as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Core Values .

Incomplete Grade Petitions:

Incomplete Grade Petitions will be granted only in the case of documented and verifiable medical circumstances or other personal or family related emergencies. In the event a student requires this option, the final grade for the course will be assigned as a "Pass" (P) or "Fail" (F) grade.  See the Master's Student Handbook for the Policies and Procedures about Incomplete Grade Petitions.

Additional Policies & Services:

Accommodations: Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs. Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. The Advising Center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146.  The Disability Services Officer at Iliff is Jeremy Garber, jgarber@iliff.edu . For more information, go to the Disability Services section in the Masters Student Handbook (Links to an external site.) .