Course Title: Franciscan Spirituality: Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure. Catalog Description

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1 Course Title: Franciscan Spirituality: Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure Professor: C. Colt Anderson, Ph.D. Office Hours: Tuesday 2:00-3:00 and by appointment Phone: Prerequisites: None Credits: 3 Catalog Description This course explores the religious experiences of Francis and Clare from their own writings as well as biographical materials and examines the spiritual teachings that Clare and Francis bequeathed to the religious orders they founded. Special emphasis is placed on the balance they achieved between the contemplative and active lifestyles and on the evangelical values that characterize the Franciscan approach to ministry. Some consideration will be given to the theology of Bonaventure who exemplified the interplay of theology, spirituality, and ministry. Goals of the Course 1. The masters student will demonstrate facility with methods of research in historical theology as it relates to spirituality (Program Goal 1) with the final research paper 2. The doctoral student who satisfactorily completes this course will be able to communicate competently the Christian story to make it accessible through a variety of means with special emphasis on the use of narrative forms in the final project. 3. The student who successfully completes this course will demonstrate a well-rounded knowledge and critical appropriation of Catholic theological tradition, particularly in regard to Franciscan theology. Methods of Student Evaluation will include: 1. Postings on the website that reflect upon the readings and the students experience in ministry (particularly for D. Min. students) or experience in relationships in the church, with co-workers or clients, in community organizations, or with friends (for students who are not working in any form of ministry). All students must one initial post responding to the assigned question (300 words minimum and 500 maximum) and responses to two of their classmates posting (100 words minimum and 300 maximum) per week prior to our in-class sessions. These assignments evaluate course goal 3. Initial postings are due by Thursday at 11:59 PM and all responses are due the following Sunday at 11:59 PM. 2. There will also be three short projects during your time on-campus that will consist of an exercise and a reflection upon the exercise. These exercises are aimed at illustrating the role between contemplation and creativity. They should act as a means to help draw the student into the present and to enhance their ability to be descriptive. The first is to perform a listening exercise and to write a description of what was heard. The second is similar in that it is based on listening to conversations and reproducing them later with a 1

2 short reaction. The third is a seeing exercise. Each of the descriptive elements should be 310 words minimum and 930 words maximum. The reflection on the exercise should be no longer than a page. All three should be posted on the Blackboard site prior the last day in class. These projects evaluate course objective The Final project for the M.A. students is: to take one primary source text of no more than 4,600 words in length and write a paper that puts the text in its historical context, analyzes and explains the text in light of the context, relates the text to the student s experience, and suggests how to present the ideas from the text in a meaningful way to a contemporary audience. This assignment assesses course goal 1. The final project for the doctoral students consists of three parts: (a.) Choose some event in either Francis or Clare s lives or some theme from their writings and explain it in context in no more than 2170 words; moreover, discuss why you see this event or theme as relevant to ministry for no more than 930 words (post this essay on the website one week after our last class session, so that your classmates can respond to it); (b.) Doctoral students must post at least one response (minimum of 150 words) to the first part of the final projects of two of their classmates; (c.) Having completed the first part, take the event or theme and incarnate it into either a story, a scene in a script, a song, or some other narrative form that is set in a contemporary context (the reading or action time should be five to seven minutes). You must use some dialogue in your project. Try to employ symbols to reinforce your message. Post this piece on Blackboard two weeks after our last class session. This assesses course goal 2. Initial postings: 6% of the final grade Responses: 4% of the final grade Seeing, hearing, and listening exercises: 10% Reflection on the exercises: 10% Final project: 70% Doctoral students: Part One: 15% Part Two: 10% Part Three: 45% Weight of Assignments 2

3 Rubrics for Evaluating Postings (Please note this includes your responses to your classmates) Outstanding: Exceeds excellent in the opinion of the professor. Excellent: The posting relates course material to courses the student has taken in other disciplines (for example: moral theology, liturgical studies, pastoral studies, philosophy, canon law, comparative religion, sociology, psychology, etc.), or connects in a meaningful way to your practical experience in a ministerial role (this could include teaching, ministry, social work, counseling, etc.), or draws together themes from the reading assignments from several days. If the posting synthesizes ongoing discussions, it might also qualify as excellent. An excellent posting will also have all of the qualities of the very good, good, and satisfactory posting. It will provide resources for your classmates by referring them to books, articles, and websites. Very Good: A very good posting will draw the reading materials for a day together in an interesting and succinct manner. Such a posting will have at least one connection to a major theme in the class and to one other class session. It will help to foster discussion by your classmates (which can be seen by how many of your classmates respond or draw upon your insights) and may be brought forward into discussion in the class, on the discussion board, and/or in the chat room. Good: A good posting will provide a helpful summary of reading and lecture materials related to your question. It will clarify points in the readings for your classmates and connect them to one of the objectives in the class. It will be well written, though it does not need to reflect Ciceronian eloquence. Above Average: An above average posting will answer all parts of the question and relate them to the reading materials for that week. It will meet the word requirement, will be written in formal essay style, will employ proper grammar, and will be spelled correctly. Average: An average posting will answer all parts of the question and relate them to the reading materials for that week. It will meet the word requirement, will be written in formal essay style, will employ proper grammar, and will be spelled correctly. There will be fewer than five mistakes in grammar or spelling. It will be posted by the deadline. Satisfactory: A satisfactory posting will answer all parts of the question and relate them to the reading materials for that week. It will meet three of the following: the word requirement, will be written in formal essay style, will employ proper grammar, and will be spelled correctly. It will be posted by the deadline. Poor (Passing but less than satisfactory): A poor posting will answer all parts of the question. It needs to meet three of the following: word requirement, essay style, proper grammar, and spelling. It will be posted within a day of the deadline. Failing: A failing posting is one that does not meet the minimal guidelines for a poor posting. GSRRE Grading System and Equivalents: 4.0 Outstanding 95%> A 3.7 Excellent 90-94% A- 3.3 Very Good 87-89% B+ 3.0 Good 83-86% B 2.7 Above Average 80-82% B- 2.3 Average 77-79% C+ 2.0 Satisfactory 73-76% C 1.7 Passing but less 70-72% C- than Satisfactory 0.0 Failure <69% <6.9 F 3

4 General Outline/Topics to be covered 1. Historiography and appropriation: we will begin by considering how Francis and Clare have been interpreted over the last century or so. We will consider the nature and role of history, major schools of thought, hagiography, and what is known as the Franciscan Question. 2. Historical Context: students will learn about major developments in 12 th century spirituality, the importance of vita apostolica, penitential piety, the emerging role of women in evangelization, and the interplay between the goals of the Fourth Lateran and of the early Franciscans. 3. The writings of Francis: Students will read all of Francis writings and will consider them in light of his use of scripture, his attempts to present the Gospel message in a creative way that would be culturally persuasive, and the meaning of spiritual virtues such as humility for Francis. 4. The writings of Clare: Students will read all of Clare s writings and will consider them in light of her use of scripture, her attempts to present the Gospel message in a creative way that would be culturally persuasive, and how she understood the meaning of spiritual virtues. Students will be asked to consider how Clare adapted Francis spiritual insights to her community. 5. Early Sources about Francis and Clare: We will read and discuss the proceedings of the processes for canonization, the bulls of canonization, and the early lives of Francis and Clare. We will consider how these versions of Francis and Clare compare to those of the last hundred years. 6. Evangelization and Contemplation: Having read the writings of Francis and Clare, we will discuss how vision of evangelization rests on a contemplative foundation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the way that contemplation feeds symbolic thinking, imagination, and creativity. 7. Bonaventure founded one of the major schools of thought in the Catholic Church. We will consider how his theology arose from Franciscan spirituality and ministry. Finally, we will imagine how his ideas could be applied to ministerial work in a contemporary context. Required Readings/Texts Clare of Assisi: The Lady, ed. and trans. Regis Armstrong (New City Press, 2006). Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, ed. by Regis Armstrong, Wayne Hellmann, and William J. Short (New City Press, 1999). Margret Carney, The First Franciscan Woman: Clare of Assisi and Her Form of Life (Franciscan Press, 1993). D.Min students are also required to read a modern to contemporary biography of Francis of Assisi: G. K. Chesterton, St. Francis of Assisi (any edition), or Adrian House and Karen Armstrong, Francis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life (Paulist Press, 2003), or Nikos Kazantzakis, Saint Francis. Other biographies can be substituted with approval. 4

5 Reading Schedule Prior to Classroom Encounter Week 1 On-line (May 23rd-29th) Monday: M.D. Chenu, Nature, Man, and Society in the Twelfth Century, Chapter 6 (Electronic Reserve); Colin Morris, Papal Monarchy , Chapters 16 and 17 (Electronic Reserve). Tuesday: Bernard McGinn, The Flowering of Mysticism, (Electronic Reserve); Dominic Monti, Gospel Preaching and Gospel Life in Franciscan Evangelization: Striving to Preach the Gospel, pp (Electronic Reserve); and Margaret Carney, The First Franciscan Woman, pp Wednesday: Pope Innocent III, Convening the Fourth General Council of the Lateran, in Between God and Man: Six Sermons on the Priestly Office, pp (Electronic Reserve); Francis of Assisi: The Saint, pp Thursday-Sunday: Respond to the two questions on the discussion board. Read as much of the in-class readings for Monday and Tuesday as you can. D.Min students also need to be reading the biography they have chosen. Week 2 On-Line (May 30-June 5) Monday: Francis of Assisi: The Saint, pp ; Joseph P. Chinnici, The Impact of Clericalization on Franciscan Evangelization in Franciscan Evangelization: Striving to Preach the Gospel, pp (Electronic Reserve). Tuesday: Margaret Carney, The First Franciscan Woman, pp ; Francis of Assisi: The Saint, pp Wednesday: Margaret Carney, The First Franciscan Woman, pp ; Clare of Assisi: The Lady, pp Thursday-Sunday: Work on postings and read as much of the in-class readings for Wednesday and Thursday as you can. D.Min. students should work to complete their reading of a contemporary biography of Francis of Assisi. Students must also respond to the discussion board question and to at least two postings from classmates. 5

6 Reading and Assignment Schedule for Classroom Encounter Monday: Review Later Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, The Canticle of Exhortation for the Ladies of San Damiano, Earlier Rule, Later Rule, and The Admonitions. Read C. Colt Anderson, Clerics, Laity, and Preaching the Gospel, in Franciscan Evangelization, in Franciscan Evangelization: Striving to Preach the Gospel (Electronic Reserve), read Francis of Assisi, Tuesday: Clare of Assisi, pp.39-58, (some of this material from the witnesses is redundant so skim when appropriate); Margaret Carney, The First Franciscan Woman, pp ; Henri de Lubac, Medieval Exegesis, vol. 1, pp and (Electronic Reserve) as well as John Cassian, Conferences, Conference 14 (Electronic Reserve). Wednesday: Francis of Assisi, ; Clare of Assisi, ; Margaret Carney, The First Franciscan Woman, pp and C. Colt Anderson, Clare of Assisi: The Clear Mirror of Christ, in The Great Catholic Reformers, pp (Electronic Reserve). Thursday: Ilia Delio, Simply Bonaventure, pp , (Electronic Reserve); Bonaventure, Collations on the Six Days, pp (Electronic Reserve). Friday: Bonaventure, Collations on the Six Days, pp , (On reserve in the library); Zachary Hayes, Bonaventure: Mystical Writings, pp (Electronic Reserve). Topics and Assignments for Classroom Encounter Monday Morning: a. Historical Context, Eucharistic Devotion, Lay Movements b. Discussion of the Later Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, The Canticle of Exhortation for the Ladies of San Damiano, and The Admonitions. Monday Afternoon: a. The Earlier and Later Rules and the Franciscan Vision of Ministry. b. Penance and Preaching. c. Evangelical Perfections. Tuesday Morning a. Clare s Creative Appropriation of Francis Vision. b. Clare s fight for poverty. c. Life at San Damiano. d. Listening assignment 1 (Take a walk or sit in a park and listen to the sounds for thirty minutes. Do not analyze what you hear as you walk. Write a one or two page description of what you heard and then interpret the experience.) Tuesday Afternoon: a. Medieval Exegesis: The Four Senses. b. Hagiography and Spiritual Exegesis. c. Sacramental Outlook. 6

7 Wednesday Morning a. Tensions in the early Franciscan Movement. b. The Life of Thomas Celano. c. Discussion of listening exercise 1. d. Listening assignment 2 (Go to a public place and listen to conversations for thirty minutes, write out the dialogue as accurately as possible. These do not have to be full conversations. Again, do not analyze the conversations.) Wednesday Afternoon: a. The Bull of Canonization for Clare. b. Legend of St. Clare. c. Discussion of listening assignment 2. d. Seeing Assignment (Take a walk for thirty minutes and concentrate your attention on the whole scene. Try not to think about what you are seeing. Describe what you saw as accurately as you can. Briefly interpret the experience.) Thursday Morning: a. Francis in Film: comparing treatments in multiple films including Brother Sun, Sister Moon and a Jesuit production of Francis life. b. Discussion of film appropriations of Francis and Clare. Thursday Afternoon: a. Comparing the modern and contemporary biographies with the medieval lives. b. Discussion of the final project proposals and library time. Friday Morning: a. Bonaventure s appropriation of Franciscan spirituality and symbolism. b. The Collations on the Six Days: Collations 1-2. Friday Afternoon: a. Collations 20 and 22. b. Symbolism and ecclesiology. c. Discussion of seeing exercise. e. Final discussion about the project and library time. Assignments after the Classroom Encounter Week 2: Friday: Doctoral students post part one of their final project by 11:59 PM Week 3: Wednesday: Doctoral students must post their responses to part one of the final project by 11:59 on Thursday (remember 2 responses are required). Week 4: Friday: M.A. students must post their final papers by 11:59 PM. Sunday: Doctoral students must post their final project. 7

8 Policy on Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism Academic dishonesty is any attempt by a student to submit as his/her own work that which has not been completed by him/her or to give improper aid to another student in the completion of an assignment. No student may intentionally or knowingly give or receive aid on any test or examination, or on any academic exercise, that requires independent work. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of technology or any other unauthorized materials, of any sort, to give or receive aid on a test or examination without the express permission of the instructor. Plagiarism is the using of another person s words as if they were one s own, and the unacknowledged incorporation of those words into one s own work for academic credit. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, submitting as one s own a project, paper, report, test, program, design, or speech copied, partially copied, or partially paraphrased from work of another person without proper citation. Source citations must be given for works quoted or paraphrased. The following guidelines will assist students in avoiding plagiarism: General indebtedness for background information and data must be acknowledged by inclusion of a bibliography of all works consulted; Specific indebtedness for a particular idea, or for a quotation of four or more consecutive words from another text, must be acknowledged by footnote or endnote reference to the actual source. Quotations of four words or more from a text must also be indicated by the use of quotation marks; Project work shall be considered plagiarism if it duplicates completely or in part, without citation, the work of another person to an extent that is greater than is commonly accepted. The degree to which imitation without citation is permissible varies from discipline to discipline. Students must consult with me if they are unsure as to whether they are plagiarizing. Copyright Policy: The purpose of this policy is to inform and educate the faculty, students, and staff of the content in Title 17 United States Code on copyright, and two subsequent additions to the copyright laws, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 and the TEACH Act of A proper understanding of copyright and intellectual property rights is important in order to facilitate legitimate copying and distribution by the members of the Union community within the purview of the Copyright Act while performing their educational, research, scholarly and creative pursuits. This policy statement presents the criteria for the use of all types of materials in all formats. Policy All students must comply with U.S. Copyright law. While we do not intend to unduly restrict the use of copyrighted works under the law, it is the policy to comply with all federal copyright law. Students are permitted to use and duplicate copyrighted materials of other parties for educational and classroom uses, provided application of fair use falls within these four guidelines specified in Title 17 of the U.S. Code: -the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 8

9 -the nature of the copyrighted work; -the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and -the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. Fair use covers all copyrighted materials, including print, audio-visual, computer software, webpages, blogs, library reserves and licensed databases, coursepacks, course management systems (e.g., Blackboard), and any digital medium. Students and are responsible for acquiring copyright permission from the copyright holder. 9