Course Description

Since Pentecost, the Spirit of God has been at work in the Church, teaching Christians His Word, leading them in paths less travelled and enabling them to grow and mature in Christ.

While partaking in the one and the same Spirit of Christ, Christians have often experienced the teachings and guidance of God in diverse ways. Working through the classic spiritual writings, we will explore various themes of Christian spirituality, like struggle, light and darkness, embodiment and the senses, action and contemplation.

The objective of this course then, is to survey the history of Christian spirituality, that is, the diverse writings and experience of Christian men and women from 1st to 15th centuries of Christian history. Drawing from this deep well of ancient wisdom, we trust that their spiritual insights may still be used by God to guide us in our everyday spirituality.

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Lecturer

Dr Tan Seng Kong

Lecturer in Systematic and Spiritual Theology

Dr Tan Seng Kong is Head, Technology and Resources at BGST and Lecturer in Systematic and Spiritual Theology. A graduate from Regent College, Vancouver (MA, Spiritual Theology). Seng Kong completed his PhD in Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he focused his research on Jonathan Edwards' Doctrine of Salvation. Seng Kong was formerly an architect. He currently serves at Bethel Assembly of God. When he isn’t preoccupied with theological materials, he dabbles with indoor gardening, watches Korean media with his wife and eats Indian food with his son.

  • Location:

    Online via Zoom (Live)
    with Blended Learning

  • Dates:

    (Tuesdays)
    Sep: 12, 26
    Oct: 10, 24
    Nov: 14

    Registration Close Date
    Jul 7, 2023

    Prerequisites:
    CS101

  • Time:

    7:15pm - 10:00pm

Course curriculum

  • 1

    General

  • 2

    Session 1 (Live)

    • Patristic Spirituality A - Asceticism

    • Lesson content

    • Videos

  • 3

    Session 2 (Online)

    • Byzantium/Orthodox Spirituality – The World as a Luminous Sacrament

    • Theodore the studite

    • John calvin

    • Arthur holder, Christian spirituality
  • 4

    Session 3 (Live)

    • Patristic Spirituality B – The Gift of Mystical Darkness

    • Lecture 3 part 1 ( Spiritual life as pilgrimage ) + notes

    • Lecture 3 part 2 ( Lessons from Benedictines ) + notes

    • Podcast session 3 + reading
  • 5

    Session 4 (Online)

    • Medieval (Italian) Spirituality A – Nature

    • Lesson content
  • 6

    Session 5 (Live)

    • Orthodox Spirituality: Embodied Prayer

    • Lesson content
  • 7

    Session 6 (Live)

    • Medieval (German, English, & French) Spirituality B: Action and Contemplation

    • Lesson content

  • 8

    Session 7 (Live)

    • Medieval (Flemish) Spirituality C: Community & Solitude

    • Lesson content

  • 9

    Assignment Submission

    • Final Assignment Submission

    • Assignment Submission

    • Report on a Spirituality Classic

    • Integration-Reflection Paper