Merrill College- Spring 1998

An intensive seminar exploring what "spiritual growth" means in the lives of the course participants. Focus is on the role of beliefs, experiences, learnings, accomplishments, practices, purpose, meaning, blocks, and authority. Discussion, writing, and extensive reading. The course requires a major time commitment.

The course is intended for people of all majors who have their emotional lives under control and who seriously want to explore the meaning of spiritual growth with a group of diverse and intelligent peers. Do not take this course if you feel threatened by people who approach spiritual issues very differently from you, or by people who do not agree with the way you approach these issues.

By permission of instructor after a brief interview and receipt of an essay on how the topic of spiritual growth is relevant in the student's life. In order for an applicant to have priority consideration, their essay must be received by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16.

Frank Andrews, 317 Thimann, x2776, message: x4002, home: 423-0969, email: andrews@chemistry. He is a professor of chemistry who since 1975 has focused his intellectual attention on the study of human values, psychological unblocking, the psychology of loving, and the challenges of teaching and learning. His first non-chemistry book is The Art and Practice of Loving, published in 1991. He has received several awards for his teaching.

The course carries five units and satisfies no GE requirements. It has not been preapproved to count toward any major, though, if appropriate, students may petition their department to count it.

Note the extra class hours: MWF 3:30-5:00 p.m. Do not enroll if you are not free for the class meetings. Note, there will be no final examination, but the class will meet during the scheduled final exam period.

• The Art and Practice of Loving, by Frank Andrews, Tarcher paperback.
• The Enlightened Heart, by Stephen Mitchell, HarperCollins paperback.
• Soul Food, by Jack Kornfield & Christina Feldman, HarperCollins paperback.
• Read or re-read a book of your choice that furthers your spiritual growth. There will be instructor handouts.

Living in the post-industrial world, we increasingly experience our lives as empty of meaning. The challenges and activities that have eternally made lives meaningful do so no longer. Marriages end in divorce, relationships with children end in alienation, jobs end in the relief of early retirement, and friendships dissolve when one person or the other moves to a new location. Our culture pushes on us the addictive activities of consuming and being entertained.

There must be more to life than this. This is the perennial hope, the hope that brings students to spiritual teachers and their writings and that brings clients to therapists. This hope will not die it will continuously grow in the hearts of more and more people. In the world outside of academia, psychological growth is increasingly being seen as one aspect of what is called "spiritual growth," and vice versa. Therapists are waking up to the truth that the issues that clients bring into their offices have a spiritual component which they must contend with in order to be therapeutically effective. Best-selling books by psychotherapists commonly include "spirit" or "spiritual" or "soul" in their titles. Many refer prominently to the religion of the author. Students of "spiritual growth" are used to reading and studying with Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Native American, Jewish, and Muslim teachers. Spiritual techniques are stripped off from their age-old religious traditions and packaged as the latest addition to therapy or a new way to lower blood pressure.

There aren't a lot of courses in the psychology of spiritual growth on which to model this one. So I expect it to go through a period of learning from experience. I believe, based on thirty years teaching courses on human values, psychological unblocking, personal empowerment, and teaching and learning, that this course has a good chance of being a useful, indeed powerful, learning experience for many of us who participate in it.

By an empirical study, the course means a study in which the final arbiter is the effect on the personal experience of the people involved. So in this course, we do not focus on the qualifications or authority of the teachers or authors of spiritual traditions, but instead on how their teachings show up in the experience and behavior of us when we embrace their teachings.

We will ask what is meant within various spiritual and religious traditions by the expression, spiritual growth. And, more importantly, what does each class participant mean by the expression? By what criteria will I assess my life as expressing spiritual growth, as contrasted with spiritual stasis or spiritual regression? How will "growth" show up in my life in my experience and in my behavior? What is it about this growth that justifies calling it spiritual?

What practices do the major spiritual traditions use to achieve growth? How do/might these practices accomplish their goal? What is actually cultivated by the practitioner doing the practice?

What role, if any, does belief have in spiritual growth? Belief in the efficacy of a practice? Belief in the wisdom or authority of the teacher or founder of the religion? Belief in the power of metaphysical entities? What role, if any, does action or behavior play in spiritual growth?

What role, if any, do experiences that go beyond the normal or the explainable, for example, "miracles," play in spiritual growth? How might organized religions foster or inhibit spiritual growth? To what extent is the concept of a spiritual path or spiritual growth a device whereby people create meaning in their lives? Psychologically, what is the meaning of meaning? How can we use our understanding of meaning to create a meaningful life?

In what ways do I grow when I follow a spiritual practice? What do I learn about myself and existence when I follow a spiritual practice? What do I experience when I follow a spiritual practice? What do I accomplish when I follow a spiritual practice? How important will I make spiritual growth in my life? Now? Later in life? What spiritual practices appeal to me, with my unique heritage, as a member of modern post-industrial society?

• Journaling. Very informal journaling almost daily will be required. Much of this will be free reflections on the readings and course material. Some will be specific journaling assignments. Journals are best turned in at every or every other class meeting. They must be turned in at least once a week. I will promptly read and comment on them and return them to you.
• Reading. I will announce due dates for each reading. Be sure you have read it by then. When you read, don't just read to get finished, or read to judge or evaluate or criticize or agree with the writing. Instead, read each reading with the strong aim to get what you can from it that will help you. Criticism is so easy just know that your criticisms of others tell a lot about you, but very little about the others. Know that every blessing you will ever receive from life will come with its negative features as well as its positive. If you focus on what you don't like, you'll certainly find a lot of it. But what will you find to help you? Use your journal to reflect on what you read, to amplify it, to relate it, to carry it further.
• Class Participation. There will be some in-class exercises, but most of the class time will involve discussion. Sometimes people will share their writing assignments with the class, and these may trigger class discussions. If you are normally quiet in classes, make it a point to push through your discomfort and speak up in this one. If you normally talk a lot in classes, take care not to dominate in this one. Everyone, please practicing listening to each other as intently as possible. Listening is a powerful way of loving. Please let us all practice being open, honest, disclosing, willing to share ourselves as fallible humans, not as people so scared we must hide our humanity behind a mask.
• Oral Presentation. Choose, early on, a particular spiritual path or direction of special interest to you and do an appropriate amount of reading about that path. This focused effort culminates in an oral presentation you will give to the class, or an activity you will lead us in. If you choose to lead an activity, do not just lead it and quit. Be sure to follow up with a discussion in which some of the questions above under Tentative Course Content are addressed. At least a week before your presentation, meet or talk with me to discuss your plans so that together we can facilitate the very best of which you are capable. You may collaborate with a partner.
• Final Paper. This essay offers a formal opportunity to reflect back over the quarter and put the pieces into a meaningful whole.
• Attendance. If you enter this course, you agree to attend all classes, on time, and to stay until 5:00. If you have a previous commitment, notify us at the class meeting prior to your absence. If an emergency comes up, call Frank and tell him about it so we know where you are. If you miss a class, find out the details of what happened from someone who was there, and complete any assignments that were made. Do not invite guests or visitors, as they affect the spirit of openness we will be working hard to create. On occasion, I might invite an expert to come and lead a discussion with us.

Revised 7/13/04.