Discerning the Spirit
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
This seminar will explore St. Ignatius of Loyola's "Rules for the Discernment of Spirits" in his Spiritual Exercises, which provides a way of detecting the presence and action of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives and temptations contrariwise. Appreciation of these Rules can help us to "find God in all things" — transforming our lives and our work. The Rules assist us in becoming "contemplatives in action." They are also helpful for discerning God's will in decisions large and small. We will take a close look at the Rules in order to see how they might assist us in our teaching and scholarly work and in our daily lives. There will be reflection time each morning to ponder the application of the rules to our own lives. Reading instructions will be provided prior to the seminar. The seminar is open to all faculty and administrators and will be of interest not only to Christians but to those of other faith traditions and those whose perspective is more secular.
The seminar will be led by Msgr. Gerard McCarren, S.T.D., who serves as a spiritual director at the Institute for Priestly Formation. He is also an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the Immaculate Conception Seminary and School of Theology at Seton Hall University. He wrote his doctorate on the development of doctrine in the writings of St. John Henry Newman and has contributed to The Cambridge Companion to John Henry Newman. From 2007 to 2016 he was a member of the Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council. During the summers he is spiritual director for the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
About the Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership
The Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership promotes openness to God's call in
both the academic life and common life of Seton Hall University to support the overall
mission of forming students as servant leaders for today's world. The Center began
in 2003 supported by a generous grant from Lilly Endowment to further their goal of
preparing the next generation of Church leadership. The Center for Vocation and Servant
Leadership does its work in cooperation with other campus organizations and by sponsoring
several different programs including faculty development, scholarships, and retreats
for faculty and administrators. The mission of Seton Hall University reflects a faith
in God who knows us individually and has a personal plan for our life. The call to
our vocation is not a demand but an invitation to join God in something meant for
our doing. A generous response to our vocation — like the choice at a fork in the
road — can make all the difference.
For more information on the Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership »
About the Center for Catholic Studies
Founded at Seton Hall University in 1997, the Center for Catholic Studies is dedicated
to fostering a dialogue between the Catholic intellectual tradition and all areas
of study and contemporary culture, through scholarly research and publications and
ongoing programs for faculty, students, and the general public. In 2001, the Center
conducted the annual faculty summer seminar, "The Core of the Core," which originated
the present University Core Curriculum. The Center also developed the undergraduate
degree program in Catholic Studies with its major, minor and certificate. The Center continues to support the Program's
students with scholarship aid, as well as ongoing co-curricular activities. Focusing
on the central role of the faculty, the Center is the sponsor of regular Faculty Development
programs, including lectures, seminars and retreats. The Center also administers two
national faculty development programs: Collegium: A Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual
Life, and The Lilly Fellows Program.
The Center maintains a global focus in international scholarship and is the home of
the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture, as well as the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute. The Institutes offer opportunities for study and research, as well as ongoing programs
related to faith and culture. In addition, the Micah Institute for Business and Economics concentrates on communicating Catholic social teaching and ethics to business education
at Seton Hall and the wider business community. The Center also publishes the prestigious
Chesterton Review and The Lonergan Review.
For more information on the Center for Catholic studies »
Categories: Faith and Service
