Values and Vocation (Section One):
Reflections on Work, Community, and the Common Good
Instructor: Rebecca Burwell, Ph.D.
This seminar will explore from a variety of perspectives the concept of vocation and how it is related to our understanding of the common good. Using sociological, theological, and psychological lenses we will examine the ways in which we discern our calling in light of our responsibility to promote the common good. We will also look at the current socio-economic structures that impact work and family life (gender, race, religion, and class) and how they might shape our understanding of vocation. Some of the questions we will explore include: How are work and vocation different? How do we negotiate our individual gifts and desires within the context of the communities in which we live and to which we are responsible? And, finally, what role might social justice play in deciding how we are going to live and work?
Values & Vocation (Section Two):
Personal Calling and Social Conscience
Instructor: John Neafsey, Psy.D.
This seminar will explore the intimate relationship between personal calling and social responsibility. Vocation is not only about me and my personal fulfillment, but about us and the common good. In our efforts to discern our callings, therefore, we must seek a balance between contemplative inward listening and socially engaged listening--between listening to our hearts and listening with our hearts for the ways that the needs and sufferings of our world are crying out for intelligent, compassionate attention from us. The seminar will integrate scholarly study and personal reflection on issues relevant to vocational self-discovery.
Values & Vocation (Section Three):
Character, Personality and Power
Instructors: David Frenchak, Ph.D.
One size does not fit all. Together students will look through the lenses of a variety of personality types, value formation experiences and religion, to examine and explore the connection between calling, character and vocation. While there are a multitude of external forces that conspire to divide us against ourselves, our power, our authenticity, and our values naturally emerge when we are connected with our internal call. We will apply the oracular art of sign reading to the search for authenticity, deciphering the calls that issue from our lives and point us toward vocation.