pat loughery

I’ve begun a course (third to last) with in my Doctor of Ministry program.  It’s an online course using Moodle, and its goal is to help us to focus in on our thesis topic and to teach us more about how to research.

One of the first exercises is described this way:

[W]rite a list of three or four areas with explanation, that you may have thought about writing your dissertation about, pick one area and write a 30-40 word focus statement about what your dissertation would be about.

And here is my first cut at this focus.

I live, work and minister in a growing small town / suburban context.  I’m not enamored of attractional church, but think that spiritual formation best happens in communities which are intentional about living incarnationally and missionally.  I’m fascinated by how monasticism has shaped communities over Christian history.  I’m especially fond of what I’ve learned about Celtic Christianity, and look forward to the upcoming Orthodox Trail for more ideas.

A few possible targets:
– Can Celtic, Benedictine and Orthodox monasticism teach contemporary suburbanites a rich spiriutality?
– Can the prayer practices of a stream of historica Christianity inform contemporary spirutuality?
– Can new monasticism learn from Celtic, Benedictine and Orthodox monasticism?
– Can Celtic spirituality provide a holistic, missional spiriutality for contemporary Christians and nonbelievers?

If I take the first topic:
Examine look at the history, practices of prayer, community and mission of the world’s deeply rooted Christian spiritualities and apply to contemporary culture.