E-Study Courses

We have currently have two e-studies courses and there are more under development. Each course has its own particular purpose, so please choose carefully.

Igniting the Flame - A foundation Course in living by a Way of Life from the Community of Aidan and Hilda, in which you have the personal support of a Tutor and a Mentor / Soul Friend, and the opportunity to take part in two retreats. Find out more here
Introduction to Celtic Christian Spirituality - A more intensive and advanced course pitched at under-graduate level, where it is hoped that students will learn with the heart as well as the head. Find out more here.

Future Courses

We will be launching other distance learning e-studies courses in due course. Subjects will include:

From Ancient Celtic to New Monasticism (now ready!)
Soul Friendship
Great Celtic Christians (‘In the Steps of the Saints’)

Healing Creation

If you would like to pre-register your interest for information on these courses when they are available please send an email to celtic.estudies@gmail.com

Igniting the Flame

A foundation Course in living by a Way of Life from the Community of Aidan and Hilda

This distance learning course will be of interest if you are looking for a carefully structured and supportive way to make sense of your life.

The course aims to help you

understand the benefits of a well thought-out personal Way of Life
reassess your present Way of Life
develop the confidence to go on exploring and refining your Christian faith
introduce you to Celtic spirituality

Structure

Distance learning
10 units each of 2/3 weeks, plus time to put into practice decisions made
Each unit includes set readings and suggestions for further reading
4 short pieces of work to hand in, each preceded by a preparation week
A final additional piece of work: your completed Way of Life
Assignments do not have to be submitted as written work
You keep a journal

Content

Unit 1 Introduction to the course
Unit 2 A rhythm of prayer, work and recreation
Unit 3 Life-long learning
Unit 4 Spiritual journey
Unit 5 Prayer - Openness to God
Unit 6 Simple lifestyle
Unit 7 Creation
Unit 8 Healing fragmented people and communities
Unit 9 Building unity
Unit10 Mission/justice

Support

A tutor, your existing Soul Friend or a mentor provided by the community
Other students, via email/etc as negotiated
Optional residential weekend workshop shortly after the start date
Optional retreat week towards the end

Materials

You will receive a hard copy of the illustrated course books and should request a copy of the course reader A Pilgrim Way, by Ray Simpson if you do not already have one (cost £10.99).

Cost

We ask for a minimum donation of £40 to enable us to go on producing the course for other students.

The course runing from January 2013 is now full, but we will place you on a reserve list just in case anyone drops out.

The next course will run January 2014.

To register interest in the 2014 course please contact us no sooner than March 2013.

Making contact implies NO commitment!

Contacts

Contact Judith Line or Carol Few if you want to find out more about the course

You can download a PDF of this page here

Introduction to Celtic Christian Spirituality

Length of course

Students have a one year registration period in which to submit all assessed work. There is no submission schedule of deadlines, but we advise that as a rule students should submit assignments for each unit within one month. Students are free to work at their own pace and are responsible for organising their own study and writing time, although they can discuss this with their tutor.

How do I apply to study the course?

In the first instance contact the Director of Celtic e-Studies on celtic.estudies@gmail.com to discuss registration.

This one-year course has been developed by Ray Simpson (founder of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda), and Peter Sharpe (Learning Development Officer at Aberystwyth University).

The course is designed to introduce students to the key components of spirituality that characterise the Celtic Christian tradition in its first and subsequent waves. Subjects covered in the units of the first course include:

What is Celtic Christian Spirituality?

Borderlands
Presence
Prayers penance & praise
Love of the poor, justice & hospitality
Womanhood, wisdom & nurture
Awareness of heaven
Community & church, mission & Kingdom
Poetry & art
Humanity, nature & creativity
Manhood, desert athletes & living martyrs

Who is this course for?

Anyone who feels drawn to explore Celtic Christian Spirituality, for example:

People who seek to know God in a more holistic way; and who intuitively feel that‘Celtic spirituality’ may develop this
Christians who are otherwise well-grounded in Bible or Church teaching who want to fill a gap in their knowledge or experience.

How much does it cost?

The course costs £300

Course level and approach

The course is approximately equivalent to work done at under-graduate degree level, but differs quite significantly in approach. If you are familiar with the UK Higher education credit system, the module is about 30 credits worth of study material. You should not be discouraged from applying if you have not studied at degree level.

We design courses with the aim of facilitating what we call ‘head through the heart’ learning. This approach sets out to lead students to consider and reflect upon the personal meaning and relevance of what they are learning about, not just to engage with subjects in a purely intellectual or ‘academic’ way.

We are aiming for a holistic approach where the intellectual, the spiritual, and the practical applications of learning are integrated and support each other. This makes for a rich learning experience with the student’s personal responses and reflection at the centre.

Students registering for the course are allocated a tutor whose role is to assess submitted work and provide feedback about it. Students may also contact tutors for advice about studying and producing assignments.

Assessment

Students are required to submit three pieces of work to be assessed by the course tutor. Two of these can be chosen from a number of different essay titles that reflect different areas of the course content. The third assignment is a more personal piece in which the student is asked to reflect on what they have learned while studying the course.

The work is not graded in the traditional academic sense (i.e. no mark or score will be given). Rather, the tutor will comment on the degree to which the work satisfactorily demonstrates that students have been able to engage with, reflect upon, and think critically about the material the course introduces.

The course is divided into units, each with a specific theme. The text in each unit introduces and discusses the core subjects and ideas related to this theme. Students are directed to read particular sections of core texts and to look at online web pages and other relevant materials. In each unit we ask students to undertake particular exercises which are not assessed. This may be to explore a particular subject more deeply, or reflective exercises that help students to consider the personal applications of what they are learning.

Students who satisfactorily complete the course, as confirmed by their tutor, will receive a Certificate. The course is not credit-bearing for academic purposes.

Length of course

Students are free to work at their own pace and are responsible for organising their own study and writing time, although they can discuss this with their tutor.

How do I apply to study the course?

In the first instance contact the Director of Celtic e-Studies on celtic.estudies@gmail.com to discuss registration

Downloads

You can download a PDF file for reading here and one for printing out in flyer form here.

Date Stamp

Updated 20-11-2012