Building Your Spiritual Life with the Early Church Fathers
What you'll learn
- You will learn how the Early Church Fathers understood a "personal relationship with Jesus"
- You will grow in your understanding of the role of the Holy Eucharist in your spiritual life.
- You will deepen your appreciation of the role of Sacred Scripture in your spiritual life.
- You will come to understand the importance of being united to the Church through your bishop.
- You will be challenged not to go with the flow of the culture, but to be true salt and light for the world.
Requirements
- The course will make frequent references to Fathers of the Church, 3rd Edition by Mike Aquilina
- This is a non-academic spirituality course. Basic knowledge of Catholic doctrine is helpful but not necessary.
Description
What can the Early Church Fathers teach us about building a healthy spiritual life?
TONS!
The teaching and example of the Early Church Fathers can help us to build our spiritual life on a firm foundation.
In this course you'll learn
- How the Early Church Fathers understood a "personal relationship with Jesus" (and what this phrase can not mean)
- Why the Holy Eucharist is so central not only to our faith but to your spirituality as well (hint: it has a lot to do with what you'll learn about having a personal relationship with Jesus)!
- What role Sacred Scripture should have in our spiritual lives (and how to read the Bible most effectively)
- Why it's so important to be united to the Church as the Body of Christ and the Family of God (you may never see your bishop in the same way again)
- How we can navigate a culture that hates Christianity and lulls us in to a lax, lazy lukewarm faith at the same time.
Who this course is for:
- This course is intended for believing Catholics - and other Christians open to a Catholic perspective on Church history and spirituality - who are looking to enhance their spirituality using the ancient wisdom that comes from the early Church.
- Please do not take this course if your intention is to debate Catholic doctrine.
Instructor
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 15 Reviews
- 107 Students
- 2 Courses
Jeff Arrowood is the founder of From the Abbey, a Catholic educational apostolate. From the Abbey helps Catholic adults rediscover the JOY of learning their faith so they can grow in intimacy with God. It offers online learning, home studies, and personalized help to bring you spiritual growth. Jeff also works with parishes to help them establish adult education systems based on research into how adults actually learn.
Jeff also works part-time for the Diocese of La Crosse Office of Marriage and Family Life as the diocesan Natural Family Planning Educator. He and his wife, Jodi, are both certified instructors for the SymptoPro online NFP course.
Of course, Jeff’s primary vocation is that of husband and father. He is a stay-home dad for his two children, Rachel and Dominic, of whom he would gladly show you pictures. He and his wife live and work in Somerset, Wisconsin, and are members of Saint Anne’s Catholic parish.
Jeff comes from an educational background. He holds a master’s of theological studies from the Institute for Pastoral Theology (currently out of Ava Maria University in Naples, Florida). He taught at a Catholic high school for 10 years, and has been giving adult educational programs for over 15 years. Jeff has a special love for Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Dominic and Saint Benedict, all of whom represent a dynamic, faith-filled intellectual life driven by a love of Christ.