Wycliffe College Summer 2018
Benedictine Spirituality and the Foundations of the New Monasticism

Monday – Friday, June 25 – 29, 2018

St. Benedict’s “Little Rule,” written in the sixth century, is one of the primary sources of Anglican spirituality, liturgy and ecclesiology and has influenced many other denominations as well. Since the mid-twentieth century it has had a profound influence on the “New Monasticism,” Fresh Expressions, and the Emergence movement.

The course will examine the historical roots of Benedictine spirituality in the desert tradition, the spread of the Benedictine tradition across Europe and the British Isles, the clash between the Roman Benedictine tradition and Celtic spirituality, the profound influence of Benedictine liturgy during the English Reformation especially in the shaping of the Book of Common Prayer, and the influence of Benedict’s Rule on the development of Anglican and ecumenical religious communities.

As we follow the tradition into the 20th and 21st centuries we will examine the increasing interest in Benedictine monastic spirituality among lay people and the evolution of monastic life into the “mixed economy” of traditional and emerging new monastic communities.

Instructor: Constance Joanna Gefvert – After a career as a university professor in the USA, the Rev. Canon Sister Constance Joanna Gefvert (Connie) moved to Toronto to join the Anglican Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, a contemporary monastic community, where she is currently Vocations Coordinator and Coordinator of a program for millennials who are seeking a gap year “immersion” experience in Christian community. She has been a member of the Wycliffe adjunct faculty for the past 14 years, teaching courses in monastic history and its influence on Anglican spirituality, the new monasticism, contemplative classics, and contemplative prayer.

• To print and/or download the poster for this course, click the top right corner on the image above. Print/download buttons are top right in new window [236k pdf].
• See Wycliffe Summer webpage for this course here »
• Link to the course syllabus here »
• To register, see here »
• Registration opens on Monday April 2, 2018. The last day to drop the class without academic penalty and to be eligible for a refund is Tuesday June 26 at 5:00 p.m.
• Course Code: WYP2210HF
• This is a one week intensive to be offered at the Convent of the Sisterhood of St John Divine – located at 233 Cummer Avenue, North York, M2M 2E8. It is possible to stay at the Convent for $50/night (meals are included). To book a room, contact the Convent Guest House at [email protected] or by phoning 416-226-2201 ext. 305
• To view a gallery of SSJD retreat posters, click here »