Teaching Meditation and Prayer (DS9611C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit develops knowledge and skills required for teaching meditation and contemplative prayer in a variety of contemporary contexts. Consideration is given to spiritual development across the lifespan and contemplative practices appropriate for various age groups including children, teenagers and adults. With an overarching preference for Christian approaches to meditation a variety of methods are explored including the use of scripture, the incorporation of a prayer word or mantra, the use of the breath and the body more generally, and engagement with symbols, icons, and mandala. The focus is on silent meditation, and nurturing an appetite for quiet attentiveness to the divine presence. Leadership qualities and ethical considerations required for teaching meditation to groups in a variety of contexts are also explored. Opportunity is given for students to engage in supervised professional practice in teaching meditation and prayer at such locations as schools, hospitals, youth groups, parish groups, universities, aged-care facilities, retreat centres, and homes.

Unit code: DS9611C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Spirituality

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

Critically analyze the biblical and theological background for meditation and prayer in the Christian tradition in a contemporary context.
2.

Critically analyze spiritual growth at various stages of life development.
3.

Assess and apply appropriate models of prayer and meditation in various pastoral contexts.
4.

Demonstrate and assess the leadership and communication skills required in Christian meditation settings such as schools, parishes, hospitals, and palliative care facilities.
5.

Assess and articulate the fruits of meditation and prayer, and show how meditation is linked to action in these pastoral situations.

Unit sequence

Prerequisite: 24 points in Spirituality (DS) or Systematic Theology (CT), or equivalent.

Pedagogy

Learners will engage in intensive mode with lectures, workshops, facilitated peer discussion, electronic resources and professional experience.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Christie, Ernie, and World Community for Christian Meditation. Coming Home: A Guide to Teaching Christian Meditation to Children. John Garratt Pub., 2008.
  • Forest, Jim. Praying with Icons. Rev., expanded ed. Orbis Books, 2008.
  • Frenette, David. The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God. Sounds True, Inc., 2012.
  • Keator, Mary. Lectio Divina as Contemplative Pedagogy: Re-Appropriating Monastic Practice for the Humanities. Routledge, 2019.
  • McCown, Donald, Diane Reibel, and Marc S. Micozzi, eds. Resources for Teaching Mindfulness: An International Handbook. Springer, 2016.
  • Osborne, Iain. Teaching Meditation in Primary Schools: A Christian Approach. Grove Books Limited, 2021.
  • Roehlkepartain, Eugene C., et al., eds. The Handbook of Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence. SAGE Publications, 2006.
  • Ryan, Thomas. Prayer of Heart and Body: Meditation and Yoga as Christian Spiritual Practice. Paulist Press, 1995.
  • Simmer-Brown, Judith, and Fran Grace, eds. Meditation and the Classroom: Contemplative Pedagogy for Religious Studies. SUNY Press, 2011.
  • Tang, Yi-Yuan, and Tang, Rongxiang. The Neuroscience of Meditation: Understanding Individual Differences. Academic Press (Elsevier), 2020.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Report 2000 30.0
Portfolio

Note: a component of the portfolio is engaging in professional practice to which a hurdle task is attached.

5000 70.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 25 Jun, 2026

Unit record last updated: 2026-06-25 11:41:31 +1000