Welcome
Welcome to DASD/CASD's Contemplative Listening Course.
Contemplative listening is the practice of paying attention to one’s soul, to God, and to the movement of God in the lives of others. In this course, students will learn the skills and sensibilities of contemplative listening, with a particular focus on its use in the context of spiritual direction. The class will explore how deep contemplative listening is not only a path of personal awakening, but also a unique way of tending others that differs from active listening, counseling and other forms of support. Students will practice contemplative listening with themselves and God, with individuals, and with groups, and will also explore its use as a means of discernment.
Below you will find the course syllabus which includes books for the course and assignments. Also below is a PDF with guidelines for an online retreat and online contemplative class. Our intention is that our class takes place in the context of a weeklong contemplative retreat. Please review these protocols, which contain not only technical best practices but also tips on how to make our time together a more contemplative experience.
Further down you will see a day-to-day listing of resources. Please watch the videos below before the course begins so that we can spend our time together addressing your questions about the video content and practicing the skills and sensibilities described in the videos. Also for each day is a PDF of related handouts that we ask you to download and have ready for each day of class.
We look forward to sharing this journey with you!
Daeseop & Scott
Day 1
January 12
Day 2
January 13
Day 2-5 (January 13-16): PowerPoint slides, Sensibilities & Skills
These are the PowerPoint slides used in the videos for Days 2-5. The slides and videos address sensibilities and skills.
Day 2 (January 13): Video - Overview, Introduction to Sensibilities & Skills
This video provides a course overview and an introduction to contemplative listening sensibilities and skills. This material will be covered during Day 2 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video. Sensibilities addressed in this video include: Attending, Silence, Compassion and Non-Judgment/Unconditional Positive Regard. Skills addressed in this video include: Noticing, Highlighting, Experiencing, Reflecting, and Nonverbal Prompts.
Day 2 (January 13): Video - Contemplative Listening for Small Groups
This video provides an overview of the contemplative listening process for small groups. This material will be covered during Day 2 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 2 (January 13): PowerPoint Slides for Contemplative Listening for Small Groups
These are the PowerPoint slides used in the video for the Contemplative Listening Process for Small Groups.
Day 3: January 14
Day 3 (January 14): Video - Skills, part 2
This video explores additional skills related to contemplative listening: Mirroring, Clarifying/Paraphrasing, Offering, Inviting, and Savoring. This material will be covered during Day 3 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 4: January 15
Day 4 (January 15): Video - Skills, part 3
This video provides explores additional skills related to contemplative listening: Bracketing and examples of what we avoid when offering contemplative listening. This material will be covered during Day 4 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Day 5: January 16
Day 5 (January 16): Video - Skills, part 4
This video provides explores additional skills related to contemplative listening: Open-Ended Questions and One-On-One Contemplative Listening. This material will be covered during Day 5 of the course. Please watch the video beforehand and bring your questions to class. In the PDF with class handouts, you will find further information related to the material covered in this video.
Other Resources
John Mabry’s Article on Online Spiritual Direction