One of the courses I am teaching this fall at Villanova University is “Pastoral Care of the Sick.” I have reproduced below the course description and the books that the course will use. I direct significant attention to the history of the theology and practice of anointing the sick but also to questions of the meaning of sickness and what it means to join one’s suffering to the suffering of Christ. I welcome feedback and conversation on the course and on any suggestions you may have for instructional resources.
Description and book list follows.
DESCRIPTION
In its mission statement, Villanova University commits itself to “concern for the common good” and a “vigorous and respectful pursuit of truth and wisdom in every area of humanity.” The mission statement further emphasizes the importance of “service experiences” and “compassion for the suffering.” In a similar vein, the mission statement of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies notes “attention to contemporary issues” and “the need for redemption in a world marked by…suffering.” Additionally, the department encourages pursuit of “a wisdom that can serve as a basis for practical and prophetic action,” as well as “acting responsibly in a world where regard and respect for others have become urgent.”
“Pastoral Care of the Sick” is a course being offered in response to these goals. The course will begin with a treatment of the theological understanding of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, including reading of primary texts on pastoral care from the Roman Catholic Church. The course will continue with a pastoral-theological exploration of the entire range of care provided to the ill and dying. The course will conclude with an examination of the spirituality of caregivers, specifically Christian nurses and other Christian medical professionals. The course thus seeks not only to ground students in the Catholic pastoral / theological tradition of care for those who are ill but also seeks in a special way to prepare pre-med and nursing students at Villanova for the gifts and challenges that await them in their chosen careers.
Materials for this course will include readings and at least one video. As the liturgical calendar of the archdiocese permits, participation in the White Mass and / or other liturgies bearing on the medical profession will also be featured. The course may also feature guest speakers such as chaplains at area hospitals.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Kasza, John. Understanding Sacramental Healing. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59525-009-4
Pastoral Care of the Sick. New Jersey: Catholic Book Publishing, 1983. ISBN 978-0-89942-456-9
Morrill, Bruce. Divine Worship and Human Healing: Liturgical Theology at the Margins of Life and Death. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8146-6217-5
O’Brien, Mary Elizabeth. The Nurse’s Calling: A Christian Spirituality of Caring for the Sick. New York: Paulist Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8091-4009-8
OPTIONAL TEXT
Weaver, Natalie Kertes. The Theology of Suffering and Death: An Introduction for Caregivers. New York: Routledge, 2012. ISBN: 978-0415781084
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