Spiritual Direction and Theology of the Body
Course Description
This course explores various aspects of the theory and practice of spiritual direction. Spiritual direction is an art that allows many approaches. What is unique about spiritual direction is that it is a relationship that focuses on the one-on-one relationship of the directee with God. Our one-on-one relationship with God began and is seen in original man, in his original solitude with God and is the foundation of every other relationship. Through the wounds inflicted by sin, historical man struggles to live fully from that relationship. The relationship of vulnerability with a spiritual director or a deeply trusted friend can help us move towards our destiny as eschatological man, when that relationship is fully healed and brought to its ultimate spousal consummation with Christ. The spiritual director supports the directee in traveling a way of prayer, purification and illumination until arriving finally at transforming union with God.
Experience the Retreat
We offer two ways to experience this journey: as an immersive in-person retreat or as an online course. The details below describe the all-inclusive nature of our on-site retreats. Our online students receive the same world-class teaching and comprehensive study guide from the comfort of home.
Five days of learning & interactive lecture (30 hours of master’s level instruction)
Fantastic study guide so you can focus on receiving vs. note-taking
Daily Mass, adoration, and confession
Hotel style accommodations & delicious meals
Time for relaxation and networking
Gorgeous grounds to soak in God’s natural beauty
Optional round trip shuttle from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Meet your instructors
Reverend Thomas Acklin, OSB
Fr. Thomas Acklin, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He earned an MA in philosophy at Duquesne University as well as an STD in theology and a Ph.D in religious studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium where he specialized in psychology of religion. He is a psychoanalyst as well as a spiritual director and has been a professor at St. Vincent Seminary where he also served as rector. Fr. Acklin is the author of The Passion of the Lamb and The Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood.
