What you get with this Module

God, the Interview
by Terry Lane

Module 8

Values, Ideals and Spirituality

Matthew Arnold

"Reading" and understanding your clients
At the end of the twentieth century, many citizens have little or no formal religious allegiance, but still have some form of spirituality. Many of these will look to Civil Celebrants to 'read' their needs at the time of significant events, to provide the words and the symbols that express their own spiritual yearnings, ideals, values and convictions.

In this Module you will study the following issues:

* approaches to secular spirituality, and its difference from various religious spiritualities. A range of spiritual and relgious traditions will be touched upon.

* the distinction between 'religion' and 'spirituality'; ways in which people can have a spirituality independent of the doctrines of a Church; the sources from which people can derive spiritual enrichment.

* the power and importance of traditions for good or ill, how they can be incorporated into a secular spirituality.

* different understandings of secular and religious persons with regard to powerful emotional experiences, and to the great passages of life and death. The emotions generated by symbols, music and poetry. The difference, if any, between artistic and religious sentiment and artistic and religious ecstasy.

* the roles of myths, heroes and "saints" - secular and religious - in human life.* the place of music, painting, and other arts in expressing and evoking spirituality.* how secular ideals and values are expressed, reinforced and transmitted in civil ceremonies.

The celebrant's own personal Spirituality
What do we mean by this? Is not a celebrant totally neutral? Here we consider what personal qualities and ideals (what religious peole would call "virtues") should be developed by the celebrant for her own personal enrichment and for the proper response to her work.

A celebrant should be honest, sensitive, tolerant, law-abiding, non-judgmental, and active listener etc. How doe we develop these qualities.

Assessment
is by the following methods:-
Learning Journal

Search questions on selected written material (provided)

Structured interviews with religious believers and non-believers and celebrants who have a thought out position on their spirituality.

Workload/Due Dates

• The time envisaged for working on each unit is equivalent to 10 weeks at 8 hours per week .
  The College has not set dates for submission of individual items. However, unless special permission to extend is granted, units at Field Study level (the level at which all units are commenced) should be completed within 6 months.
  
• Temporary suspensions of enrolment are negotiable; however, fees for courses which have not been completed are not refundable.

Readings/Questions/Assignments

The texts are provided - including the book "Ceremonies and Celebrations", Reading Text and other items with Assessment Tasks are normally sent by post - aiirmail where necessary. Correspondence on administrative matters, including enrolments, should be directed to
Neil Dorward, Director of Studies -UK, 2 High Street, Dollar, Clackmannanshire, K14 7AY, Scotland -Day: 07752 212 067 -Evening: 01259 781280 OR Administration:
Yvonne Werner, +61 3 9419 0460, celebrants@netspace.net.au, PO Box 548 Richmond, 3121 Victoria Australia.
Dr Chris Watson, Dean of Studies, P.O. Box 215, Heidelberg 3084. Victoria, Australia. Tel./Fax: +61 3. 9499.4977. Mob. +61 412 618 989. e-mail: messmate@netspace.net.au

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