View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Unisa Institutional Repository A STUDY OF THE ORIGINS, DEVELOPMENT AND CONTEMPORARY MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRISTIAN RETREATS by HUGH PETER JENKINS submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGY in the subject CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: DR JL COYLE OCTOBER 2006 1 Key terms: Christian retreats; Biblical retreats; Spiritual withdrawal; Monasticism; Discernment; Ignatian spirituality; Christian devotions; Christian meditation; Divine-Human encounter; Christian prayer. 2 Summary: The dissertation is a study of the origins, development and contemporary manifestations of Christian retreats. It traces origins from the Biblical record until current retreats. Christian retreat is a period of withdrawal from usual activities to experience encounter with God through Christian prayer. Jesus’ pattern of engagement in ministry and withdrawal is a vital basis for retreat. Other Biblical descriptions of retreat are studied. There is an examination of retreat experiences in Church history with a particular focus on monasticism, as a major expression of retreat life, and Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the modern retreat movement. Varieties of subsequent retreat types in the spiritualities of different traditions from the Protestant Reformation onwards are considered. The spectrum of study includes Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Pentecostal spiritualities. The study culminates in focusing on current Ignatian and other retreats in their many forms. This includes private devotions to lengthy periods of retreat. 3 Declaration: I declare that “A study of the origins, development and contemporary manifestations of Christian retreats” is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Signed: Hugh Jenkins ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE…………………………………………………………………11 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ………………………………………..13 1. AIM…………………………………………………………………………..13 2. BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY………………………………..13 3. THE MEANING OF CHRISTIAN RETREATS…………………………..17 4. ESSENTIALS……………………………………………………………….20 A. Withdrawal 20 B. Encountering God 21 C. Prayer 21 D. Other Elements Commonly Found In Christian Retreats 22 5. TOWARDS A DEFINITION……………………………………………….22 6. LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………22 A. General Spirituality Survey Series 23 B. The Biblical Study of Retreats 24 C. Study of Historical Developments in Christian Retreats 26 D. Current Retreats 27 7. ORIGINS, DEVELPOMENT AND CURRENT FORMS OF CHRISTIAN RETREAT…………………………………………………..30 A. Overall Outline 30 B. Biblical Foundations 30 C. The Church up to the Sixteenth Century with Special Reference to Monasticism 31 D. Ignatius and the Early Jesuits 32 E. Developments from the Sixteenth to the Early Twentieth Century 32 F. Current Christian Retreats 33 8. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS……………………………………….34 CHAPTER 2: OLD TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS ……………….. .35 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..35 2. CREATION AND SABBATH………………………………………………36 5 3. INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCED RETREAT TIMES……………..39 A. Abraham 39 B. Isaac 42 C. Jacob 42 D. Joseph 44 E. Moses 45 F. Elijah 49 4. THE PSALMS………………………………………………………………51 5. THE PROPHETS…………………………………………………………..54 6. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………..58 CHAPTER 3: NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS ………………..60 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..60 2. JOHN THE BAPTIST………………………………………………………60 3. MARY AND JOSEPH……………………………………………………...62 4. JESUS’ FORTY-DAY RETREAT…………………………………………64 5. JESUS’ MINISTRY…………………………………………………………66 A. A Lifestyle of Activity and Withdrawal 66 B. In the Region of Caesarea Philippi 69 C. The Transfiguration 69 D. Jesus’ Visit to Mary and Martha 72 E. The Garden of Gethsemane 73 F. Jesus’ Suffering and the Cross 74 G. Jesus’ Purposes for Retreat 75 6. THE TWELVE DISCIPLES………………………………………………..76 7. PAUL………………………………………………………………………..78 8. JOHN ON PATMOS……………………………………………………….79 9. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………..80 CHAPTER 4: EARLY MONASTICISM AND THE WIDER CHURCH …………………………………………….82 1. APOSTOLIC CHRISTIANITY THROUGH TO THE TWELFTH CENTURY…………………………………………………………………..82 2. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON MONASTICISM……………………84 3. ANTONY AND HIS FOLLOWERS……………………………………….86 4. PACHOMIUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS…………………………………..90 5. DEVELOPMENTS IN MONASTICISM…………………………………..91 6 6. BENEDICT AND HIS FOLLOWERS…………………………………….93 7. THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY…….95 8. EASTERN ORTHODOX DEVELOPMENTS……………………………97 9. SOME REFLECTIONS…………………………………………………….99 CHAPTER 5: MONASTICISM FROM THE TENTH UNTIL THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY………………………….101 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………..101 2. MONASTIC ORDERS…………………………………………………..102 A. The Camaldolese 102 B. The Carthusians 103 C. The Cistercians 103 D. Monk-Knights 105 3. REGULAR CANONS……………………………………………………106 4. THE MENDICANTS……………………………………………………..107 A. The Dominicans 108 B. The Franciscans 109 C. The Carmelites 111 D. The Augustinians 112 E. Summary of the Mendicants 113 5. EASTERN ORTHODOXY………………………………………………113 A. Greek Orthodoxy 113 B. Russian Orthodoxy 116 C. The Contribution from Orthodoxy to Retreats 118 6. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………119 CHAPTER 6: IGNATIUS AND THE EARLY JESUITS …………….121 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………121 2. THE LIFE OF IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA………………………………..121 3. THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES………………………………………….126 A. The First Week 127 B. The Second Week 129 C. The Third Week 131 D. The Fourth Week 132 E. Desire 134 4. THE DIRECTORY………………………………………………………..136 5. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………….136 7 CHAPTER 7: DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE SIXTEENTH TO THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY …....................138 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….138 2. THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS…………………………………….138 3. FRANCIS DE SALES AND OTHER FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLICS………………………………………………………………140 4. OTHER ROMAN CATHOLIC DEVELOPMENTS……………………..142 5. THE PURITANS…………………………………………………………..145 6. THE QUAKERS…………………………………………………………..147 7. THE EARLY BAPTISTS…………………………………………………148 8. THE EARLY METHODISTS…………………………………………….148 9. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND………………..151 10. EASTERN ORTHODOX DEVELOPMENTS…………………………153 11. EARLY PENTECOSTALISM…………………………………………..154 12. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………..155 CHAPTER 8: MODERN IGNATIAN RETREAT DEVELOPMENTS…………………………………157 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….157 2. USE OF THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES IN A CLASSICAL MANNER…………………………………………………………………..158 A. Thomas Green 159 B. Edward Yarnold 161 C. George Maloney 163 3. CREATIVE MOVEMENTS IN RETREATS BY JESUITS……………166 A. Anthony De Mello 166 B. Franz Jalics 167 C. Max Oliva 169 D. Joseph Fitzmyer 170 E. Analysis 171 4. WIDER IGNATIAN INFLUENCE ON RETREATS……………………171 A. Margaret Silf 171 B. Jane Ayer 173 C. Open Door Retreats 174 8 5. OTHER RETREAT ISSUES RELATED TO IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY……………………………………………………………174 A. Discernment 175 B. Ignatian Contemplation 176 C. Charismatic Prayer 177 D. Second Conversion 178 6. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………178 CHAPTER 9: OTHER CURRENT RETREATS …………………….180 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………180 2. EXTENDED SOLITUDE…………………………………………………181 A. The Hermit life 181 B. Long Periods of Solitude 181 3. RECENT RETREAT GROWTH IN PROTESTANT CHURCHES…..182 4. PERSONAL RETREATS………………………………………………..184 A. Centring Down 184 B. Short Retreats 185 C. One-Day Retreats 187 D. Longer Retreats 189 E. Individually Given Retreats 190 5. THE USE OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES IN RETREAT……………..190 6. EASTERN ORTHODOXY’S INFLUENCE ON WESTERN RETREATS……………………………………………………………….192 7. LISTENING TO GOD USING THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALLING……………………………………………………………193 8. GROUP RETREATS……………………………………………………..195 A. Planning Principles 195 B. Dialogical Retreats 196 C. Personally Guided Retreats 196 D. Preached Retreats 197 E. Emmaus Walks 197 F. Spiritual Enrichment Encounters with Christ 198 G. Shalom Retreats 198 9. DAILY-LIFE RETREATS…………………………………………………199 10. SPIRITUAL FORMATION ACADEMY………………………………..200 11. AFRICAN ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN RETREATS…………………201 12. THE VISION QUEST IN NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY……203 13. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………….204 9 CHAPTER 10: CONCLUSION …………………………………….. .205 1. THE CURRENT STATE OF CHRISTIAN RETREATS………………205 2. ESSENTIALS AND OTHER IMPORTANT RETREAT FEATURES..206 3. WITHDRAWAL AND ENGAGEMENT…………………………………207 4. THE INFLUENCE OF RETREATS…………………………………….209 5. THE FUTURE OF CHRISTIAN RETREATS………………………….210 BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………. ..212 10 PREFACE Christian retreats have been important to my spiritual experience and growth. They have been times of prayer and knowing God’s love and presence. Retreats have not always been part of my experience. Times away in my Methodist heritage were filled with teaching, singing and fun activities. These were wonderful and precious times. When I entered the realm of the Methodist ministry in the mid 1980’s there was an annual event called the “Ministers’ Retreat”, which was for the ordained and those in training for ordination. The annual retreat had been introduced, as far as I can ascertain, because of ministerial burnout, loneliness and many testimonies of neglecting the devotional life due to an aspect of theological liberalism that questioned the need for prayer, some Christian social activism that neglected prayer, and sheer neglect. As I reflect, these events, which were labelled as “retreats”, were more like teaching seminars aimed at theological impartation and