Diploma in Spiritual Theology

The Diploma Course in Spiritual Theology, offered by the Indian Institute of Spirituality, is organized mainly for Women-Religious, who are going to be Formators, and especially for candidates, preparing themselves for their Final Profession. The course begins every year in the first week of the month of June and ends in the second week of the month of March in the following year. This course, with high academic and pastoral inputs, orients students to have basic knowledge of both Eastern and Western Spirituality. At the same time, this course offers relevant information and knowledge in the field of Psychology, Scripture, Teachings of the Church, Group Dynamics, Ashram Life-style, Youth Animation, Civil Law and Canon Law. This course places special emphasis on spiritual formation without in any way undermining the intellectual pursuit through practical experience of life in the community, which emphasizes personal and community prayer, daily adoration of the Eucharistic Lord, regular monthly recollection, spiritual-direction and creative inter-personal relationship. Every student is motivated towards a mission-oriented formation, with an emphasis on the Indian Context of life and culture. Various Programmes like assisting in the Senior-Citizen Homes, caring for the leprosy patients, participation in the empowerment of slum-dwellers and live-in experience among villagers form part of this course. This intensive course aims at the holistic, integrative and assimilative growth of every student.

Courses offered at IIS for Diploma in Spiritual Theology

Dissertation Paper:
Every student is expected to submit a dissertation, which will carry two credits, the marks of which will be counted for the total average. The student can begin the work on the dissertation as soon as the classes on Scientific Methodology are completed. The dissertation has to be written under the guidance of a qualified professor and should comprise a minimum of forty typed pages and a maximum of sixty. The title of the dissertation as well as the name of the moderator has to be submitted to the Dean of Studies. The theme and the content of the dissertation have to be within the scope of the department of Spiritual Theology. The dissertation has to be submitted to the Dean of Studies one month before the completion of the course.

Ashram Experience : 
Students will be offered a special opportunity to visit and to stay for a week in one of the well-known Christian Ashrams of South India. This course is intented for an intensive study and knowledge of the depth of our culture, which in turn can lead to a better understanding of inculturation. During their stay in the ashram they will be guided by a Guru, who is specialized in the ashram life-style.

Social Apostolate Exposure :
After an intensive course on Human Rights and Social Justice, IIS offers its students a golden opportunity to explore various possibilities of relevant social apostolate in the Indian Context. Under the guidance of experienced guides and the staff of IIS, students will be taken to missions of Karnataka, where they will have a first-hand experience of how to engage in meaningful social apostolate, like empowerment of women, self-help programmes for women and children, legal aid for the exploited, practical training for household accounting and economic planning. This real immersion in the social reality of our country is intended to help them identify themselves with the suffering humanity and to evoke in them creative ways of envisaging social apostolate in the future.

Inter-Religious Dialogue: 
IIS organizes every year an inter-religious dialogue on a given theme, with the participation of leaders from different religions. Its aim is to foster religious harmony and understanding in our society and to fulfill one of the declared aims of the Institute to be a beacon of spiritual unity in our country. This Dialogue helps the participants to cultivate tolerance and respect towards other religions and it is also a forum for every participant to discover and to chart out the possibility of working together with other religions, especially in a multi-religious country like India. 

Inter-Denominational Prayer Seminar: 
Once a year IIS organizes also an Inter-Denominational Prayer Seminar. The aim of this prayer seminar is to bring together people of different Christian denominations for offering common prayer as a witness of our unity. It is also with the objective of training students of our Institute in the dynamics of Inter-Denominational prayer methods and to make them familiar with the spirituality of other Christian denominations. 
    

Students & Requirements

Students

1. Residential Students: Residential Students are those students, who reside in Indian Institute of spirituality during the course of the complete academic year forming a religious community of prayer, study and activity. 
2. Day Scholars: Day Scholars are those who attend the academic programmes offered by the Indian Institute of Spirituality, but have their residence elsewhere outside the Indian Institute of Spirituality.

Registration

1. For registering as a student of the diploma course in IIS the candidate has to duly fill-in the application form provided by the Institute. The application form will be provided by the institute at request or can be downloaded here: Application Form
2. The duly filled-in application form, affixed with a passport-size photo has to reach the institute latest by the 31st March.
3. Along with the filled-in application form, four more copies of passport size photos are to be included for the office purposes.
4. Each filled-in application form has to be accompanied by the approval / no-objection letter of the Provincial Superior or the Superior In-charge of the candidate.
5. Photo-Copies of all the relevant certificates, mark lists and documents of other accomplished studies have to be submitted at the time of registration.
6. The registration fee per candidate is Rs. 200/-. It has to be paid at the time of the registration. If it is paid by DD or Cheque, it has to be drawn in favour of: Indian Institute of Spirituality
7. If the registration is done through E-mail or by Post it has to be addressed to the Director/Dean, Indian Institute of Spirituality.

Duration of the Course

The Diploma Course in Spiritual Theology is a 9 months’ programme, which begins every year on the 2nd of June and it gets over on the 10th March of the same academic year with the annual convocation as its closing ceremony.

Fees

Every Student is expected to pay the fees latest by the 10th of June.

Scholarship

IIS offers partial scholarship to its registered students. To be eligible for the same the students have to comply with the norms and regulations of registration within the stipulated time. The scholarship money is distributed to students at the end of the academic year.

Eligibility

For admission to Diploma in Spiritual Theology:

The candidate must be a professed religious, with at least 3 years of lived experience in Religious Communities.

The candidate must have completed at least PUC or its equivalent.

The medium of communication in the Indian Institute of Spirituality is English. Therefore, adequate knowledge of English language is compulsory

Age limit: 40 years

Working days and Holidays

IIS has five working days a week. Saturdays and Sundays are free days without the regular classes. However, these free days are considered as study days to be used for extra-reading on the subjects that are treated in the class to supplement and to deepen the understanding of the same. This time could also be partly used for extra-curricular activities that will enhance one’s personal development. The occurrence of more than one holiday during the working days will make the Saturday of the week a working day.

Attendance

Students must attend all lectures with out neglect, carry out all prescribed academic assignments and participate in the regular activities of the Institute. For any period of absence, the Director/Dean of Studies is to be informed before-hand. In the case of the Day Scholars, who require a leave of absence, the Director/Dean of Studies is to be informed through a letter countersigned by the respective House Superior or Provincial. 

Applications for longer periods of leave (for both Residential Students and Day Scholars) duly countersigned by the respective House Superior or the Provincial are to be made in writing to the Director/Dean of Studies at least 3 days in advance.