The Shape of the Church: Discerning A New Paradigm for Fostering Ecclesial Wholeness

This course provides a new paradigm for growth in ecclesial wholeness to chart a pathway that is biblically and theologically grounded and pastorally applicable. Seven interdependent dimensions of the church are key to this model: evangelical, pentecostal, sacramental, intellectual, mystical, pastoral, and prophetic. This course will demonstrate that the path forward to greater ecclesial maturity requires nurturing and integrating all seven dimensions. 

By the completion of this course, participants will be able to… 

• Better understand the various dimensions that make up the church.
• Better understand the current shape of their ecclesial communities. 
• Identify the dimensions of their ecclesial communities which are under-emphasized, over-emphasized, and well-integrated into the whole. 
• Guide their communities toward greater maturity and wholeness by fostering a more integral ecclesial spirituality. 

About the instructor: 

Br. Ephrem Arcement, OHC, PhD spent eleven years as a Benedictine monk of St. Joseph Abbey in Louisiana before transferring to Holy Cross Monastery in New York where he now serves as Guestmaster and Junior Master. Br. Ephrem brings years of experience to his teaching and retreat ministry and has a particular interest in helping make the vitality of the Christian spiritual tradition understood by and accessible to all who are interested in deepening their spiritual lives. Br. Ephrem holds a PhD in Spirituality from The Catholic University of America and master’s degrees in theology from Roman Catholic and Protestant institutions. His three books are Intimacy in Prayer: Wisdom from Bernard of Clairvaux, In the School of Prophets: The Formation of Thomas Merton’s Prophetic Spirituality, and The Shape of the Church: The Seven Dimensions of Ecclesial Wholeness.