Spiritual Formation


    Online Retreats and Spiritual Direction
  • Center for Spiritual Formation
    http://home.earthlink.net/%7Eformation1/
    [The Center is an ecumenical ministry affiliated with the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church and is adminsitered from Carlisle, Pennsylvania (USA). The site is intended to serve as a resource to "a dispersed community of baptized Christians" seeking to deepen their lives in the Spirit.]
  • Spiritual Evolution
    http://www.worldtrans.org/spirevol.html
    [A New Age type site with resources, links, and an online discussion forum.]

    Retreat Facilities and Spiritual Institutes

  • Academy for Spiritual Formation
    http://www.upperroom.org/academy/
    [A two-year, partly residential, program connected with The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. "The purpose of The Academy is to provide an in-depth and comprehensive experience in spiritual formation for lay and clergy persons who are highly motivated in their sense of call to follow Christ and serve the church and the world. The sixteen courses offered over the two-year period, combined with the recovery of the use of Psalms in worship and the ongoing participation in personal and group spiritual guidance, are efforts to help prepare persons to live out that call."]
  • Blue Mountain Center of Meditation
    http://www.nilgiri.org/
    [The Center (located in the San Francisco Bay area) publishes books under the Nilgiri Press imprint and offers weekend and day programs in meditation and a practical Eight-Point Program of spiritual living as taught by Eknath Easwaran.]
  • Columbia Theological Seminary
    http://www.ctsnet.edu/lifelong/spirituality/index.asp
    [Spirituality is part of its Lifelong Learning programs.]
  • Deep Spring Center
    http://www.deepspring.org/
    [A center for meditation in the Buddhist Vipassana tradition. Also conducts retreats. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.]
  • Drogchen Foundation
    http://www.dzogchen.org/
    [A center for Buddhist practice in the Tibetan tradition, led by Lama Surya Das, and located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.]
  • Eighth Day Life Center
    http://www.eighthdaywv.com/
    [A Ministry of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Charleston, West Virginia.]
  • Empty Bell
    http://www.emptybell.org/
    [A contemplative center in Watertown, Massachusetts (USA). It was founded and is directed by Robert A. Jonas, a spiritual companion and retreat leader. He is a Christian in the Carmelite tradition and has received spiritual formation in Buddhist traditions. Currently a student of Sui-Zen (the Japanese bamboo flute, or shakuhachi ), he is an active member of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and a founding member of the Ruah Institute in Boston.]
  • Epiphany Center
    http://www.epiphanycenter.org/
    [Located in Atlanta, Georgia (USA), the Center provides counseling and resources for spiritual formation in the Christian tradition.]
  • Insight Meditation Society
    http://www.dharma.org/whoweare.htm
    [The Society maintains a Vipassana Retreat center for both beginning and experienced meditators that is located in Barre, Massachusetts, USA.]
  • The Mastery Foundation
    http://www.masteryfoundation.org/
    [MF is located in San Francisco and was organized as a non-profit, volunteer, interfaith foundation by a diverse group of laity and clergy. Inspired by Werner Erhard, they created a four-day workshop intended "to empower those of every faith and religious tradition who minister."]
  • Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
    http://www.shalem.org
    [Described as "an ecumenical Christian organization devoted to the support of contemplative spirituality." Which is further clarified: "grounded in the Christian path, we continue to be enriched by the grace present in other traditions, and we respectfully welcome anyone, regardless of tradition, who seeks to learn from the Christian contemplative way." Site maintained by Gerald May, M.D.]
  • Sophia Retreat Center
    http://www.mountosb.org/sophia.html
    [A Benedictine Center that is open to persons of all faiths. Located in Atchison, Kansas.]
  • Spirit Rock Meditation Center
    http://www.spiritrock.org/
    [A center for Insight or Vipassana meditation in Marin County north of San Francisco, California, USA.]
  • Find the Divine
    http://www.findthedivine.com/
    [A directory of retreat centers in the USA; for instance, in Florida.]

    Academic Programs and Professional Associations

  • Spiritual Directors International
    http://www.sdiworld.org/index.htm
    [A membership organization for support, information, and networking.]
  • Titus Brandsma Institute for the Scientific Study of Spirituality
    http://www.kun.nl/tbi/
    [A major Carmelite institution located in the Netherlands which is affiliated with the Catholic University Nijmegen.]

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