History of the Department

The importance of spirituality in the life of the Catholic Church and faith cannot be over-emphasised. It explains the desire of the Bishops of West Africa for creation of Spiritual Theology Department, alongside with pastoral Theology Department right from inception of Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. But this desire could not be realized for spiritual Theology due to certain factors among which was lack of lecturers in the field of Spiritual theology and consequently lack of students. 

Despite these militating factors, the Institute continued to take steps towards realising this dream of having spiritual theology Department. Among these steps was the creation of some courses in Spiritual Theology in the Department of Pastoral Theology and renamed the department Pastoral/Spirituality and later Pastoral/Spiritual Theology Department. The courses were developed taken into cognisance the nature of Catholic Institute of West Africa as a research institute with bi-dimensional vision: inculturation and contexualisation in doing theology in Africa. With developments, the Institute at a point saw that the time was ripe for the creation of the Unit of Spiritual Theology in the Institute, separating it from Pastoral Theology. The Unit was created under the Faculty of Canon Law (with a Unit Coordinator) by the Senate of the Institute at its 149^th Meeting on 15^th October, 2019 under the administration of Very Fr. Prof. Jude I. Asanbe, the  then Acting Rector of the Institute.

Haven existed as a Unit for an academic year (2019/2020) with recorded progress, the Faculty of Canon Law proposed to the Senate of the Institute at its 152^nd Meeting that it is should be upgraded to a Department of Spiritual Theology. This was approved by the Senate and eventually approved by the CIWA governing Council at their 81^st Meeting on the 25^thNovember, 2020. An official letter in this regard together with the appointment of the new Head of the Department in Acting Capacity(due to the fact of not being a professor) was issued by the then Acting Rector, Rev. Fr. Prof. Jude A. Asanbe dated 8^th December, 2020.   

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME OF THE DEPARTMENT 

One thing I wish to let you know from the beginning is that you are here for Spiritual Theology and not primarily for Spirituality or spiritual life. You are here for academic programmes and not here for Spiritual Activities. You are here for studies.  This however does not mean one cannot create time for spiritual activities that will enable one to learn how to pray and how to be spiritually helpful to others. This is possible though advised that such should be more during the License year. 

As you will find in the existing programme: “The specific field of Spiritual Theology within the field of all theological knowledge is the reflection on the experience of the Christian, that is, on the progressive itinerary of the believer from his/her baptism to his/her fullness of life in Jesus Christ. Spiritual Theology theologically sheds light on the foundations of Christian life and aids in the path of realizing union of life with Jesus Christ. It takes into consideration the biblical roots, the psychological and anthropological insights, the liturgical and charismatic expressions; its dimensions and origins in the society and in the life of the Church.”

STRUCTURED PROGRAMME

Spiritual Theology as an academic discipline is speculative and also practical, that is theoretical and also practical. In addition to the vision of Catholic Institute of West Africa, the Department of Spiritual Theology in the Institute does study with the aim of preparing future professors of Spiritual theology and Spiritual ministers for the Church. In this regard, its programmes would always engage students not only in Library studies but also field and practical experiences. As an Institute, CIWA studies have the vision of inculturation or contextualisation. So, all studies take into cognizance African Culture. It is theology from an African perspective. 

Spiritual theology is intended to be studied at Masters, Licentiate and Doctoral Degrees levels. The courses therefore have been developed along this line. All these are done guided by the Academic demands and programme of Catholic Institute of West Africa as laid down for these degrees.

For the Mth Programme, students engage in full academic classroom programmes and with teachings on practical application of the studies. But Licentiate year is expected to have aspect of practical experience. During the Licentiate year, besides the preparation for the Oral comprehensive exams and the writing of thesis, students do only a course, and engage in field experience. This experience is carried out under the guidance of an allocated lecturer of the Department. 

The field experience is expected to last for the minimum period of 2 months but not more than three months. The HoD ensures that during the Licentiate year, students are helped to be well equipped for their future assignments or ministry by all means possible.  Licentiate year is the year to prepare to be licensed, to be authorized to stand and teach in the name of the Church. It is therefore a year of special studies after Masters, in the area one wishes to be seen as an authority to teach. This therefore should influence one’s thoughts and choice of thesis topic and all to be done during the Licentiate year.   

 The Comprehensive Exam for the Licentiate is based on all the courses students have offered in the Institute including the License year course, and the field practical experience. 

Then for the PhD programmes, the Institute through the faculty conducts a test for the intending candidates, and the successful ones are inducted as PhD Candidates. They are expected to write at least two articles in journals during their studies. All these are besides the normal academic programmes of offering at least two seminar courses and two regular courses          

Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) has structured programme for all of its Academic studies and degrees. The Spiritual Theology Unit follows this structure for Master’s Degree in Theology (MTH), Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). So following CIWA structured programme, the requirements for each of these degrees are as follows:

M.TH DEGREE

i. It has the duration of two years of four Semesters.

ii. A total of 24 courses that consists of 12 Major courses; 5 Faculty Courses; 3 Seminar research papers and 4 Elective courses and presentation of Thesis. But in the Faculty, it is expected that 24 courses is the minimum and 30 Courses is the maximum number of courses that Students can offer. But for our department, minimum number of courses is 26 Courses. These courses serve for both Mth Degree and StL Degree

iii. GPA for Masters is based on eight (8) courses and the thesis.

STL

It has the duration of one year after M.th or two years without M.Th. The other requirements include oral comprehensive exams and the thesis presentation. The CGPA is based on the 24 courses and the scores from the comprehensive and Thesis. However, let it be noted that one can come for only STL. In that case, it is two years programme. One offers all the courses as the Mth, but writes thesis for Licence. With License alone, one is qualified for PhD too in CIWA.

PHD

Like every other degrees, the PhD programme follows the academic structure as laid down by the Institute and the Faculty. Choice of courses is to be made in consultation with the Head of the Department. Four courses are expected to be done. Two of these are to be Seminars. This means one course, one seminar per semester. All these courses are to be taken within the first year of the programme. In the second year of the programme, a Comprehensive written exam is to be taken in four papers covering Methodology in Spiritual theology; Spirituality of Christian Vocations; Catholic Monastic Spirituality; Other forms of spirituality and Inculturation. Then in the third and final year, will be chapters’ presentations and thesis presentation. Note that PhD candidates are expected to write at least two articles in journals during their studies.

FACULTY COURSES

Five faculty courses are to be offered at Mth level. One of these is from our Faculty (Canon Law Faculty). 

ELECTIVE Courses

They are four to be offered obligatorily from other departments. However, one can offer more than these four. 

TIMES TABLE

The courses and the times-table are available. Students should ensure that in selecting their elective courses, they should not clash with the departmental courses as Departmental courses are compulsory courses. 

UNIT OF FORMATION OF FORMATORS

Besides the programmes of Spiritual Theology, a new Unit just established in the department is Unit of Formation of Formators. This is meant to train formators for the Seminaries and houses of formation. The coordinator of this Unit is Rev. Fr. Dr. Francis J. Nass. Details of the programmes will be made available very soon. At the initial take off of the programme, it is intended to be a Summer programme. It is advised that students who know that they will end in formation houses, try to go through Programme. 

STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT

Presently, the Department has the following staff:

1.     Rev. Fr. Dr. Andrew Adaeyiza Otu, STL (2011), STD (2014) (Specialising in Spiritual Theology), Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome, Italy. He is the Ag. HOD of the Department. 

2.     Rev. Fr. Dr. Okechukwu Cajetan Ani, (CMF), STL (2010), STD (2014) (Specialising in Spiritual Theology), Universidad Pontificia, Comillas, Madrid, Spain.

3.     Rev. Fr. Dr. Francis Jauro Nass, MTh in Spiritual Theology (2009). Fordham, The Jesuit University of New York City; Licentiate and Doctoral Degree in Spiritual Theology (2015-2017), Cardinal Stefan University, Warsaw, Poland.

4.     Rev. Fr. Dr. Chrysogonus Okorie, Carm. He is a part-time Lecturer. 

5.     Rev. Fr. Ogundare David Temitope, A graduate Assistant Lecturer and also a doctoral student in the Department.