{"id":223079,"date":"2026-05-14T12:18:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/?page_id=223079"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:19:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:19:05","slug":"hdst07-spirituality-of-christian-discipleship-in-the-gospels","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/higher-diploma-in-spiritual-theology-and-carmelite-spirituality\/curriculum\/hdst07-spirituality-of-christian-discipleship-in-the-gospels\/","title":{"rendered":"HDST07: Spirituality of Christian Discipleship in the Gospels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Docente:<\/strong> Prof. Richard Francis D\u2019Souza<\/p>\n

Justification<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discipleship is at the heart of the Christian vocation. Jesus himself called his followers to \u201ccome and follow me\u201d (Mk 1:17), inaugurating a relationship that is not merely ethical or institutional, but profoundly spiritual. The Gospels, each in their own distinctive way, present discipleship not as a static condition but as a dynamic journey of transformation in Christ. Understanding the nature and patterns of discipleship as presented in the four Gospels is therefore essential for any serious engagement with Christian spiritual formation. This course approaches discipleship as a theological and spiritual reality rooted in the person of Jesus Christ and unfolded progressively through the four Gospel traditions.<\/p>\n

Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n

This course aims to introduce students to the spirituality of Christian discipleship as presented in the New Testament, with particular focus on the four Gospels. It seeks to explore the meaning of discipleship in the NT, its terminology, characteristics, and theological significance; examine how each Evangelist presents a distinct and complementary pattern of discipleship corresponding to different stages of the Christian spiritual journey; and enable students to appropriate these Gospel patterns for personal spiritual growth and pastoral ministry.<\/p>\n

Content<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Discipleship in the New Testament:<\/strong> An introductory overview of the concept of discipleship its vocabulary, Jewish background, the radical novelty of Jesus\u2019 call, and the characteristics of those who followed him.<\/li>\n
  2. Catechumenal Discipleship in Mark:<\/strong> Mark presents discipleship as a journey of initiation and progressive discovery of the identity of Jesus. The disciple is called, follows, struggles to understand, and is gradually formed through encounter with the mystery of the Cross.<\/li>\n
  3. Ecclesial Discipleship in Matthew:<\/strong> Matthew situates discipleship within the life of the believing community. The disciple is formed through the teaching of Jesus, learning to live the demands of the Kingdom within the Church in righteousness and fraternal charity.<\/li>\n
  4. Missionary Discipleship in Luke:<\/strong> Luke presents the disciple as one sent on mission, animated by the Holy Spirit, attentive to the poor and marginalized, and characterized by prayer and joyful witness.<\/li>\n
  5. Spiritual\/Contemplative Discipleship in John:<\/strong> John deepens discipleship into an intimate, mystical relationship with Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). The disciple abides in Christ, is drawn into the life of the Trinity, and bears fruit through love (Jn 15:1-17).<\/li>\n
  6. Synthesis:<\/strong> An integrative reflection on the four patterns as complementary dimensions of a mature and holistic Christian spirituality.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Method<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The course is delivered through lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations, combined with interactive sessions that encourage discussion and active engagement with the course material.<\/p>\n

    Criteria for Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Students will be evaluated through an oral examination. Additionally, students may be asked to prepare a written paper on selected themes from the course, with specific indications provided by the professor.<\/p>\n

    Time Distribution<\/strong><\/p>\n

    24 hours of class instruction, complemented by personal reading, reflective study, and preparation for the final examination.<\/p>\n

    Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Best, E., Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark<\/em>, Sheffield, 1981.
    \nBonhoeffer, D., The Cost of Discipleship<\/em>, New York, 2001.
    \nBrown, R. E., The Gospel According to John<\/em>, 2 vols., Anchor Bible, New York, 1966\u20131970.
    \nByrne, B., A Costly Freedom: A Theological Reading of Mark\u2019s Gospel<\/em>, Collegeville, Minnesota, 2008.
    \nFitzmyer, J. A., The Gospel According to Luke<\/em>, 2 vols., Anchor Bible, New York, 1981\u20131985.
    \nHarrington, D. J., The Gospel of Matthew<\/em>, Sacra Pagina, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1991.
    \nRengstorf, K. H., \u201c\u03bc\u03b1\u03b8\u03b7\u03c4\u03ae\u03c2\u201d, in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament<\/em>, vol. IV, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1967, 415\u2013461.
    \nSchneiders, S. M., Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel<\/em>, New York, 2003.
    \nSegovia, F. F. (ed.), Discipleship in the New Testament<\/em>, Philadelphia, 1985.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Docente: Prof. Richard Francis D\u2019Souza Justification Discipleship is at the heart of the Christian vocation. Jesus himself called his followers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2393,"featured_media":0,"parent":24264,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-higherdiplomacarmelitespirituality.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/223079"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223079"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/223079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":223081,"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/223079\/revisions\/223081"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teresianum.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}