“Historically, every renewal of the Church was preceded by a renewal of contemplation or mental prayer.”
This, according to Dr. Anthony Lilles, is the essential purpose of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Lilles and co-founder Dan Burke have established this online Institute, which is fully faithful to the Magisterium, to help people advance in the knowledge of their Catholic faith, but more importantly in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Avila Institute provides a two to four year Masters’ level program and undergraduate studies in spiritual theology. At the same time, it is perfectly suited for those with or without any degree looking for continuing education or personal enrichment.
The first class offered by the Institute, an introduction to spiritual theology, began in September 2013. Dr. Lilles, an associate professor of theology at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver where he is a founding faculty member, defines spiritual theology as “that branch of the theological science that studies holiness in the Church.” He explains: “Its task includes defining the nature of Christian perfection, analyzing the various expressions of holiness especially through the wisdom of the saints, and formulating principles and counsels for the further understanding and development of holiness in the life of the Church.”
The Avila Institute’s course of study serves a wide span of people, from priests and religious to laity, catechists to pre- Cana instructors, home schooling parents to Catholic counselors, and professionals to ordinary Catholics looking to deepen their relationship with Christ through the spiritual riches of the Church.
“While some students are taking the courses for their own personal enrichment, the mission of the Institute is to form teachers and leaders in the Church [by] empowering them with a spiritual theology that helps them to establish a discipline of life and prayer that will enrich the Church where they are or in what they are called to do,” says Lilles. “This mystagogical approach to the doctrine of prayer is going to bear good fruit in their own lives and in the lives of those they serve.” He explains that this is one reason why the Institute uses a mystagogical approach to studies (mystagogy being deliberate guidance in the mysteries of faith). In other words, “It’s not just imparting information or mastery of a body of material,” Lilles emphasizes. “We teach the truth and wisdom of the saints to lead people into a deeper and more life-giving encounter with Jesus.”
“Theology and prayer go together,” Lilles explains further. “[Spiritual theology] is a theology we do on our knees. That’s the goal of Avila Institute, and I believe it will contribute to a renewal of contemplative prayer in the Church.”
Co-founder Dan Burke, who is an author and the Executive Director of the National Catholic Register, as well as founder of the award-winning site, Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction, puts one feature of the Avila Institute at the head of other notable aspects of this work: service to the poor. “No one is turned away [from the program] because of financial issues,” notes Burke. “If we have the room and the resources, we give as much away as we can. We provide our coursework at no cost, where necessary, to those who have taken a vow of poverty.”
Although the Avila Institute is based in the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama, enrollees can take the interactive courses from wherever they live. Birmingham’s Bishop Robert Baker believes this effort will not only flourish, but that it “will bear much fruit for the Church around the world.”
Indeed, that goal is already part of the Avila Institute. Burke emphasizes the promising potential of the worldwide reach of this Institute. Already students are being served not only throughout the United States but also in Qatar, Dubai, Malaysia, Canada, Philippines, Bali, and “many other places where faithful formation is hard to come by,” he notes. “We are providing a lifeline of spiritual sustenance where it is otherwise unavailable or scarce.”
Bishop Baker makes a compelling case for the value of the Avila Institute: “Spiritual formation is critical in our time, and the Institute’s commitment to engage the clergy, religious, and laity through the great spiritual patrimony of the Church is essential if we are to see the continued renewal of the Church.”
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