New Online Course from Sacred Heart Seminary

A new online, self-paced course, “Confronting the Digital Age,” is being offered by Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS).  The course begins on October 15.

Unlike a number of past, online courses offered by SHMS, which were free, this course has a small fee attached to it.  The cost to take “Confronting the Digital Age” is $10.  The course is open to anyone, regardless of the diocese they reside in.

The full title of the course is “Confronting the Digital Age: Deepening Connections with God and Each Other.”  Dr. Tim Hogan, Psy.D, part-time professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, is the course instructor.

As the webpage for the course says:

“Smartphones and social media have caused a cultural hurricane that is changing our nervous system, relationships, and spirituality.  This cultural hurricane has left our nervous system rushed, distracted, and anxious, hampering our ability to connect with God and one another.

As Dr. Hogan says in the introductory video for the course, “These smartphones, along with social media, have changed us unlike any other invention in the history of humanity.  It’s changed our nervous system.  We live with a nervous system now that is more distracted and more anxious than in any time in history.  In fact, our attention span has gone from 12 seconds to 8 seconds ever since we’ve started using smartphones.

“Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you, except goldfish have an attention span of nine seconds.  And, so, that’s sort of a big deal.”

But, he adds, “It’s also changed our relationships.  Our empathy levels are just lower than they used to be and civility has dropped.”

As a result, our relationships have changed drastically.

Science And Spirituality

According to the course description, “Using brain science and Catholic spiritual practices, Dr. Tim Hogan will show us how to renew our spiritual vitality and relearn how to allow God’s love to skillfully flow through our busy everyday lives. Whether you are a parish minister or simply interested in deepening your faith, this self-paced online course will allow you to confront the digital age and deepen your relationships with God and others.”

The self-paced, no pressure course consists of five modules.  Each module includes:

• Lecture Video (~20 minutes)
• Lectio Divina Exercise (~10 minutes)
• Personal Assessment Quiz (~5 minutes)
• Supplemental Reading Material

Each of the videos is a presentation by Dr. Hogan, roughly 20 minutes long.  The titles of each video/module are

1: Rescuing Our Spiritual Health from the Digital Age
2: Rescuing Our Nervous System, Recovering the Present Moment
3: Rescuing Our Nervous System from Anxiety, Recovering Gratitude
4: Rebuilding Skillful, Empathic, and Loving Connections
5: A Call to Re-Engage Spiritual Community

According to the course description, “The goal of the course is not to deliver a high level of rigor or stress, but instead engage Catholics who want to learn more about their faith.

“Consider this a retreat experience, done at your own pace.  This is an opportunity to grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord and with others.”

More Information

Dr. Tim Hogan is co-author of “How to Find the Help You Need,” a guide to psychotherapy and spiritual direction.  He is a part time professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, and works in private practice in Plymouth, MI. He is  the former Director of the Grace Counseling Center in Detroit.

More information about the course and information on how to register are available HERE.

Note too, that if you watch the introductory video, Dr Hogan goes off-script and errantly states that the course is free.  As stated previously, the cost to take the course is $10.