Spiritual Literacy Certificates Program
- Learn to apply spiritual principles and practices to what’s happening in your life.
- Enjoy a supportive community.
- Be equipped to serve and lead others in reading the sacred in everyday life.
Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life
- Receive a Certificate in Spiritual Literacy and Transformative Practices
Practical Spirituality, Personal Growth & Professional Development
Spiritual Literacy is the ability to look at ourselves, each other, and the world around us as signs of and messages from the Divine. This skill can be applied in all life experiences to discern a world full of meaning and connection, gain a wider perspective on your experiences, and expand your personal and professional capacities. Learn how to bring such qualities of heart and mind as compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, hospitality, openness, transformation, and wonder into your home, community, workplace, and the larger world.
Deepen Your Spirituality, Practice, and Experience
Throughout the Certificates program, you will discover that what makes this study truly unique is the virtually endless set of resources that have been gathered and curated to help you explore, understand, and illustrate Spiritual Literacy. For each Alphabet Practice, we provide a range of materials, from short and sweet practices for your everyday life to longer contemplative practices to deepen your spiritual awareness.
Expand Your Knowledge
Spiritual Literacy is learned through examples and practices. In our 18 months together, you will explore many examples of how others apply spiritual principles and practices to what is happening in their lives through quotations, book excerpts, and films. You will be inspired by the experiences of our exemplars (bestselling authors, professors, and renowned teachers). And you will have opportunities to try a wide variety of spiritual practices.
Be a Better Leader, Guide, Counsellor, Minister, Teacher, Chaplain, Facilitator, Activist, Caregiver, Coach, Volunteer, Spiritual Director . . .
The Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy is an extraordinary tool for cultivating a life of meaning and connection. It will help you learn to read the sacred in everyday life and lead others in doing so too. Participants will be encouraged to share with their peer groups how they are applying the week’s Alphabet Practice to their personal or professional life.
Multifaith, Diverse, and Inclusive Spirituality
The 37 letters of the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy — from Attention to Zeal (see complete list at right) — are universal spiritual principles and practices in every transformative tradition. Each has been carefully vetted and validated through a deep study of the world's religious, spiritual, psychological, and cultural traditions. They are essential to personal transformation, wellbeing, strong relationships, social commitment, and openness to diversity.
Support & Structure for Maintaining Daily Spiritual Practice
Your commitment:
- Do daily spiritual practice (about 3-10 minutes);
- Read, reflect, journal for each Alphabet Practice (5-15 minutes);
- Attend or watch the video recordings of live teachings (about 75 minutes every other week);
- Meet with your small group (about 90 minutes every other week); and
- Attend four two-hour large group meetings.
You will also be asked to keep track of your participation by completing a short and simple questionnaire and writing a brief reflection for each Alphabet Practice.
Your support:
You will have S&P’s full support with the opportunity to explore your questions in our bi-weekly live teachings and large group meetings. You will also have the support of your peers in your small group. Dr. Habib will hold bi-weekly and by appointment office hours. If you need more support, just ask. We are here to help you every step of the way!
Capstone Project - Teaching Others to Read the Sacred in Everyday Life
- Prerequisite: Graduation from Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life
- Receive a Certificate as a Spiritual Literacy Facilitator
- No additional tuition!
The Capstone Projects are intended to give practical experience to today's leaders, who often find that people come to them seeking ways to experience more meaning and purpose, enjoy a sense of aliveness, achieve greater emotional intelligence, embrace a broader perspective, and discover a deeper connection to all of life. The goal of the capstone projects will be to bring Spiritual Literacy to a wide variety of life experiences.
Spiritual Literacy Facilitators will be encouraged to establish their own groups and centers, develop their own applications, and contribute to the Spirituality & Practice website. Find more information on our Spiritual Literacy Facilitators and their projects here.
Your Teachers
Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat
Habīb Todd Boerger, PhD
Gregory Boyle
Adam Bucko
Gregory C. Ellison II
Camille Helminski
Kabir Helminski
Shannon T.L. Kearns
Hillary & Brad Keeney
Jay McDaniel
Thomas Moore
Mark Nepo
Jamal Rahman
Joyce Rupp
Sophia Said
Sharon Salzberg
Scott Russell Sanders
Mirabai Starr
Tuition
Payment plans available
Learn more in our free info sessions.
What people are saying...
Frequently Asked Questions
The Spiritual Literacy Alphabet Practices are transformative practices for self, society, and our common world. Spiritual Literacy connects:
- spirituality with personal growth and professional development
- the world's spiritual and religious traditions
- the traditions and today's spiritually independent and unaffiliated seekers
- spirituality with the popular culture
- our work and our values
- our inner life with our outer engagement
- people along all points on the political and ideological spectrum
- diverse communities
- humans and the natural world
- self-awareness & self-compassion
- equanimity
- reverence
- self-care & resilience
- joy and enthusiasm for life
- feelings of connection
- empathy
- deep listening and communication
- energy and focus
- health and wellbeing
- personal and group flourishing
- creativity
- clarity when facing challenges
- managing stress, disappointment, and loss
- patience
- openness and tolerance
- compassion and kindness
- visionary thinking
- ritual making
- courage and confidence
- trust
Spirituality & Practice has cancelled the 2025 cohort of the program. Please check back for future program dates.
All sessions are recorded so they can be viewed at your convenience in the event of scheduling conflicts.
All online, synchronous and asynchronous connections. No travel involved.
It is anticipated that reflections, journaling, and reading; participation in the meeting with your small group every other week; and daily practice will require 3 - 5 hours per two-week period; the four large group meetings via Zoom will be for two hours. The immersions at the beginning and end of the program will be 10 hours over two days. As with all practice-based programs, consistency of participation is important, and the more time you devote to the program, the more you will get out of it.
Spiritual Literacy Facilitators are graduates of the Spiritual Literacy Certificates Program who have actively contributed to our building Spiritual Literacy movement by teaching the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy to others. Find more information on them and their projects here.
This program has been designed so that it may be considered by participants for use as continuing education to enhance the professional knowledge and pastoral competency of chaplains certified through the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc., an affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains. If you need help calculating your continuing education hours (CEHs), please contact Dr. Habib Boerger at Habib@SpiritualityandPractice.org.
The Spiritual Literacy Certificates Program is a unique training, created and curated by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat and Dr. Habib Todd Boerger. The program offers you carefully guided journeys into deep studies of what it means to be a vibrant being in service to a world brimming over with wisdom, life lessons, and deep connections in each and every moment.
The program is rooted in the study of the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy (see list in the right column of this page) made up of universal qualities of heart and mind that have been uplifted in traditions around the world and throughout time. Hence, the program is compatible with people of all religious and cultural backgrounds, including those who are spiritual but not religious, agnostic, or atheist.
If you are accepted and enrolled in the program and you wish to cancel, you must notify Spirituality & Practice in writing. Prior to March 2nd, we will offer a 50% refund for those who have paid in full. No refunds will be provided after March 2nd or for participants on monthly payment plans.
Spirituality & Practice in Claremont, California, has been developing the field of Spiritual Literacy, drawing upon the wisdom first presented in the national bestselling book by its founders, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, and the companion volume Spiritual Rx: Prescriptions for Living a Meaningful Life. Spirituality & Practice runs the multifaith website SpiritualityandPractice.com. Coding on the website indicates which of 37 universal spiritual practices in the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy practices are illustrated by each piece of content.
The website is a unique wisdom archive providing resources for spiritual journeys in a multifaith and multicultural world. Its 65,000+ pages of content include book, film, audio, and art reviews; book excerpts; profiles of spiritual teachers from many traditions; articles on and instructions for spiritual practices; spiritual quotations; blogs; plus curated content on topics, traditions, and three special projects: The Practicing Democracy Project, The Elder Spirituality Project, and The Reverence Project.
Spirituality & Practice has also developed or partnered with teachers to create more than 200 online courses on spiritual practices.
Spirituality & Practice believes that the Spiritual Literacy Certificates Program will have wide appeal to those who pursue their own or support others’ personal growth or professional development, recognizing that we all benefit from learning transformative spiritual practices and applying the wisdom of the world's religious, spiritual, psychological, and cultural traditions. We welcome those who share this vision to become our affiliates and help spread the word about this unique training program.
If your association, retreat center, congregation, health care system, website, or other group works with spiritual seekers, spiritual leaders, chaplains, life coaches, educators, counselors, spiritual directors and companions, psychologists, social workers, community organizers and activists, healthcare professionals, nonprofit and business leaders, or other innovators, we invite you to consider this option. We will provide a trackable link to this page that will tell us when your referrals apply for the program. Upon the referral’s payment of his/her tuition, S&P will send the affiliate a 15% commission.
If you are interested in becoming an affiliate, please email brussat@SpiritualityandPractice.com
You may be able to deduct the cost of work-related education expenses per IRS guidelines. We advise you to speak to your tax professional regarding any tax decisions.