Spiritual Poetry as an Innovative Resource for Teaching and Educating Students in the Process of Studying Theological Disciplines

The article examines the educational and pedagogical potential of spiritual poetry and is intended for faculty in theology departments. Based on the traditions of Christian pedagogy, methodology, and teaching methods, the author demonstrates how spiritual poetry can be used to address educational and pedagogical challenges in the teaching of specialized theological disciplines. The author insists on the productivity of scientific interaction between ecclesiastical and secular pedagogy, as well as the unity of educational and pedagogical processes. A classification of the content of spiritual works is proposed: poetry related to Sacred Scripture and patristic writings; and works of a spiritual-moral focus, related to Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers. Further to the above, the author makes recommendations for teachers of “Biblical Studies,” “Moral Theology,” “Russian Hagiography,” “History of Christian Literature and Patristics,” and “Orthodoxy and Russian Literature” on the use of spiritual poetry in the lecture courses and practical studies. The author affirms the effectiveness of activity-based, systemic, and cultural approaches in teaching students, as well as the advisability of establishing interdisciplinary connections and using interactive teaching methods. The author compares various secular and religious authors’ views using poetic examples.