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Geoffrey (Monty) Williams, S.J.

Geoffrey (Monty) Williams, SJ

B.A.; M.A.; M.Div.; Ph.D.

Sessional Professor, Ignatian Spirituality

geoffreyb.williams@utoronto.ca
Room 204; ext. 251

Teaching Level: Basic Degree, GCTS Associate (Adjunct Faculty)
Specializations: Spiritual Theology
Department: Cross-listed to Theological and Pastoral Theology

Fr. Williams, SJ is known to all as simply “Monty”. His background and interest in spirituality and culture come across in the classes that he presents at Regis College.

They are:

 

  • Approaches to Spiritual Direction and Discernment
  • Discerning the Signs of the Times: Contemporary Cultural Analysis and Contemporary Manifestations of Spirituality.
  • An Intensive Double Course on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

 

His work in spirituality and direction started in his formation as a Jesuit in the early seventies. In the summers he can usually be found giving retreats and workshops throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and North America. His work included teaching workshops, retreat and spiritual direction, and facilitation in discernment.

  • Research Interests and Expertise

    • Christian Spirituality (with a focus on Ignatian Spirituality and The Spiritual Exercises)
    • Comparative Spirituality with an interest in Buddhism and Shamanism
    • Spiritual Direction: Theory and Practice
    • Spirituality and Post-modernism
    • Contemporary Cultural Studies and Analysis
    • Twentieth Century British, American, and Commonwealth Literature
    • Poetry and Prose of the Romantic Period
    • Poetry and Prose of the Victorian Period
    • The History of Literary Criticism
    • Modern and Contemporary Critical Theory Composition

  • Courses

    • RGP3212Y Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
    • RGP3214H Spirituality & Culture
    • RGP3265H Approaches to Spiritual Direction & Discernment
    • RGP3270H Discerning the Signs of the Times
    • RGP3272H The Spiritual Journey
    • RGP3855HS – Spirituality and Literature
    • RGP6855HS – Spirituality and Literature

  • Selected publications

    BOOKS

    • The Way of Faithfulness: The Dynamics of Desire in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Novalis Press, 2017.
    • Stepping Into Mystery; A Guide to Discernment. Novalis Press, 2012.
    • Finding God in the Dark. 2nd Edition, Novalis Press, 2011.
    • The Gift of Spiritual Intimacy. Novalis Press, 2009.
    • Finding God in the Dark: Taking the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to the Movies. Co-authored. Ottawa: Novalis Press, 2004.
    • The Reason In A Storm: A Study Of The Use of Ambiguity In The Writings of T. S. Eliot. Lanham, New York, London: University Press . of America, 1991.

    PUBLICATIONS

    • “Interiority And Literary History.” Communication and Lonergan: Common Ground for Forging the New Age. Ed., Thomas J. Farrell & Paul A. Soukup. (Kansas City: Sheed & Ward, 1993), 227-47.
    • Canadian Catholic Review, Vol.11, #10 (Nov,93), 9.
    • “The Path of Contemplation, 2.” Review for Religious, Vol. 48, No.1., Jan/Feb. 1989, 111.
    • “The Path of Contemplation, 1.” Review for Religious, Vol. 47, No. 6. Nov/Dec. 1988, 33.
    • “Transcendence and the Development of Consciousness.” Studies in Formative Spirituality. Journal of Ongoing Formation, Vol. 1X, No. 3, November, 1988, 339-54.
    • “Prayer, Pain, and Community.” Review for Religious, Vol. 46, #1, Jan/Feb., 1987, 77-85.
    • “Classicism and the Caribbean Church.” Out of the Depths, ed .I. Hamid (Trinidad: St. Andrews, 1977), 49-90.
    • “Perspectives on Caribbean Culture,.” The Guyana Institute for Social Research and Action, 5 (Dec., 1974).
    • “The World as Church Today.” The Guyana Institute for Social Research and Action, 5 (Sept., 1974).

    PAPERS

    • Lectures on Spirituality and Retreats since 1977 to various religious communities including: Jesuits, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Loretto, Sisters of St. Martha, Sisters of Charity, Monasteries of The Precious Blood.
    • Review of Film as religion: Myth, Morals and Rituals by John C. Lyden: New York: New York University Press, 2003. In Catholic New Times, Jan 4, 2004, p.4
    • Three lectures on Contemporary Forms of Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Loyola House, Ignatius Guelph, 22-24 September, 1995.
    • Orlene Murad Lecture entitled “Method in Literary History” at the University of Regina in January 1994.
    • A Series of Six Public Lectures on Spirituality and Personal Development given through the John Paul Two Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan in January/ February, 1989.
    • “The Problem of Perspective in Resnais’ Night and Fog.” A lecture in the Campion Film Series, 1987.
    • “The Nature of Discernment in Pasolini’s Teorema.” A lecture in the Campion Film Series, 1987.
    • “The Path to Integrity: The Relationship between Pain and the Nature of Consciousness.” A public lecture given at Campion College, University of Regina on 19 February, 1986.
    • “The Loss of Meaning: A History of Twentieth Century Literature.” Lecture given at St. Paul’s, Winnipeg on 14 March, 1986.
    • “Contemporary Forms of Literary Criticism.” Faculty Lecture at Campion College on 19 March, 1986.
    • “Narrativity as Hermeneutic: The Authority of the Texts of Vatican Two as Literary Documents.” A response to papers given by Professors G. Schner and D.Eley. Regis College, University of Toronto, 1984.

  • Current Research Projects and Grants

    2015:

    May 3: Public lecture in Kuala Lumpur on Forgiveness sponsored by Maranatha Retreat House, Malaysia.
    May 17: Public lecture on Forgiveness sponsored by Kingsmead Pastoral Centre in Singapore.
    May 13, 15-17, 21-24: Retreat/Workshops at Kingsmead Pastoral Centre on Ignatian Spirituality.
    May 28-31,4- 7,11-14, 19-21: Retreat/Workshops at Maranatha Retreat Centre, Malaysia.
    July 1-10: Retreat for Chinese Jesuit Province in Taiwan.
    July 12: Public lecture on The Ongoing Dynamics of Forgiveness based on the Ignatian Exercises at the Fu Jen Catholic University.
    July 31-August 9: Director at the English and French Canadian Jesuit Province Retreat at Villa St-Martin, Montreal.

     

    2014: Major Presenter at the International Conference on Ignatian Spirituality in Hong Kong, November 2014 on The Dynamics of Discernment in The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. http://xavier.ignatian.net/html/ic2014/, also at the conference led three workshops on 1. Models of Spiritual Directors, 2. Paradigms of Spiritual Direction 3.The Dynamics of Grace in theSecond Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St.Ignatius

     

    2006: presented the Regis College Fall Film and Spirituality Series. The presentations used by many institutions aroud the world can be found at www.fgitd.ca

     

    1985: giving retreats, workshops, presentations, spiritual direction to ecumenical institutions in North America, Eastern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

  • Currently Teaching