Introducing Inhabit
NTC is proud to introduce Inhabit, a new one-year MA programme, anchored in intentional community, formation, and witness.
Beginning in the academic year 2022-23, a cohort of students from around the world will live together in community, participating in the Inhabit Rule of Life. Following in the tradition of monastic communities across Christian history, living according to a “rule” gives shape, structure, and practices to the formation of Christian community and witness. While the language of a “rule” is associated with St. Benedict, John Wesley also provided rules and methods to his band-societies, and Wesleyan and Methodist “ways” or rules of life were later developed. Inhabit will explore and incorporate ancient, Wesleyan, and contemporary rules of life.
For the pilot year (2022-23), 3-5 students will live on site at NTC’s Didsbury campus, in south Manchester. Our campus is spread over 3 acres with an upper lawn and lower meadow at the back overlooking the Mersey valley. The width of the spaces, surrounded by greenery, the scents and the colours of nature, makes it an ideal place to be refreshed and inspired. The rich farmland of the Cheshire plain and the National Parks of the Peak District, Lake District and Snowdonia are easily accessible.
Manchester itself is also home to one of the largest student populations in Europe. As a major cultural centre, it boasts the Bridgewater Hall, the Imperial War Museum North, the Lowry theatre and art gallery, and the critically acclaimed arts venue, Home. Other attractions include numerous theatres, Test and County cricket at Old Trafford, and – of course – two world-famous football clubs, Manchester City and Manchester United.
As part of the programme, students will read about monastic, Wesleyan, neo-monastic, and intentional communities and help the director to establish the Rule of Life for future students. One student who completes the pilot year will be invited to be the accompanier of the next year’s cohort of students
Inhabit is comprised of three streams – study, formation, and witness.
- STUDY: enrol in one of our thirteen MA in Theology pathways
- Affordable MA programme
- Common study rhythms
- Potential teaching and research assistantships
- FORMATION: participate in a wide-range of Christian spiritual disciplines
- Morning and evening prayer and contemplation
- Weekly society meetings
- Two spiritual pilgrimages
- WITNESS: serve NTC and greater Manchester communities for 2-4 hours per week ▪ Local church partnerships
- NTC campus work and chaplaincy team
- Community development
Our programme director, Revd Dr Jacob Lett is excited to welcome our first cohort, explaining, “Inhabit will provide an opportunity for MA students from around the world and from different Christian traditions to participate in the richness and diversity of Christian spiritual practices and to do so in the context of intentional community and service.”
If you would like to learn more about the Inhabit programme and explore what living life in a community of study, formation and witness could mean for you, join us for our introductory meeting. Register here to join us on Zoom at 4pm (BST) on 7th April 2022 to explore the life you feel called to inhabit. You can also contact Dr Lett directly, via jlett@wordpress-1281433-5625002.cloudwaysapps.com, with any informal enquiries.
