Course Catalogue 2026-2027

This course will introduce students to diverse worldviews relating to Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices, specifically focusing on: pre-contact traditions; the introduction of Christianity and missionaries; the banning and resurgence of ceremonies; and the survival and evolution of these practices within a Christian context. Students will also explore specific historical members of Indigenous communities engaged in different Christian traditions.

This course is designed to introduce students to the world of prophetic literature, its origins and evolution, its historical and cultural contexts, its literary and poetic styles, its theological themes, and its pastoral message. Beginning with the roots of prophecy in the earlier books of the OT and moving to the “major” and “minor” prophets, students will gain in-sight into the distinctive forms of speech, imagery, and methodology employed by the prophets, while recognizing their unique contributions to the understanding of Israel’s God and their lasting relevance in every reader’s present.

This course is designed to introduce students to the world of prophetic literature, its origins and evolution, its historical and cultural contexts, its literary and poetic styles, its theological themes, and its pastoral message. Beginning with the roots of prophecy in the earlier books of the OT and moving to the “major” and “minor” prophets, students will gain in-sight into the distinctive forms of speech, imagery, and methodology employed by the prophets, while recognizing their unique contributions to the understanding of Israel’s God and their lasting relevance in every reader’s present.

This course offers a theological and practical introduction to the discipline of Christian spiritual direction, integrating patristic literature, contemporary scholarship, and lived pastoral experience. Students will explore the nature and purpose of spiritual direction, the role and formation of the spiritual director, and the distinctiveness of spiritual direction in relation to spiritual care, psychotherapy, and sacramental confession. Drawing on foundational texts such as Evagrius Ponticus's Praktikos and Chapters on Prayer, alongside modern works, the course examines interiority, prayer, listening, empathy, and discernment within the director-directee relationship. Special attention is given to the faculties of the soul, the passions, and processes of spiritual healing, as well as to the contributions of women in the tradition. Through weekly reflections, workshops, and case studies, students will develop the ability to apply theological and spiritual principles to concrete pastoral situations while cultivating ethical awareness, discernment, and attentiveness to the movements of grace in everyday life.

This course offers a theological and practical introduction to the discipline of Christian spiritual direction, integrating patristic literature, contemporary scholarship, and lived pastoral experience. Students will explore the nature and purpose of spiritual direction, the role and formation of the spiritual director, and the distinctiveness of spiritual direction in relation to spiritual care, psychotherapy, and sacramental confession. Drawing on foundational texts such as Evagrius Ponticus's Praktikos and Chapters on Prayer, alongside modern works, the course examines interiority, prayer, listening, empathy, and discernment within the director-directee relationship. Special attention is given to the faculties of the soul, the passions, and processes of spiritual healing, as well as to the contributions of women in the tradition. Through weekly reflections, workshops, and case studies, students will develop the ability to apply theological and spiritual principles to concrete pastoral situations while cultivating ethical awareness, discernment, and attentiveness to the movements of grace in everyday life.

This year-long seminar course encourages students to consider the shape and rhythms of the Chrisitan life both individually and in community. The course engages classical and contemporary accounts of Christian spirituality, gives students the opportunity to engage personally with a variety of spiritual practices, and culminates with the writing of a personal 'rule of life' which may contribute to a well-balanced foundation for lifelong ministry and devotion. The seminar meets one hour per week over the course of the academic year and is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

This year-long seminar course encourages students to consider the shape and rhythms of the Chrisitan life both individually and in community. The course engages classical and contemporary accounts of Christian spirituality, gives students the opportunity to engage personally with a variety of spiritual practices, and culminates with the writing of a personal 'rule of life' which may contribute to a well-balanced foundation for lifelong ministry and devotion. The seminar meets one hour per week over the course of the academic year and is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

The events collectively known as the Reformation ended the unity of westem Christianity. In this course, we will study the various reforming movements primarily by reading the words of their main actors. The course places the ideas behind the reformers' agendas in their historical context, beginning with a survey of western Christianity on the eve of the sixteenth century. It then examines the particular ways in which the Protestant and Catholic reformers viewed the Bible, salvation, the church, and the state. After exploring the context and the Ideas, we will look at the reality of the reformers' struggle to implement their agenda and the legacy of the Reformation in the twenty-first century.

A survey of both patristic and contemporary approaches to Christological questions (how the divinity and humanity of Christ come together in one person). Soteriological questions will also be addressed (what is salvation, how Jesus saves, from what and for what He saves). This will also necessitate some examination of Theological Anthropology (from creation according to the Divine Image to the fulfillment of likeness to God in Theosis/Divinization) and the human condition that requires an Incarnate Saviour. Comparisons will be made among ancient Christological approaches (Alexandria, Antioch, Rome), as well as between Eastern and Western Christian understandings of the means and the content of salvation. Emphasis will be placed on apophatic and antinomic tools for articulating an understanding of Christ the Saviour that operates coherently within the complex of the elements of Holy Tradition (Scripture, Fathers, Councils, Creeds, Liturgy, Iconography, Hagiography, etc.)

At the heart of Ignatian spirituality is the idea that we can experience God in all things. God is present in the events of everyday life, in the people we encounter and even in the seemingly mundane things we do. A “retreat on the streets” is a way of opening our eyes, and our hearts, to the many different ways God meets us, including in what might seem the unlikely environment of a busy street, or a quieter corner, in a bustling town or city. This class centers around three two-day weekend “retreats on the streets” in Toronto, along with personal and group theological reflection.

Mystery of the Triune God with its Biblical sources and Patristic development, and an examination of the development of the understanding of the Immanent Trinity, with attention paid to particular issues, e.g. Filioque, notion of 'Person'. Also stressed is the development of a Trinitarian spirituality with some attention to the mystics.

This course considers basic themes in the theology of the Holy Trinity from a biblical, historical and systematic viewpoint and addresses selected contemporary questions about the mystery of the tri-personal God.