Previous Years' Course Catalogues

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 introduces the prophets of Israel from their historical contexts, explores developments, genres and theological themes. Attention will be paid to the role of Israelite prophets in the larger ancient Near East context and prophetic contributions to Israelite expressions of God. Basic methods of exegesis will be reinforced as well as attention to a Catholic framework for interpretation.

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 will explore Christian heretical movements from the fifth century through to the Reformation, with the major focus on European heresies, including those originating in the Near East. Beginning with a brief survey of heresies encountered in the Early Church, the course will then examine such issues as Bogomillsm, Catharism and the Albigensian Crusade, the Waldensian heresy, the poverty controversy, the Spiritual Franciscans, Wyclif and Lollardy, later medieval Eucharistic heresies, and the Hussite movement in Bohemia. The relationship of Christianity to its fellow Abrahamlc faiths, Judaism and Islam, will also form a major point of focus for the course, as "infidels" were often categorised as heretics by medieval Christians. The course will end with a consideration of the role played by medieval heresies and heretics in the polemical engagements and confessional politics of the Protestant Reformation.

This course will explore Christian heretical movements from the fifth century through to the Reformation, with the major focus on European heresies, including those originating in the Near East. Beginning with a brief survey of heresies encountered in the Early Church, the course will then examine such issues as Bogomillsm, Catharism and the Albigensian Crusade, the Waldensian heresy, the poverty controversy, the Spiritual Franciscans, Wyclif and Lollardy, later medieval Eucharistic heresies, and the Hussite movement in Bohemia. The relationship of Christianity to its fellow Abrahamlc faiths, Judaism and Islam, will also form a major point of focus for the course, as "infidels" were often categorised as heretics by medieval Christians. The course will end with a consideration of the role played by medieval heresies and heretics in the polemical engagements and confessional politics of the Protestant Reformation.

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.

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.

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.

Students are invited to critically engage with the ubiquitous, if unstable, category of the Gothic represented by a variety of media created by diverse authors in different genres and languages, sacred and profane, and to share the experience Gothic spaces, sounds, and images. The Gothic's origins span, by constant reiteration, from queer sociality on the Continent in the eighteenth century, to Anti-Catholic rhetoric in Britain in the next hundred years, to the secret signs of the guilds of masons building the great cathedrals of the middle ages. The Gothic simultaneously embodies both Christ and Count Dracula while enthralling scholarly and popular culture in unprecedented ways. An awareness of the Gothic is also to appreciate much of the built environment at the University of Toronto, and the city that surrounds it, to decode the intentions of the architects and patrons who shaped the landscape. Eight centuries, or more, of the Gothic are introduced, emphasizing a variety of themes considered from the vantage of the historian, including visuality, monstrosity, the vampire, corporeality, the Eucharist, and architecture.

Students are invited to critically engage with the ubiquitous, if unstable, category of the Gothic represented by a variety of media created by diverse authors in different genres and languages, sacred and profane, and to share the experience Gothic spaces, sounds, and images. The Gothic's origins span, by constant reiteration, from queer sociality on the Continent in the eighteenth century, to Anti-Catholic rhetoric in Britain in the next hundred years, to the secret signs of the guilds of masons building the great cathedrals of the middle ages. The Gothic simultaneously embodies both Christ and Count Dracula while enthralling scholarly and popular culture in unprecedented ways. An awareness of the Gothic is also to appreciate much of the built environment at the University of Toronto, and the city that surrounds it, to decode the intentions of the architects and patrons who shaped the landscape. Eight centuries, or more, of the Gothic are introduced, emphasizing a variety of themes considered from the vantage of the historian, including visuality, monstrosity, the vampire, corporeality, the Eucharist, and architecture.

Students are invited to critically engage with the ubiquitous, if unstable, category of the Gothic represented by a variety of media created by diverse authors in different genres and languages, sacred and profane, and to share the experience Gothic spaces, sounds, and images. The Gothic's origins span, by constant reiteration, from queer sociality on the Continent in the eighteenth century, to Anti-Catholic rhetoric in Britain in the next hundred years, to the secret signs of the guilds of masons building the great cathedrals of the middle ages. The Gothic simultaneously embodies both Christ and Count Dracula while enthralling scholarly and popular culture in unprecedented ways. An awareness of the Gothic is also to appreciate much of the built environment at the University of Toronto, and the city that surrounds it, to decode the intentions of the architects and patrons who shaped the landscape. Eight centuries, or more, of the Gothic are introduced, emphasizing a variety of themes considered from the vantage of the historian, including visuality, monstrosity, the vampire, corporeality, the Eucharist, and architecture.