Previous Years' Course Catalogues

The concept of Mission is prominent and ever-present in the contemporary church, but there remains considerable confusion surrounding the theology and practice of Christian witness. Painful awareness of the legacy of colonialism leaves many mainline churches uncomfortable with the concept of mission, for fear of ‘imposing’ their worldview on others. The course examines contemporary models and movements of mission – from “planting,” “Fresh Expressions,” and “Liquid Church,” to “social outreach” and “faith-based community organizing.” Attention will be given to theologies of mission, missional literature, and to particular local mission projects in their ecclesial contexts. Students will be equipped to formulate their own theology of mission and to become familiar with distinct practical models of mission. These discussions will all be with a view to working to understand and shape the future course of the church.

The concept of Mission is prominent and ever-present in the contemporary church, but there remains considerable confusion surrounding the theology and practice of Christian witness. Painful awareness of the legacy of colonialism leaves many mainline churches uncomfortable with the concept of mission, for fear of imposing' their worldview on others. The course examines contemporary models and movements of mission Fresh Expressions, and "Liquid Church," to social outreach and faith-based community organizing. Attention will be give to theologies of mission, missional literature, and to particular local mission projects in their ecclesial contexts. Students will be equipped to formulate their own theology of mission and to become familiar with distinct practical models of mission. These discussions will all be with a view to working to understand and shape the future course of the church.

This course will engage the questions of interreligious dialogue and comparative theology on the theology on the theological issues of redemption and salvation by comparing the work of some key Christian thinkers with themes in Buddhism. We will also engage comparative questions such as desire, imitation, prayer, mediation and responses to suffering and violence.

This course will engage the questions of interreligious dialogue and comparative theology on the theology on the theological issues of redemption and salvation by comparing the work of some key Christian thinkers with themes in Buddhism. We will also engage comparative questions such as desire, imitation, prayer, mediation and responses to suffering and violence.

This course is an examination of the Gospels' passion narratives and as they have stirred theological imaginations through the centuries. The first part of the course will trace the passion narratives in the Gospels-their interrelationship, construction and theological-pastoral Investments-and our role in listening to their distinctive voices. In the second part of the course we will explore the ripples of Jesus's passion as the stories were taken up, transformed, amplified, or muted by the Imaginations of subsequent generations In both sacred and secular contemporary art, film, literature, and practices. As we examine various artistic and devotional efforts we will consider the capacity of "conversation" as a metaphor for engaging a wide range of interpretations.

Designed for the Lay Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. Topics include an overview of theology, sociological context; Church context and pastoral aspects; an overview of lay ministry opportunities in the Church/world; ecclesiological and sacramental principles, and the rights and obligations of lay ministers. Lectures, class participation, six one-page reflection papers, and one short essay. Prerequisite: one year of theology or by permission of the instructor.

Designed for the Lay Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. Topics include an overview of theology, sociological context; Church context and pastoral aspects; an overview of lay ministry opportunities in the Church/world; ecclesiological and sacramental principles, and the rights and obligations of lay ministers. Lectures, class participation, six one-page reflection papers, and one short essay. Prerequisite: one year of theology or by permission of the instructor.

The course is an inquiry into a range of questions concerning spatiality that arise in Christian dogmatics. Is the triune God spatial? What is meant by “omnipresence”? How do divine space and created spaces differ, and how might they be said to interact? What are the spatial dimensions of the incarnation? Students will be introduced to methodological issues concerning the use of spatial theory in theology, as well as how to best think about land and sacred places. Readings will include relevant parts of Scripture as well as theologians who addressed the topic, including Aquinas, Barth, Jenson, Gorringe, and Cavanaugh. Other resources may include authors in such ancillary fields as architecture (Richard Kieckhefer), anthropology (James C. Scott), and human geography (Yi-Fu Tuan). The course will conclude by examining concrete test cases of spatiality, e.g. Chartres Cathedral and modern storefront churches.

This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islam. The course is primarily concerned with the life and career of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, the teachings of the Qur'an, the development of the Muslim community and its principal institutions, schools of thought, law, theology, cultural life and mystical tradition, to about 1300 A.D.

This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islam. The course is primarily concerned with the life and career of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, the teachings of the Qur'an, the development of the Muslim community and its principal institutions, schools of thought, law, theology, cultural life and mystical tradition, to about 1300 A.D.

The course deals with the Muslim communities in the contemporary world. It is primarily concerned with the study of Islamic tradition and its peoples in the last two centuries- the period of Islamic reform in the wake of Western hegemony and the efforts of the community to readjust under the challenges of the liberal and technical age. The course will attempt to answer a basic question: What is happening to the Muslim community in the technical age and how has it responded to the challenges posed by "Westernization" through "modernization" through "secularization?

This course traces the development of Catholic Social Teaching and action from an historical and theological perspective. A Christian concept of justice will be explored within Biblical and theological contexts. Cultural developments that have impacted, and those that continue to influence, social thought, teaching and action within the Church will be discussed. The primary texts for the course are the social documents of the Church beginning with the Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (1891) and continuing to the present day. Students will become familiar with the content of such documents and they will be encouraged to analyse the theological and social foundations upon which the documents have been developed. Key principles of Catholic Social Teaching will be introduced. The course will also explore the Christian call to justice and ways in which the social teachings of the Church can be integrated into personal spirituality and ministry. To facilitate such integration, examples will be highlighted from the lives of social activists within the Church.