Previous Years' Course Catalogues

The relationship between Christianity and Judaism is central to the identity of Christians and the church. Yet for much of the past two millennia, from the “parting of the ways” in the first and second centuries, the story of Christians and Jews has been difficult and troubled, culminating in the tragic events of the 20th century. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, there has been a renewed engagement between the two traditions, and with a proliferation of scholarship and deepening of knowledge of Second Temple Judaism over the last half century, a joint effort has been made by Christians and Jews to correct historical inaccuracies and prejudices and amend theological traditions that had separated Jesus and Paul from their Jewish contexts and driven a hard wedge between communities sharing faith in the one God of Israel. This course will delve into key elements of this new scholarship and rekindled dialogue, enabling students to apply these insights across their theological studies and pastoral practice.

The relationship between Christianity and Judaism is central to the identity of Christians and the church. Yet for much of the past two millennia, from the “parting of the ways” in the first and second centuries, the story of Christians and Jews has been difficult and troubled, culminating in the tragic events of the 20th century. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, there has been a renewed engagement between the two traditions, and with a proliferation of scholarship and deepening of knowledge of Second Temple Judaism over the last half century, a joint effort has been made by Christians and Jews to correct historical inaccuracies and prejudices and amend theological traditions that had separated Jesus and Paul from their Jewish contexts and driven a hard wedge between communities sharing faith in the one God of Israel. This course will delve into key elements of this new scholarship and rekindled dialogue, enabling students to apply these insights across their theological studies and pastoral practice.

The range is from late Patristic theology to the verge of the Enlightenment by considering the Western Church. We will begin with Ambrose (De officiis) then consider Monastic ethics according to Rules, then Scholastic ethics (Abelard and his opponents), then Canon legal ethics (Gratian and others), Penitential Manual ethics, Thomist 'pastoral' virtue ethics, Franciscan property ethics, responses to folk ethical systems (Saxon, Norse), Voluntarist ethics, Renaissance-humanist ethics (Pico della Mirandola), Early Protestant ethics to Natural Law ethics, Catholic rigorism and manualism.

This final year Knox course aims to bring together various elements of the courses done by students as a final year integrative exercise.

This course examines various Indigenous understandings and interactions of the sacred in both Traditional and Christian contexts, including oral, ceremonial, and spiritual traditions. Attention is given to the diverse cultural heritages of Indigenous peoples in Canada, historical and contemporary aspects of Indigenous/non-Indigenous relationships, and ongoing processes of reconciliation in both national and church contexts. Also considered are Christian theologies of intercultural and interfaith engagements as related to building relationships of solidarity and justice between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Encounters between Christian and Hindu traditions have taken many forms: the early establishment of the St. Thomas Christian community, Christian missions to India and colonization, Hindu emissaries to the West, and communal conflicts following Indian independence. In this course, students will become familiar with features of Hindu traditions, the history of this engagement, and the spiritual, theological, and ethical dimensions of current relations.

A study of the documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and their contemporary significance for students of ministry. Emphasis is on the historical context, the central theological content of each of the texts, and their relevance to professional ministry today.

A study of the documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and their contemporary significance for students of ministry. Emphasis is on the historical context, the central theological content of each of the texts, and their relevance to professional ministry today.

This course will examine how the Bible has been read, interpreted and proclaimed by women beginning with the period of the early church and including the writings of medieval visionaries, renaissance exegetes and continuing into the modern and post-modern periods. Women's interpretations of the Bible will be examined with a view to recovering women's readings and counter readings of biblical texts & raising relevant methodological and hermeneutical questions for modern readers.

This course will examine how the Bible has been read, interpreted and proclaimed by women beginning with the period of the early church and including the writings of medieval visionaries, renaissance exegetes and continuing into the modern and post-modern periods. Women's interpretations of the Bible will be examined with a view to recovering women's readings and counter readings of biblical texts & raising relevant methodological and hermeneutical questions for modern readers.

This course will examine how the Bible has been read, interpreted and proclaimed by women beginning with the period of the early church and including the writings of medieval visionaries, renaissance exegetes and continuing into the modern and post-modern periods. Women's interpretations of the Bible will be examined with a view to recovering women's readings and counter readings of biblical texts & raising relevant methodological and hermeneutical questions for modern readers.

This course will examine how the Bible has been read, interpreted, and proclaimed by women beginning with the period of the early church and including the writings of medieval visionaries, renaissance exegetes and continuing into the modern and post-modern periods. Women’s interpretations of the Bible will be examined with a view to recovering women’s readings and counter-readings of biblical texts and raising relevant methodological and hermeneutical questions for modern readers. We will particularly focus particularly on women’s interpretations of Genesis 1-3 and Pauline texts.