Previous Years' Course Catalogues

Bound to Canada's early modern history are the apostolic labours of the Jesuit missionaries who ministered to both a vast number of First Nations peoples and a fledgling community or French settlers. Their efforts, chronicled in the Jesuit Relations, will come to life in this intensive five-dayÿcourse taught, in situ, at the heart of the former Wendat (Huron) Nation (present day Martyrs' Shrine). From this location, students will begin an experiential journey, passing through the pages ofÿthe Relations, into world-class reconstructed historical sites, that together will create the space for examining how their religious world view shaped the missionaries' understanding of the 'New World', First Nations Cultures, and evangelisation during the earliest period in Canada's ecclesiastical history.

The course explores Judaism in terms of the intersection of Jewish and Christian faith. This course will explore Jewish origins of the Christian movement, its modern counterpart in the Modern Messianic Jewish Movement, and the context out of which both movements emerged. The course will examine the origins of rabbinic Judaism and how it developed in conversation with Christianity. It will survey Jewish history and the evolution of rabbinic Judaism. We will discuss contemporary Jewish beliefs, practices, culture, and identity in North America explored through a Christian lens. Special attention will be given to the Canadian Jewish community, her relationship with the Church, and ways Christian faith may be deepened through positive engagement with the Jewish community and appreciation of Christianity’s Jewish origins.

An investigation of diverse and common themes and practices as evident within the New Testament texts. Attention will be given to understanding these issues in light of the ancient social and religious environments in which these texts were composed. Students will engage in an intensive reading of the New Testament as well as in a study of the development of early Christian thought and practice. Familiarity with critical issues and methodologies in the scholarly study of the New Testament is foundational.

A study of the nature of postmodern homelessness in the light of a theological and phenomenological analysis of homecoming and homemaking. Biblical themes such as creation, exodus, covenant, land and kingdom will be interpreted in the context of present experiences of social homelessness, geo-political violence, international refugees, disconnectedness to the earth and an overwhelming sense of being nomads without roots in any place of community.

A study of the nature of postmodern homelessness in the light of a theological and phenomenological analysis of homecoming and homemaking. Biblical themes such as creation, exodus, covenant, land and kingdom will be interpreted in the context of present experiences of social homelessness, geo-political violence, international refugees, disconnectedness to the earth and an overwhelming sense of being nomads without roots in any place of community. Seminar. Evaluation: Class Participation 25%, reflection papers or one major essay 75%.

A study of the nature of postmodern homelessness in the light of a theological and phenomenological analysis of homecoming and homemaking. Biblical themes such as creation, exodus, covenant, land and kingdom will be interpreted in the context of present experiences of social homelessness, geo-political violence, international refugees, disconnectedness to the earth and an overwhelming sense of being nomads without roots in any place of community.

A study of the nature of postmodern homelessness in the light of a theological and phenomenological analysis of homecoming and homemaking. Biblical themes such as creation, exodus, covenant, land and kingdom will be interpreted in the context of present experiences of social homelessness, geo-political violence, international refugees, disconnectedness to the earth and an overwhelming sense of being nomads without roots in any place of community. Seminar. Evaluation: Class Participation 25%, reflection papers or one major essay 75%.

A study of the nature of postmodern homelessness in the light of a theological and phenomenological analysis of homecoming and homemaking. Biblical themes such as creation, exodus, covenant, land and kingdom will be interpreted in the context of present experiences of social homelessness, geo-political violence, international refugees, disconnectedness to the earth and an overwhelming sense of being nomads without roots in any place of community.

The New Testament is often read as offering a restricted vision for women’s leadership in the church. This course exposes some of the misunderstandings that have led to that conclusion and considers exegetical arguments in favour of a New Testament vision for the full inclusion of women at all levels of church leadership. Part One of the course looks closely at the New Testament's narrative portraits of women in the early church, beginning with the gospels' depictions of forerunners (Anna, Elizabeth) and disciples of Jesus (Joanna, Salome, and Mary Magdalene) before moving to the Acts of the Apostles and its account of Paul’s female coworkers (Lydia, Priscilla, and Phoebe). Part Two then turns to Paul’s letters themselves, looking at some of the named women of Romans 16 before turning to well-known ‘problem passages’ such as 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Timothy 2, and Ephesians 5, considering how a close study of these texts in their social, historical, and theological context, with the benefit of recent scholarship, can shed much-needed light on Paul’s understanding of women's roles in the churches.

The aim of this course is to provide an outline of the history and current scholarship of English church music. Topics covered will include the impact of the English Reformation on liturgical music; the intersection between sacred and secular; the word-tone relationship in English plainchant and hymnody; music in Methodism; and choral-service revival in the Anglican Church. The course will explore a wide range of English church music including anthems, hymns, liturgical chants, oratorios and metrical psalms, along with a selected reading of relevant primary and secondary sources. Methodology: lectures, discussions, music listening, and readings.

The aim of this course is to provide an outline of the history and current scholarship of English church music. Topics covered will include the impact of the English Reformation on liturgical music; the intersection between sacred and secular; the word-tone relationship in English plainchant and hymnody; music in Methodism; and choral-service revival in the Anglican Church. The course will explore a wide range of English church music including anthems, hymns, liturgical chants, oratorios and metrical psalms, along with a selected reading of relevant primary and secondary sources. Methodology: lectures, discussions, music listening, and readings.

This course seeks to help worship leaders and those interested in music ministry gain a rich understanding of the role of music in worship, and to provide practical strategies for both short-term and long-range worship planning as it relates to music. The course will provide an overview of the multiple aspects of planning music for worship. Topics will include developing congregational singing, making the "special" music of choirs or instrumental ensembles an integral part of the worship experience, understanding a congregation's worship "style," and sourcing and selecting music for liturgical seasons or other church occasions.