Course Catalogue 2025-2026

A study of the historical context, documents, and theology of the Second Vatican Council with special attention to the interpretive and theological principles that permit an analysis of how the council was in continuity with its historical past, a ressourcement, but also a development within the Roman Catholic tradition, aggiomamento, a critical renewal of the church for new times and new contexts.

A study of the historical context, documents, and theology of the Second Vatican Council with special attention to the interpretive and theological principles that permit an analysis of how the council was in continuity with its historical past, a ressourcement, but also a development within the Roman Catholic tradition, aggiomamento, a critical renewal of the church for new times and new contexts.

This course introduces students to Catholic documents that have both explicit and implicit implications for Catholic education. The objective of the course, therefore, is to enable students to read these texts closely with a view to drawing out the implications, cultural context, and key educational issues. Attention will be paid to the pedagogical, theological, cultural, social, and foundational issues contained in these texts. As this is a course in reading primary texts, students will be expected to become very knowledgeable of the texts assigned each week.

This course is a historical, systematic, and pastoral study of the sacraments of initiation (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist), healing (reconciliation, sacrament of the sick), and vocation (marriage and orders) in Roman Catholic theology and practice. The purpose of this course is to 1) explore the meaning of ritual and symbol in human experience and religious practice, 2) trace the historical development of sacraments in the Christian tradition and 3) identify key issues and challenges in a contemporary sacramental theology.

Historically, the experiences of Indigenous Christians in the churches have not been honoured or valued. At best, they were marginalized, and this is still the case today. Using Indigenous methodologies of teaching and learning and a storytelling approach, Indigenous Christian elders and teachers offer in this course a different view of Indigenous Christian experiences and highlight their theological, spiritual, and ecclesial contribution to the churches. Learning to honour Indigenous Christian experiences is a gift to the transformation of the churches and an important step on the journey towards reconciliation.

This Old Testament course evaluates the possibility of interaction or dialogue between Orthodox theoria-reading, which understands the Old Testament eschatologically in reference to the New, and modern Western critical approaches to reading the Old Testament text which emphasise historical theology. Students will be introduced to selected texts of the Old Testament, of intertestamental Judaism, and to the early Christian reception and understanding of such texts, together with the critical tools and methodological ideas which make an exegesis possible. Readings of contemporary Orthodox critique and struggle with these tools and ideas will be engaged along with post-critical Western scholarship with a view to forming a responsible Orthodox hermeneutic and exegetical approach to reading and understanding the Old Testament, one that is relevant to the faith and practice of the church today.

This Old Testament course evaluates the possibility of interaction or dialogue between Orthodox theoria-reading, which understands the Old Testament eschatologically in reference to the New, and modern Western critical approaches to reading the Old Testament text which emphasise historical theology. Students will be introduced to selected texts of the Old Testament, of intertestamental Judaism, and to the early Christian reception and understanding of such texts, together with the critical tools and methodological ideas which make an exegesis possible. Readings of contemporary Orthodox critique and struggle with these tools and ideas will be engaged along with post-critical Western scholarship with a view to forming a responsible Orthodox hermeneutic and exegetical approach to reading and understanding the Old Testament, one that is relevant to the faith and practice of the church today.

This Old Testament course evaluates the possibility of interaction or dialogue between Orthodox theoria-reading, which understands the Old Testament eschatologically in reference to the New, and modern Western critical approaches to reading the Old Testament text which emphasise historical theology. Students will be introduced to selected texts of the Old Testament, of intertestamental Judaism, and to the early Christian reception and understanding of such texts, together with the critical tools and methodological ideas which make an exegesis possible. Readings of contemporary Orthodox critique and struggle with these tools and ideas will be engaged along with post-critical Western scholarship with a view to forming a responsible Orthodox hermeneutic and exegetical approach to reading and understanding the Old Testament, one that is relevant to the faith and practice of the church today.

This Old Testament course evaluates the possibility of interaction or dialogue between Orthodox theoria-reading, which understands the Old Testament eschatologically in reference to the New, and modern Western critical approaches to reading the Old Testament text which emphasise historical theology. Students will be introduced to selected texts of the Old Testament, of intertestamental Judaism, and to the early Christian reception and understanding of such texts, together with the critical tools and methodological ideas which make an exegesis possible. Readings of contemporary Orthodox critique and struggle with these tools and ideas will be engaged along with post-critical Western scholarship with a view to forming a responsible Orthodox hermeneutic and exegetical approach to reading and understanding the Old Testament, one that is relevant to the faith and practice of the church today.

This Old Testament course evaluates the possibility of interaction or dialogue between Orthodox theoria-reading, which understands the Old Testament eschatologically in reference to the New, and modern Western critical approaches to reading the Old Testament text which emphasise historical theology. Students will be introduced to selected texts of the Old Testament, of intertestamental Judaism, and to the early Christian reception and understanding of such texts, together with the critical tools and methodological ideas which make an exegesis possible. Readings of contemporary Orthodox critique and struggle with these tools and ideas will be engaged along with post-critical Western scholarship with a view to forming a responsible Orthodox hermeneutic and exegetical approach to reading and understanding the Old Testament, one that is relevant to the faith and practice of the church today.

This Old Testament course evaluates the possibility of interaction or dialogue between Orthodox theoria-reading, which understands the Old Testament eschatologically in reference to the New, and modern Western critical approaches to reading the Old Testament text which emphasise historical theology. Students will be introduced to selected texts of the Old Testament, of intertestamental Judaism, and to the early Christian reception and understanding of such texts, together with the critical tools and methodological ideas which make an exegesis possible. Readings of contemporary Orthodox critique and struggle with these tools and ideas will be engaged along with post-critical Western scholarship with a view to forming a responsible Orthodox hermeneutic and exegetical approach to reading and understanding the Old Testament, one that is relevant to the faith and practice of the church today.

The Roman Catholic Church is in the midst of a Synodal process, one which Pope Francis has declared to be the ongoing manner of proceeding for the Church. "The Synod is not a parliament or an opinion poll; the Synod is an ecclesial event and its protagonist is the Holy Spirit." This course will trace the theological origins from Vatican II (Lumen Gentium and the particular focus on the People of God) and key characteristics of the process (listening, spiritual conversation, discernment, all of which have a significant theological foundation). The responses already received from the universal church will be considered including concern for: the ecumenical and inter-faith engagements that have occurred; the importance of co-responsibility; the participation of women and young people; and a universal concern for minority groups; the ongoing need for formation. The course will also consider the challenges that the process faces as it continues.