Theological Courses for the 2010 Summer Session

Elements of theological reflection, with emphasis on theological method. Revelation, faith, scripture, liturgy, tradition, dogma, magisterium, the theologian, infallibility, and historicity. Lectures, discussions, short papers, final exam.  Teaching methods:lecture, discussion  Evaluation: Final Exam - 35%, Weekly papers - 45%, Participation - 20%.

Introduction to Catholic moral theology: scripture, tradition, natural law, faith & morality; moral norms & virtue; conscience & magisterium. Readings, lectures, discussions, short reflection papers, exam.

This course considers basic themes in the theology of the Holy Trinity from a biblical, historical and systematic viewpoint and addresses selected contemporary questions about the mystery of the tri-personal God. 

This course seeks to provide the student with an overview of historical and contemporary views of the nature of the Church, through a wide variety of readings and lecture-discussions. Students will become versed in the conceptual-theological, denominational, and historical versions of ecclesial reality, with constant reference to Scriptural interpretation and lived experience. The particular character of Anglican ecclesiology forms only one part of this study, although it will form a kind of comparative counterpoint to much of the survey. Lectures and discussion. Requirements: reading, written responses to the reading, and two short essays.

A theological exploration of Church, Ministry and Sacraments from a Presbyterian perspective in dialogue with other traditions and contemporary expressions of the Christian movement. Lectures. Assignment and Paper. Prerequisites: A basic introductory theology course. Knox M.Div. students need to have Ref. Theology in Dialogue.  This course requires that the text book, “Emerging from the Dark Age Ahead: The Future of the North American Church” by C. Fensham be purchased and read before the course starts with a first reading report due on the first day of course.  The text is available from Crux Books or can be ordered at http://www.novalis.ca/Products.aspx?keys=Emerging+from+the+dark+age+ahead .  Students who wish to register for the course after May 3, will need special permission from the instructor who can be contacted at c.fensham@utoronto.ca .

Exploration of the following themes in the light of Christian revelation: creation, community, body & soul, humanity as male and female, sin, grace, eschatology. Lectures, readings, presentations, final exam.

An introduction for theology students to central existential themes of freedom, responsibility, self-knowledge and human solidarity. Readings will be from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Heidegger.

Close textual study of the Scriptural sources and dogmatic development of the Church’s reflection on the identity of the God who is revealed in Jesus the Christ. Students develop a systematic understanding of this material, leading to a personal and critical appropriation of the tradition in light of preparation for pastoral and theological leadership in the Church. BD requirements: 3 learning reports, 1 short paper, 1 oral interview, final exam, 1 self-evaluation.

This course introduces students to the Christian theology of spiritual creatures from a Roman Catholic perspective. The course will develop historically and theologically. Students will study the role of spiritual creatures in the Bible, as well as key theological articulations from the Patristic, Medieval and Modern eras. Attention will also be given to the place of spiritual creatures within the history of the Christian spirituality and imagination.  Lectures and seminars.  Means of Evaluation: Reflection paper - 25%, Final Exam: - 25%, Bibliography assignment - 25%, Participation in Class Discussion – 25%.

An introduction to the major theological interest of Reform movements in the pre-modern and modern church, covering the figures of Francis, Wycliffe, Tyndale, Latimer, Luther, Calvin, Trent, Radical Reformers, Hooker and the American Puritans. This is a course that focuses on theology, not church history, but will seek to identify formative strands of thinking about the Gospel and the work of Christ among these Christian thinkers as they sought to re-shape the witness of the Church in their time. The nature of ecclesial "re-formation" will be a sub-theme of the course. On-line forum

This intensive course will examine the puzzling phenomenon of death from a variety of perspectives, including theological, biological, philosophical, and political. We will explore the thesis that while all people die there is no single thing called “death,” but that death’s meaning is always governed by some larger narrative of divine and/or human realities. Particular attention will be paid to Christianity’s situating of death in an apocalyptic context, the death and resurrection of Jesus as the undoing of death, and the particular ways in which death is denied or eclipsed in modern liberal capitalism. We will also draw on literary sources, from the ancient Greeks to contemporary novels, to lend depth and texture to our study of “the last enemy.”  Lectures, seminar discussion, small groups. Class participation, précis, final paper.

Basis of sexuality and marriage in a Christian context and selected issues in these fields. Readings, lectures, discussions, paper, final exam. Prerequisite: Fundamental Christian Ethics.

Close textual study of the Scriptural sources and dogmatic development of the Church’s reflection on the identity of the God who is revealed in Jesus the Christ. Students develop a systematic understanding of this material, leading to a personal and critical appropriation of the tradition in light of preparation for pastoral and theological leadership in the Church. BD requirements: 3 learning reports, 1 short paper, 1 oral interview, final exam, 1 self-evaluation.

This course will examine human sexuality from a range of theological and historical perspectives: scriptural, doctrinal, sociological, and ethical. Questions of sexual differentiation, desire, procreation, family, and marriage and celibacy will be discussed. The goal of the course is to provide the student with a broad base from which to discern a consistent pattern of Christian understanding regarding sexuality, within both historical and contemporary diversities. The course will engage broad reading, lecture, and discussion, with a final paper aimed at outlining and justifying a teaching syllabus for teenagers within a church setting (15 pages). Advanced Degree students will have an expanded reading list and will be writing a longer research paper on a chosen set topic relating to Christian formation with regard to sexuality within pluralistic cultures.

"Globalization" is not an ethical issue. Rather, this contested term refers to series of developments destabilizing established ethical and political frameworks, vastly expanding horizons for thinking about every issue, transforming the calculus of promising possibilities versus grave risks, and introducing new issues and priorities, all requiring new ethical frameworks and interdisciplinary methods. With special reference to the growing chorus of diverse voices associated with the "anti-globalization" or "alternative globalization" movements, review of debates on key social justice and eco-justice issues (e.g., climate change, growing gaps between rich and poor, global security, biotechnologies). Implications for ethical views of human capacities to act on planetary scales, the most promising disciplines for channeling and constraining them, and the roles of Christian communities in nurturing moral subjects and shaping public debates. Readings, class participation, short papers, and (for AD students) research paper - adult learning process.

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 X111, 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. Teaching and learning methods will include, lecture, discussion, media and biographical analysis.