Pastoral Theology Courses for the Fall and Winter Sessions of 2012-2013

This course will offer scriptural, historical, and theological foundations to help liturgists understand and then lead worship in a Reformed setting.

This course is designed to provide students with a solid foundation for biblical preaching by exploring the implications of preaching a text and preaching the gospel. Preaching the gospel is considered from historical, biblical, theological, pastoral and creative perspectives with a view to producing sermons that engage the world and offer hope. A four-step methodology is taught that can be adapted to various sermon forms. Exegesis assignments, quiz on the readings, two sermons, peer evaluations, book report. Evaluation: each sermon, 33%; exegesis and book report, ??%; peer evaluations, 12%; and 8.5%; participation 8.5%.

The course will provide an overview to education ministry and to faith formation. It will examine the purpose, context, and content of CE and examine basic learning theory and curriculum resources. Students will also read a spiritual memoir and reflect on transformation in the Christian life. Practical skills for educational ministry will include evaluating curricula, contextual analysis of an educational site, and designing and facilitating a workshop. Intercultural challenges for CE will be discussed. Aspects of age-related ministry will include resources for children, youth and adults. In addition, education at different life stages will be studied as moments for formation of individuals and families as well as the community (baptism and confirmation). Students are encouraged to research a historical or contemporary practice of CE/formation and develop a paper on that topic. Students will read Tye, Pazmino, McClaren, Miles and Winner. Evaluation: Participation 10%; Site visit paper 20%; Literature review/proposal 20%; Final Paper and workshop design 50%.

Exploration of various theories of human development, stages of human growth, lifespan spiritual journey in correlation to human growth, implications for Christian ministry, and reflections of one's own lifespan on theories of human growth and spiritual journey. Basic course for education and ministry. Lectures. Group presentation, discussion, class participation, critical reflection paper, mid and final exams.

"Do we believe that Christian Education would make the church or society different?  If so, how can we reshape Christian Education in our congregations in order to make the church and society different?  What would be the best approach to Christian education for our congregations today?  Keeping these questions in mind, we will open the world of Christian education, engaging in dialogue with theorists in that discipline.  We will explore educational theories and the wways of refashioning it for today's church and society, and create a vision of Christian education in order to make a congregation different."

What we understand ministry to be and how we practice it changes in different social, religious, cultural, geographical, and other contexts. In this course, students begin to develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions required for understanding and responding to the particular demands of diverse ministry contexts. And in so doing, they articulate anew their own sense of vocation in relation to their particular religious and cultural traditions. Evaluation includes participation in site visits outside of class, small group discussions and a pass on three short reflection papers. 80% participation is required to successfully complete this Pass/Fail course. Successful completion of this course is required for enrollment in Contextual Education II EMF3020YY.

Exploration of leadership and ministry in the context of a theological understanding of the nature of the Church and the scope of its ministry. Weekly readings, class participation, critical review assignments, book review, major paper. Tutorial 2-3 pm.

This course is Part I of an introduction and overview to the issues and practices of community development, as practised locally and internationally. It contributes to students' understanding of the field's global dimensions, as well as the knowledge, attitudes and skills required for effective local engagement. Worldviews, approaches and actors are explored, as are the patterns and lenses of several Christian perspectives. Understanding is built around the nature and dynamics of poverty and power, and their relationships to the spectrum of community development approaches and practices, along with the roles of international agencies, governments, NGOs, churches and other players in working with the marginalized and vulnerable. Evaluation includes papers, reflection, research, participation and term project. Tutorial from 9:30 - 11:30 am on alternative Fridays.

Residents of urban at-risk communities often have ministry done to them by well-meaning people. Organizations (non-proftis, churches, government, etc.) swoop in with money, people and resources and tell the community what they need. Playgrounds are erected overnight, murals painted over, or gardens appear without anyone asking the people who live there what they want. The message that no one listens is reinforced in their minds. God's concept of "shaolm" is not one of doing to people but one of inviting people to participate in their own community development. Students in this course will develop the skills necessary to engage a local community. This approach is guided through the development tools of community assessment (listening to the community) and project design, monitoring and evaluation (responding with the coomunity to a limitation). At the end of this course students will have the skills necessary to involve the community in its own restoration.

Survey of selected topics from Books I, II, III, and VI of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Course goals include preparation for jurisdiction exam and ministry. Class attendance and participation (10%), selected readings (10%), final oral exam (80%).

This course will explore the definitions of practical theological/religious activity (i.e., religious activity as meaning-making, as practice, as art, etc.), review the ways that new scholarship has emerged to think about this activity, and understand this activity within the social ecology of micro-, meso- and macro-level social organization. It will explore the church's internal activity within the congregation and external activity as a public voice to society, with reference to specific faith communities. Prerequisite: have taken or simultaneously taking Theology I, or permission of the instructor. Evaluation will be based on 25% seminar paper based on one book, 25% ongoing class participation, 25% empathetic short story, 25% final paper of larger questions.  This course is for Emmanuel students only.

This course introduces the student to the fundamentals of preaching. The student will learn to read a text closely, exegete a passage, and develop dynamic oral communication skills. Attention will be paid to the postmodern context, contemporary homiletical theory, and different sermonic forms. The student will be encouraged to be creative and find his/her own voice in a supportive environment. Expectations: written assignments, class exercises, one full length sermon, and one short homily.

Building on introductory worship courses, this course will explore worship as a theological practice.  It will examine a series of topics related to the development of worship leadership skills, nurturing community through worship, and effective worship practices for the contemporary church.  the first part of the course will ask the question; How do we as worship leaders understand the realities facing worshipping communities in the twenty-first century?  The second part of the course asks: How do we as worship leaders practice evaluation and discernment in a diverse and dynamic twenty-first century context?

Enrol with permission of instructor. This course aims to come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the roles of both the presider and the assembly in the praise and worship of God. Tutorials, weekly readings, reflection paper, final examination.

Examination of the interaction between Theology and Architecture. Exploration of space as a medium of expression. Analysis of the structures inherent in worship and their relation to archetypal building plans. Assisting a congregation to adopt and live its mission.  Presentations and analyses. Assessments and re-planning of individual places of worship.

St. Benedict's "Little Rule", written in the fourth century, is the primary source of Anglican spirituality, liturgy and ecclesiology. Since the mid-twentieth century it has had a profound influence on the "New Monasticism", Fresh Expressions, and the Emergence movement. The course will examine the historical roots of Benedictine spirituality in the desert tradition, the spread of the Benedictine tradition across Europe and the British Isles, the clash between the Roman Benedictine tradition and Celtic spirituality, the profound influence of Benedictine liturgy during the English Reformation especially in the shaping of the Book of Common Prayer, and the influence of Benedict's Rule on the development of Anglican and ecumencial religious communities. As we follow the tradition into the 20th and 21st centuries we will examine the increasing interest in Benedictine monastic spirituality among lay people, and the evolution of monastic life into the "mixed economy" of traditional and emerging "new monastic" communities and fresh expressions of monasticism. Slide lectures, small group and plenary discussion. Reflection papers, research paper.

Introduction to Judaism through study of the Sabbath and festivals of the Jewish year. Designed for Christians, enables students to teach and to preach from an understanding of our Jewish roots. Readings, term project, written or oral exam.

The student will develop a theological framework regarding the character and place of preaching in the life of a local Church. This includes the place of the Church within the mission of God, the importance of analyzing and engaging with the way culture shapes the local community, and the understanding of what it means to be faithful to God in the way we handle the biblical text. The student will also learn to identify and implement the basic skills that are foundational to preaching. Weekly reading, listening to sermons by a variety of preachers, class participation, preparation, delivery and critique of sermons.

Introduction to Homiletics is a one-semester course that gives students the opportunity to look at the theology, tradition and practice of Catholic preaching. Students will examine particular questions, issues and challenges in homiletics from a Catholic perspective, survey the development of preaching throughout Church history, determine how Roman Catholic preaching can be informed by the theory and practice in other traditions, and articulate the characteristics of good preaching. This course is a prerequisite for Advanced Homiletics. Lectures, online postings, presentations, interviews and papers.

Study of Foundational pastoral, methodological, theological dynamics for authentic Catholic education. Focus on education's role to inform, form and transform. Conversion in the context of a global, technological in dialogue with Vatican II and significant post-Conciliar documents. Lectures, seminar, three (3) short papers or one synthesis paper.

This course introduces students to the basics of effective, ethically responsible pastoral care. Students will be provided opportunities to improve their interpersonal self-awareness, and to understand the differences between pastoral care and pastoral counseling. The course is offered in seminar format, supported with readings and experiential skills training exercises. Grades are based on a set of written assignments and audio/video taped role-played demonstrations of the basic skills of pastoral care taught through the experiential exercises. Tutorial 11-12.

Personal wellness builds and replenishes the inner resources that sustain our efforts to care for others. This course is designed to assist students to recognize, understand and practice the kind of holistic personal wellness that is essential to effective ordained or lay ministry. The course is process oriented and supported by readings and written self-reflection assignments. Completion of assignments, regular attendance and participation in class discussions are all mandatory components of this pass/fail course. Restricted to Wycliffe College students.

This course introduces students to practices and theories of pastoral care with an emphasis on self awareness and pastoral practice in an intercultural context. The first half of the course will focus on systems theories - family of origin, cultures of origin and social identity. Students will explore and present their own families of origin and social identity as a means to learn the theory, consider ministry implications and develop self awareness. The second half of the course will provide hands-on opportunities to practice pastoral skills while learning theory regarding grief and loss, death and dying, ethical decision making, spiritual care, developing pastoral relationships. Lecture, discussion, small group work, mid-term paper, case studies.

This course will explore the foundations of ministry in the New Testament, the manifold expressions of ministry in the history of the Church, and a variety of contemporary issues related to the theology and practice of ministry from a Roman Catholic perspective. Also important will be the relationship of ministry to other aspects of theology, such as Christology, pneumatology, grace, mission, ecclesiology, and sacraments.

There is great interest in the contemporary Church in the challenge to minister across cultural lines, especially in more pluralistic settings. This course endeavors to apply insight from key moments in the history of Christian mission for the sake of such a contemporary pastoral approach. The course will accomplish this by surveying theories of culture, considering chapters in mission history, and by identifying strategies for current and future cross-cultural ministries. The course will include lectures, case-studies, presentations,and field trips. Students will be evaluated based on participation, book reports, and a term paper.

This course focuses on personal contemplative prayer as essential for our relationship with God and the soil out of which healthy and effective ministry grows. The course covers Biblical teaching on prayer; the contemplative tradition arising from the early desert fathers and mothers; spirituality, theology and psychology of prayer; and various Christian traditions of prayer including lectio divina, Ignatian prayer, other forms of scripture prayer, centering prayer, Christian meditation, and the awareness examen.The course concludes with suggestions for planting and growing a prayer-based parish ministry. Lectures, small group and plenary sharing, and practicum. Two reflection papers and a final paper designing a course to be taught in a ministry seeting. Also self-evaluation based on a learning covenant which includes a daily prayer requirement. This course will be held at St. John's Convent, 223 Cummer Ave., North York.

A study of the issues involved in contemporary urban ministry: historical Christian roots; maintaining parish cohesion in the city; ministry to the community social needs; the issues facing secular work. One extended paper.

Urban congregations exist within a community where all land uses are coordinated through official plans to ensure the future provision for all land uses, infrastructure and services for the community. Urban parish leadership must know how to engage both these documents and the political processes that shape the urban form and are the context for all urban ministry. This course will examine and explain the political, physical and social context of an urban parish church ministry and the processes and polity of their urban community. Extensive use will be made of examples, and the class will have the opportunity to meet and interview experienced professionals and politicians in the local political and planning scene. The course will include at least one major case study, involving field work, of an existing urban congregation with a report to be prepared outlining opportunities and challenges for the congregation. The course will use lectures, case studies, interviews, site visits and seminars. Participants will be evaluated through their class participation, a documented case study and a final examination. 

Roman Catholic Church legislation on institution of marriage with special attention to the teaching of Vatican Council II. Class participation, exam.

The practice of being an Anglican Deacon involves an understanding of Christian Ministry in its ancient and current expressions. Deacons as ordained ministers are called to focus the ministry of the whole community as this relates to the service and care of those in need. The role of deacons is to express the world to the church and the church to the world. The course will discuss the variety of ministries, social justice and the church, the liturgical role of deacons, the leadership and prophetic role of deacons in the parish/congregation, and the future growth of the diaconate. The relevance of this course to other denominations is based on the baptismal requirement of pursuing justice in the world. While the course is called "Practice", the course will also involve the theory and theology of the diaconate. Lectures, readings, discussions, written papers.

This course aims to create an ecumenical and interdisciplinary discourse on the practice of church music which is an important factor in shaping Christian identity from a global perspective. We shall examine various issues pertaining to the role of music in contemporary Christian performance and explore the musical enterprises that represent the ethnic and national identities of World Christianities and of migration or diaspora Christianities. Topics covered will include the enculturation of Christian worship and music, music and popular religious culture, the globalization of church music, cultural hybridity and inclusivity in Christian music, and the encounter of indigenous musico-religious culture and traditional church music in the non-Western world.  Method: lectures, seminars, music listening, readings. Evaluation: Class participation (20%): Review (Book) (20%); Review (Worship) (30%); Presentation (30%)

This course explores world religions through music, one of the most universal features of human life. It will focus on the various traditions and phenomena of religious music in comparative perspective, and examine the way in which music reflects the religious tenets and has been used as a means of interacting with the divine. Covering seven of the major religions.

This course is intended to prepare candidates for ordination to preside at the liturgical celebrations of the Roman Rite. Requirements: class attendance, practicums, mid-term and final exam. Prerequisite: one liturgy course.

A comparative study of selected mystical traditions of the major world religions. Themes of analysis will include: the nature and forms of mystical experience; perspectives on ultimate Reality; the role of the spiritual teacher or master; spirituality and social action; disciplines, methods and ideals of spiritual salvation or liberation. Readings will be drawn both from mystic writers and comparative theorists. Lectures, discussion, critical reflection papers. AD students enrol in RGP 6210H.

A 400-hour supervised program to deepen and/or extend the personal and ministerial growth of IFM /MAMS participants. Several options available to students in consultation with Directors of IFM and MAMS programs. Integration paper, or Competency Interview. Pass/Fail course. For Regis IFM/MAMS students only. Prerequisites: RGP3687H and RGP3688H.

This course introduces the participant to the theological, spiritual and pastoral principles that inform and impact parish ministry. Models of an integrated life of holiness from Scripture and Tradition as well as practical strategies for effective pastoral and personal integration will be presented and reflected upon. This course is part of the Diaconate Formation Diploma program at St. Augustine's.

An examination of the vocation, identity and lifestyle of the Catholic priest for the fostering of his holiness, integrity and health in ministry and the spiritual life. Lectures, discussions, reflection papers and final exam.

This course will investigate spirituality and health in light of a wholistic view of human flourishing tha includes physical, emotional, spiritual and psycho-social aspects. Emphatic spiritual care requires the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another. The role of illness narratives and active listening will be examined. Aspects of inter-cultural spiritual care will be named and practiced. The course will consist of lectures, small groups, individual presentations and a final paper. Evaluation: participation, 10%; integration paper, 20%; topic proposal, 10%; literature review, 20%; and fnal research paper, 40%. Prerequisite: one course in worship or theology or permission of the instructor.

This course is designed to intensify the experience of individual spiritual direction and supervision initiated in Practicum in Spiritual Direction: RGP3/6661 and Retreat in Everyday Life: RGP3/6248. Through supervision and discernment the director grows in a deeper awareness of responses to a perceived presence or absence of God in the ministry of spiritual direction. Supervision is valued as a way to enable the spiritual director to help others recognize and integrate God's presence and direction in every aspect of life. Through an integrative theological reflection paper and a pastoral competency interview, the course is intended to reveal the spiritual director's appropriated theology and practice of spiritual direction as a ministry. Competency interview and integration paper. Pass/Fail course. **Pre-requisite: Practicum in Spiritual Direction RGP3661H, Retreat in Everyday Life RGP3248Y, RGP3687H and RGP3688H. Four academic courses suggested for the Diploma in Spiritual Direction. Co-requisite: On-going participation in the practice of spiritual direction.

A practicum in spiritual direction for small groups of people. We will explore spiritual sharing (or intimacy) in small groups of people, what it means, who it may be for, and how to build that spiritual intimacy and vulnerability by creating a small group which for the duration of the course will be spiritual directors for and with each other.

Advanced Homiletics is a one-semester course that follows Introduction to Homiletics. This course gives students an opportunity to develop a theology of preaching based on the discussions of the survey of the tradition of Catholic preaching in Introduction to Homiletics and through opportunities to preach. Students will employ those characteristics of outstanding preaching as determined in Introduction to Homiletics. This course also gives students an opportunity to develop critical peer and self-assessment skills. Lectures, online postings, preaching, presentations and papers.

This course is designed to expose students to the breadth and depth of homiletics and offer a range of preaching opportunities and challenges of the sort that might be experienced in serving a church throughout the year. In addition to allowing students to pursue their own interests, the course will explore preaching the church year, preaching on special holidays or occasions like funerals and wededings, key doctrines, social justice and diversity in preaching, culture and the preacher, various sermon forms, topics, social locations and homiletical theories. The course will consist of seminars, small groups, lectures, two sermons, a journal of reflections on the readings and peer evaluations, a major essay. Evaluation: 20% each sermon; 20% , journal; 40% essay.

Offered by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) Supervisors of the GTA. A 400-hour unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the basic level meeting standards of Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). May take place in general, psychiatric, chronic, geriatric, rehabilitation hospitals, correctional institutions, facilities for mentally/physically challenged, parishes.

The MRE Practicum offers participants the opportunity to reflect upon and integrate the theological, philosophical, historical, and pedagogical areas of study, to practice the knowledge and skills, to profit from a supervised peer-supported group and to relate teaching contextually in a post-modern globalized reality. This is a required core Religious Education course of St. Augustine's MRE candidates. Lectures, class discussions, written reflections on readings, theology of ministry paper, and practicum project. Prerequisite: Completion of ten courses in the MRE degree program.

What are unique, creative, effective and meaningful ways of teaching Bible in the church today? This course will explore and experience various approaches of teaching Bible in the church, assessing appropriateness to the church, to the world we live in, a variety of social and cultural dynamics, and various age levels. Also, the students will be expected to apply Biblical interpretation skills to actual teaching. Lectures, teaching practice as a group, group discussion.

Development of teaching ministry of the Church from New Testament times to present. Special attention to various forms of teaching as they emerged in particular historical contexts and to their relationship with other ministries of the church for perspective on current situation. Lectures, readings, reflection paper (20%), seminar leadership (30%), final project or essay (50%).

This course will explore a broad understanding of teaching in the church which not only incorporates a wide variety of methods and practices but grapples with the relationship between knowledge and character formation.  We will engage with the place and role of continuing education (catechesis) primarily for adults in the context of the life, witness and mission of the local church community.  This discussion will be framed within the context of what it means to be human and how God’s self- revelation shapes and forms us in the church.  The course will include lectures, class interaction and class presentations.  Evaluation will be based on class participation, readings, a written assessment of a local church community, a final written assignment.

For educators, ministry personnel, artists, administrators, teachers, who seek to integrate creativity in pastoral practice, the course will examine theories of creativity in order to explore the historical development of the concept as it influences cognition, learning and innovation. In addition we will study theories of play and the place of imagination in fostering spiritual formation and human development. Students with an interest in the arts are also welcome to participate in this seminar. Seminar format with literature review 30%, proposal 10%, research paper 50%, participation 10%. Fulfills requirement for Advanced CE in the MRE program at EC or a spirituality elective. Prerequisite: at least one course in worship, Bible or theology or permission by instructor.

Offered by the CASC Supervisors of the Ontario Central Region. A 400-hour unit of Pastoral Counselling Education at the basic level meeting standards of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). The course will develop theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in Pastoral Counselling and Marriage and Family Therapy. There will also be a focus on systemic awareness, personal integration and ethical reflections in a relational, client-centred framework.

Offered by the CASC Supervisors of the Ontario Central Region. A 400-hour unit of Pastoral Counselling Education at the advanced level meeting standards of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). The course will focus on theoretical knowledge and clinical practice in Pastoral Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy with attention to Family Systems Theories and Relational Psychodynamics. The program will involve supervised clinical practice with emphasis on transference issues and ethical reflection in a relational, client-centred framework.

Foundations in the psychology of pastoral 'listening' and counseling, emphasizing the interpersonal, intersubjective and relational dynamics operative in the dyad in a faith-based context. Focus of the course will be on case studies where students will examine multiple perspectives of effective communication in the pastoral counselling setting. Strong focus on heightened awareness of not only what person seeking counselling brings to the relationship, but equally important, on what the counsellor brings, and the multiple levels of conscious and unconscious communication mobilized in therapeutic encounters. Discussion-oriented seminars organized around clinical and theoretical papers; students encouraged to bring individual experience-based material for confidential discussion, where appropriate. Two short essays, class presentations (where applicable), class participation.

The course will begin with a discussion of the relationship between psychology and religion. It will then explore the relationship between religion and psychology -- history, methodology, research and application. It will review psychological theories and research on personality and their relationship to spirituality, religious behaviour, individual differences and abnormality, and review research on religious development. These findings will then be applied within the context of the social and organizational psychology of the church. Students will be asked to write several reports on assigned readings and a longer essay for the end of the term. A previous course in introductory psychology would be helpful but not essential.

Offered by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) Supervisors of the GTA. A 400-hour unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the basic level meeting standards of Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). May take place in general, psychiatric, chronic, geriatric, rehabilitation hospitals, correctional institutions, facilities for mentally/physically challenged, parishes.

The course aims at distinguishing some of the more significant ways of conceptualizing human development in psychology and how they have influenced contemporary thinking about religious development. It will discuss the nature/nurture debate of religious development, that is, the various contextual factors and intra-psychic processes at work across the life span and their implication and influence in religious development. In the process it will explore some of the psychological issues involved in religious development and point out their applied relevance. Students will be asked to write several reports on assigned readings and a longer essay for the end of the term. A previous course in psychology and religion would be helpful but not essential.

This course investigates the religious grounds for peacemaking today. Each student will be responsible for following and reporting on developments in one location represented by a Tanenbaum "Peacemaker-in-Action" throughout the course. Meanwhile, the evolution of the theological/ecclesial/interfaith discussion of peacemaking will be traced through the 20th century debate between pacifism and just war; conflict resolution and transformation; peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding; humanitarian aid and development; NGOs and the military. Students will be expected to explore these debates in relation to their "case study" and may write the case study from the perspective of any faith.

This final year Knox course aims to bring together various elements of the courses done by students as a final year integrative exercise. Prerequisite: TFE placement. Lectures. Assignments and major paper.

Seminar in which participants reflect on process of integration in their personal and ministerial lives within ambience of doing theology in context of MAMS degree. For Regis students only. Requirements: class participation, written assignments, final paper.

Through the development of the skill of theological reflection, the participants learn to reflect on their personal and ministerial or work experiences to discern the call of transformation and integration in the midst of the Christian tradition and world realities. This group process takes place in a peer faith setting. Regular attendance required. An overnight retreat is scheduled at the end of the course. One integration paper and mission statement. Pass/Fail for BD students; grade given for AD students.

Against the backdrop of revived enthusiasm for "Traditional Latin Liturgy” in parts of the Catholic Church in recent years, this course will invite students to a deep engagement with the historical processes that transformed the loosely organized local liturgical traditions of early medieval Rome and Gaul into a sophisticated pan-European rite.  Close study of the various annual cycles of prayers, readings and chants of the Mass and Divine Office, along with the external religious and political pressures that shaped their development over time, will be combined with an investigation of how liturgists and ordinary worshippers of different periods during the Middle Ages interpreted their liturgies as a unified system that both expressed theological truth and was itself a fitting object of theological reflection.

The New Homiletic refers to a revolution in homiletics that began in the 1950s. We will explore its emergence from the "old homiletic" and its emphases on a turn to the hearer, organic form, narrative plot, horizontal notions of authority, recovery of the Bible for the pulpit, inductive sermons, stories making their own points in their own ways, contextual understandings of truth, dynamic and tensive notions of language, and sermons as transformational experience. Key homileticians will be considered as we consider the relevance of the NH for today. 

Literature in classical and contemporary rhetoric and poetics with a view to more imaginative preaching. Lectures, seminars, essay, sermons, class presentation.

A critical exploration of religious responses to suffering. Focal issues will include the relation of love and spiritual transformation to suffering, the role of religious models or exemplars of suffering, and religious experience and the problems of theodicy. Readings will include works by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Dorothee Soelle and Simone Weil, as well as other selections drawn from the Christian, Buddhist, and Jewish traditions. Lectures, discussion, critical reflection papers.

Christian spirituality as the root of western culture with an emphasis on the challenge to shape a spiritual and social vision in the post-modern world. Lectures, discussion, reflection papers.

Study of theory and practice of spiritual direction, and of depth psychological, humanistic, and cognitive behavioural therapeutic practice. Emphasis on Christian tradition. Lectures, discussion, selected readings, paper.

This course is designed to intensify the experience of individual spiritual direction and supervision initiated in Practicum in Spiritual Direction: RGP3/6661 and Retreat in Everyday Life: RGP3/6248. Through supervision and discernment the director grows in a deeper awareness of responses to a perceived presence or absence of God in the ministry of spiritual direction. Supervision is valued as a way to enable the spiritual director to help others recognize and integrate God's presence and direction in every aspect of life. Through an integrative theological reflection paper and a pastoral competency interview, the course is intended to reveal the spiritual director's appropriated theology and practice of spiritual direction as a ministry. Competency interview and integration paper. Pass/Fail course. **Pre-requisite: Practicum in Spiritual Direction RGP6661H, Retreat in Everyday Life RGP6248Y, RGP6687H and RGP6688H. Four academic courses suggested for the Diploma in Spiritual Direction. Co-requisite: On-going participation in the practice of spiritual direction.

An exploration of religious experience in various Hindu traditions, within the context of an overview of relevant beliefs and practices. Lecture, discussion, exam and critical reflection papers.

This course focuses on a pastoral interpretation of 1 Corinthians and how this letter may be proclaimed in the life of the church today. Through an investigation of letter structure, a social cultural reading, congregational studies, and homiletical theory this course will seek to elucidate the possibilities of Paul's letter for preaching today. Prerequisites: Introductory courses in both preaching and New Testament.

Participants in the course will investigate and evaluate significant perspectives on the learning process in order to understand the assumptions of various theories and to interpret these from a biblically- informed standpoint. They will review current research into child development and learning (e.g. brain research, cognitive processes, multiple intelligences, learning styles ) in seeking to develop a coherent understanding of the relationships between various learning theories, on the basis of a Christian view of the person and of the knowledge. An action research project will enable participants to test an approach to learning that is relevant to their educational responsibilities. The course employs and extensive Study Guide, three books plus book chapters and journal articles, with an online discussion forum and Skype/ telephone conferencing. Participation in the forum and a professionally-oriented research paper will provide the basis for evaluation. Study Guide to accompany texts and readings; online discussion forum; Skype/ telephone conferencing. Online forum participation (30%); Research paper (70%).

Offered by the CASC Supervisors of the Ontario Central Region. A 400-hour unit of Pastoral Counselling Education at the advanced level meeting standards of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). The course will focus on theoretical knowledge and clinical practice in Pastoral Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy with attention to Family Systems Theories and Relational Psychodynamics. The program will involve supervised clinical practice with emphasis on transference issues and ethical reflection in a relational, client-centred framework.

Offered by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) Supervisors of the GTA. A 400-hour unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the basic level meeting standards of Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). May take place in general, psychiatric, chronic, geriatric, rehabilitation hospitals, correctional institutions, facilities for mentally/physically challenged, parishes.

Offered by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) Supervisors of the GTA. A 400-hour unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the basic level meeting standards of Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC). May take place in general, psychiatric, chronic, geriatric, rehabilitation hospitals, correctional institutions, facilities for mentally/physically challenged, parishes.

This foundational practicum is designed for persons desiring formation in pastoral presence and communication skills. Focus is placed on the development of a contemplative stance, compassionate listening and evocative presence for pastoral service in roles such as spiritual director, chaplain, parish minister, and for those in service within the context of everyday work life. This transformative process integrates topics of Ignatian discernment, prayer, spiritual growth, spirituality, justice, theological assumptions and images of God. This is a two-term, supervised, peer based practicum. Requirements and prerequisites: two year's previous experience receiving spiritual direction, permission of the instructor, regular attendance essential; 3 10 page integration papers, final grade. For students considering the 12 credit Diploma in Spiritual Direction, this course is the first of a four-phase Practicum, which facilitates ongoing discernment and formation for the ministry of spiritual direction.

Through the development of the skill of theological reflection, the participants learn to reflect on their personal and ministerial or work experiences to discern the call of transformation and integration in the midst of the Christian tradition and world realities. This group process takes place in a peer faith setting. Regular attendance required. An overnight retreat is scheduled at the end of the course. One integration paper and mission statement. Pass/Fail for BD students; grade given for AD students.

The scope of what was understood as 'liturgy' in the middle ages went far beyond the bare words used in the Mass, daily prayer and baptism and descriptions of how the services were performed. It included knowing the names and functions of the grades of ordained clergy (which varied from place to place) and their dress, the design of churches, their furnishing and consecration, the calendar of the liturgical year and of course the nature of the music which accompanied the liturgy.Teaching methods: lectures, DVDs of manuscripts, video, musical recordings.

 This seminar course explores the role of bodies and embodiment by analyzing particular contexts in Christian history and contemporary life. It raises and seeks to answer questions about death, suffering, and the after life, about the relationship between body, minds and soul, about sex, race, gender and dis/ability, about the body as a locus of knowledge/ wisdom, and about religious identity and agency. Putting historical readings from the early church, Medieval Christianity, and Modernity in dialogue with contemporary theological texts, students develop historical understanding of contemporary issues related to embodiment and Christian practice. Student engagement with the course will be evaluated by level and quality of participation, an in-class presentation on one set of readings, two short papers (~2 pages each), and a final paper 12-15 pages). This course qualifies as a designated spirituality elective at EM.

This course will develop knowledge and practice in select skills for intercultural life and work/ministry/leadership in heterogeneous publics.  We will draw on three resources: selected Canadian 'multicultural' narratives and policies; theological and ethical attention to social difference, complex identity formation and scriptural interpretation; and the case of the United Church of Canada project, “becoming an intercultural church.”  Seminar format with instructional input, small groups, modest cross-cultural immersion project. Evaluation: a book review (30%); a class presentation (30%), and a final integrative project (40%). Prerequisites: Basic Bible, Theology, Pastoral.

In the contemporary world, ecumenism must include dialogue between Christianity and world religions. This course will examine not only Christian attitudes to world religions, but also attitudes of world religions to other belief systems. Lectures, discussion, paper.

Ignatius of Loyola wanted Jesuits to be "contemplatives in a ction". This describes the desire of many Christians today and the imperatives thrust upon us to be at once boned with God and with our fellow travellers. Reading in Loyola Zizioulas, J Macmurray, early Christian and contemporary theologians and mystics. NT accounts of prayer and action in Jesus of Nazareth. 20-25 page essay.