Theological Courses for the 2013 Winter 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.

Offers an overview of the principles, resources, and central themes of Christian theology - revelation, the doctrines of the Trinity, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and humanity in relation to God. Discussion paper, final exam, class participation.

Basic principles of reformed theology and their significance in current theological debate. Lecture.

An introduction to scholastic terms and concepts in the context of their use in the philosophical theology of Thomas Aquinas. Readings cover texts that treat the existence and attributes of God, being and essence, form and matter, substance and accident, the human soul and its faculties, happiness, human action, and natural law. Lectures and discussion; short papers, essay, and final exam.

Primer for theological students with little or no background in philosophical thought. Attention to revolutionary developments in philosophical thought and how they have influenced development of Christian faith. Book analysis, exam.

This course explores the activity of God from creation to new creation, with special emphasis on the Spirit's work in the Church. We also examine the image of God in the human person and the nature of sin. This course presupposes Systematic Theology I. Lectures, tutorials. Short papers, final exam. Tutorial 10-11 am

Mystery of God Triune: biblical, liturgical, historical, and contemporary theology on the Trinity. Question of God in human experience, atheism, Trinitarian debates, feminist perspectives, the Trinity in the economy of salvation, implications for prayer. Lectures, discussions, short paper, final exam.

Answering Jesus' question: "Who do people say I am?", course uses Old Testament expectations, New Testament data, Conciliar definitions and contemporary issues. Lectures, mid-term test, final exam.

Christian doctrine of creation; its scriptural foundation in Old and New Testaments; its difference from Greek philosophical theories; its history to present; its relation to evolution; contemporary theories. Man/woman: their nature and relationship to God and the world as understood in history of Christian thought. Monogenism vs. polygenism. The problem of evil, original sin and sin of the world. Lectures and discussion. Paper.

Introduction to the teachings of the Christian Church and theological understanding concerning eschatology both as it has developed in the tradition and in the renewed interest it has gained from some of the significant theologians of the 20th C. Topics include: philosophical foundations, eschatology in the OT and NT, immortality and resurrection, theology of death and afterlife, individual and communal judgement, parousia, apocalyptic, political eschatology. Short paper, book review, final exam, class participation.

The mystery of the Church as seen in the light of Vatican II. Her foundation in Christ in Scripture and history that gives rise to her structure, mission, and four Marks. Mary as the Mother of the Church and eschatological icon. This course is part of the Diaconate Formation Diploma program at St. Augustine's.

Jesus' preaching of the reign of God; development of ecclesial structures; ministries in the church; mission, service, and witness in the Church today, contemporary issues leading to and arising from Vatican II. Lectures, discussions, research paper, take-home exam.

This is a survey course in Anglican theology that will involve extensive reading. Using the lens of Scriptural interpretation as a way of approaching the sweep of Anglican theological thinking, this course will survey chronologically a broad range Anglican readers of Scripture in an attempt to gauge the development of the larger religious vision of Anglicanism over time. Beginning with Wycliffe, the course will move through a number of writers into the early 20th century, and end with some recent statements on the reading of Scripture from around the Anglican Communion. Lectures and weekly tutorials on the primary-source readings. Weekly content quizzes; midterm; final exam.

The purpose of this course is to help students realize the contextual nature of theology through lectures on contextual theology as well as seminars on Asian theologians and their theologies.  With this format, this course aims to help non-Asian students to get some knowledge of Asian cultures and Asian indigenous religions, and Asian students to develop a theology based on their Asian heritage and experiences.  Consequently, this course aspires to help theological students, both Asian and non-Asian, to overcome Western parochialism and contribute to a development of Christian theology for the coming multicultural and pluralistic century that we have been already embarked on.

What does it mean to be human?  How do different theories of what it means to be human affect the way that we think of ourselves, our relationship to the world and our relationship to God?  In this course, we discuss various conceptions of human nature, including dualism, hylomorphism, evolutionary accounts and religious understandings.  The objective of the course is understanding of the various theories of human nature, and to be able to engage in the debate about what it is that we are and how we engage with the world.  The course is evaluated through two shorter papers (worth 15 and 25%), one long paper (worth 45%) and participation (15%).

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 critical engagement with contemporary approaches to Christian Ethics. Attention to the relationship of Christian Ethics to theology, and to the life and witness of the Church. Lectures, discussion of readings, short written assignments, major student presentation, research paper. Lectures, discussion of readings, student presentations. Short written assignments, major student presentation, research paper. 

The course will undertake a detailed study of Prophet Muhammad's biography in the light of the Qur'anic revelation and religious thought that became foundational for the development of legal-ethical and theological traditions.  Students will study the life of the Prophet and relate it to his spiritual as well as temporal experience to investigate political theology of Islam.  Our approach will be that of History of Religions (phenomenology), that is, aiming at a fuller understanding of the meaning of the concepts like "Apostle of God," "Seal of the Prophets," "The Mother of the Book," and so on, for individual Muslims and for Muslim thinkers over the centuries.  In order to accomplish this task, students will study the entire Qur'an, in conjunction with the biography of the Prophet. Mid-term, 25%; Final Exam, 30%: Research paper, 40%; Class participation, 5%.

This course promotes the personal critical appropriation of the Scriptural and dogmatic tradition in Christology, whether in preparation for the M.Div. comprehensive exam, or as a solid foundation in Christology for other students. It helps the student preparing for ministry to bring a systematic understanding of the person and work of Jesus the Christ to bear on pastoral issues and exposes the student to the spiritual dimension of Christological teaching. Lectures and seminars. Assignments for 3243: exegetical paper, oral interview, 2 learning reports, take home final exam. Assignments for 6243: 2 mid-length papers, participation in 3 seminars outside of class time.

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. 10-12 page essay.

Explores the transformative dynamics of grace in Scripture, representative early theologians, early doctrinal development, medieval theology and the Reformation period. Participants develop a contemporary systematic approach, especially with respect to ecumenical and interfaith issues. Draws on the thought of Bernard Lonergan. Written assignments, readings, discussion.

Is Chrisitianity a sacrifical religion? What does it mean to say "Christ died for our sins"? Do we offer Christ in the Eucharist? This course will explore the interrelated concepts of "atonement" and "sacrifice" as they are used in Christian theology, especially in the doctrine of the work of Christ, in ecclesiology, and in sacramentology. Readings will include both classic and modern authors, including Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, M. Douglas, Milgrom, Girard, Mascall, Boersma, Hunsinger. Some attention will be paid to postmodern discussions concerning the logic of gift-giving and exchange ( Maus, Derrida, Milbank, Cavanaugh). Seminar discussion, precis and other short papers, final paper. Readings, seminar discussion, short papers to be read in class. Class participation, short papers, final paper. 

This course studies the main theological movements and some of the major Roman Catholic theologians of the twentieth century leading up to the Second Vatican Council. The focus will be on the nineteenth century notion of development in theology (Möhler, Scheeben), Modernism (Tyrrell, Loisy, Petre) and La nouvelle théologie (de Lubac, Congar, Rahner, Schillebeeckx, etc.). Attention will be given throughout the course to other influential renewal movements of the twentieth century (Biblical, Liturgical, Lay, Social Action, Missionary and Ecumenical) especially as they helped to prepare the way for Vatican II. Lectures and seminars. Students will be evaluated based on active and informed class participation and three shorter summary papers. Advanced Degree students, in addition to additional readings, will be required to write a longer final paper and facilitate one seminar presentation.

This course will engage the questions of interreligious dialogue on the questions of redemption and Nirvana by comparing the work of Lonergan, Girard in dialogue with contemporary Buddhism such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chordon. We will engage comparative questions such as desire, imitation, and responses to suffering and violence. 

An introduction to the contemporary experience of religious diversity and pluralism as an ecclesiological issue, raising questions about nature and mission of the Church.  In the first major unit, we will briefly trace the historical background of this contemporary conversation, beginning with Biblical traditions and concluding with major positions in the theology of religions.  The second major unit takes up such topics as revelation, covenant and the reign of God in interreligious perspective.  Then, in the final unit, we will focus more narrowly upon the challenges of interreligious dialogue and comparative theology in the Catholic encounter with Hinduism.  The course will be conducted seminar style.  Essay assignments include an academic book review and a major research paper.  Although most course readings emerge from the context of post-Vatican II Catholicism, students will be welcome to explore comparable developments outside this tradition in their major papers.

How can the language of creation adequately reveal God if the God of Creation transcends creation? This perennial question has most often been approached within an analogical view of language which presupposes an onto/theological view of the God/world relationship. Attentive to the influence of the Great Chain of Being, we shall also examine whether there has ever been a visible alternative. Is it possible to see transcendence and immanence not as attributes of God and creation, respectively, but as facets of creation and thus creational revelation?

Using the writings of Thomas Berry & theologians who work with the new cosmology, the course provides an introduction to eco-theology as well as the ways eco-theologians are articulating new understandings of theological anthropology, revelation, Christology, pneumatology, sin and salvation, and eschatology. Adult learning methods. Evaluation: participation, practical integration, reflection paper and integration paper.

This course seeks to explore, an understanding of the interrelationship of Christian worship, sacrament and ethics. Through lecture, discussion, worship experience and analyses of forms of worship, course participants will explore the implications of worship and sacrament for the formation of Christian self-understanding, character and virtue. The relationship of prayer, belief and theological reflection will be examined. Developments in liturgical theology and their implications for understanding the social mission of the Church will be discussed. Practical issues in contemporary Christian ethics will serve as a focus for reflective conversation. Through the study of Church documents, ecumenical readings, liturgical texts and exploration of constitutive elements of worship students will be encouraged to reflect on a life of prayer for mission. Evaluation will be comprised of class participation, an annotated bibliography, analysis of a liturgical rite through an ethical lens and a final integrative paper.

How does pragmatism's central tenet that the meaning and worth of ideas lies in their practical consequences comport with religious forms of life and the understandings of morality they fund? Does pragmatism's suspicion regarding traditional "supernaturalist" theologies leave any space to think alternatively about God and the human relationsip with God?  What role do pragmatists see for religion in a democratic society, if any?  In addressing these questions, this seminar will focus on the work of John Dewey, Richard Rorty, and Jefferey  Stout.

MTS Synthesis Paper

The realities of human sexuality, marriage and family from a Christian perspective. Topics to be considered include: sexuality in the context of the person, marriage as sacrament, marriage permanence, marriage as procreative, marital fidelity, and homosexuality. Two short papers and seminar presentation.

A study of select life issues in light of the Catholic moral tradition. Among the topics to be considered are concepts of the person and the question of the meaning of suffering, new reproductive technologies, abortion, healthcare resource challenges, the new genetics and the ethics of enhancement , questions of cooperation, and various end of life issues. Lectures, readings, discussions, paper, book review, mid-term test and final written exam; the course will also include a limited online component. (Prerequisite: Fundamental Christian Ethics I and II or by Permission of Instructor)

This course will focus on the crucial developments of the 18th century in pneumatology as a way of examining the radical innovations in pneumatology of the modern era in contrast to early- and pre-modern understandings of the Holy Spirit. In particular, the shift of interest in 18th-century to "pneumatic" religion, both among Christian and anti-Christian apologists, will be studied in the context of the Church's own specific historical challenges in this era. Readings will be drawn mainly from English and German writers in an effort to understand better the constraints of comtemporary pneumatology in contrast to the less systematic and particularistic construals of the Holy Spirit and his work in the pre-modern periods. Seminar format, with close reading of texts. Midterm exam; research paper.

This course will examine how Christians and Christian traditions have understood and justified the first “mark of the Church”, her unity.  This will include an examination of the historical constraints on such understandings.  Key writings from the early Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Western traditions(Catholic and Protestant), and ecumenical authors will be read.  Seminar presentations and research papers required.

A seminar course in which Chapters 66 to 68 of the Church Dogmatics will be studied. The topics will be: Justification and Sanctification, Discipleship, Conversion, the Church, Christian Love. Requirements are: weekly readings, class participation, an in-class presentation, an oral examination.  Seminars, readings. Class participation, in-class presentation, oral examination.

Central ideas in the Kierkegaard corpus and their relevance to contemporary theological and philosophical concerns. Introductory lecture, seminar discussion of readings, discussions, one major term paper.

This course will examine the development of Ecumenical Missional Ecclesiology in the 20th and 21st century with a focus on the dimensions of missional ecclesiology for the North American context. The course will explore the theological origins of ecumenical missional ecclesiology, the biblical and hermeneutical dimension of such theology, the present context and its relationship to such ecclesiology and the direction of ecumenical missional ecclesiology. Evaluation: Seminars, papers. Prerequisite: AD program enrolment

Martin Heidegger's Being and Time proposes a holistic conception of truth that can reconnect epistemology with cultural practices and social institutions. Yet his conception seems to make personal or communal "authenticity" the key to attaining truth. This seminar develops a constructive critique of Heidegger's conception of truth by examining its internal logic and its hermeneutical role.

Terrorism, war, genocide, sexual abuse, murder: how can the human mind make sense of these horrors without reducing them to the 'obscenity of understanding', of trying to imagine the unimaginable? How can we possibly try to imagine the mind of perpetrators of violence, sexual abuse and terror? Yet these phenomena are becoming more pervasive and immediate and the destruction of human bodies and minds is worsening. How is it possible to sustain hope and faith in human goodness when our capacity for evil grows more sinister and ingenious? We will explore these and other questions comparatively and cross-culturally, examining the perspectives of religious, philosophical and psychoanalytic thinkers who represent Western and non-Western cultural and religious traditions.

The course will undertake a detailed study of Prophet Muhammad's biography in the light of the Qur'anic revelation and religious thought that became foundational for the development of legal-ethical and theological traditions.  Students will study the life of the Prophet and relate it to his spiritual as well as temporal experience to investigate political theology of Islam.  Our approach will be that of History of Religions (phenomenology), that is, aiming at a fuller understanding of the meaning of the concepts like "Apostle of God," "Seal of the Prophets," "The Mother of the Book," and so on, for individual Muslims and for Muslim thinkers over the centuries.  In order to accomplish this task, students will study the entire Qur'an, in conjunction with the biography of the Prophet. Mid-term, 25%; Final Exam, 30%: Research paper, 40%; Class participation, 5%.

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.

Explores the transformative dynamics of grace in Scripture, representative early theologians, early doctrinal development, medieval theology and the Reformation period. Participants develop a contemporary systematic approach, especially with respect to ecumenical and interfaith issues. Draws on the thought of Bernard Lonergan. Written assignments, readings, discussion.

Exploration of figures and movements in Protestant Theology during the 20th century: Troeltsch, Neo-Orthodoxy (Barth, Brunner), Bonhoeffer, Bultmann, Tillich, the Niebuhrs, Political/Liberation (Moltmann, Metz, Gutierrez), Process (Cobb, Suchocki), Feminist/Womanist (Russell, McFague, Williams), Black (Cone), Asian (Pieris, Song), Postmodern and Postliberal Theologies. Lectures, discussions, student presentations, and research paper.

Examination of the historical and ecumenical theological origins and contemporary expressions of Christian engagement with social justice. Topics addressed will include: the 18th -19th century economic, political, philosophical, and religious background in Europe and North America; the Social Gospel and Christian Socialism in Protestantism and papal social teachings in Roman Catholicism; black and feminist theologies and global liberation theologies; and justice-related issues such as wealth and poverty, war and peace, race, gender, sexual orientation, and ecology. Sources examined will include the work of theologians and reports by denominational and ecumenical bodies. Teaching methods will include lectures, class discussion, readings, papers, and in-class presentations; evaluation will be based on class attendance, participation, and papers (for all students); and in-class presentations (for AD students). Pre-requisites: at least one course in Bible, theology and the history of Christianity. Class attendance and participation; one 4-5 page reflection paper; one 10-12 page topic paper; and one 15-18 page research paper (for all students); and in-class presentations (for AD students) 

An introduction to the contemporary experience of religious diversity and pluralism as an ecclesiological issue, raising questions about nature and mission of the Church.  In the first major unit, we will briefly trace the historical background of this contemporary conversation, beginning with Biblical traditions and concluding with major positions in the theology of religions.  The second major unit takes up such topics as revelation, covenant and the reign of God in interreligious perspective.  Then, in the final unit, we will focus more narrowly upon the challenges of interreligious dialogue and comparative theology in the Catholic encounter with Hinduism.  The course will be conducted seminar style.  Essay assignments include an academic book review and a major research paper.  Although most course readings emerge from the context of post-Vatican II Catholicism, students will be welcome to explore comparable developments outside this tradition in their major papers.

(How) Can the language of creation adequately reveal God if the God of Creation transcends creation? This perennial question has most often been approached within an analogical view of language which presupposes an onto/theological view of the God/world relationship. Attentive to the influence of the Great Chain of Being, we shall also examine whether there has ever been a visible alternative. Is it possible to see transcendence and immanence not as attributes of God and creation, respectively, but as facets of creation and thus creational revelation?

This seminar (a combination of lecture, discussion, and case analysis format) will introduce principles and perspectives for biomedical ethics. The course is divided into two sections. The first part of the course will examine basic themes, principles, methodologies, and professional responsibilities in healthcare ethics. Special attention will be given to Catholic Church teaching and the Catholic tradition of moral reflection more generally, comparing and contrasting it with the currently dominant secular approach to bioethics. In the second section, we will examine particular ethical issues for healthcare ethics, employing the case analysis method. We will seek to bring to bear our earlier ethics and theological explorations as well as practical wisdom in our evaluations of these cases. Students will present analysis of particular problems, and others will respond to their analysis.

How does pragmatism's central tenet that the meaning and worth of ideas lies in their practical consequences comport with religious forms of life and the understandings of morality they fund? Does pragmatism's suspicion regarding traditional "supernaturalist" theologies leave any space to think alternatively about God and the human relationsip with God?  What role do pragmatists see for religion in a democratic society, if any?  In addressing these questions, this seminar will focus on the work of John Dewey, Richard Rorty, and Jefferey  Stout.

Outlines the history of Christian missions from its beginnings in Pentecost to the end of the 20th century, followed by area studies of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe, and concluding with a consideration of the transition from missions to development to post-development. Short papers and collaborative internet project.

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 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.