Introduction to theology and the elements of Catholic theology. Revelation, Faith, Tradition, Church doctrine, infallibility, biblical inspiration. Lectures, mid-term test, 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.

This course is an introduction to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the most influential Catholic theologian of the last millennium. No previous knowledge of Aquinas or of philosophy is presumed. We will start by looking at Aquinas’ program of remaking Christian theology in light of the best philosophy and science of his day; then we will examine his views on human action, human nature, human knowing and philosophical theology.  Lectures, discussion, short papers and final exam. On-line discussion, book review, 2,000 word paper.

Introduction to Catholic moral theology: scripture, tradition, natural law, faith & morality; moral norms & virtue; conscience & magisterium. Lectures, readings, discussion, three assignments.

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.

Mystery of the Triune God with its biblical sources and Patristic development, and an examination of the development of the understanding of the Immanent Trinity, with attention paid to particular issues, e.g. Filioque, notion of 'Person'. Also stressed is the development of a Trinitarian spirituality with some attention to the mystics. Lectures, mid-term test, end of term test.

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.

In this course we will study the most influential accounts of life in Christ that have appeared in the Western Church. Attention will be given to the theological foundations of these various accounts and to the practices that have given them their particular identity. Particular attention will be given to John Cassian, St. Augustine, St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and Thomas Cranmner.

The new creation in Christ; God's universal salvific will, the mystery of Christian Justification, the new life in Christ within Church for the world. Eschatology. One midterm test, one mini-synthesis and a final oral examination.

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. One midterm test, one mini-synthesis and a final oral examination.

Historical and systematic study of the sacraments of healing (penance and anointing of the sick) and sacraments of growth (marriage and orders) with special consideration of the pastoral viewpoint. Three short papers, seminars, final exam.

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with some of the theological trends and voices characterizing Anglican theology in the twentieth century, as well as to consider how these voices and movements can be integrated into contemporary pastoral and ministerial practice. Theologians to be studied include: Gore, Underhill, Temple, Mascall, Pittenger, Macquarrie, Sykes, Heyward, Tutu, Williams, and others. Theological trends will include modernism, spirituality, liturgical renewal, Anglo-Catholicism, process thought, incarnation, feminism, political and liberation theology, etc. The course will conclude with a consideration of future trends in Anglican theology. Weekly readings, two short essays, class presentation.

A philosophical examination of some fundamental topics in Christian metaphysics: creation, causality, the problem of evil, and freedom of the will. Readings taken from "classical" Christian theologians such as Augustine, Aquinas and Luther and also from contemporary sources. Lectures, discussions, short papers and final exam.

This course is designed as an introduction to the field of Christian ethics, not as a cerebral and academic discipline but as a lived, embodied Christian reality. It is designed with the intent of providing the student with a framework through which to understand what it means to live as the church within the complexities of the social, moral, and political world of the 21st century. The themes of drama, narrative, acting, and especially “improvisation” provide the conceptual lens through which we will engage various ethical complexities such as genetic/bio-ethical issues, sexuality, family and marriage, pacifism and war, or ecological ethics. This will be an online course with a written lecture format, weekly readings, student participation in weekly discussion questions, one minor assignment, and a final major paper.

This course will study the documents of the Second Vatican Council with a view to understanding their theological foundations, their histroical context and development, and their pastoral implications for today's church. 5-page paper.

This course invites the student to study the Scriptural sources and dogmatic development of the Church's Christological reflection. Students are helped to develop a systematic understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, leading to a personal and critical appropriation of the Christian tradition for pastoral leadership. Reading assignments, short papers, oral exam. Seminar work may require an additional one-hour commitment per week.

Will the universe be destroyed and discarded, or redeemed and transformed with God's consummation of all things? This course considers these and related questions by examining the biblical and philosophical foundations for Christian reflections on the beginning and end of the world; significant historical and contemporary theological contributions (e.g., early Christian apologists, Irenaeus, Augustine, Calvin, Barth, Moltmann, Pannenberg, Ruether, McFague); the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ; the influence of modern and postmodern scientific thought, ecological consciousness, and religious pluralism; and the role of apocalyptic thought in contemporary culture. Lectures, class discussion, required and recommended reading, mid-term and final paper. Prerequisite: two courses in systematic theology.

The course provides an exploration of how Christianity has understood the relationship among God, creation, humanity and spirituality, and how that understanding has contributed to the ecological challenges we currently face as well as can contribute to a helpful response. The course begins with an overview of our understanding of spirituality and creation during the patristic, medieval and reformation periods, then shifts to contemporary understandings drawing from current discussions of Christology, creation-centred spirituality, eco-feminism, deep ecology, and the healing of nature and the healing of self. Methods: Lectures, discussions. Evaluation: reflection paper, integration paper, class participation, practical integration

A course which explores the theological rationale of sacraments, with special attention given to Anglican perspectives on the nature of sacraments in general, as well as their relation to the life and mission of the Church. Students will engage the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist both as specific church practices and in their relation to one another. Students will be expected to read a range of representative authors and texts, both Anglican and non-Anglican. Lecture and seminar discussion. Four short discussion papers (or two extended essays). Final viva voce examination.

A text based seminar examining Aquinas' theology of the Incarnation in the Summa Theologiae. Students will develop critical reading skills and familiarity with the grammatical, rhetorical and dialectical dimensions of Aquinas' systematics. Basic Degree: Short papers, reading assignments, major paper. Advanced degree: three shorter papers, classroom presentation, reading assignments, major research paper.

This course serves as an introduction to the highly relevant Islamic faith and culture. It will cover the historical evolution as its doctrine and life. Beginning with its emergence with the Prophet, his revelation and early community, its spread under the caliphs, the fixation of the Qu’ran, and its subsequent historical development: the Umayyad, Abbasid, Famitid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and contemporary periods. Alongside this historical aspect, a systematic reflection on the main principles of Islamic faith, its theology and piety, its life, observances and festivals, and not least, its interaction with other religions in the modern world, chiefly Christianity, will be engaged. Discussions, presentations. One essay.

This course introduces the major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam in detail and also others in brief) of the world -- their historical setting, basic principles, significant features, Holy Scriptures, theology, etc -- and a Christian perspective on them with an urgency to enter into interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

This course explores theological reflection in relation to violence and peace, particularly in Christian traditions. Theories of violence and non-violence as well as case studies from the past and present will provide the means to investigate the ways faith-based claims justify or promote enmity and hostility and/or hospitality and peacemaking in Christian practice. Attention may be given to violence/peace in connection with theologies of revelation and atonement; justice/love; gender, race, ethnicity, class, and disability; Empire and globalization processes; interfaith relations with Jewish, Muslim, and Canadian Aboriginal communities; and the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation. Lectures, discussions, journal exercises, book review, presentation, and final research paper.

Did God take a risk in creating the world? How are divine and human freedom related? Can we confess God’s sovereignty in the face of evil? This course will explore the different ways in which the God of history is viewed by advocates and critics of “Open Theism.” Our examination will stimulate our own reflections on how we might best understand and, indeed, image God’s love, knowledge and power.

This course will explore current contributions to the field of feminist social thought. We will read from figures such as Gloria Anzaldu, Seyla Benhabib, Judith Butler, Nancy Fraser, and Chandra Mohanty on various ways of understanding the relationships between gendered identities and sociopolitical states of affairs.

Postmodernity as a cultural phenomenon, implications in various areas of cultural endeavour (including politics, philosophy, psychology, theology, the arts, and science), and work toward an integral Christian worldview that gives guidance in a post-modern world. A particular concern will be to plumb the resources of Scripture for such a cultural context.

This course will examine the key theological, mystical and philosophical notions of music that are of essential significance in relation to the history of Christian music from ancient to modern. Topics covered will include the relations of music and language, music and morality, music and monasticism, music and magic, the connection of music, body and spirit, and the musical syncretism of the so-called secular and the sacred. Class participation, major essay, final examination.

Bob Goudzwaard has been a leading Christian political economist in the Netherlands for the last forty years. Professor Emeritus of the Free University of Amsterdam, former member of parliament, advisor to political parties, think tanks and NGO’s around the world, Goudzwaard has had a profound influence in shaping a Christian political-economic imagination. In this course we will read Goudzwaard’s most important books and articles (in translation) and have the opportunity to spend four seminars in conversation with him while he is in Toronto in January and February. Lectures, seminars, student seminars. Means of evaluation: Seminar participation, presentations and major essay.

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.

The course will consider issues and documents that will help the student to develop an understanding of the ecological crisis as well as ethical and theological responses to it. Topics will include: the new cosmology; ecofeminism; the limitations of a human-centred ethics; issues of economic, social, and gender justice; and environmental-human health issues. Short papers; integration paper.

Readings in contemporary concerns in Roman Catholic sexual ethics and their systematic development. Permission of professor is required.

How is our agenda for theology related to our gender? Is ‘God’ a male word? Is the ‘Word made flesh’ a male God? Does the experience of women change how God is (made) known? Is sexuality embraced by the resurrection? Attentive to the work of feminist theologians and biblical scholars, we will attempt to develop an ‘embodied’ theology open to the biblical vision that God will be ‘all in all’.

An overview of major developments in Protestant theology in the 19th century, emphasizing issues in Christology and soteriology, eschatology and theology of history, theology and social justice, and theology and science, and focusing on the work of theologians such as Horace Bushnell, F. D. Maurice, Albrecht Ritschl, Adolf Harnack, and Ernst Troeltsch. Lectures, discussion, student presentations and papers.

The course introduces five aspects of advanced theological research through a critical reading of Bernard Lonergan's Method in Theology. Lonergan's methodological approach is exemplified and complemented by rhetorical analysis, genetic analysis, source reading, clarification by contrast and systematic reasoning. Readings, bulletin board participation, critical book review, seminar, major paper.

This course provides an opportunity to address in greater focus and depth issues of the "new" and "newer" voices in theology: liberation and contextual theologies in the global South (including US Black and womanist theologies, Hispanic theologies, Canadian-Asian and US-Asian theologies), feminist theologies, eco-theologies, indigenous spiritualities, LGBTQ theologies, and social ethics. First third of course will focus on reviews of: the emergence and development of these "new" theologies; key methodological issues (epistemological/ hermeneutical privilege(s) of the oppressed; postcolonialism, decolonialism); resurgence of social movements and emergent global civil society; recent dialogues and new initiatives (religious diversity, inter-culturality). Remaining classes provide opportunities for students (individually or in teams) to present their own in-depth research on specific topics. Class participation; seminar; research paper

Two concepts mark sites of contention in contemporary social theory: “globalization” and “democracy.” Whereas the first points to an incessant flow of capital and information technologies across national and cultural borders, the second suggests modes of participation that resist state or market imperatives. This seminar works toward a normative theory and critique of the current world order. 

Intercultural refers to mutually reciprocal relationships among and between cultures. This course explores postcolonial theories, theologies and ethics as critical resources for intercultural practices. We will investigate how culture is variously understood and emphasize questions of the politics of location; the power of difference; an ethics of ambiguity and perseverance; identity and knowledge formation in global, local and transnational contexts; living with complex difference, dislocation and connection; the negotiation of shared meanings through discourses of class, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, and place; and, to keep our feet on the ground, what is at stake in Canadian discourses of multicultural and postcolonial discourses for becoming intercultural communities. In-class practice will include honing collegial skills of intellectual life based on comprehension of and critical engagement with texts and learning to be self-reflexive and to communicate one’s own stance in relation to others. Lectures, discussions, book review, presentation, and final research paper.

This course invites the student to study the Scriptural sources and dogmatic development of the Church's Christological reflection. Students are helped to develop a systematic understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, leading to a personal and critical appropriation of the Christian tradition for pastoral leadership. Reading assignments, short papers, oral exam. Seminar work may require an additional one-hour commitment per week.

Will the universe be destroyed and discarded, or redeemed and transformed with God's consummation of all things? This course considers these and related questions by examining the biblical and philosophical foundations for Christian reflections on the beginning and end of the world; significant historical and contemporary theological contributions (e.g., early Christian apologists, Irenaeus, Augustine, Calvin, Barth, Moltmann, Pannenberg, Ruether, McFague); the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ; the influence of modern and postmodern scientific thought, ecological consciousness, and religious pluralism; and the role of apocalyptic thought in contemporary culture. Lectures, class discussion, required and recommended reading, mid-term and final paper, and optional class presentation.

The course provides an exploration of how Christianity has understood the relationship among God, creation, humanity and spirituality, and how that understanding has contributed to the ecological challenges we currently face as well as can contribute to a helpful response. The course begins with an overview of our understanding of spirituality and creation during the patristic, medieval and reformation periods, then shifts to contemporary understandings drawing from current discussions of Christology, creation-centred spirituality, eco-feminism, deep ecology, and the healing of nature and the healing of self. Methods: Lectures, discussions. Evaluation: reflection paper, integration paper, class participation, practical integration.

A course which explores the theological rationale of sacraments, with special attention given to Anglican perspectives on the nature of sacraments in general, as well as their relation to the life and mission of the Church. Students will engage the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist both as specific church practices and in their relation to one another. Students will be expected to read a range of representative authors and texts, both Anglican and non-Anglican. Lecture and seminar discussion. Four short discussion papers (or two extended essays). Final viva voce examination.

This course serves as an introduction to the highly relevant Islamic faith and culture. It will cover the historical evolution as its doctrine and life. Beginning with its emergence with the Prophet, his revelation and early community, its spread under the caliphs, the fixation of the Qu’ran, and its subsequent historical development: the Umayyad, Abbasid, Famitid, Mamluk, Ottoman, and contemporary periods. Alongside this historical aspect, a systematic reflection on the main principles of Islamic faith, its theology and piety, its life, observances and festivals, and not least, its interaction with other religions in the modern world, chiefly Christianity, will be engaged. Discussions, presentations. One essay.

The course evaluates the Ignatian contribution to comtemporary ecclesiology. Utilizing key texts it situates Ignatius' sense of "Church" and the Society of Jesus relationship to the Church. Explores key issues and potential problems faced by a twenty-first-century reader of Ignatius. Engagement with contemporary Jesuit theologians, and the writings of Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger. Mid-term paper, research paper, oral exam, class participation.

This course will focus on two of Ricoeur’s essay collections, From Text to Action and Figuring the Sacred. Students will explore the general shape of Ricoeur’s heremeneutical phenomenology, including such themes as textual interpretation, action, explanation, understanding, ideology, and utopia. From there, the course will focus on Ricoeur’s thoughts concerning the disclosive force of religious texts in particular, including his understanding of the way Christian communities might best face the task of appropriating a textual heritage from which time has distanced them, and concerning which they may have lost a certain original naivety. Imagining the world with Ricoeur, we will discuss how his recommendations contribute to our effort to find meaning and inspiration amidst the crises and fragmentations that run through contemporary life. Course evaluation is weighted as follows: Class participation: 20%; Seminar Leadership: 30%; Paper: 50%.

Postmodernity as a cultural phenomenon, implications in various areas of cultural endeavour (including politics, philosophy, psychology, theology, the arts, and science), and work toward an integral Christian worldview that gives guidance in a post-modern world. A particular concern will be to plumb the resources of Scripture for such a cultural context.

A variant reading of the Genesis story of creation and fall speaks of the process of humans’ maturing, becoming like God, in their knowledge of good and evil and capacities to act, and the implications–for good and ill–of their choices for all of creation.  This reading seems especially challenging today in the midst of debates about the direction and control of scientific research, the development of promising and frightening new technologies, conflicts over “globalization,” and growing gaps between rich and poor.  These debates are filled with images of God-like powers of discovery and invention, fantastic new technologies, medical miracles, unlimited progress, and a new golden era of affluence and ease; some even point to the emergence of humanly-engineered successor species and a transhuman or posthuman future.  At the same time, these debates are haunted with images of widening gaps in incomes and wealth, growing suffering, deepening turmoil and chaos, apocalypse.  Through seminars on significant debates about  knowledge explosions, new technologies, multiple and uneven globalization(s), and alternative futures, and re-readings of biblical texts, we will probe the specifically theological/spiritual dimensions of these debates, with special reference to images of “playing God,” de-creation and re-creation or Genesis II, transcendence through technology, and hope that “another world is possible.” Readings, class participation, short papers, and (for AD students) research paper - adult learning process.

To deepen awareness of personal, social, cultural, and religious dimensions of sexuality, especially as these affect selfhood and community, this course explores the meaning and requirements of sexual justice for churches and civil society. Students will aim to frame a constructive Christian sexual ethic. Seminar presentations, book review and major paper.

Readings in contemporary concerns in Roman Catholic sexual ethics and their systematic development. Permission of professor is required.

An exploration of biblical textuality, its reconstruction in the form of western knowledge/power, and its role in the formation of existential meaning, through a guided reading of phenomenology, poststructuralism, feminist criticism, and postcolonial criticism. Seminar. 4 exploration papers, class participation.

An introduction to Patristic thought to 451 AD, surveying principal writers East and West. Detailed study of Athanasius On the Incarnation and The Tome of Leo. Lectures, readings, four short reports and a final oral examination.

A review of all of the surviving works of Richard Hooker, often called the first theologian of Anglicanism, his Calvinism and reaction to Calvinism, his scholasticism, and his defence of the institutions of the Church of England. Seminars, short report and major paper. (Taught in alternate years)

Emphasis on the history of the iconoclastic controversy and ecumenical councils, especially for the development of Christology. Readings from Nicaea II, Theodore the Studite, John of Damascus and Theodore Abu Qurrah. Iconography and spirituality. Church visit. Lectures-seminar, reflection papers, major paper. Prerequisite: Three courses from the Theological or Historical departments.

In the dramatic half century that followed the council of Nicaea in the fourth century, Athanasius rallied the theologians that sought a creative adhesion to the Nicene Creed. In doing this, he delved into the mystery of the Incarnation of the Lord and later on of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. In addition to this, he was instrumental in canalizing the momentum of monastic emergence into the Church, mainly through his “Life of Anthony.” The course will engage in a detailed and contextualized reading of his main works and their relevance for the theological enterprise. Discussions, presentations. One essay.

This course examines four temporally and culturally distinct examples of Christian thinking about God, self and world. It takes up one ancient, one medieval, one modern and one "postmodern" thinker and compares how they frame their thinking with respect to their scholarly world and the pre- and post-Christian elements characteristic of it. It compares their respective attempts to speak of the problematics signaled by the terms God, self and world: a. knowledge as religious, b. self as simultaneously divine image and part of a world of creatures, c. the social world as the field within which God, self and world intersect.

The Bible has been used to support all kinds of perspectives with varying degrees of responsibility. This course looks at the  use of the Bible in theological arguments. It will examine how the  Bible is APPLIED in conciliar and other church documents, as well as in  statements by ecumenical groups, sermons, and film. Some attention will be given to the variety of interpretive  methods in the history of the Church, but the main focus is the use (and abuse) of the Bible in contemporary theological argumentation. Topics include, e.g., Eucharistic debates, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, the role of women in the Church, and responses to war. Drawing on the rich variety of contemporary hermeneutical options, the  course aims to enrich students' exegetical skills and critical ability when making theological arguments and using church documents. The course is team-taught by a Lutheran professor of New Testament and a Catholic professor of theology. Lectures, discussions, short papers, final take-home exam.

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.

Exposes students to contemporary forms of critical and cultural analysis, using the analysis to look at spirituality and exposing students to contemporary manifestations of spirituality in a post-modern age. Eight reflection papers; class participation.

Explores biblical foundations, selected historical issues, current theological understandings of ministry as leadership in church and society. Considers such themes as discipleship, vocation, lay ecclesial identity, collaboration and responsibility in ministry. Lectures, discussion, seminar, presentation, essay.