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.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of two central Christian doctrines - the Trinity and the person of Christ - as well as reflection on the role of Holy Scripture and the nature of theology. This is the first part of a two-part sequence in basic Christian doctrine. Lectures, tutorial discussions generated by students' questions, question and answer periods. Short papers, final take-home exam. Tutorial 10-11 am.

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

This course is designed for new students, and acts as an introduction to a number of central pastoral responsibilities: teaching the faith to new Christians, grasping the overall shape and purpose of Christian theology, assessing and meeting the demands of local culture and context, engaging the character of conversion and formation, and finally, grasping an overall shape to the history of Christian witness. The course pursues the historical examination of key catechetical texts from the New Testament to the contemporary period, analyzes their content and purpose, locates them historically, and seeks to engage students' own comprehensive vision of the Gospel, its communication, and pastoral practice. Lectures and weekly tutorials on the primary-source reading. Extensive reading, discussion, and mastering of content. Weekly content quizzes; 3 papers (6-10 pages each); final exam.

An introduction to the foundations and objective dimensions of Catholic moral theology. Among the topics to be studied are scripture, natural moral law, casuistry, relationship between faith and morality, magisterium, moral principles and norms, etc. Readings, lectures, discussions, short papers and final written exam; the course will also include a limited online component.

Basic principles of Christian ethics, with special attention to the pastoral application of moral theology. Case-study method used. Designed for Regis IFM students. Readings, lectures, seminar work, 3 short essays, final exam. Seminar work requires an additional one-hour commitment per week.

Introduction to Catholic moral theology: scripture, tradition, natural law, faith & morality; moral norms & virtue; conscience & magisterium. Readings, lectures, discussions, short reflection papers, exam. This course is part of the Diaconate Formation Diploma program at St. Augustine's.

The course introduces beginning students to the New Testament together with critical tools and methodological ideas which make an Orthodox exegesis possible. The course will encounter modern "historico-critical" methodologies for New Testament study which have become dominant in Western theological studies, and which have raised many issues of meaning which faithful Orthodox often find puzzling; we must ask both what Orthodox faith ought to learn from modern exegesis and also what critique or correction an Orthodox critical exegesis of the New Testament might offer in response to recent Western critical interpretation.

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. This course is part of the Diaconate Formation Diploma program at St. Augustine's.

Theology of creation. The human person in its created existence in the image of Christ; origin of humankind. Doctrine of original sin. One midterm test, one mini-synthesis and a final oral examination.

A theological exploration of Church, Ministry and Sacraments from a Presbyterian perspective in dialogue with other traditions and contemporary expressions of the Christian movement. Assignment and Paper. Prerequisites: A basic introductory theology course. Knox M.Div. students need to have Ref. Theology in Dialogue.

A study of the primary texts of the Church's first five centuries from the perspective of Eastern Christians, to identify and apply the vision of God and persons forged by the early doctors of the Church. Close readings of primary texts. Research paper.

What is knowledge and how do we know?  Is it different from belief and is it different from faith?  In this course, we discuss the various ways in which people know, from perception to memory to testimony.  The objective is understanding of the different categories of belief, and to be able to discuss philosophically the grounds for different types of belief.  The course is evaluated through two shorter papers (worth 15 and 25%), one long paper (wroth 45%) and participation (15%).

A focused study of philosophers and representative texts in the early western philosophical tradition covering metaphysics, theory of knowledge, human nature, and ethics. Historical development of ideas from the pre-Socratics to Boethius. Lectures and discussion; short papers and essay.

An introduction to the content, methods, and practices of Christian ethics through select key voices, past and present, in Christian ethics and using tools for moral reflection/action. Focus on moral issues, for example, poverty and ecological destruction. Students will be encouraged to refine the ethical awareness they bring to a variety of moral challenges within their lives, the churches, society and wider world. Lectures, small group discussions; analysis of a moral argument (30%); paper on a theological ethicist (figure) (30%); final integrative project on wealth and poverty (40%). Prerequisites: basic Bible, Theology.

The primary goal of this course is to help us think critically and sensitively about Christian values, norms, and commitments in ways that preserve a Christian orientation while taking into account the non-Christian and pluralistic context of modern society. Such thinking will involve a dialectical process where universal principles, values, and norms will be examined with reference to the particular experiences and realities that constrain human action and interaction. The aim is not to structure a strict formalistic ethical framework but rather to canvall various ethical methodologies, religious and secular, as resources for ethical thinking and praxis. Method of Evaluation: Critical book response(s), one term paper; class participation.

After being in eclipse for decades (and perhaps centuries), the doctrine of creation has become a live concern in contemporary theology. In conversation with the work of Jürgen Moltmann, and with reference to Herman Dooyeweerd’s distinction between the foundational and transcendental directions of time, we shall explore the gift and promise of an eschatologically open model of creation.

For final year students, a comprehensive and synthetic review of Roman Catholic doctrine in Systematic Theology. Personal appropriation of the mysteries of faith as well as effective pastoral explanation and communication of these mysteries is also stressed. Seminar presentations and final oral exam.

Through analysis of doctrinal statements of The United Church of Canada, their historical origins and contemporary theology, this course will enable students to become acquainted with United Church theology and the processes by which it has been developed, and to articulate their own faith in relation to their own experience, the faith of the church, and the practice of ministry in the context of challenges of today. Students will participate in the process by which "Christians of each new generation are called to state [the faith of the church] afresh in terms of the thought of their own age and with the emphasis their age needs" (Preamble, A Statement of Faith, 1940). Doctrinal statements on which the course will focus include the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union (1925), A Statement of Faith I1940), and A Song of Faith (2006); theological statements from other United Church documents will also be considered. Course methods include readings, discussions, and papers, and will incorporate students' reflections on their experience and integration of theory and practice into discussions and papers. Regular attendance and participation required.

The course probes Luther's understanding of major Christian doctrines. Theological ferment in the Sixteenth Century will be examined in every class, including Luther's (theological) relationship to other Magisterial Reformers, Radical Reformers, and Roman-Catholic/ Counter-Reformation Reformers. Attention will also be paid to such matters as the extent to which the Magisterial Reformation was an aspect of Renaissance Humanism or a departure from it, and the (putative) anti-Semitism of Luther and its relation to more recent manifestations of anti- Semitism. Weekly readings, lectures, and classroom discussions. Essay (50%) and final examination (50%).

Theology of grace in representative Anglican theologians, including Thomas Cranmer, Richard Hooker, the Caroline Divines, the Tractarians, F.D. Maurice, Lux Mundi and William Temple. Prerequisite: introductory course in theology.

Inspiring and profound are terms often attributed to the theology of von Balthasar. Benedict XVI said of his work, "His theological reflection maintains intact, to this day, a profound timeliness and leads many to penetrate ever more into the profoundity of the mystery of faith". This course begins an exploration of his work. There is consideration of the Trilogy: Herrlichkeit, Theo-Drama and Theo-Logic; the influence of Ignatius Loyola and Adrienne von Speyr; and the place of Mary. Not a course for the faint-hearted, von Balthasar's work is at times dense and complex but the rewards are beyond price. Prerequisite: one year of theology, at least three theology courses. Lectures, student presentations, one short paper and a research paper.

This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic religious practices and mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of mystical tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early forms of personal piety that culminated into emphasis over mystical dimensions of Islamic religious experience and practice. The course will examine the rise of Sufi orders, the systematization of Sufi teaching and the evolution of theosophical dimensions of mysticism, and finally, the contribution of Sufism in the Islamic arts and literatures. Lectures, readings and class discussions. Annotated bibliography 15%, oral presentations 25%, project (research paper) 35%, project presentation 10% and class participation 5%.

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.

Studies the documents and teachings of Vatican II. Brief overview of the historical background to the Council and to Councils in the life of the church. Seminars guide discussions based on close readings of the 16 documents with emphasis on the historical context and ecclesiological significance of each document. Seminar presentations; participation in analysis of the documents; integration paper.

Philosophical method for a theology of beauty. This course takes Balthasar's assessment of the loss of beauty as a context to survey the implications for the loss of beauty and the conditions for its recovery. Philosophical issues such as the nature of beauty, aesthetic experience/ perception, aesthetic judgements, the beauty of God/ Christ, and other cultural notions of beauty will be considered. Investigate Lonergan's philosophy as basis for theological aesthetics. 

This course explores issues in the philosophy of religion, with special reference to The Brothers Karamazov. Major themes include: the existence and nature of God, religious language, religious experience, faith and reason, the problem of evil, religion and morality, and afterlife beliefs. Readings include Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and selections from theologians and philosophers of religion. Lectures, discussion, participation, and critical reflection papers.

MTS Synthesis Paper

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.

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.

This course will begin with a summation of Biblical teaching about wealth and poverty, and the succeeding sessions will study diverse interpretations of that teaching in the history of Christian thought. Attention will be paid to the historical context of the theology under study, including contemporary ethical teaching and economic practice. The goals of the course will be to appreciate the paradoxical character of Biblical teaching on wealth and poverty, as well as the diverse ways in which theologies on wealth and poverty have reflected the impact of socio-economic change. The value of the study will be its assisting students to cope with 21st century challenges in its uneven regional and social distribution of wealth and poverty. Lectures and seminars. Requirements: one essay and exam.

A study of the basis of sexuality and marriage and select related issues in light of the Catholic moral tradition. Readings, lectures, discussions, paper, mid-term test, final exam; the course will also include a limited online component. (Prerequisite: Fundamental Christian Ethics I and II or Permission of Instructor)

A critical survey of papal thought from Leo XIII's emphasis on workers' rights to John Paul II's focus on the broader theme of human rights. Reflection papers and book report, or major paper, exam. Prerequisite: Introductory course in moral theology.

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.

This course is designed for first year AD students in Scripture and Theology. It seeks to acquaint the student with major questions about and appreoaches to the theological meaning of Scripture in contemporary scholarship in the fields of Scripture and Theology, through the study of two key figures and their context, Brevard Childs and Robert Jenson. Seminar format, with some lecture and significant discussion, based on common readings. Attendance, reading, weekly precis, discussion (55%) and a major research paper (45%).

A textual reading of Longergan's magnum opus on The Triune God embracing the history and theological development of the Trinity. Principle amount of the course will pertain to Volume 12 of Lonergan's Collected Works on the Systematic party of the Trinity. Reference to Volume 11. Doctrines will occur when helpful. Special attention will be placed on Lonergan's continued development of the psychological analogy from the Augustinian-Thomistic tradition.

This course explores a range of proposals in contemporary ecclesiology across the eccumenical spectrum. Special attention will be given to questions surrounding the Church's concretely historical character, as in the ecclesiology of "practices" and its critics. Authors read may include Ratzinger, Jenson, Hauerwas, Cavanaugh, Radner and Healy. Seminar discussion; brief, bullet-point responses to the readings; 2500-word final paper.

Examination of resources and methods in theological work, focusing on hermeneutics as a strategic way of thinking about the role of texts and traditions in theological reflection. Emphasis on interpretation theories in conjunction with liberal, postliberal, and postmodern theological methodologies, particularly regarding issues of faith, authority, revelation, and religious pluralism. Lectures, discussions, student presentations, research paper.

This course will consist in a close reading of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. We will pay special attention to the basic theme of the logical and historical relationship between individual and social self-consciousness. We will also address Hegel's significance in relation to both his philosophical context and ours. Seminar style, weekly reflections, major paper.

Inquiry into the role and meaning of religion in a post/metaphysical, post/secular time within the frameworks of critical theory, psychoanalysis and ethics. Authors include Horkheimer, Adorno, Benjamin, Freud, Habermas and their theological/religious interlocutors, i.e. Charles Davis, Elisabeth Schuessler Fiorenza, Hent de Vries. Major paper.

This course examines the recovery and renewal of Trinitarian doctrine and theology since the turn of the twentieth century with a broad focus upon Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox theologians; the reexamination of the doctrine's sources in Scripture through theological exegesis and current trends in its formulations. The course will proceed along a lecture / discussion format, with readings from relevant literature. Assignments will include short reflection papers and a research paper.

A careful study of a book of the Summa contra Gentiles, where Aquinas explores Christian doctrines as an exercise in personally appropriating divine wisdom. The course teaches a method of close textual reading, and will interest students seeking an accessible introduction to Aquinas, those seeking an overall view of his methodology, and those preparing comprehensive exams in theology. Lectures and seminars. Assignments for 3551: 2 short papers, 2 learning reports, final take home exam. Assignments for 6551: 2 short papers, preparing and giving a 1 hour lecture, final exegetical essay.

Inspiring and profound are terms often attributed to the theology of von Balthasar. Benedict XVI said of his work, "His theological reflection maintains intact, to this day, a profound timeliness and leads many to penetrate ever more into the profoundity of the mystery of faith". This course begins an exploration of his work. There is consideration of the Trilogy: Herrlichkeit, Theo-Drama and Theo-Logic; the influence of Ignatius Loyola and Adrienne von Speyr; and the place of Mary. Not a course for the faint-hearted, von Balthasar's work is at times dense and complex but the rewards are beyond price. Prerequisite: one year of theology, at least three theology courses. Lectures, seminar discussions, student presentations, one short paper and a research paper.

This is a historical and topical survey of the origins and development of Islamic religious practices and mysticism. The course is primarily concerned with the growth of mystical tradition in Islam, the rise of asceticism, the early forms of personal piety that culminated into emphasis over mystical dimensions of Islamic religious experience and practice. The course will examine the rise of Sufi orders, the systematization of Sufi teaching and the evolution of theosophical dimensions of mysticism, and finally, the contribution of Sufism in the Islamic arts and literatures. Lectures, readings and class discussions. Annotated bibliography 15%, oral presentations 25%, project (research paper) 35%, project presentation 10% and class participation 5%.

An exploration of central issues in philosophy, as addressed by Herman Dooyeweerd, Dirk Vollenhoven, and the “Amsterdam School” of neoCalvinian thought. The course tests the relevance of this tradition for recent developments in Western philosophy. Special attention is given to critiques of foundationalism, metaphysics, and modernity within reformational philosophy and in other schools of thought.

This seminar will examine the role intersubjectivity plays in Hannah Arendt.

This course will reflect on the nature of the social world in a way that is integrally linked with Christian faith. Challenging the view that individuals are fully independent realities, we will look at the different kinds of communities that define us: family, political society, religious community, and groups formed around other kinds of shared identities. We will look at the way in which we emerge as individuals only through these primary identifications, and at the conflicted way in whcih our individuality is an attempt to understand and even overcome them. We will also explore the tensions that arise between these various communities and the claims they make on us. The course includes readings from diverse philosophical, religious, literary, and social-scientific texts. It aims to develop an existentially and philosophically rich Christian sensitivity to the complexity of social relationships that shape us and make claims on us.

The course will explore the multifaceted process of "Reading the Signs of the Times": the guidance of scripture, the teachings of the church, the historical lessons of reading and misreading the times, the insights of the artists, the wisdomof the crucified, etc. A major paper of 20-30 pages, topic to be arranged with professor (80%). Class participation (20%).

This course will engage in theological/biblical reflection on the nature of political economy by attending to themes of covenant, property, stewardship, justice and Kingdom. And we will bring that biblical reflection into dialogue with the work of Christian political economist Bob Goudzwaard. Professor Emeritus of the Free University of Amsterdam, former member of parliament, advisor to political parties, think tanks and NGOs 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 (in translation) and have the opportunity to spend four seminars in conversation with him early in the semester.

Application of critical thinking to contemporary issues in biomedical ethics including: issues pertaining to the creation of life (e.g., IV fertilization, reproductive technology, surrogacy, stem cell research), the preservation of life (e.g., right to care, refusal of care, micro & macroallocation of limited resources, informed choice), and the end of life (e.g., euthanasia, allowing to die, elder neglect).

The course will explore significant ways that Christians have thought about the arts, artistry and art culture in Eastern and Western Christendom. The course will compare the varieties of theologies of art that have emerged from within the Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions as well as consider what distinguishes a "theology" of art by investigating historical and contemporary conceptions of art and theology. The study will involve looking at paintings, icons, altarpieces, and socially and culturally engaged works of art as well as pertinent theological writings. Students will be evaluated on class participation, seminar presentations, and a research paper on an approved topic. The methodology used in the course will be a mix of lecture and class discussion on assigned readings. Class participation, 20%; seminar presentations, 30%; Major research paper, 50%.

This seminar examines that philosophical approach to the history of philosophy that travels under the name of genealogy. It does so in terms of close readings of selected texts of the tradition's two major figures: Friederich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault against the backdrop of a number of ancient and medieval examples of protreptic rhetoric. It thereby attests the thesis that contemporary genealogy is the latest manifestation of the protreptic tradition in the history of philosophy, i.e., a deliberative rhetoric designed to exhort recipients to turn ( convertere )from harm to health, from falsehood to truth, from the base to the noble. The course will run as a seminar in which students will be asked to produce weekly papers of 400 to 600 words on the weekly readings to prime class room discussion. In addition, each student will be required to prepare a seminar on one required text which involves written material of between 1200 and 1800 words. Finally, each student will be required to submit a course paper on a topic mutually agreed upon with the class instructor. The course paper should be 4500 to 7500 words in the case of a Master's level student and 6000 to 9000 words in the case of a ThD/ PhD level student. The grade will be the result of weekly papers (25%), seminar presentation (15%) and course paper (60%). 

Beginning with a quick review of English grammar, the course will introduce the grammar and syntax of the Latin language and provide practice in their use in order to lead students to a reading knowledge of Ecclesiastical Latin: the Vulgate, Canon Law, Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Aquinas, hymns and other documents. Evaluation will be based on course assignments, weekly class participation, periodic tests and a final exam. Please note: the second hour of each class is a mandatory tutorial.

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.