Previous Years' Course Catalogues

The goal of Biblical Hebrew I and its adjoining course Biblical Hebrew II is to provide both students training for designated ministry and those students who wish to continue in advanced degree studies with a working knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The acquired skills may be used for the purposes of homiletical exegesis, scholarship pursuit, and the general pleasure of textual theological interpretations. Classes are twice weekly, and consist of lecture, homework tutorial, quizzes and quiz review, translation work, and theological reflections posted on Twitter. Evaluation: weekly quizzes; midterm exam; attendance and participation; final exam.

The goal of Biblical Hebrew I and its adjoining course Biblical Hebrew II is to provide both students training for designated ministry and those students who wish to continue in advanced degree studies with a working knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The acquired skills may be used for the purposes of homiletical exegesis, scholarship pursuit, and the general pleasure of textual theological interpretations.

The goal of Biblical Hebrew I and its adjoining course Biblical Hebrew II is to provide both students training for designated ministry and those students who wish to continue in advanced degree studies with a working knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The acquired skills may be used for the purposes of homiletical exegesis, scholarship pursuit, and the general pleasure of textual theological interpretations.

The goal of Biblical Hebrew I and its adjoining course Biblical Hebrew II is to provide both students training for designated ministry and those students who wish to continue in advanced degree studies with a working knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The acquired skills may be used for the purposes of homiletical exegesis, scholarship pursuit, and the general pleasure of textual theological interpretations.

The goal of Biblical Hebrew I and its adjoining course Biblical Hebrew II is to provide both students training for designated ministry and those students who wish to continue in graduate degree studies with a working knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The acquired skills may be used for the purposes of homiletical exegesis, scholarship pursuit, and the general pleasure of textual theological interpretations.

The goal of Biblical Hebrew I and its adjoining course Biblical Hebrew II is to provide both students training for designated ministry and those students who wish to continue in advanced degree studies with a working knowledge of biblical Hebrew. The acquired skills may be used for the purposes of homiletical exegesis, scholarship pursuit, and the general pleasure of textual theological interpretations. Classes are twice weekly, and consist of lecture, homework tutorial, quizzes and quiz review, translation work, and theological reflections posted on Twitter. Evaluation: weekly quizzes; midterm exam; attendance and participation; final exam.

In recent years a voluminous literature has appeared that has examined the numerous commonalities between western psychotherapy and counselling and Buddhism. This has been possible because Buddhism, in addition to its religious aspects, can also be described as a philosophy and psychology of transformation. The Buddhist teachings are replete with analyses of human behavior, emotion, cognition, interpersonal and psychological functioning that closely resemble the models of human behavior and mental illness that have emerged in western culture. In this comparative course the convergence between Buddhism and the major systems of psychotherapy will be surveyed. Specifically, the key features of psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, existential-humanistic, emotion-focused, mindfulness-based interventions, and the emerging field of positive psychology will each first be described. Convergences and divergences with the key elements of Buddhist psychology as described in the teachings on skillful living (i.e., the 8-fold path), harmful emotional states (i.e., the 5 nivaranas), the psychophysical nature of the self (i.e., the 5 skandhas), psychological causality (i.e., dependent origination), and the analysis of the human condition (i.e. the 4 Noble Truths) will be underscored. Students will critically study the key representative texts for each form of psychotherapy and the major Buddhist sutras/teachings that elaborate the Buddha's psychology with the goal of evaluating how the study of Buddhist psychology may enhance our understanding of emotional suffering and its alleviation.

In recent years a voluminous literature has appeared that has examined the numerous commonalities between western psychotherapy and counselling and Buddhism. This has been possible because Buddhism, in addition to its religious aspects, can also be described as a philosophy and psychology of transformation. The Buddhist teachings are replete with analyses of human behavior, emotion, cognition, interpersonal and psychological functioning that closely resemble the models of human behavior and mental illness that have emerged in western culture. In this comparative course the convergence between Buddhism and the major systems of psychotherapy will be surveyed.ÿ Specifically, the key features of psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, existential-humanistic, emotion-focused, mindfulness-based interventions, and the emerging field of positive psychology will each first be described. Convergences and divergences with the key elements of Buddhist psychology as described in the teachings on skillful living (i.e., the 8-fold path), harmful emotional states (i.e., the 5 nivaranas), the psychophysical nature of the self (i.e., the 5 skandhas), psychological causality (i.e., dependent origination), and the analysis of the human condition (i.e. the 4 Noble Truths) will be underscored. Students will critically study the key representative texts for each form of psychotherapy and the major Buddhist sutras/teachings that elaborate the Buddha's psychology with the goal of evaluating how the study of Buddhist psychology may enhance our understanding of emotional suffering and its alleviation.

Both Buddhism and psychotherapy share an interest into the nature and interdependent functioning of the mind, emotion, cognition, behaviour, body, and social relationships, especially in terms of reducing suffering and striving for a meaningful life. While Buddhism attaches soteriological significance to its mapping of the human mind, body and spirit, and posits the end goal of Awakening, psychotherapeutic theories and practices developed in Western cultures are framed as secular, and are grounded in research that utilizes scientific and evaluative methods. Over the past century and a half, both Western and Eastern thinkers have been interpreting, comparing, distinguishing, and integrating their religious and psychological (and psychotherapeutic) systems, and in the process, transforming them. This course focuses on these cross-cultural engagements between Buddhism and Western psychotherapy with an emphasis on conceptions of the mind and emotions in relation to spiritual care and psycho-spiritual therapy. Topics covered in this class will include Buddhism, psychotherapy and cross-cultural dialogue; Jungian psychology and Zen and Tibetan Buddhism; Shin Pure Land Buddhism and Vipassana in relation to psychotherapy; Buddhism and psychodynamics; Buddhist-integrated psychospiritual modalities; and integrating Buddhist theology and psychospiritual practice.

In recent years a voluminous literature has appeared that has examined the numerous commonalities between western psychotherapy and counselling and Buddhism. This has been possible because Buddhism, in addition to its religious aspects, can also be described as a philosophy and psychology of transformation. The Buddhist teachings are replete with analyses of human behavior, emotion, cognition, interpersonal and psychological functioning that closely resemble the models of human behavior and mental illness that have emerged in western culture. In this comparative course the convergence between Buddhism and the major systems of psychotherapy will be surveyed.  Specifically, the key features of psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, existential-humanistic, emotion-focused, mindfulness-based interventions, and the emerging field of positive psychology will each first be described. Convergences and divergences with the key elements of Buddhist psychology as described in the teachings on skillful living (i.e., the 8-fold path), harmful emotional states (i.e., the 5 nivaranas), the psychophysical nature of the self (i.e., the 5 skandhas), psychological causality (i.e., dependent origination), and the analysis of the human condition (i.e. the 4 Noble Truths) will be underscored. Students will critically study the key representative texts for each form of psychotherapy and the major Buddhist sutras/teachings that elaborate the Buddha's psychology with the goal of evaluating how the study of Buddhist psychology may enhance our understanding of emotional suffering and its alleviation.

In recent years a voluminous literature has appeared that has examined the numerous commonalities between western psychotherapy and counselling and Buddhism. This has been possible because Buddhism, in addition to its religious aspects, can also be described as a philosophy and psychology of transformation. The Buddhist teachings are replete with analyses of human behavior, emotion, cognition, interpersonal and psychological functioning that closely resemble the models of human behavior and mental illness that have emerged in western culture. In this comparative course the convergence between Buddhism and the major systems of psychotherapy will be surveyed.  Specifically, the key features of psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, existential-humanistic, emotion-focused, mindfulness-based interventions, and the emerging field of positive psychology will each first be described. Convergences and divergences with the key elements of Buddhist psychology as described in the teachings on skillful living (i.e., the 8-fold path), harmful emotional states (i.e., the 5 nivaranas), the psychophysical nature of the self (i.e., the 5 skandhas), psychological causality (i.e., dependent origination), and the analysis of the human condition (i.e. the 4 Noble Truths) will be underscored.
Students will critically study the key representative texts for each form of psychotherapy and the major Buddhist sutras/teachings that elaborate the Buddha's psychology with the goal of evaluating how the study of Buddhist psychology may enhance our understanding of emotional suffering and its alleviation.

Both Buddhism and psychotherapy share an interest into the nature and interdependent functioning of the mind, emotion, cognition, behaviour, body, and social relationships, especially in terms of reducing suffering and striving for a meaningful life. While Buddhism attaches soteriological significance to its mapping of the human mind, body and spirit, and posits the end goal of Awakening, psychotherapeutic theories and practices developed in Western cultures are framed as secular, and are grounded in research that utilizes scientific and evaluative methods. Over the past century and a half, both Western and Eastern thinkers have been interpreting, comparing, distinguishing, and integrating their religious and psychological (and psychotherapeutic) systems, and in the process, transforming them. This course focuses on these cross-cultural engagements between Buddhism and Western psychotherapy with an emphasis on conceptions of the mind and emotions in relation to spiritual care and psycho-spiritual therapy. Topics covered in this class will include Buddhism, psychotherapy and cross-cultural dialogue; Jungian psychology and Zen and Tibetan Buddhism; Shin Pure Land Buddhism and Vipassana in relation to psychotherapy; Buddhism and psychodynamics; Buddhist-integrated psychospiritual modalities; and integrating Buddhist theology and psychospiritual practice.