Course Catalogue 2025-2026

This course considers basic themes in the theology of the Holy Trinity from a biblical, historical and systematic viewpoint and addresses selected contemporary questions about the mystery of the tri-personal God.

The human person in our contemporary culture has a fluid spectrum of interpretation. Biblical precedents suggest a certain Judaeo-Christian hermeneutic while cultural mores reference alternatives. This course looks to explore the Roman Catholic tradition in identifying the graced human person and contemporary papal guidelines stressing the inherent dignity of the human person. Accordingly, time will be spent considering biblical foundations and questions posed by the text of Genesis and the Noahic covenant. Aquinas and key documents from Vatican II assist our exploration. The question of whether we are discerning the human person or designing humans arises. Identity and the sense of self are important issues raised with reference to both the Qumran community and the work of Charles Taylor. Hans Urs von Balthasa's reclaiming of personhood and the ecclesial person bridges into consideration of the way in which contemporary papacies have identified the human person and the concomitant dignity of every human being made in the image of God.

The human person in our contemporary culture has a fluid spectrum of interpretation. Biblical precedents suggest a certain Judaeo-Christian hermeneutic while cultural mores reference alternatives. This course looks to explore the Roman Catholic tradition in identifying the graced human person and contemporary papal guidelines stressing the inherent dignity of the human person. Accordingly, time will be spent considering biblical foundations and questions posed by the text of Genesis and the Noahic covenant. Aquinas and key documents from Vatican II assist our exploration. The question of whether we are discerning the human person or designing humans arises. Identity and the sense of self are important issues raised with reference to both the Qumran community and the work of Charles Taylor. Hans Urs von Balthasa's reclaiming of personhood and the ecclesial person bridges into consideration of the way in which contemporary papacies have identified the human person and the concomitant dignity of every human being made in the image of God.

Theology in the 21st Century has long realized the need to overcome the false dichotomy between theology and spirituality. The Christian theologian of our times is called to be a mystic Karl Rahner asserted. Where better to study the craft of the spiritual theologian than in the dialogue with four of the most significant figures from Carmel. The course explores some of the key theological themes running through the lives and work of Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux and Edith Stein. We also consider the singular contributions each made to the spiritual and theological tradition we have inherited and the challenges their lives and work pose for us today. Course is cross-listed as theological and pastoral.

This course explores the identity and mission of the Holy Spirit through listening to the witness of the Scriptures and the early church, and through critical engagement with contemporary conversations about the Spirit. The first half of the course addresses Biblical foundations and patristic developments, with a particular focus on the Spirt in relation to the doctrine of the Trinity. The second half explores a number of contemporary issues in pneumatology. Topics to be covered include: the

This pass/fail course offered to seminarians in their last semester at St. Augustine provides opportunities to investigate preaching from a Catholic perspective, discuss questions on homiletics, read key documents from the Church on preaching, preach, give feedback to fellow preachers, and reflect on the feedback received in class.

The first part of the seminar will explore Trinitarian foundations of music and liturgy, in and since Vatican II, focusing on the imagery of Word and Breath, the priesthood of Christ, and the ecclesiology of communion. The second part will develop and apply this understanding to diverse musical experience and ministry (the singing assembly, cantors, choirs, the organ and other instruments, priest and deacon as music ministers, composers and hymn writers). This seminar is theological and liturgical in focus: experience of music in church is more valuable than technical musical skills (musical skills are useful and welcome but not essential).

In this course we will study the theological, social, and economic components of Old Testament ethics and explore a variety of themes related to contemporary issues, including the problem of war, violence, and moral injury; economics and the poor; medical ethics; slavery, racism, and apartheid; law and the legal system; ecology, nature, and the earth.

This course is designed to help students understand the "backstory" to the Bible - the history, geography, culture and practices that made up the normal everyday world of the ancient Israelites and their neighbours, but which are utterly foreign to us. Through this course, students will develop a better understanding of the physical and conceptual context of the Old and New Testaments that will help offer a foundation for understanding and interpreting the Bible.

This seminar explores the historical, doctrinal, philosophical and mystical aspects of Islamic liturgical texts, namely supplications and devotions. Special emphasis will be placed on readings from The Psalms of Islam as known as Psalms of the Family of the Prophet (Zabūr Āl Muḥammad/Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya) and various devotional elegies.  Sections include comparisons to the Biblical Psalms, the Syriac prayer tradition and Hebrew prayers in the Jewish tradition. We will also explore the often-controversial role of pilgrimage and its perceived efficacy in Islamic traditions with a special focus on visitation of graves of saints while comparing similar practices in Christian traditions to understand the role that such practices occupy in both traditions. This will introduce key Islamic texts while engaging with Christian and Jewish approaches to prayer.

This course is an advanced practicum in preaching and worship. It is intended to provide opportunities for practicing liturgical leadership and preaching within the class setting. Students will explore best practices for planning and preparing sermons and worship services, with an emphasis on collaboration. Students will craft holistic worship services with attention to Sacraments, technology, universal design, denominational resources, and topics such as reconciliation, multicultural worship, funerals, weddings, and intergenerational worship.

This course is aimed at clergy and congregational administrators who deal with matters concerning buildings and property. Offering anthropological, theological, and legal/canonical/policy frameworks, participants will reflect on the properties for which they are responsible, exploring foundational issues in the management of these resources, and considering what is required to maintain them. How can buildings and property, including those ancillary to the congregation’s primary worshipping space, become more effective places of mission, imagination and hope for both those who administer them and all those who populate them or see them as neighbourhood places? What are the practicalities involved? We will draw on the work of Richard Giles, Sam Wells, Lindsay Jones and others, as well as the experiences of judicatory administrators and seasoned parish clergy. While the focus will be on Anglican polity and processes, much of the course material (e.g legal requirements, theological and anthropological frames) would be transferable to situations in other denominations. We will consider how contexts such as urban and rural affect the administration of buildings and property.