Course Catalogue 2025-2026

An examination of the idea of self in Hinduism and Islam through representative contemporary thinkers Rabindranath Tagore and Muhammad Iqbal respectively. How is self understood? What is its relation to the ideas of person and personal identity? What are the philosophical and theological presuppositions of the idea of self? Answers are supplemented by classical and other contemporary writings of the religious tradition in question, thereby accessing the worldview associated with that tradition.

This is an exploratory course and will proceed as a seminar on "modes of thought" with special attention to the changing role/value of "religious thought" with the eventual development of the modern Western epistemic tradition. Readings will deal with that tradition from the prehistory of the human mind and the stages in the evolution of human cognition to the radical historical transformations of that growth with the emergence of the new cultural value of seeking knowledge for its own sake and, finally to the emergence of the modern mind with the scientific revolution in sixteenth- and seventeenth century Europe.

Theology was established as an academic discipline in the Christian universities of the European Middle Ages. Methodologically, however, that discipline seems ill-suited for the new epistemic culture produced in the West by the Scientific Revolution and now institutionalized in the modern secular research university. This is the intellectual context in which Christian theology emerged and matured as an academic discipline and against which its ‘religious knowledge’ claims will be measured. Understanding this history is essential, therefore, in methodological discussions in all areas of the theological encyclopedia.

Challenges of religious pluralism to Christianity appearing from outside Christianity, and responses to it. How do other world religious traditions think about Christianity or religions for that matter? What are the theoretical problems of religious pluralism and the response to them from within Christianity?

This course engages students with key Old Testament interpretive methods across a broad spectrum that may include historical-critical, literary, reader-oriented, theological, inter-disciplinary, and global approaches. Working with biblical texts together with readings from practitioners enables students to assess the assumptions, methods, development, and strengths and weaknesses inherent in each interpretive method.

The course will introduce students to the theological interpretation of John's Gospel and explore its significance for Christian theology. Students will read a range of theologically engaged exegetes of John from across the centuries, seeking to understand their contributions both contextually and as part of a continuing dialogue about the interpretation of the Gospel. Particular attention will be paid to John's Christology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and perspectives on Judaism. Students will also be introduced to methodological discussions about the nature of both theological interpretation and reception history as approaches to interpreting Scripture. The course also aims to equip students to assess the relevance of historic interpretations of John for understanding the Fourth Gospel and its theological significance today.

After the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), in its various revisions, is the most important foundational text of Anglican Christianity; Often praised for its literary beauty and influence, it has nevertheless become unfamiliar or even offensive to Anglicans who worship mainly with new liturgies produced in recent decades; This course will explore the sources and historical development of the Prayer Book tradition from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, the BCP's importance in the history of doctrinal controversy and Anglican identity, and how the BCP's liturgies have been variously received and interpreted over time, including critiques by modern liturgical scholarship; Major themes: the Bible and worship; liturgical language; the sacraments; sin and repentance; individual and community; ecclesiology and ecumenism; the BDP and churchmanship.

After the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), in its various revisions, is the most important foundational text of Anglican Christianity; Often praised for its literary beauty and influence, it has nevertheless become unfamiliar or even offensive to Anglicans who worship mainly with new liturgies produced in recent decades; This course will explore the sources and historical development of the Prayer Book tradition from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, the BCP's importance in the history of doctrinal controversy and Anglican identity, and how the BCP's liturgies have been variously received and interpreted over time, including critiques by modern liturgical scholarship; Major themes: the Bible and worship; liturgical language; the sacraments; sin and repentance; individual and community; ecclesiology and ecumenism; the BDP and churchmanship.

Close textual study of the Scriptural sources and doctrinal development of the Roman Catholic tradition of reflection on the identity of the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ Students develop a systematic understanding that addresses contemporary questions raised about traditional doctrine, leading to a personal and critical appropriation of traditional faith affirmations in light of preparation for pastoral ministry and theological leadership in the Church.

We will read the books of Ruth and Esther together with a cloud of witnesses from the past and present who found them not only life giving but also, especially in the case of Esther, deeply troubling. We will examine techniques and strategies used for reading these and other Old Testament narratives through history. We will explore the contexts of Ruth and Esther within both the ancient world and Scripture. We will examine their contents making use of a variety of traditional and innovative interpretive techniques and strategies (including reading within the context of the Ancient Near East, theological exegesis, disaster and trauma studies, and narrative criticism). We will consider how these books speak to us as individuals and as the church in the twenty-first century.

The prophet Jeremiah ministered to disobedient Israel, urging them to return to God, and warning of judgment. The people refused his message and experienced the dislocation and disruption of exile. The book is raw and at times graphic and shocking, and reflects the pain, pathos, and anguish of the prophet, the people, and even God. Yet amidst the darkness of Jeremiah’s ministry, the faithfulness of God sustained the prophet and held out to the people the promise of hope. Working closely with the text in its historical, literary, and canonical contexts, and utilizing the insights of trauma studies and readings from the church around the globe and across time, this course attends to the book’s message for Jeremiah’s contemporaries and its exilic compilers, and finds its resonance in our own uncertain times. For any who wrestle with God or seek to find him in difficult times, for any who minister to God’s people in the midst of such challenges, and for any who desire a fuller understanding of God’s faithful work amidst his people, this course will enliven and challenge.

The prophet Jeremiah ministered to disobedient Israel, urging them to return to God, and warning of judgment. The people refused his message and experienced the dislocation and disruption of exile. The book is raw and at times graphic and shocking, and reflects the pain, pathos, and anguish of the prophet, the people, and even God. Yet amidst the darkness of Jeremiah’s ministry, the faithfulness of God sustained the prophet and held out to the people the promise of hope. Working closely with the text in its historical, literary, and canonical contexts, and utilizing the insights of trauma studies and readings from the church around the globe and across time, this course attends to the book’s message for Jeremiah’s contemporaries and its exilic compilers, and finds its resonance in our own uncertain times. For any who wrestle with God or seek to find him in difficult times, for any who minister to God’s people in the midst of such challenges, and for any who desire a fuller understanding of God’s faithful work amidst his people, this course will enliven and challenge.