English

Tyndale's Bachelor of Arts in English begins with a guided tour of the great books of the Western world. As you encounter the great ideas of the past, you will join in the conversation that authors have had with one another across the ages.

Possible careers as:

Teacher
Writer
Journalist
Lawyer
Editor

Past and Present

We are not cultural orphans. Our identities are shaped by the stories we have been taught to admire. Coleridge once said, 'Language is the armory of the human mind, and at once contains the trophies of its past and the weapons of its future conquests.' You possess the gift of language. But how can you use it effectively, even beautifully?

Learning to Learn

How can you gain these trophies and use these weapons? The study of different eras of literature forces you to confront ideas alien to your own, and broadens your vision to see yourselves with different eyes. Better still, you can discover truths that were never overcome, but simply became blurred like a coin so worn out by use that its image and contours became indistinguishable. With practice and polish, you will learn that the Word of God still transforms our understanding of beauty, goodness and truth.

Form and Content

Great ideas are not uniform. They flourish in different types of literature. At Tyndale, you learn the genres, styles, tones and rhythms that add texture and beauty to our words. You too will learn to write effectively and think critically.

With an eye on past greats and present practice, a BA in English is a great investment in your future.

Major Requirements

[ENGL 1013], [ENGL 1023] Survey of English Literature I, II
[ENGL 2603] Practical Criticism: Poetry
[ENGL 2613] Practical Criticism: Prose
One of:
[ENGL 3833] American Literature I
[ENGL 3843] American Literature II
[ENGL 3853] Canadian Literature I
[ENGL 3863] Canadian Literature II

[ENGL 3753] Shakespeare
[ENGL 3783] Milton
One period course:
[ENGL 3013, 3033, 3053, 3103, 3203, 3313, 3323, 3333, 3403, 3413]

ENGL Electives (3000- or 4000-level) (6 credit hours)
ENGL Elective (4000-level) (3 credit hours)
ENGL Elective (any level) (3 credit hours)

Core Requirements

[HIST 1013] History of Western Civilization I
[HIST 1023] History of Western Civilization II
[PHIL 1013] History of Philosophy I
[PHIL 1023] History of Philosophy II
[RLGS 1013] Old Testament Scriptures
[RLGS 1023] New Testament Scripture
[RLGS 2013] Hermeneutics
[RLGS 3603] Introduction to Christian Theology
[INDS 4753] Christianity and Culture

Breadth Requirements

Fine Arts Elective (3 credit hours)
Language Electives (6 credit hours)
Natural Sciences Elective (3 credit hours)
Social Sciences Electives (6 credit hours)

Electives (39 credit hours)

» English Department Website

If you choose to study English, it might be because you have been captivated by the splendor of a story, play or poem. Or maybe you have a gift for putting words together, and would like to hone your craft further. Whatever the case, at Tyndale, Toronto's Christian University, you will undertake a lengthy reflection upon one of the most important ways in which we, who are made in the image of God, bear the image of the divine Word, namely in our use of words.

Department Faculty

Dr. Bill Friesen

Assistant Professor of English

bfriesen@tyndale.ca
416-226-6620 ext. 6789 | Campus: Ballyconnor

Biography

PhD University of Toronto
MA University of British Columbia
BA University of British Columbia

Areas of Specialization: Medieval European Literature, Old English, Latin, Early Medieval Spiritual Writings; and Norse and Anglo-Saxon Myths.

Dr. Friesen has published articles in Early Medieval Europe, "Answers and their echoes: the Libellus responsionum and the hagiography of northwestern European mission" (2006), and in Prolegomena, "Old School Avant-Garde, New Wave Traditionalists" (2002).

Dr. Elizabeth Davey

Associate Professor of English

EDavey@tyndale.ca
416-226-6620 ext. 6713 | Campus: Ballyconnor

Biography

PhD, University of Wales, 2010
MA, York University, 1990
MA, University of Washington, 1973
BA, Seattle Pacific University, 1971

Areas of Specialization: Canadian literature, American literature, C. S. Lewis and Milton.

Elizabeth Davey has taught English Literature at Tyndale since 1976. Over the years she introduced a variety of courses - Milton, Studies in C.S. Lewis, Canadian Literature and Culture, Key Figures in American Literature, Religious Themes in Literature - that anticipated the larger literature curriculum of a Christian liberal arts university. In 1998, she was appointed both Director of the Leading Edge program and the Department Chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. From 2000 to 2004, she served the University College as Associate Dean. She also developed and directed the Writing Centre. Currently she is doing doctoral work on the Canadian poet Margaret Avison.

Dr. Scott Masson

Associate Professor of English

smasson@tyndale.ca
416-226-6620 ext. 6778 | Campus: Ballyconnor
Website

PhD, University of Durham, 2000
MA, University of Durham, England, 1995
BA (Hons), Huron College, UWO, 1990

Areas of Specialization: English and European romanticism, literary theory and hermeneutics; Christianity and literature

Dr. Masson has written a number of scholarly works related to his areas of specialization. In addition to his scholarly work, he is a certified translator in German, the product of time spent in Germany studying Classical languages.

Outside Tyndale, he serves as Associate Pastor of Westminster Chapel, a thriving church in downtown Toronto, and a Fellow of the Ezra Institute. He is also involved in planning Westminster Christian Academy, a Classical Christian Academy opening soon in Toronto.

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