Designed to give insight into the ministry of spiritual direction. An experience in learning through an informational as well as formational process. There are readings, lectures, periods of reflection, daily community worship, journaling and student interaction through a small-group process. Includes a mandatory off-campus retreat at an additional cost. Limited enrolment. Prerequisite: SPIR 0700.

An interdisciplinary course about biblical, theological and historical models of individual and corporate prayer. The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the theology and practice of prayer in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. This course will help us to discover the richness of our heritage in the understanding and practice of prayer. This will happen through the exploration of the experience of prayer in both the Old and New Testaments, as well as history of the Church. It will also examine the place of prayer in both the life of the individual and the community. Prerequisite: SPIR 0700.

A team-taught, comparative study of Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist/Baptistic, Methodist and Pentecostal/charismatic traditions of spirituality.

Examines Henri Nouwen’s understanding of spiritual formation and spiritual identity as the Life of the Beloved. Students will explore the four movements of Nouwen’s “Life of the Beloved” and the biblical and theological foundations that guide Nouwen’s understanding.

Provides an overview of Dallas Willard’s understanding of the Christian spiritual life and how he saw God’s desire for people to live in the Kingdom. It begins by examining Willard’s view of the problems of the contemporary age and all eras, moves into foundations for spiritual transformation, depicts the means by which growth and change can occur, and finishes with a vision of what maturity and the earthly fulfillment of the Kingdom looks like. The course will integrate material from his major spiritual works as appropriate.

Celtic spirituality appeals to the mind, body and spirit. Intended to introduce the mysterious spiritual world that draws on pre-Christian beliefs and culture that took form in the church as it developed among the Celtic people. This may include themes such as creation, redemption, soul friend, evangelism, worship and the doctrine of the Trinity as expressed by various Celtic saints. From time to time includes a study trip to Ireland and Scotland, where students will trace the footsteps of individuals such as St. Patrick or St. Columba. In addition, there will be daily worship in the Celtic tradition.

Same as CHED 0663 and PAST 0644.

Examination of specific topics in spiritual formation.

Same as COUN 0684 and PAST TH51.

Provides an integrated study of the Christian life and the development of personal character shaped by the values and virtues of God’s kingdom. Includes an examination of conceptual frameworks and major categories in spiritual theology, as well as understanding and practicing the classical spiritual disciplines. There is an additional cost for the mandatory, two-day spiritual retreat. Limited enrolment.

Designed for those seeking to become certified spiritual directors. Students learn the art and practice of spiritual direction through weekly practices of soul care, teaching, supervised in-class sessions, group and individual supervision, as well as providing bi-weekly spiritual direction to directees. Through these multi-faceted experiences, students explore their capacity to help others attend to God’s presence in their lives while living out a theology of love for God, self and others. The two courses run consecutively from September to April. Students must register for both courses. Prerequisites: SPIR 0700, SPIR 0601, SPIR 0609, SPIR 0610; Provide a Vulnerable Sector Screening record; Successful interview with the instructor (prior to June 30 for the following Fall semester); Evidence of having met with a Spiritual Director for at least one year; Two references submitted to the internship instructor. Limited enrolment.

Provides a personal spiritual growth experience through a theological understanding of the essentials of spiritual formation; exploring major traditions of the Christian discipline; and active participation in the life of Christ, even in suffering, so that one is being formed into the image of Christ. The Sermons of the Mount and Mission (Matthew 5 to 10) will be foundational biblical text for the study. The discipline of spiritual formation and the direction it can bring to the body of Christ today will also be considered. Offered in Chinese.

Indigenous understandings of the nature of the spiritual and of spirituality differ in many respects from those commonly held within Western traditions of Christian faith. The focus of the course, therefore, is to introduce the student to the ways in which Indigenous people participate as followers of Jesus in a manner that is authentic to their own cultural understandings, seeking to encourage spiritual growth and development from within such an Indigenous framework. This course will also discuss the appropriation of what has been perceived to be Indigenous spirituality by non-Indigenous people as well as a brief focus on what can be effectively learned from Indigenous understandings of the spiritual.

Equips students to use the tools of systematic theology to understand, proclaim, and live the Christian faith today. We will address such questions as: How can we know God, and how do we adjudicate truth claims about God? How can God be both one and three? How can Jesus be both divine and human? Who is the Holy Spirit and how does the Spirit’s work relate to that of the Father and Son? How does theological knowledge impact our day-to-day lives in the church and in the world? Prerequisites: HIST 0561 or HIST 0562.

Designed to introduce students to the field of Christian apologetics. Attention will be given to the rationale for apologetics and its place in contemporary society. Students will be introduced to different methodologies in defense of the faith, and there will be attention to the central issues in apologetics. Classical issues in apologetics are addressed: the existence of God, the problem of pain, the authority of the Bible, the supremacy of Christ, creation, evolution and other religions. Students are also introduced to the impact of postmodernism in our culture.

Equips students to navigate the complexities of following Jesus with faithfulness, integrity, and wisdom in our contemporary post-Christian world. While the course addresses classical and contemporary ethical issues and questions, its primary focus is on forming Christian character. Central questions include: How do we become the kind of people who reflexively think, and act, and engage others as Jesus did? How do differing and changing worldviews and cultural narratives impact the way we approach and address ethical questions? What theological and spiritual commitments, disciplines, and practices are necessary to ground and sustain authentic Christian life and witness in the world?

Exposes students to important shifts and trends in contemporary Christian thought and provides an enriching context for discussion and theological reflection. The central theme of the course is doing theology contextually. We will be examining the relationship between context and theology, both observing how context inevitably (and rightly) shapes the practice of theology and probing the limitations of context for faithful theological reflection. Four themes will serve as test cases for analyzing the relationship between context and theology: missional ecclesiology, science and Christian faith, liberation theology, and sex and gender. Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Guides and equips students to reflect critically and constructively on the practice of theology as an academic, pastoral, and missional discipline. Specifically, it explores and addresses the fundamental ideas, social/cultural influences, and personal commitments that necessarily motivate and shape theological reflection and communication. The overarching goal is to help students become more theologically formed and informed interpreters of Scripture, for the sake of the church and its mission in the world.

Explores the major theological contributions of Orthodoxy to the global Church through historical events, councils, and the writings of early and contemporary theologians. It will also focus on the role of the Orthodox Church in ushering a new paradigm in Christian spirituality through its monastic movement and the focus on the contemplative lifestyle. Furthermore, it will shed a significant light on the role of the Orthodox Church in Christian witness and global missions to reach many nations with the message of salvation. While Orthodoxy as a whole will be explored in this course, special focus will be given to the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Same as SPIR 0556.

Directed Reading and Research (DRR) courses allow students to study in a specific area of interest not addressed by the scheduled course offerings. Permission required.

Same as MISS 0603.

Evaluates contemporary models of forgiveness and reconciliation from biblical, theological and pastoral perspectives. A Gospel-centered model of forgiveness and reconciliation will be presented out of which practices of forgiveness and reconciliation can be explored. Issues to be considered may include, but are not limited to: the semantics of forgiveness and reconciliation; systemic and corporate dynamics of forgiveness and reconciliation; the problem of unrepentance; forgiveness and memory; forgiveness and reconciliation in non-ecclesial/non-Christian contexts; and the role of the local church in fostering forgiveness and reconciliation.

Focuses on the recurring phenomenon of renewal in the Church as a key aspect of a biblical and contemporary ecclesiology. Church renewal will be explored through an examination of a variety of renewal movements and an engagement with the theological and missional questions raised by the persistent presence of such movements in Church history. Implications will be drawn for Church life and mission today. Same as MISS 0623.

An examination of the life and thought of John Wesley, and of early Methodism as a movement of evangelism, renewal and mission within the larger Christian Church. Students will explore major aspects of Wesley’s theology and the dynamics of early Methodism as a movement, with attention to how Wesley’s theology can help inform a holistic understanding of Christian life and mission in the contemporary context.