Most courses are 10 weeks in duration, the length of a term. The terms are:
- Michaelmas Term – September to December
- Hilary Term – January to March
- Trinity Term – April to June
Specific start dates are determined prior to each term.
All courses are delivered via Moodle, with a maximum enrolment of 10 students per course. Typically, between 2 and 4 courses are offered per term.
It is expected that students will complete their coursework by end of term. In the case of extenuating circumstances, a student may apply for an Incomplete, or they may withdraw from the course(s).
Course Categories
Practical Training for the Ministry
Theology
T-100 Christian Philosophy
Course Description: Classical philosophy, along with the language of the biblical texts themselves, has provided the framework and the foundational language for the theological thought of the Church almost from the beginning. Therefore, in order to understand theology, a basic familiarity with philosophical thought and language is necessary. This course provides this foundation by introducing important terms, concepts, and figures of classical philosophy.
T-101 Introduction to Christian Theology
Course Description: This course will provide an introduction and overview of Christian theology. In addition to an examination of historical figures, periods, and the development of thought during the Church’s history, there will be an examination of the sources of Tradition and basic theological methodology (Prolegomena). Christian doctrines that will be studied include the Trinity, Christology, Ecclesiology, Sin and Grace, the Sacraments, and Eschatology. Both orthodox catholic theology and some modern trends will be examined, so that the student is better informed concerning recent developments and challenges to the Faith.
T-102 Christian Apologetics
Course Description: In this course students will be introduced to the basics of Christian doctrine. It is designed to introduce the student to ways of thinking theologically. It is also designed to help the student more clearly understand Christian teaching by means of learning to respond to criticisms from outside the faith. Topics for the course include the nature and existence of God, cosmology, theodicy, the person of Christ, eschatology, and Christianity and world religions.
T-120 Ascetical Theology
Course Description: Ascetical Theology provides an introduction to the classical vocabulary and basic theological understanding of the spiritual life. After familiarizing himself with the essential concepts, the student will study the historical development and content of spiritual theology and be exposed to the dominant spiritual strains of Christianity, focusing on the resources of the Anglican tradition and together with the broader Biblical, historical and ecumenical context. This course will draw the student into a greater understanding of the importance of the spirituality in the life of a Christian.
T-210 Moral Theology
Course Description: This course will examine the Scriptural foundations and fundamental principles of moral theology enjoined on man by the law of God. The candidate will inquire into man’s end, into the nature of human actions and their morality, into the law of God to which those actions should conform, into conscience by which man perceives that law and directs his actions, into the virtues whereby he manifests obedience to God, and the nature of sin whereby he revolts from God. Particular aspects of moral theology, including sexuality, marriage, and sanctity of life will be examined.
T-230 Christology
This course will cover Christology in Holy Scripture: the person and mission of Jesus Christ, as well as the emergence of classic Christology and Trinitarian theology within the Church.
T-240 Ecclesiology
Course Description: This course will cover in detail the way in which the Mystery of the Trinity, revealed and historically realized in the Mystery of Christ, is rendered present in the Eucharistic experience of being as communion, the Church of God. From which flows the orthodox Anglican Catholic understanding of the nature of the Church, at once local and universal. In addition, the Mystery of the Holy Trinity and the Eucharist will be examined in terms of the eschatological mission of the Church.
T-260 Sacramental Theology
Course Description: Through an examination of the Book of Common Prayer and a Catholic textbook on the sacraments, the candidate will be introduced to the vocabulary and basic theological understanding of the Sacraments of the Church. The Scriptural origins and historical development of the sacraments will be explored, with an emphasis on their understanding and place in western Catholicism and the Anglican tradition.
Scripture
B-100 New Testament (Koine) Greek
Course Description: A two-semester (or equivalent) study in the basic elements of New Testament Greek, including vocabulary, grammar and syntax, and the proper use of standard language tools in exegesis.
B-101 Biblical Hebrew
Course Description: A two-semester (or equivalent) study in the basic elements of biblical Hebrew, including vocabulary, grammar and syntax, and the proper use of standard language tools in exegesis.
B-102 Hermeneutics: Interpretation of Scriptures
Course Description: The interpretation of Scripture lies at the heart of many of the changes and disagreements afflicting the modern Church. How one interprets Scripture thus shapes how and what one believes regarding revelation, as well as the Church’s teachings. This course will familiarize the student with the classical orthodox methods of understanding and interpreting Scripture, thus giving him the tools he needs to read, understand, and teach Scripture as the Church’s book, in accord with Holy Tradition.
B-104 Introduction to the Old Testament
Course Description: Understanding the Old Testament is vital for an orthodox and catholic reading and interpretation of the New Testament and Early Church Fathers. This introductory course gives a preliminary overview of the Old Testament, providing an understanding of its organization, literary genres, formation, and theology. In this course the candidate will develop an historical understanding of the origins of the Hebrew people, and their formation into a national geographical and political entity, as well as the movements of God’s plan of salvation, worked out through the correction and trials of His people. This provides essential context for understanding Jesus, the Early Church, and the New Testament. This course also includes some basic elements of Hebrew (the alphabet, how to use Hebrew lexicons and other tools). It is designed for those who have not have two semesters of Biblical Hebrew.
B-105 Introduction to the New Testament
Course Description: The New Testament is the story of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostles and first century Christians. Understanding it is vital for an orthodox and catholic interpretation of the Christian faith. This introductory course gives a preliminary overview of the New Testament, providing an understanding of its organization, literary genres, formation and theologies. By means of this course the candidate will develop a historical understanding of the origins of the Christian community and its formation into a major religion in the Roman Empire, providing a foundational context for the Early Fathers and subsequent Church History.
B-110 Ecclesiastical Latin
Course Description: This course is designed as a self-study course with the aim of teaching students the basics of Ecclesiastical Latin. Students may contact the instructor as needed for assistance and for course evaluation.
B-200 The Pentateuch
Course Description: This course will offer an in-depth study of the first five books of the Old Testament. Attention will be given to theological message, literary structure, and the history of the interpretation of these texts within the Church. Themes to be explored will include creation, covenant, law, and liturgy and priesthood, seen within the context of God’s oikonomia, of Family Plan of Salvation.
B-205 The Prophets
Course Description: This course will offer an in-depth study of the prophetic writings of the Old Testament. Major themes and theologies will be examined as well as the nature of prophecy and its importance in the covenantal relationship between God and His people.
B-207 Psalms and Wisdom Literature
Course Description: This course will offer an in-depth study of the Psalms, together with the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament, consisting of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach). Major themes and theologies will be examined as well as the importance of the Wisdom Literature to both the Old and New Covenants.
B-210 The Synoptic Gospels
Course Description: The Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke will be examined in terms of their parallels as well as their particular emphasis and audience. Major themes and theologies will be discussed.
B-215 (a and b) Johannine Literature
Course Description: This course is divided into two parts, taken over two terms, examining the Scriptures attributed by the Church to the Apostle and Evangelist, Saint John. Part one will study the theological nature of St. John’s Gospel, particularly as it defines the catholic understanding of the nature of Christ and the sacraments. Part two will study the Epistles of St. John and the Apocalypse (Revelation). In addition, the connections, both thematic and structural, between the Gospel and the Apocalypse will be explored.
B-220 (a and b) The Pauline and Pastoral Epistles
Course Description: This course is divided into two parts, taken over two terms, examining the Pauline and Pastoral Epistles of the New Testament, particularly as these Epistles define the orthodox catholic understanding of the Christian Faith. Emphasis is placed on the organization, literary genres, formation, and theology of the texts, as well as their importance for the origins, development, theology and doctrines of the Christian Church.
Canon Law and Polity
C-100 Canon Law and Polity
Course Description: This introductory course covers the history and development of canon law and ecclesiastical government, with attention to its purpose and use in the Church of England and the Provinces of the Traditional Anglican Church, including the traditional Anglican polity in both Diocesan and Parochial governance.
World Religions
WR-201 Introduction to World Religions
Course Description: This course is a survey of, and introduction to, world religions. It will introduce the student to a variety of traditions from south and east Asia, as well as to those traditions which are predominant in the West. The religions to be examined include indigenous religious traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Japanese and Chinese religions, Judaism and Islam.
Church History and Liturgy
H-101 Church History: Early Church and Medieval Church
Course Description: This survey course will study the major events, personalities, and forces that shaped the Christian Church from the first centuries up to the just before the Reformation period. The material will be treated in two sections: the early Church to the Council of Chalcedon, and the medieval Church from Gregory I to just prior to the Reformation period.
H-102 Church History: The Reformation to the Present
Course Description: This survey course will examine the major events, personalities and forces that shaped the Christian Church from the Reformation period to the present day. Developments in Anglicanism and Lutheranism, as well as the Protestantism of the Radical Reformation and developments in Roman Catholicism and Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy in both Europe and North America will be examined.
H-105 Councils, Creeds, and Heresies
Course Description: Focusing on the Seven Ecumenical Councils, this course will examine the formulations of the Church’s teaching on the Person of Christ and of the Holy Trinity. It will also pay close attention to the various heresies concerning these two doctrines that arose during this time, including their histories and their various proponents. In addition to this, some mention will be given to the Church’s position on images outlined in the Seventh Council.
H-110 Historic Anglican Writings and Divines
Course Description: This survey course covers the central themes in the theological development of Anglicanism, discussing her our most influential authors, historical influences, and ideas, emphasizing the place of the Book of Common Prayer, the Thirty Nine Articles, the Caroline Divines, and the Oxford Movement. The student will develop an understanding of the “theological method” of Anglicanism, and will study the origins, development, and place of traditional Anglicanism in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, with emphasis on the Continuing Anglican Churches and the Affirmation of St. Louis.
H-120 Christian Liturgy
Course Description: The Liturgy of the Christian Church will be examined through a study of the various forms and orders of public worship in both the Eastern and Western traditions of the Church. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the development of the liturgy of the English Church and the Book of Common Prayer.
H-130 The Book of Common Prayer and the Missals
Course Description: Next to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, The Book of Common Prayer, in its various revisions, is the most important liturgical and doctrinal text of the Anglican tradition. This course will examine the place of the Prayer Book in the historical development of Christian worship within the Anglican Church, both prior to and following 1549. The course will also study the liturgical and doctrinal tradition of the Book of Common Prayer, together with its order and practical application in Divine worship. Flowing from the development of the Prayer Book, will be the study of the Missals used in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of eucharistic worship.
H-200 Patristics
Course Description: The writings of the Fathers of the Church are fundamental to a proper understanding of the theological development of the early Christian Church. This course will examine the writings of the early Church Fathers, with particular emphasis on their interpretation and use of Scripture, and the development of order and disciple in the Church. It will supplement the material seen in H-201, by concentrating on the primary texts of the Fathers.
Practical Training for the Ministry
As part of the training for the ordained ministry, and as a component of his Rule of Life, each candidate for ordination will be required to take an active part in the worship and pastoral activities of his local parish. The candidate will be expected to participate in supervised liturgical and pastoral training in the ministries of Deacon and Priest.
PR-100 Liturgical and Practical Ministry of a Deacon and Practical Training in Liturgy
Course Description: This course will study the practical application of theological studies to the liturgical and pastoral ministry of Deacon. Students will learn through seminar and practice how to perform the various liturgical functions required of a deacon, including the Divine Offices, and the Mass. In terms of pastoral ministry, emphasis will be placed on parish visiting, home communions, ministry to the sick and dying, as well as to pastoral counselling and marriage preparation. Students will also be provided the tools and practice needed to prepare and deliver sermons throughout the year, as well as at special occasions. Sermons will be prepared and delivered, then discussed and critiqued. Note: This course is not delivered through Moodle, but through hands-on experience at the local level.
PR-102 Christian Education and Missions
Course Description: An introduction to the main ideas and texts connected, historically, to the Church’s understanding and practice of mission and catechesis.
PR-200 Liturgical and Practical Ministry of a Priest and Practical Training in Liturgy
Course Description: This course will study the practical application of your theological studies to the liturgical and pastoral ministry of Priest. Students will learn through seminar and practice how to perform the various liturgical functions required of a Priest, including the Divine Offices, celebration of the Mass, administration of the Sacraments, and other special services. In terms of pastoral ministry, emphasis will be placed on parish visiting, ministry to the sick and dying, as well as to pastoral counseling, marriage preparation, and parochial administration and governance. Students will continue to prepare and deliver sermons throughout the year, as well as at special occasions. Sermons will be prepared and delivered, then discussed and critiqued. Note: This course is not delivered through Moodle, but through hands-on experience at the local level.
PR-201 Pastoral Theology
Course Description: A study of the main principles and ideas involved in pastoral care, according to the historic understanding of the Church. Emphasis will be placed on pastoral ministry to the sick and dying, pastoral counseling, ministering to those preparing for baptism, confirmation and marriage. Practical supervision of the course will be involved, and coordinated with a supervising priest.
PR-203 Homiletics
Course Description: An introduction to the proclamation of the Word in the Liturgy. The focus is both academic and experiential, involving an exploration of characteristics of proclamation in Church history, and in the various elements of strategies for communicating God’s Word today.
PR-205 Parish Ministry and Administration (Canadian Postulants Only)
Course Description: An investigation of the basics of running a parish. This will include discussions of how to manage finances, run a vestry meeting and Annual General Meeting, Federal regulation of Charities, and Provincial incorporation of non-profit Societies.
PR-205 Parish Ministry and Administration (U.S. Postulants Only)
Course Description: An investigation of the basics of running a parish. This will include discussions of how to manage finances, run a vestry meeting, prepare bulletins and newsletters, principles of conflict management, and how to develop and propagate the parish’s vision for the Gospel.
PR-250 Fundamentals of Sacred Music
Course Description: This course will examine church music in history and practice, including an overview of various hymnals in use in the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada and Traditional Anglican Church, and the importance of sacred music in the worship of the Church. It will consist of both practical and theoretical training.
Saint Bede's Anglican Catholic Theological College 