This course examines Book IV of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the sanctifying munus of the Church. It presents a canonical study of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, other Acts of Divine Worship, and Sacred Places and Times. Special emphasis is placed on the Sacrament of Marriage, not only on substantive norms (cann. 1055 – 1165) but also on Book VII as regards the Process for Declaration of Marriage Nullity. A comparison with selected norms of the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches will highlight some specificities of Sacramental Law of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Covers the polity, structure, procedures, and ritual of the United Methodist Church along with the basic structure of and ecclesial concepts contained within its Book of Discipline. Designed to meet one of the requirements for membership in a UMC Annual Conference.

An integrative weekly session incorporating worship, spiritual practice, and group reflection on significant texts within the Anglican spiritual and theological tradition. Students will take turns leading the Daily Office and guiding group conversations. This course aims at grounding students in the Anglican spiritual tradition and helping them to develop their own practices of prayer, worship, and spiritual leadership. It is especially recommended for Anglican/Episcopal students but is open to all regardless of religious tradition.

Unitarian Universalist lifespan faith development practices have been evolving in response to changes in the religious and cultural landscape. Intentional faith formation for all ages is more crucial than ever to the spiritual health of people and our world. This seminar will explore how theory and practice from our forebears offer a foundation for innovation in faith development programming to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Exploration of material from past and present theorists, our own experience and understandings, as well as guest presentations from current religious education innovators will encourage students to bring a faith development perspective to all aspects of their congregational and community ministries.

The doctrines of Christology Pneumatology sotetiology and, ecclesiology in the conciliat patristic tradition. Emphasis will be placed on certain patristic writings and on the official statements of the Ecumenical Councils
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The seminar will examine the origins, canonical basis, and historical development of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The distinctive contributions of the Patriarchate to theology, liturgy, spirituality, philanthropy, social welfare, missions, iconography, and architecture will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the contemporary mission and witness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the first see of the Orthodox Churches, as well as its primatial responsibility in guiding Orthodox conciliarity and addressing contemporary concerns. The special role of the Patriarchate in the ecumenical dialogues, inter-faith conversations, and environmental protection will be highlighted. This seminar is especially designed for students who plan to participate in the Study and Travel Program in Greece and Constantinople.

This is a systematic study of the nature and mission of the Church, emphasizing particularly the vocation and mission of the baptized. All classes will meet in person at Saint John’s Seminary.

This course is a systematic study of the foundation, nature, structure and mission of the Church. The course follows the treatment of themes found in the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, and gives particular emphasis to the revealed doctrine of the necessity of the Church, the holiness of the Church, and the relation of the Church to other faiths and to the temporal order.

This course provides a theology of marriage that emphasizes both its natural goodness and its sacramentality. This theology is anchored in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and it serves as the context for a treatment of conjugal morality. In the first portion of the course, students will review the historical and theological developments pertaining to the sacrament of marriage, beginning with its biblical roots. The development of the sacrament of marriage then is traced: from the patristic era, through the Council of Trent, to key magisterial documents of the twentieth and twentieth-first centuries. Additionally, this course equips students for marriage preparation and to offer pastoral care to engaged couples, married couples, and their families.

The goal of this course is to give the students a fuller appreciation of the liturgical life of the Church. This will be accomplished by first addressing a general understanding of what is meant by liturgy. The course will then look at each of the sacraments of the Church developing both an historical perspective of the sacraments’ liturgical expression and appreciation of the theology that underlies each of the sacraments. As part of the coursework the current ritual expression of each sacrament will be addressed to see how it continues the traditions of the Church and how it expresses the theology of the sacrament. This course is a hybrid course of alternating in-person classes held at Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton, MA, and online meetings using the Canvas learning platform.