School:

Boston University School of Theology

BTI Category:

Leadership Formation & Ministry Skills

Vocation, Work, & Faith (A-Term)

Who am I called to become? What am I called to do? What are my gifts and where will they be recognized and of service? These kinds of vocational questions are fundamental to our lives. The course seeks to open up reflection, study, and dialogue about vocation, work, and spirituality in religious traditions and in our own life experience. Work and vocation are often connected. Work too is a crucial religious question in contemporary society. Work exerts a powerful--and often unrecognized--influence on human beings. It can support life, develop talents, elicit creativity, and enable people to contribute to the common good. Work also can demean human beings, undermining their dignity, perpetuating unjust structures, overpowering values, and crowding out other important spheres of life. Labor issues are important concerns for faith communities and faith-based community organizations. This course explores vocation and work as theological/spiritual issues, including implications for ministry. We will explore themes such as: work as spiritual practice or challenge; labor and justice issues; discerning vocation; creativity; Sabbath; "time poverty"; and work-life balance. The course involves site visits, vocational mentoring, seminar presentations, and individual research/ministry projects.

School:

Boston College School of Theology & Ministry

BTI Category:

Religious Education, Ministry Skills, & Leadership

The Practice of Ministry with Youth and Young Adults

This course aims to explore elements critical to the effective practice of ministry for and with youth and young adults. Considering the broad demographics herein, this class attends to fostering the skills of discernment and mentoring, which would be valuable across the spectrum of these varied constituencies and contexts. Together the class explores the contexts of the ministry (ecclesial and social), identifies a vision for the work, and considers how that vision might assist in discerning God's action in and direction for work with youth and young adults.

School:

Boston College School of Theology & Ministry

BTI Category:

Religious Education, Ministry Skills, & Leadership

Education in Living Faith: Foundations and Practice

This course proposes theological, spiritual and pedagogical foundations for faith-based education, ministry and service. The course invites participants to develop their own theory and praxis of educating in faith, and to intentionally harness the faith formation potential of all functions of ministry and faith-based service. There is particular emphasis on religious education for a liberating faith that promotes the social values of God's reign - compassion and justice for all.

School:

Boston College School of Theology & Ministry

BTI Category:

Religious Education, Ministry Skills, & Leadership

Educating for Justice & Peace

In this course, students study and practice initiatives that work for understanding, justice, and peace. Recognizing that much injustice happens across some divide, the course begins with an investigation of our experiences of otherness and connection. We consider how cultural narratives undergird our sence of identity and purpose, and investigate them theologically. We look to educational theorists from the early 20th century to the present, who reflect that education itself is a work of justice. The course culminated with group projects that give students an oppurtunity for spreakking and listening across divides for the sake of understanding and justice.

School:

Boston College School of Theology & Ministry

BTI Category:

Religious Education, Ministry Skills, & Leadership

Priesthood: Theology and Praxis

This Level Two course is open to all students and focuses on ordained ministry of the Roman Catholic priesthood in terms of its biblical & theological foundations, historical development, contemporary issues, pastoral practice, & priestly spirituality, especially as treated in the pertinent ecclesial documents. Also treated are the cooperation between laity and clergy and the roles of lay ecclesial ministry as well as both tensions and critiques arising out of the Church's reservation of the priesthood to males and mandatory celibacy. Ecclesiology is a pre-requisite for counting this course for the Ecclesial Ministry requirement in the M.Div. curriculum.

School:

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

BTI Category:

Leadership Formation & Ministry Skills

Parish Leadership & Admin. I

The purpose of this course is to integrate the experiences that students have in their field education placement with the theological and organizational principles of parish administration. Students will have an opportunity to reflect upon various dimensions of ministry. Field placements have been designed to give exposure to various aspects of parish life including pastoral visitations, preaching, worship and administration. Course is cross listed as FLED 7201.

School:

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

BTI Category:

Leadership Formation & Ministry Skills

Parish Leadership & Admin I FieldEd

Field Education