Pastoral Theology
Wycliffe College, St. Margaret’s, Fall 2015
THIS IS A PROVISIONAL SYLLABUS - THE INSTRUCTOR
RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES
________________________________________________________________________
Instructors
Dr. Annette Brownlee – contact: abrownlee@wycliffe.utoronto.ca; 416-946-3540
Kirsten Pinto Gfroerer, M.Res – contact: kpg@saintmargarets.ca; 204-774-9533
Description
This course will look at a model of pastoral theology and practice emitting from our
participation in Jesus Christ and in the practices of the Church. We will ground pastoral
work in Christian doctrine and the life of the Church and seek to develop capacity to think
through life issues within these paradigms.
Required texts
Philip Hallie, Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed
Andrew Purves, Reconstructing Pastoral Theology; A Christological Foundation
Oliver O’Donovan, Self, World and Time
Supplementary texts
Dante, Purgatory, tr. Robert Kirkpatrick
Oliver O’Donovan, Finding and Seeking
Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule
Evelyn Underhill, Concerning the Inner Life
Course requirements
20%
Attendance and class participation
40%
Case studies (4x 10% each)
20%
Theological reflection paper
20%
Integration paper
Website
As with most U of T and TST courses, this course has a website. Using the “Blackboard”
resource, that is accessible through the Portal on the University of Toronto home page
(http://www.utoronto.ca/) or directly at (http://portal.utoronto.ca). The website will
contain the syllabus, course assignments, notices from time to time, and various other
pieces of information. Importantly, it will also be the means for participating in your online
tutorial group. This will be available under Tools => Discussion Board on the web site.
Academic integrity
All TST students are subject to U of T’s “Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.” Copies of
the code are available at www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm. Please
take special note of the section on plagiarism. For a helpful set of guidelines on how to avoid
plagiarism, see www.writing.utoron- to.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize.
This is part of a more general—and equally helpful— website that provides advice on
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academic writing (http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice).
Course evaluation
At the end of the course, students are expected to complete a course evaluation. The
evaluation is done online and instructions will be contained in an e-mail message that will
be sent out by the Wycliffe College registrar. Individual grades will not be made available
until the student has logged into the site.
College policy on assignment extensions
Basic Degree students are expected to complete all course work by the end of the term in
which they are registered. Under exceptional circumstances, with the written permission
of the instructor, students may request an extension (SDF = “standing deferred”) beyond the
term. An extension, when offered, will have a mutually agreed-upon deadline that does not
extend beyond the conclusion of the following term. An SDF must be requested no later than
two weeks before the completion of the term in which the course is taken. The request form
is available on the college website or from the Registrar’s office. One percentage point per
day will be deducted on the course grade if an extension has not been requested by
the stated deadline.
Course Schedule:
Dates
Session 1
(Part 1) Thursday, Sept.
10
(Part 2) Thursday,
Sept. 10
Session 2 –
Tuesday, Sept.
15
Topics
Course Introduction:
Christ our Centre
Readings
PUBLIC LECTURE:
The Cosmic Christ
and Human Evolution
(David Widdicombe)
Living in the Hope of
Morning and Evening Prayer, BCP
the Resurrection:
The Formation of the
Purves, Chapters 1-3
Pastor
Evelyn Underhill, Concerning the Inner Life
(supplementary)
Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule
(supplementary)
Session 3 –
Tuesday, Sept.
22
What We Receive, We
Give: Putting God in
the Mouths of People
Eucharistic Liturgy, BCP
Purves, Chapter 4-6
Schmemann, For the Life of the World, Chapters
1-2 (pp. 11-46)
2
Session 4 –
Tuesday, Sept.
29
Discernment and Love
in the Christian
Tradition: Part 1
Baptism Liturgy, BAS
Session 5 –
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Discernment and Love
in the Christian
Tradition: Part 2
O’Donovan, Self, World and Time,
Chapters 4-6
Session 6 –
Thursday, Oct.
22 (A.B.)
PUBLIC LECTURE:
Annette Brownlee
Hallie, Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed
Session 7 –
Friday, Oct. 23
(A.B.)
Annette Brownlee
Seminar 1: Model of
Theological Reflection
Purves, Chapter 7-10
Session 8 –
Annette Brownlee
Saturday, Oct. 24 Seminars 2&3: Models
(A.B.)
of Theological
Reflection
Other readings TBA
Session 9 –
Tuesday, Nov. 3
The Litany, BCP
Penitence and
Sanctification
O’Donovan, Self, World and Time,
Chapters 1-3
Other readings TBA
Other readings TBA
The Reconciliation of the Penitent, BAS
Purves, Chapter 8
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Life in
Christ: Article 7 The Virtues (pp. 495-504)
Dante, Purgatory (supplementary)
Session 10 –
Thursday, Nov.
12
PUBLIC LECTURE: On
Vocation (Kirsten
Pinto Gfroerer)
Session 11 –
Tuesday, Nov.
17
Cure of Souls: Sexuality Wedding Liturgies, BCP (pp. 526-541), BAS
and Family
Rowan Williams, “The Body’s Grace”
(http://www.anglican.ca/faith/files/2010/10/t
he-bodys-grace.pdf)
Gary Thorne, “Friendship: The End of Marriage”
(pp. 45-65 in Human Sexuality and the Nuptial
Mystery)
Ephraim Radner, “The Nuptial Mystery: The
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Historical Flesh of Procreation” (pp. 85-116 in
Human Sexuality and the Nuptial Mystery)
Marilynne Robinson, “Family” (from The Death
of Adam)
Rowan Williams, “Childhood and Choice” (pp.
11-53 in Lost Icons)
Session 12 –
Tuesday, Nov.
24
Part 1: Cure of Souls:
Suffering, Illness and
Death
Funeral Liturgy, BCP
Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics III/4 (pp. 367368)
Thomas Lynch, “Good Grief: An Undertaker’s
Reflections” (http://www.religiononline.org/showarticle.asp?title=2881)
David Bentley Hart, The Doors of the Sea
(supplementary)
Learning Outcomes
Wycliffe College has developed detailed statements of “learning outcomes” for the MDiv,
MTS and MRel programs. They are available on the College website. “Learning outcomes”
have to do in part with the level of knowledge and skill that will be characteristic of a typical
graduate of the program. In accordance with this overall statement, instructors are required
to develop a statement of learning outcomes for each course. These outcomes will provide
one of the benchmarks for evaluation and grading. (The following is based on the MDiv
outcomes).
COURSE OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will have:
1. Better understand core doctrines related to
pastoral theology and develop the capacity to work
with the above as a paradigm for the Cure of Souls.
2. Identify major life issues facing congregants and
demonstrate an ability to write and speak reflectively
and theologically about them.
3. Constructively and collegially assist in theological
reflection with peers and parishioners.
5. Gain practice in the content and context of specific
pastoral practices in congregations, particularly the
art of the Cure of Souls; gain understanding of the
place of rites (baptisms, weddings, funerals and
penitential liturgies) and preaching as foundational
contexts for these pastoral practices.
COURSE ELEMENT
This outcome will be
achieved through these
course elements:
Readings;
participation;
discussion questions
Readings; case studies;
theological reflection
paper
Case studies;
participation;
discussion questions
Theological reflection
paper
M.DIV
OUTCOMES
I.b
II.a
III.c, III.d
III.g
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