Thoroughly investigates the goal and purpose of the church and why that matters for the church and for the world. Students will robustly engage the practice of hospitality in both theological understanding and practice in their ministry context. Participating in the life, ministry, and mission of the Triune God will lead to new insights concerning host, guest, food, and formation connected with the table, as well as relationships within the church congregation and connections with the local neighbourhood. Students further explore the inter-connection between worship and witness to understand the practices appropriate to their context, such as gratitude and communal discernment.

Equip students with the tools and disciplines necessary to apply appropriate discernment amidst conflict and change in their community. By exploring the disciplines of epistemology, contextualization, and biblical/theological reflection, this course will utilize an interdisciplinary approach to help students build a local imagination for how hospitality is extended in their context. This course is paired with DMML 0952 Integration Proposal.

An exploration of the place of discernment in the life of the Christian and of the church, including such topics as attending to the Spirit, and developing individual and communal discernment practices.

An overview of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation including historical background, foundational issues, and current movements including such topics as the nature of Christian experience, transformation, and caring.

An analysis of selected historical and contemporary movements and models intended to cultivate spiritual growth, including such topics as Ignatian, revivalistic, contemplative, and missional spiritualities.

An integration of Biblical and psychological insights, formational prayer, and transformational spiritual direction, using teaching, modeling, and group experience and including such topics as woundedness, addictions, and healthy ego development.

An investigation into how the Bible presents spiritual formation and how the Bible can be employed in spiritual formation, including such topics as worship, Bible study, and lectio divina.

An exploration of ancient practices of the church that will enhance one’s spiritual well-being in the midst of the busyness of daily life and ministry. This will include practices such as contemplative prayer, being in silence and solitude, listening to God to discern his voice and discovering what it means to rest in God.

A theoretical and practical review of dyadic relationships such as mentoring, discipleship, and spiritual direction that play a critical role in spiritual formation. This integrative course explores Christian spiritual formation in community, providing a theoretical and practical review of the relational and communal context of Christian formation. This includes an examination of the identity, structures and practices of Christian community. It also explores historic Christian disciplines and relationships to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship. Includes application of learning to ministry.

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.

An exploration of the issues related to suffering, adversity, death, dying and grief. These issues will be examined from a theological, psychological and spiritual perspective in order to be able to respond in an appropriate pastoral manner. What is critical in all of this is to discover God’s role in all of life including the end of life.

Provides support and guidance for continuing in and completing work for the DMin program. Pass/No Pass. No credits. Permission required.

An overview of the ancient and contemporary practice of writing a spiritual autobiography and the composition of one’s own spiritual memoir. Project report will be included in your research portfolio.

Students will develop a biblically grounded and informed spiritual formation model and describe it with words, image and/or diagram. Students will learn the components of a spiritual formation model, be able to identify spiritual formation models in Christian history and Scriptures, and other forms of stories. They will also develop a theological foundation for their own models. The model will be a chapter in the research portfolio and will provide a thematic bridge to the field research project.

A research project on a ministry of spiritual formation leading to experimental findings, the development of applied ministry competences, and practical positive changes to an individual’s ministry. Project report will be included in your research portfolio. Pre-requisites: DMSF 0941 and DMSF 0942.

Facilitates the completion of the summative Doctor of Ministry document, integrating the main three research projects in a portfolio that meets publication standards. Includes a public presentation and an oral hearing based on the portfolio and the objectives of the program. Normally the last course; normally runs from January to December. Prerequisites: DMSF 0941, DMSF 0942 and DMSF 0943.

Long before the year 1500, global Christianity stretched from Iceland and Ireland to Mongolia and south to Ethiopia. Across this vast area, people of faith confronted dramatically differing and constantly changing circumstances. They made decisions about culture, political power, the spiritual life, the canon of Scripture, and doctrine, decisions that shaped the flow of human history, and they experienced both success and loss on the grand scale. The narrative of the course and the reading from materials they wrote carries students into the dynamism of early Christian life.

The excitement and the trauma of the reformation period in Europe extended over two hundred years. Events changed the face of the continent. However, as the period came to an end, Christians emerged with another focus, and it was once again global. Migrations and missions saw them establish their faith around the world. However, intercontinental conditions, coupled with emerging attitudes in Europe and the Americas, stimulated surprising changes. By the middle of the 20th century, the centre of Christian life was shifting from the northern hemisphere to the south. Tracks with these developments and the thought underlying them. Writings from the participants lead students into the fervor of the times.

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.

Explores the diverse ways Christians have responded throughout history to Christ’s call to take up their cross and follow him, focusing on those who have suffered and died for their Lord, literally or figuratively. Students will examine the history of Christian persecutions, martyrdoms, asceticism, monasticism, missions, pilgrimage, and wars as models of imitating Christ’s sacrificial act. Examples from diverse historical contexts and ecclesiastical traditions will be considered. Prerequisite: HIST 0561.

Soon after its appearance in the seventh century, Islam became an integral part of the ancient world in which Christianity had taken root in previous centuries, resulting in moments of conflict and coexistence in Christian-Muslim encounters. This course will explore some of the religious, political, social, and intellectual encounters between the two religions from late antiquity to the early age of modernity in order to understand their historical background and present implications. Significant points of encounters will provide insights in the dynamic relations between Christians and Muslims. Prerequisite: HIST 0561.

The Patristic era (2nd-7th centuries) was a monumental period in defining and shaping Christianity theologically and ecclesiastically. This course will survey this period through examining key Christian men and women, who represent crucial historical events and themes, produced rich literary heritage, played defining roles in church affairs, and impacted Christianity in major ways in late antiquity. The selective examples will be considered from different historical contexts and ecclesiastical traditions. Prerequisite: HIST 0561.

Investigates issues including, but not limited to, Indigenous Christianity, secularization, immigration, Christendom, pluralism, and denominationalism from a specifically Canadian cultural and historical lens. There are aspects of following Jesus unique to Canada, for both Canadian-born and immigrants to Canada. This course will help correct some national myths and offer greater insight for anyone who seeks to minister faithfully and effectively in Canadian contexts.

Takes a global perspective to trace the development of evangelicalism from the 1700s to the present day. Evangelicalism will be compared and contrasted to other forms of Protestantism before it, other Christian movements that have grown with it, separated from it, or been influenced by it. While global in scope, the course will conclude with an examination of some of the controversial roles evangelicalism has played in recent politics and culture, notably in North America.