These are the approved St. Andrew’s College courses in Pastoral Theology. Not all courses are offered every year. Please check the Current Course Offerings webpage. Elective courses offered through the Lutheran Theological Seminary and the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad are not included in this list of courses; please check with these colleges for their course offerings
Pastoral Theology
PA 110 Introduction to Worship
This course introduces students to the history, theology, and practice of Christian public worship. It is designed to gain biblical, historical, theological, and pastoral dimensions on the nature of Christian worship; to explore the praxis of sacramental worship; to gain insights into Christian year, liturgical place, and prayers within worship traditions, music, with reference to its relationship of culture; to demonstrate practical knowledge and experience in leading/presiding worship, writing prayers, and choosing hymns.
PA 160 Introduction to Christian Education
This course examines the basics of Christian education as it deals with its concept, purpose, context, subjects, and process as well as method. It aims to strengthen the understanding of Christian faith as a life-long learning by exploring ways of how different people in age, faith development, and culture learn from one another and journey together as disciples of Jesus Christ. While exploring different approaches to Christian education over the decades, students are encouraged to envision the future direction of the teaching ministry in congregational setting and their pastoral vocation as teacher.
PA 212 Preaching: The Word in Worship
Prerequisite: PA 110 or completion of 30 credits
This course introduces students the basics of preaching in terms of it contents and methods. While discussing the central elements of constructing a sermon, it aims to explore the effective and holistic ways of how the sermon can be delivered. With the participation of invited preachers who are in ministry, students will also gain practical and pastoral insights on preaching. Students will be granted opportunity to demonstrate their preaching as a mutual learning experience.
PA 230 Theological Foundations for Pastoral Care in Congregations
Prerequisite: Completion of 30 credits
The purpose of this course is to create a basic understanding of pastoral care, including the development of skills appropriate to the delivery of pastoral care in a congregational setting. The course includes lectures and reading, visitation in parish homes, written verbatims, and participation in group learning.
PA 235 Clinical Pastoral Education (6 credits)
Prerequisite: Completion of 30 credits
A unit of clinical pastoral education taken through the Saskatoon Institute for Pastoral Education.
PA 264 Christian Education with Children
Prerequisite: Completion of 30 credits
This course engages in the importance of children’s ministry as students are encouraged to study child development and faith formation, in relation to her/his communities, contexts, and the world. It involves exploring children’s literature beyond religious contents to equip students to interact with the children. It also examines the identity formation of a child in light of the group dynamics including the family, school, and church. By the end of this course, students are able to develop story-telling skills, design intergenerational worship and discover their sense of vocation to children’s ministry.
PA 318 Worship and Christian Education: A Postcolonial Feminist Approach
Prerequisites: PA 110 and PA 160
This course will examine the role of Story and Song as they address the need for the interplay between Christian worship and Christian education from a postcolonial feminist perspective. It is designed to gain biblical, liturgical, and pedagogical dimensions on the interdisciplinary nature of Christian worship and Christian education; to explore the praxis of intergenerational and intercultural worship and education; to engage worship and education, with reference to their relationship of cultures and Canadian church context. Students are also encouraged to discuss such contemporary theological issues as diaspora identity, hybridity, orientalism, and inculturation, while exploring the implications for the church ministries in the 21st century. This course will consist of presentations, readings, assignments, and discussions.
PA 320 Just Liturgy (Advanced Worship Seminar)
Prerequisite: PA 110
This course explores the radically inclusive ways of worshipping as a matter of justice. It involves in critiquing the liturgical traditions and practices that are patriarchal and exclusive against certain groups of people including women and the differently abled. Such critiques encourage students to examine inclusive language issues in prayer and hymns and liturgical leadership as power issues. It will also consider the embodiment and sensory phenomenological approaches to worship, overcoming to focus on liturgical texts and documents. Students will be able to grasp the importance of creating just liturgy as an integrated way of carrying out justice.
PA/SA 362 Race, Colonialism, Canadian Identity and Intercultural Ministries
Prerequisites: SA 113 and SA 152
This course will engage students in a critical study of race, racism and intercultural ministry. Content will take an ecumenical, interdisciplinary and global perspective on the issues related to, and interpretations of, intercultural ministry. Perspectives from critical race and postcolonial theories will be studied and engaged with to support students’ development of strategies for anti-racist intercultural praxis in church contexts.
PA 389 Master of Theological Studies (MTS) Capstone (1 credit)
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your integration of learning from studies toward the MTS degree, and your ability to engage and share this learning. Specifically, your response should demonstrate your ability to: Articulate the historical and contemporary expressions of Christian faith; critically assess the impact of scholarship upon faith and life in the contemporary world; Understand the theological disciplines in relation to each other (by expression both a global knowledge of the theological disciplines and an in-depth knowledge of one discipline).
PA 392 – Reading and Research: United Church Liturgy and Worship
This is a 1.5 credit admission course. The goal of this course is to gain an appreciation of the liturgical history and polity of The United Church of Canada in the context of the present denomination of the candidate for admission. It invites students 1) to complete a reading of and reflection on texts written by United Church scholars for developing faithful worship practices within our congregations, and 2) to develop an attentive awareness of one’s own leadership style and how it integrates with/challenges the worship culture(s) of The United Church of Canada.
PA 393 Reading and Research: Pastoral Care and Counselling
PA 394 Reading and Research: Church Administration and Practice
PA 395 Reading and Research: United Church Christian Education/Faith Formation
This is a 1.5 credit admission course. The goal of this course is to equip students to be educated leaders, who are seeking to be admitted and transferred in the United Church of Canada. It invites students to 1) engage in the interplay between religious education and worship, 2) explore the postcolonial approaches and 3) articulate the issues that are central and critical to faith formation of the intercultural congregational ministries.
PA 399 Thesis Writing
Ministry Residency
PA 380 Ministry Practicum (15 credits)
Prerequisites: 54 credits and enrolment in Ministry Residency
Enrolment is limited to students in Phase 3 of the St. Andrew’s MDiv program.
PA 381 Learning Circle 1: Skills and Reflection in Pastoral Ministry
Co-requisites: PA 380 or 54 credits and working at least half-time in a ministry setting.
This three-credit learning circle is required for all St. Andrew’s Residency students who are on their SME; and for MTS 37-credit students who are in ministry positions. It is also open to anyone engaged in congregational or other ministry context who wishes to explore issues in pastoral leadership, including the history, theological meaning, purpose, and identity of the pastoral minister. Using a variety of praxis-based approaches, including critical incidents; discussion of books, articles and film; workshops; in-class exercises; and written work, the course will address core aspects of pastoral identity: leadership, vocation, spiritual wholeness, and models of ministry.
HA/SA 382 Learning Circle 2: United Church History, Theology and Polity
Prerequisites: HA/HL 111/112, SA 113, their equivalents or permission of the instructor.
This four-credit course explores the history, theology and ethos of the United Church through an overview of where the United Church has been and how it has got to where it is now. Students will gain an enriched understanding of how the United Church was formed, the journey it has traveled to the present, how it is organized and how its polity functions.
SA 383 – Learning Circle 3: Learning and Reflection in Indigenous Ministry Contexts
Co-requisite: PA 380 or currently working at least half-time in ministry
Recommended prerequisites: PA 381 and HA/SA 382
Enrollment is restricted to students enrolled in the St. Andrew’s MDiv program, or MTS in Pastoral Studies for International Partners
This three-credit learning circle involves an in community experience with an Indigenous ministry site, participation in an Indigenous-led theological education experience, and in a one-day reflection and integration event at St. Andrew’s College. Each of these components in the course is directed toward learning with and from Indigenous teachings and practices in ministry and toward deepening understanding of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations in specific contemporary contexts of ministry and community.
PA 384 Learning Circle IV: Mission and Administration
Prerequisites: PA 381, HA/SA 382; Co-requisite: PA 380 or half-time placement in a ministry site
Students will learn skills for administration in the local ministry setting as well as learn about mission and the missional church. This is a two-credit learning circle.
PA 385 – Learning Circle 5: Transition to Future Ministry
Prerequisites: PA 381, HA/SA 382, SA 383, PA 384; Co-requisite: Enrolment in PA 380 or working at least half-time in a ministry setting.
This three-credit learning circle will focus on closures and transitions that mark the end of Ministry Residency. It will employ biblical work for analysis of vocation and reflections on ministry experiences. There will be considerable time spent on transition to ministry, life-long learning, and future challenges.