These are the approved St. Andrew’s College courses in Theology, Ethics, Church and Society. 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.
SA 113 Introduction to Christian Theology
An introduction to major themes of Christian theology: God, creation, human nature, Christ, salvation, the community of faith, and the goal of salvation history. These themes are studied in the context of issues such as the irruption of difference in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, the impact of globalization, the ecological crises and the changing places of churches in Western societies. The overarching goal of the course is to help students interpret the Christian faith in relation to life in the contemporary world.
SA 152 Introduction to Christian Ethics
In this introductory course learn about methods for analyzing moral arguments and responding to ethical dilemmas through a study of diverse traditions in Christian ethics. Explore the roles of Scripture, tradition, reason and experience as sources for ethical discernment and develop a reflective and critical approach to naming and responding to contemporary ethical issues.
SA 214 Christology
Prerequisite: SA 113 or completion of 30 credits
Beginning from the historical Jesus and drawing on contemporary critical Christologies, this course follows the development of faith in Jesus as the Christ and examines different ways of understanding his saving significance in different contexts. The goal is to equip students to develop and articulate their own Christology in a way that is authentic to the Christian tradition, their own experience, the experiences of others with whom they are in dialogue and the needs of communities to which the students belong.
SA 262 On Justice
Prerequisite: SA 152 or completion of 30 credits
Explore how justice is understood in the stories and traditions of Christianity as well as in broader histories and contemporary contexts. By critically examining current social realities (e.g., in relation to race, class, gender identity, sexuality, disability, ecology) learn to identify how different approaches to justice as a call and commitment lead to different outcomes and provide different possibilities for acting together. Examine how debates about the very notion of “justice” continue to be critical for leadership in ministry and in community engagement
SA 327/427 The Self
Prerequisite: SA 113 or permission of the instructor
This course examines the nature of the self as embodied, communal and reflexive in relation to themes of creation, fall and redemption through dialogue with contemporary gender studies, feminist theory, political philosophy and classical and contemporary Christian theologians.
SA 333 God and the World
Prerequisite: SA 113 or permission of the instructor
This course explores what God means to the world and what the world means to God from within a Reformed perspective in Christian theology. The first section examines the salvific meaning of God for the world, and the increase that the world and its salvation bring to the life of God. The second section expands upon this, looking at the moral and transmoral nature of God’s relationship to the world. The third section explores questions concerning the suffering of God and creation, the nature of evil, loss and Christian hope.
SA 340 The Holy Spirit
Prerequisite: SA 113 or permission of the instructor
This course examines the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, looking at how it has been understood in the early church and at present. Topics covered include the role of the Spirit in the economy of salvation, expressions of the Spirit in contemporary church and society, the revelatory role of the Holy Spirit, its relation to the reign of God and the Holy Spirit as the growing edge of God.
SA 370 Integration Seminar
Prerequisites: Completion of 30 credits and enrolment in Year 2
On the basis of a field placement in a social agency, students will learn how to analyze their situations and reflect theologically on their experience in ministry. With the participation of Faculty members from other departments, students will also be exposed to the pastoral implications of different methodological choices in the theological disciplines. This is a required course for St. Andrew’s students in the M. Div. program. It is a three credit course offered annually. There is an extra fee, equivalent to five percent (5%) of tuition, to cover any additional costs required by placement agencies.
SA 392 Reading and Research: Systematic Theology
SA 393 Reading and Research: Ethics
SA 394 Reading and Research: Church and Society
SA 397 Professional Ethics for Spiritual Care
Prerequisites: Experience in spiritual care (through professional work and/or one unit of CPE as a prerequisite or co-requisite) plus three credit hours in ethics or theology; or, permission of the instructor.
This course is directed to those training for or practicing spiritual care ministries, particularly under the auspices of the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS); topics and methods will also be applicable to the practices of pastoral ministry more broadly. There is an emphasis on integration of three main foci: 1) methods of decision-making in ethics, 2) interpretations of the nature of professional relationships and professionalism, and 3) particular contexts and issues in the practice of spiritual care.
SA 399 Thesis Writing