SJC Courses at U of A

★ 3 A study of the basic themes of the Christian Bible: creation and covenant; sin and evil; the biblical history of ancient Israel; the prophets and justice; the preaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; redemption and the emergence of the Church.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  K. Ristau

Summer 2024  | LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  K. Ristau

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  M. Gillingham
Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  D. Kuc 

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  M. Gillingham
Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  W. Schmidt 
Winter 2025  |  LEC B2  |  Tues/Thurs, 11:00am - 12:20pm  |  C. Kennedy

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★ 3 An examination of Catholic Christianity, its history, institutions, rituals and theology.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  W. Schmidt

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 11:00 - 11:50am  |  W. Schmidt

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★ 3 An introduction to the major dimensions of Christianity, such as revelation, faith, Scripture, God, and Jesus as Lord and Saviour, with reflection on each in light of contemporary human experience.

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  H. Ferguson

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 2:00 - 2:50pm  | W. Schmidt

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 An examination of the historical Jesus and Christology through a study of the four Gospels, Paul, and later New Testament writers.

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Wed, 1:00 - 1:50pm, Hybrid  |  L. Zelyck

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★ 3 A theological and scriptural exploration of the central themes of the New Testament letters and their contemporary relevance.

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  L. Zelyck

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★ 3 An examination of the historical and theological accounts of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 Scripture, the moral life, systematic theology, social teachings, catechesis, the spiritual life in the Catechism. The relationship between the Catechism and Catholic theological development.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 A study of the theology and ritual practice of the sacraments in the Roman Catholic tradition.

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 1:00 - 1:50pm  |  W. Schmidt

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★ 3 An examination of the sources, historical setting, content, and theology of the Gospel and Epistles of John.

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Tues/Thurs, 11:00am - 12:20pm  |  L. Zelyck

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 An overview of various approaches to positive relationships between science and religion. Topics are examined from philosophical, historical, theological, and scientific perspectives.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

★ 3 An examination of relationships between science and religion. Topics may include the Galileo affair, geology and Noah's flood, Darwin's religious beliefs, the evolution / creation debate, intelligent design, natural evil, and interpretations of Genesis 1-11.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux
Spring 2024  |  LEC 801  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux
Summer 2024  |  LEC 851  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux
Fall 2024  |  LEC 801  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux
Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Tues/Thurs, 9:30 - 10:50am, Hybrid  |  D. Lamoureux
Fall 2024  |  LEC A2  |  Tues/Thurs, 12:30 - 1:50pm, Hybrid |  D. Lamoureux

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux
Winter 2025  |  LEC 851  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Lamoureux
Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Tues/Thurs, 9:30 - 10:50am, Hybrid |  D. Lamoureux
Winter 2025  |  LEC B2  |  Tues/Thurs, 12:30 - 1:50pm, Hybrid |  D. Lamoureux

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

For more information on this class, please see sites.ualberta.ca/~dlamoure/

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★ 3 An examination of the components that make up the education of the Catholic teacher. Issues include creedal statements, the moral and social teachings of the Church, liturgical practices, a general theology and theory of Catholic education.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  E. Kowalczyk

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  E. Kowalczyk

Fall 2024 & Winter 2025 (2-term course) |  LEC 801  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  S. Talarico

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Kieser
Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Tues/Thurs, 2:00 - 3:20pm |  I. Cuplinskas

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Kieser
Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  D. Kuc
Winter 2025  |  LEC B2  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 12:00 - 12:50pm  |  P. Liogier

Note: This course is a requirement for students pursuing the Certificate in Catholic Education.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 An introduction to Christian religious education for elementary schools, with an emphasis on pedagogy, child development and the religious education curriculum. Not to be taken by students with credit in CHRTC 381.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  M. Hoven

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  S. Talarico

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Sarnecki
Fall 2024 |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  S. Talarico

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  S. Talarico
Winter 2025 |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 11:00 - 11:50am  |  M. Hoven

One of either CHRTC 380 or CHRTC 381 are required as part of the Certificate in Catholic Education. Credit will not be given for both.

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★ 3 An introduction to Christian religious education for secondary schools, with an emphasis on pedagogy, adolescent and young adult development, and the religious education curriculum. This course is structured to support aspiring secondary teachers to develop an elective religious education program. Not to be taken by students with credit in CHRTC 380.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  M. Hoven

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  S. Talarico

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Sarnecki
Fall 2024 |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  S. Talarico

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Sarnecki
Winter 2025 |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 11:00 - 11:50am  |  M. Hoven

One of either CHRTC 380 or CHRTC 381 are required as part of the Certificate in Catholic Education. Credit will not be given for both.

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★ 3 An integrative course on theory in Catholic education and course-based experiences in local schools. Historical, educational, and professional issues are examined through theological reflection.

Spring 2024  |  SEM 800  |  Reading Course Format  |  D. Sarnecki

Fall 2024  |  SEM 800  |  Reading Course Format  |  M. Hoven

Winter 2025  |  SEM 850  |  Reading Course Format  |  E. Kowalczyk

** Please refer to eClass for first meeting date; subsequent meeting dates will be determined in class.

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For two thousand years the Christian community has attempted to respond faithfully to Jesus's mandate: “Go you, therefore, teach…”. Its ministry of education has taken many varied forms and has been shaped by many different influences. This course is designed to draw upon the wealth of insights from that long tradition. A critical and dialectical approach will be taken to the history of educating Christians, discerning which insights from the past must be reclaimed and affirmed, and which might be expanded upon.

Winter 2025  |  IND 850 |  Online, Asynchronous  |  D. Sarnecki

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★ 3 An examination of the relationship between Catholicism and popular culture, using both historical and contemporary examples. Use by Catholics of such popular media as print, film, video, TV, music and the internet. Catholic assessments of consumer culture and the mass media.

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  J. Brassard

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Tues/Thurs, 11:00am - 12:20pm  |  J. Brassard

Note: Not to be taken by students with credit in CHRTC 392.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 C.S. Lewis continues to hold remarkable appeal to a broad readership. His corpus of writings is wide-ranging, encompassing fantasy literature like the Chronicles of Narnia, to popular articulations of faith, such as Mere Christianity. This course seeks to explore the thought world of C.S. Lewis and critically evaluate the trajectory of his thought, as well as the popular reception of his works.

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 A consideration of theological themes arising out of contemporary film. Themes may include relationships, family, gender, possessions, work freedom, violence, suffering, death, happiness, and hope.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  B. Clarke

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 1:00 - 1:50pm  |  D. Tanner

This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 The enigmatic and obscure Oxford philologist, J.R.R. Tolkien, produced a corpus of writings on the world of Middle Earth that has captivated countless readers. The cinematic renderings of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have further popularized his works, yet readers and viewers alike are often surprised at the profound impression Tolkien's Catholic faith has made upon his writings. This course seeks to critically appreciate the artistic vocation and theological vision of J.R.R. Tolkien while exploring a major work of 20th century literature.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

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★ 3 Great minds have long attempted to define the all-important human experience of happiness. But what does happiness mean? What are the mysteries of happiness? Is it possible to acquire more of it? This course examines various perspectives on happiness - psychological, philosophical, social, relational, theological and spiritual - and offers tools that can help cultivate happiness amidst the twists and turns of life's pilgrimage.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  | B. Clarke

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Thursdays, 11:00 - 12:20pm, Hybrid  |  B. Clarke

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★ 3 This course will investigate the interaction between sport and religion in western societies, primarily from a Christian perspective. Students will explore content and methods which overlap in sport and religion, such as: transcendence, body/spirit unity, virtue and character development, gamesmanship vs sportsmanship, competition, violence, and play. Students will examine levels of engagement in sport and their interrelationship with spirituality and religion.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous |  J. Robinson

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  J. Robinson

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  M. Hoven

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  J. Robinson

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 An examination of resilience and well-being through engagement with psychological, spiritual and Christian wisdom. Practical theology will offer a framework for enhancing self-awareness and resilience amidst life transitions and experiences.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

★ 3  Supervised international work experience in selected Christian social agencies. Evaluation based on experience and seminars. Prerequisite: Consent of the College.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in Peace and Post-Conflict Studies through the Faculty of Arts.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 Questions of meaning and morality concerning sex, love, marriage, non-marital sex, parenthood, relationship and marriage breakup, celibacy, gender, and homosexuality, considered in the light of experience, the Bible, Catholic teaching, and traditional and contemporary theological discussion.

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  Paul Flaman

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Tues/Thurs, 12:30 - 1:50pm  |  Mona-Lee Feehan

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 Facets of death and dying as they manifest in the Christian tradition and contemporary culture. Topics may include: faith and death, ritual, spiritual practices, caring for the dying, allowing to die, assisting in death, medical perceptions of death, social responses to death/dying, grief and mourning.

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Thursday, 11:00am - 12:20pm, Hybrid  |  D. Kieser

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 An interdisciplinary study of personhood and related topics: animal/human consciousness, body/soul, mind/brain, sexuality/gender, relationship issues, and religious/mystical experiences.

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  Paul Flaman

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★ 3 Historical and contemporary perspectives on the sexual body in Christian thought.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: Not to be taken by students with credit in CHRTC 393.

★ 3 Supervised work experience in approved Christian social agencies with seminars and a major paper integrating the theological literature with issues raised by social action and placement experiences.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Prerequisite: CHRTC 349 or consent of the College.

★ 3 An exploration of cross-cultural issues focusing on indigenous spiritual traditions and Christianity in Canada.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in Sustainability through the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 An exploration of the role of prayer, leisure, and work within a Christian lifestyle, in the light of Scripture, Christian tradition, current theological reflection, and personal differences.

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  Paul Flaman

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★ 3 An exploration of the churches of the Christian East, including the Patristic era and early ecumenical councils, the schism between East and West, and contemporary Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches, with special attention to the churches in Canada.

Winter 2025  |  IND B1  |  Reading Course Format  |  D. Kuc
** Please refer to eClass for first meeting date; subsequent meeting dates will be determined in class.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 An exploration of women’s experiences of God and the Christian life, as expressed in the history of spirituality, personal faith development, and contemporary culture. We will examine what particular women have done in Christian history, in the light of their own historical circumstances, and consider how contemporary Christian women are living and teaching their Christian spirituality. Over the course of the term, participants are invited to reflect on their own spiritualities in relation to women in Christian history and culture, as well as their own cultural and faith experiences.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 A consideration of major themes in Catholic moral reflection, with application to contemporary issues: the meaning of morality and Christian conversion, the role of experience, the Bible, the Church, moral norms, the development of conscience, and personal responsibility.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: Not open to students with credit in CHRTC 172.

★ 3 An examination of particular social justice issues related to the economy, gender, Indigenous peoples, the environment, etc., in light of Catholic social teachings and other Christian perspectives; social action strategies, and education for social justice.

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  I. Cuplinskas

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in Sustainability through the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in Peace and Post-Conflict Studies through the Faculty of Arts.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

An optional Community Service Learning opportunity will be available.

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★ 3 Reproductive and genetic technologies, abortion, transplantation, resource allocation, research, withdrawing treatment, personal directives and euthanasia, considered in light of human experience, Catholic Church teaching, other Christian perspectives, and contemporary ethical discussion.

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  Paul Flaman

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 A theological study of ethical issues in business settings, dealing with such themes as employer-employee relations, job security, advertising, distribution of wealth, acquisitive individualism, the common good, and decisions on ethical issues in light of contemporary Catholic teaching.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 A consideration of theological and ethical issues concerning our relationship to planet earth, including responsible stewardship, non-renewable resources, pollution, and the use of technology.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in Sustainability through the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

★ 3 This course invites an advanced understanding of Christian theological/ethical thought and action in Healthcare Ethics. It enhances the exploration of issues based upon fundamental values at the heart of healthcare, for example, dignity, personhood and human nature, the common good, stewardship, relationship and autonomy, and creativity.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Prerequisite: CHRTC 352 or consent of the College.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 World War II is often seen as a great battle between good and evil. This course investigates Christian responses to this conflict through the actions, experiences and thoughts of individuals and churches. Topics include: Pope Pius XII—was he “Hitler’s pope” or a saint; the atheist Stalin’s use of Orthodoxy to rally Russians; theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s plot to assassinate Hitler; Christian responses to the Holocaust; Christian pacifists; and Christian collaborators.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 An historical study of Christianity in Canada from contact until the present, paying particular attention to mission, church-state relations, ethnicity, and matters of belief and practice.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

★ 3 An examination of personal identity, interpersonal relationships, sex and gender, freedom, and immortality in historical and contemporary contexts.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  T. Oberle

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  T. Oberle

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous |  M. Novak
Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 11:00 - 11:50am  |  T. Oberle

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  M. Novak
Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 11:00 - 11:50am  |  J. Stenberg

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★ 3 Philosophies of the good life. Topics may include integrated wellness, attentiveness, objects of devotion, and community in historical and contemporary contexts.

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  N. Kowalsky

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  M. Novak
Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 10:00 - 10:50am  |  T. Oberle

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★ 3 Issues concerning human beings, knowledge, ethics and society among Greek thinkers and their impact on Christian thought.

Fall 2025  |  LEC A1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 2:00 - 2:50p  |  C. Byrne

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 A survey of philosophy from the 5th to the 15th centuries, considering philosophers from the Jewish, Islamic and Christian traditions.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 An analysis and evaluation of selected moral and social issues.

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Tues/Thurs, 12:30 - 1:50pm  |  N. Kowalsky

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

Note: This course counts towards the Ethics Certificate through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 Older than humanity’s ‘oldest profession,’ hunting is a philosophically weighty practice that contemporary societies increasingly struggle to understand. This course critically examines the ethical, experiential, conceptual, environmental, and socio-political status of hunting, including topics such as animal rights, fair chase, environmentalism, subsistence vs. trophy hunting, human nature, predation, death, gender, race, religion and class.

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Tues/Thurs, 12:30 - 1:50pm  |  N. Kowalsky

Note: This course counts towards the Ethics Certificate through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 Philosophical issues in Augustine: their historical context, significance, and influence. The class will study the life and work of Augustine of Hippo (354–430), a prolific and influential thinker in the Western world. Exploration of his life and times, The Confessions, and select writings will help unravel the thought-world and perspectives of Augustine.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Prerequisite: At least 3 credits in PHIL or consent of the College.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 Prerequisite: At least 3 credits in PHIL or consent of the College.

This course is not offered during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

★ 3 A critical study of Christianity in dialogue with such worldviews as atheism, agnosticism, naturalism, materialism, existentialism, feminism, liberalism, and postmodernism.

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  B. Clarke

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  B. Clarke

Note: This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

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★ 3 This course counts towards the Certificate in International Learning through the Faculty of Arts.

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Mon/Wed/Fri, 12:00 - 12:50pm  |  Charles Rodger

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★ 3 This course will investigate Christianity from a sociological perspective. The class will examine the sociological factors that led to Christianity’s ascendance to the position of dominant religion in late antiquity. The course will examine the major theories in sociology of religion (secularization theory, revised secularization theory, religious market theory) and how they relate to Christianity as well as some of the historical arguments supporting each of these arguments. The course will also examine the increasingly post-Christian nature of Western society, the emergence of the “Nones” as a distinct religious class in the 2000 and 2010s and how churches have responded to these challenges. The course will also examine the shift of Christianity from a religion anchored in the global north to one anchored in the global south and the implications for the future of the faith.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  J. Brassard

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★ 3 This course aims to bring the student to a greater appreciation of literature and film as a medium for the way the human person, the community, and the divine are interpreted and their role within our society, faith, and Church. Specifically, we will look at Harry Potter, the most popular fantasy work in several decades. We will explore the films and refer to the novels through literary, scriptural story, the hero’s journey and spiritual themes of Christian faith.

Summer 2024  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  B. Clarke

Fall 2024  |  LEC A1  |  Thursdays, 2:00 - 3:20pm, Hybrid  |  B. Clarke

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★ 3  The Bible is authoritative for faith and practice within Christianity, yet there are many complexities and challenges inherent to biblical interpretation, whether undertaken by individuals or by groups. This introduction to biblical interpretation will equip students with a variety of principles to consider when seeking to understand the Bible, both in its original context and in contemporary application.

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  T. Russell

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★ 3  This course will investigate questions of youth and religion from a sociological perspective, with a focus on the sociological changes in the religious landscape among Millennials and Gen Z. Examining the major theories in sociology of religion (secularization theory, revised secularization theory, religious market theory) and how they relate to changes in youth religious beliefs, the course will also examine the emergence of the “Nones” as a distinct religious class in the 2000 and 2010s.

Fall 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  J. Brassard

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★ 3 This course offers a theological investigation of mythology and considers select myths from ancient, medieval, and contemporary times. Beginning with Homer’s Iliad, an epic characterized as a “poem of force” which witnesses to the unwieldy madness of eros and war and its impact upon the human spirit, our study seeks to unfurl the terrain where the stories of gods and humanity overlap and its theological significance. Particular attention is given to the dynamism between power and love, fidelity and sacrifice, freedom and fate as well as betrayal and redemption. Articulation of said themes in Beowulf as well as within contemporary comic book heroes from the respective DC and Marvel worlds are also explored and placed into dialogue with the Christian intellectual tradition.

Fall 2024  |  LEC 801  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

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★ 3 A consideration of select biblical themes in relation to the science-fiction fantasy works of The Hunger Games and Star Wars. The dystopian future of The Hunger Games and arcane universe of Star Wars offer glimpses of imaginative possibility and contemporary theological reflection. These popular works also provide overlap with various themes developed in biblical literature, such as faith, trust, freedom, self-sacrifice, and hope. Utilizing these themes as an interpretive lens, we will explore their significance for the characters and worlds within the texts, as well as their relevance for readers today.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

Winter 2025  |  LEC 850  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  G. McLarney

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★ 3 Oil is a substance without which contemporary life would be unthinkable. It runs our industries and private lives, and there are few, if any, aspects of modern existence where its impact is not present. Yet, despite this, it is topic rarely addressed in philosophical discourse. How does oil impact not only our environment but our politics and culture? These are important questions are strangely absent from public and academic debate. However, as we move to develop the Alberta oil sands, with its estimated 1.7 billion potential barrels of oil, it is clear that we can no longer ignore these questions. This course will critically examine the ethical, environmental, socio-political and cultural dimensions of petroleum and oilsands development, including topics such as social and environmental justice, indigenous rights, oil and democratic culture, the climate change and peak oil debate, renewable energy and the politics of sustainability, and the oil sands in popular culture.

Spring 2024  |  LEC 800  |  Online, Asynchronous  |  R. Kover

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★ 3 Evil makes us doubt the existence or goodness of God. Goodness is also often associated with gentleness or impotence whereas evil evokes power and rage. So what is evil, and how is it related to God’s goodness or power? Is God a weakling or a dangerously wild thing? Why is the world such a rough place? This course will examine questions concerning evil and divine otherness that go beyond the basic problem of evil towards the theme of axiological transcendence in both nature and the holy. 

Winter 2025  |  LEC B1  |  Tues/Thurs, 9:30 - 10:50pm  |  N. Kowalsky

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