Course Descriptions The following list of course descriptions is a comprehensive list – all courses are not offered every year. The Supplementary Calendar/Student Handbook published each year in the spring provides information on available courses and electives for the current year as well as timetables for the year. It is available from VST’s website: www.vst.edu Some courses have prerequisites as indicated. For further information, contact the Registrar’s Office at 604-822-9563 or email registrar@vst.edu. Cancellation The School reserves the right to cancel or reschedule courses as circumstances demand. Courses will be cancelled if there are fewer than five students registered. Biblical Languages VST offers a 3-credit course (BIBL500) which gives an overview of both biblical Hebrew and biblical Greek. Courses in Hebrew and Greek languages are offered at both the elementary and intermediate level by the University of British Columbia and Regent College. Statements on the study of biblical languages appear in the requirements for each degree program.
Denominational Studies DS500—Anglican Polity (1.0 credits) Bursting wine skins yet keeping them, too. How Anglican polity attempts the impossible by embedding the Spirit and prophetic ministry within the governance structures of church organization. In addition to learning the theory behind Anglican polity, there will be ample opportunity to learn the “nuts and bolts” of how the Anglican church operates in parishes, dioceses, national and international expressions. DS501—Anglican Liturgy (1.0 credits) The Book of Common Prayer, however named, is central to Anglican worship. This course will delve into how that came to be the case, and whether it remains true for the 21st century church. Participants will also discuss the book’s practical applications as they explore the basic dimensions of Anglican liturgy. Discussions will involve historical background, theological foundations and practical application of Anglican liturgical resources. DS 601—Anglican Mission and Ministry (1.0 credits) There is a contradiction lurking at the centre of congregational life: neglect ministry to members, and clergy are written off as uncaring, neglect mission to the world, and churches are written off as irrelevant. Responding to the demands of ministry and the call to mission is an ongoing tension for clergy and congregations. Keeping those tensions strong is the key to keeping congregations healthy, keeping clergy leadership lively, and resolving the contradiction. We’ll identify these dynamics in congregations, and envision how the tensions can become life-giving for the leader and the congregation as they proclaim and enact God’s imminent kingdom. Pre-requisites: PT500 or PT551 Other Anglican Denominational Studies: please see HIS6/750 SAH-DS510—Practical Presbyterian Polity: Maintenance or Leadership? The goal of this course is to prepare students for a learned and able leadership in The Presbyterian Church in Canada. We will consider the difference between merely maintaining an institution or being part of an authentic movement of God’s Spirit. We will familiarize ourselves with the “Book of Forms” (2011) and its 44