Epiphany I: What is the Church?
The Company of all Baptized Persons. Who is God? -- religion in stone-age and bronze-age cultures. Who is God? -- monotheism in Palestine. The Apostolic Church: Debates and discussion. Constantine and the established church; Luther and the Reformation, and the rise of denominations.
Holy Communion. Baptism. Number and definition of Sacrament: hair splitting and sophistries. Confirmation. Reconciliation and Unction. Ordination and Marriage.
Prayer routines: daily prayer, daily office, “quiet time”, and “A.C.T.S.” Prayers of the People: structure and resources. Extempore, Liturgical, “Arrow”, Meditative and Contemplative prayer. Praying for others, Praying through Scripture. Praying without ceasing, Creating a “Rule of Life”.
Pentecost I (optional): Sacred Art
Symbols from the Catacombs. Icons and Medaeival symbols. Lutheran, Celtic and Modern symbology. Paraments andChurch Architecture. Sacred Dance. Church music.
Theories of Scripture: Innerrancy, textual criticism, “incorruptibility”, inspired translation (or “KJV-onlyism”), the Jesus Seminar. The composition and authorship of the old Testament. The canon of the Old Testament; the Torah, the Septaguint, the deutero- and tritio-canonicals, and “lost” books; Saint Jerome, the history of the KJV, and the council of Trent. The composition and authorship of the new Testament, the “Q” gospel and other theories of the Gospel development. The new testament canon: debates and excluded books, the Syrian canon and the Nag Hammurabi texts. Using the Bible for prayer and study: concordances, dictionaries, commentaries.
The Contents of this Book, Holy Communion, Rubrics. The Historic Prefaces, the Daily Offices, the Book of Alternative Services. The Christian Year: collects, Epistles and Gospels, and the Revised Common Lectionary. The Psalter, Sarum plainsong and Anglican chant. Occasional Services. Resources for Family and Personal prayer.
The Patristic Church. Constantine & Ecumenical Councils and the historic creeds. Holy Roman Empire I: Politics, Religion & Crusade. Schism & Byzantium. Martin Luther and the Reformation
Lent II: The Anglican Communion
Joseph of Arimethea, the Celtic Church, and ancient historical records. The Council of Whitby, Norman Politics, Sarum and Cantebury. The Tudors, Latimer, Cranmer and Ridley; the 39/42 Articles. Church structure: governance and pastoral oversight, the ministries of Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Laity. Highs and Lows: Methodism and the Oxford movement. The Anglican Communion today.
Hot-buttons: Evolution and sexuality. “Prove it” -- classical proofs of God (and the objections to them); Barth's “leap of faith”. Ecumenism: living with the differences among Christians. Pluralism: Christian evangelism and respect for religious diversity. The problem of Evil. Social justice and orthodoxy.