Academic Subjects

In the academic courses of the new curriculum emphasis in the academic is placed on the ability to write critically, whether in the form of papers (critical book reviews, research papers, exegetical papers, expository papers) or final exams, where students are asked to synthesize material learned over the course of the semester and respond creatively to the challenge of explicating the course material in a contemporary context.

Academic courses meet fifteen times per semester, including the final exam, with each class meeting for 150 minutes at a time. Homework for academic courses is standardized at six hours per week.

BL 101—Fundamentals of Biblical Greek Grammar
An intensive introduction to the fundamentals of biblical Greek grammar, this course is designed to give students all of the tools necessary to begin reading the text of the New Testament in BL 102. By the end of the course, students should have a thorough understanding of the grammar and morphology of all three noun declensions and all major tenses and forms of the Greek verb (including participles, subjunctives, and infinitives), as well as the morphological principles of contract and liquid verbs. Classroom and textbook instruction in the basic elements of Greek grammar and syntax, coupled with practice exercises that allow the principles being learned to be applied in a controlled setting, are the primary vehicles used to progress students to a point where they can engage directly the primary texts of the New Testament.

BL 102—Reading Biblical Greek
The primary goal of this course is achieving competence in reading the original Greek texts of the Septuagint and the New Testament and applying this expertise to issues of translation and interpretation of the Bible. It is intended to function as an essential complement to the fixed curriculum in Scripture by affording students the opportunity to perform close and precise study of the biblical text and by providing the sophisticated linguistic tools necessary to understand a wide variety of critical issues in biblical studies. Therefore, the majority of the course is devoted to careful translation of extended selections of biblical Greek texts (John 1-3; Genesis 12:1-9, 15:1-18:15, 21:1-21; Galatians 2:15-5:1), both as a means to enhance a working knowledge of the language and to introduce students to the various styles and genres of biblical Greek literature. While advanced problems in the language of the selected readings will be covered, it is assumed that students will have mastered the basic grammar needed to read and interpret biblical Greek documents. In addition to developing reading skills in Greek, the course also covers the history and methods of New Testament textual criticism and introduces students to both the theoretical and practical aspects of this discipline by working closely with the textual apparatus found in the fourth edition of the United Bible Societies New Testament text.

CH 101—History of the Church to the 8th Century
This course is intended to provide an introductory survey of the history of the Church, her life and experience in changing contexts to the eighth century. It seeks to orient students to basic issues that will arise throughout the history of the Church. Questions addressed include: What strands of unity and continuity can we discern as we move from the NT to the early fathers? What factors contributed to the rise, expansion, and eventual triumph of Christianity? How did early Christians relate to Judaism, the Roman state, Greek philosophy, and other aspects of the surrounding culture? How did the challenge of heresy (e.g. Gnosticism) and schism (e.g., Novatian) affect the development of Church structures, discipline, and teaching? What impact did the conversion of Constantine have on the Church’s ways of dealing with problems of schism (e.g., Donatism) and heresy (e.g., Arianism)? What new spiritual opportunities and dangers accompanied the establishment of a Christian Roman Empire? What impact did the disintegration of the Roman Empire in late antiquity have on church life in East and West?

CH 102—History of the Church from the 8th to the Present
This course surveys the history of the Orthodox Church from the 8th century to present day through an examination of key events and personalities, an introduction to the major issues, and an orientation to the scholarly bibliography of medieval and modern Church history. The historical overview is divided up into two sections: the first begins with the Council in Trullo and ends with the Fall of the Byzantine Empire, and is thus primarily concerned with the Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire. The second part of the course presents the history of the Church in the Ottoman and Russian Empires, of the various local Orthodox Churches in the Balkan peninsula, and of the Church in modern world. While doing this, the course will engage with the problems of the Byzantine legacy in the modern Orthodox Churches, the effects on the Church of long years under the Turkokratia, the Church’s confrontation with the modern world (the Enlightenment, nationalism, communism, etc.).

Through an exposure to traditional reading assignments of text books and original sources, and through classroom discussion, the professor hopes to supply the basic “vocabulary” that students will need for more advanced study in the historical disciplines. The professor also hopes that through the study of Church history, the students will understand better the place that the Church finds itself in in the modern world. Finally, it is hoped that students will find their interest in church history stimulated to the point that they will continue intelligent reading in the field long after their seminary days are over. The course is the sequel to Church History 101, “History of the Church from its beginnings to the eighth century,” and will presuppose some familiarity with the materials covered there.

CH 203—Orthodox Christian Identity Today
This course seeks to explore what it means to be an Orthodox Christian today, in a secular and pluralistic society that in many respects appears to challenge the historic institutions and values of the Orthodox Church. Initial readings and lectures will trace the ways in which Orthodoxy has responded to challenges posed by the modern world from the 18th century onward, whether by way of reaction or by adoption and adaptation. Student presentations and discussion sessions will focus on specific contemporary issues, such as the role of the Church in public life, the challenge of ecumenism and inter-faith relations, problems in inter-Orthodox relations, the issue of “modernism,” and the place of the Church in post-Communist Eastern European society. In addition, a field trip will draw attention to the diversity of contexts for Orthodox Christian ministry and life in America today.

CL 203—The Orthodox Canonical Tradition: History, Methodology, Application, and Contemporary Problems
The professor intends this class to be an introduction to the Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church. After a brief overview of sources, the course will move on to a discussion of what Canon Law is, and then turn to questions of interpretation and application and methodological reflection. The course will then consider various canonical questions regularly encountered both within and outside the Church. This course will emphasize both content and application. In terms of content, the students will be exposed to the history of the Canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church and the Canonical literature. With each unit, the students are expected to acquire a high degree of familiarity of the most important applicable canonical texts. Furthermore, apart from the specific Canonical texts, the students will be expected to integrate their knowledge acquired from other classes at the Seminary—Church History, Liturgical Theology, and Dogmatic Theology—in crafting answers to canonical questions. The application component of the course is equally important—it is not enough to know canonical texts, they need to be understood, interpreted, and properly applied. Proper application of the canons means that the solution must be clearly expressed, as such, the students will be expected to properly express (both in written form and orally) canonical solutions to pastoral problems. At the beginning of each unit, before turning to any aberrations or problems, the norm will be presented first—always keeping in mind Archbishop Peter’s (L’Huillier) maxim, “Whatever is regular is authentic.” The content portion of the class will be taught in a traditional lecture format. In exams especially, the students will have to demonstrate an accurate familiarity with specific canons, which will be passed out by the professor. The methodology portion of the class will be taught in both a lecture format, but also class discussions, and through practice written exercises.

LT 201—The Liturgy of Initiation
The aim of this course is twofold. The goal of the introductory section of the course is to introduce students to the study of liturgy by showing the centrality of liturgy to the life of the church. This is both functional (liturgy is what we do!) and theological (we are realized as the church when we gather for liturgy!). The second part of this course will introduce students to the origin, development, and theology of the sacraments of initiation: baptism, chrismation, and the eucharist These are the foundational sacraments of the Orthodox Church, from which flow the other sacraments, as well as the daily, weekly, and annual cycles of worship.

In each case we shall begin with the biblical evidence, then trace the origin and development of liturgy through the post-apostolic era, the patristic age, and down to the present. Through class discussion and assigned papers, students will grapple with the challenge of applying and living the rich Orthodox liturgical tradition today.

LT 202—The Sanctification of Life
The aim of this course is to provide students with an historical and theological overview of the sacramental life of the Church that flows out of the Christian identity we acquire in baptism and the eucharist. We will examine confession and penance, monastic tonsure, marriage, the anointing of the sick, the consecration of churches, the sanctification of matter, the liturgy of death, concluding with a brief introduction to the sanctification of time through the daily, weekly, and annual cycles.

As a continuation of Liturgical Theology I, this course will follow the same general methodology. Students will become aware of the rich diversity that exists among the various Orthodox traditions, as well as of the challenges this poses for Orthodoxy in America as it struggles with coming to terms with this internal diversity, while at the same time welcoming and integrating significant numbers of new converts. Through discussion and written assignments, students will be challenged to articulate these traditions in a way that is appropriate to the pastoral situations in which they will be placed following the completion of their studies.

NT 101—The Pauline Epistles
This course is an introduction to the Pauline epistles. The principal task of the course is to answer the question, How does St Paul understand the meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the communities to which he writes? The course begins with a close reading of the Epistle to the Galatians, followed by a survey of the major themes of the other Pauline epistles. While the course is not primarily an historical study of the epistles, students will become acquainted with the pertinent scholarly discussion and learn to read the epistles and selected lectionary texts in their socio-historical, literary, and liturgical contexts. Careful attention to matters of genre, argument, and setting will in turn serve as the basis for informed readings of faith.

NT 203—The Gospels and Acts of the Apostles
This course is an introduction to the canonical Gospels and the Book of Acts, with special attention to the Gospel of Mark as a model for reading the other Gospels. The principal task of the course is to answer the question, What is a Gospel book? The specific goals of the course are for students to understand the literary design of these books, to discern each book’s distinctive witness to the teaching of Jesus Christ, to examine selected lectionary texts in their socio-historical, literary, and liturgical contexts, and to appreciate the use of critical as well as pre-critical methods of interpretation for establishing the meaning of the text. While the primary purpose of the course is for students to read these books carefully, it is also expected that their careful reading would in turn inform their faith.

OT 101—Survey of Old Testament Literature
A comprehensive survey of Old Testament literature, concentrating on the social and religious forces that shaped its production and consolidation as the scriptural corpus of nascent Judaism, this course explores the development of the Old Testament in its full historical context by investigating aspects of ancient Near Eastern culture and history that inform the texts. Substantial consideration is given to four major topic areas. First, the course covers in detail the historical situation in the decisive periods of Old Testament composition: the eighth century prophetic period, the late monarchy and the Babylonian invasion, and the Persian and early Hellenistic periods. Second, it addresses critical issues of ancient Near Eastern culture that bear on the content of the Old Testament writings, such as sacrifice, purity, family/kin relationships, covenants and treaties, the ancient Near Eastern pantheon, and comparative religious practice. Third, it examines the various genres of the Old Testament by looking at the numerous styles of composition found in the texts, comparing them with known styles of contemporary literature, and investigating how the genre of a given work affects its interpretation. Finally, it considers how the constituent literary portions of the Old Testament—the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings—coalesced to form the canonical narrative familiar to us today. The ultimate goal of the course is to provide students with the ability to construct a literal exegesis of Old Testament texts and to provide the background knowledge necessary to understand more fully the additional levels of Christological meaning advanced by the interpretations of the New Testament.

OT 203—The Old Testament As Christian Scripture
From the earliest days of the Christian era, theologians of the orthodox Christian tradition have considered the writings of the Old Testament to be the Word of God to the Church. As such, they are the essential foundation of the teachings found in the New Testament writings. The importance of the Old Testament writings is found not only in their content, but also in the literary style of their expression, many aspects of which were consciously appropriated by New Testament authors. In exploring the relationship between the two halves of the Christian Bible, this course serves as the summation of the core Scripture curriculum. It offers a theological appraisal of the Old Testament writings and investigates their interpretation in the New Testament and subsequent Christian literature and worship, with the intention of understanding how the Old Testament functions as Christian Scripture. Building on the historical and cultural backgrounds addressed in OT 101, the course delves into major Old Testament themes and institutions that have been adopted by the Christian tradition, such as covenant, sacrifice, prophecy, the exodus, and the new Jerusalem. By enabling students to explore deeply the ways in which these themes have been developed from their original contexts and embedded firmly in Christian discourse, the course seeks to expand and enrich the resources available to students for preaching on texts from both the Old and the New Testaments.

PA 101—To Nicaea and Its Reception
The aim of this course is to introduce the key figures in early Christianity, from the end of the first century, the first Christian writers after the apostles and evangelists, such as St Ignatius of Antioch and St Polycarp of Smryna, to the vindication of the Council of Nicaea by St Athanasius the Great, concentrating on their theological work while paying careful attention to their historical context, polemical or otherwise.

The questions that we will see these writers discuss, and which should be borne in mind during the course of this semester, concern such fundamental issues as: what did each figure see as the nature and method of theology itself—what is it and how does it work?—and what is the canon or criterion, if any, which regulates it (raising questions of uniformity and diversity)? What texts are to count as sacred scripture, and how are they to be interpreted? What are the central teachings of Christianity—regarding the person of Christ and his relation to God and the Spirit; and also regarding what is sometimes called salvation history: creation-fall-redemption—and how do these early Fathers understand and articulate such teachings? And how should a Christian follow Christ—the witness of the martyrs and then the ascetics—and in turn, how should the literature of martyrology and hagiology be read and understood?

PA 102—To Chalcedon and Beyond
The aim of this course is to introduce the key figures from the time of the Cappadocians to St John of Damascus. This period covers the controversies that resulted in the Council of Chalcedon (451) and continued thereafter, examining both the reception of the Council of Chalcedon in the Second and Third Councils of Constantinople (553 and 681) and also key figures within the non-Chalcedonian tradition, and the continuation of these debates in the iconoclastic controversy culminating in the Second Council of Nicaea.

The figures covered in this course dealt with issues—such as the Trinity, Incarnation, Christology and Soteriology—that constitute the basic elements with which Christian theology has grappled ever since. Of particular interest for this course is not only how such doctrines developed, but how they are held together, as a whole, rather than being divided into discrete items of faith. Close attention will be given to the manner and logic of theological argumentation deployed by each figure, to explore how they each understood theology itself, its nature and method: what is it and how it works? Particular attention is given to the relationship of the exegetical approaches of Alexandria and Antioch to their distinctive Christologies. Also covered in this class is the work of Dionysius the Areopagite, and the flowering of his cosmic and liturgical contribution in the theology of St Maximus the Confessor.

PT 205—Introduction to Pastoral Theology
The purpose of this course is to examine the key questions of ministry and priesthood, drawing upon the first two years of study. What is ministry? What is the priesthood? How are we called? What are the qualifications? Who is a good pastor in the midst of the faithful? How does an ordained priest care for his own soul while caring for those entrusted to him? What is appropriate care of the pastor himself? To accomplish this, the course will survey the theology and history of pastoral ministry and investigate foundational elements of pastoral and priestly ministry: spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer, fasting, and meditation), ordination, church polity, parish administration, stewardship, social action, inter-Orthodox and ecumenical relations. Methodology will include a critical appraisal of contemporary cultural, social, economic, political, and intellectual contexts (especially in North America). Class time will involve lecture and discussion.

PT 206—Issues in Pastoral Ministry
The purpose of this course is to examine specific issues of pastoral care and priestly ministry against the background of PT 205 and Canon Law. These issues include confession and spiritual direction; sickness, grief and death; addiction and recovery; sexuality, gender, and celibacy; marriage, divorce and family life; counseling, the social sciences, and referrals; abuse, violence and war; poverty and wealth; youth, young adult, and college campus ministry; care of the elderly; and disaster relief. Methodology will incorporate critical appraisal of cultural, political, intellectual, and social contexts (primarily in North America). Class time will involve lecture and discussion.

The desired outcome is that students completing their third year of study will be ready for professional ministry, committed disciples of Christ, dedicated to the Orthodox Church, ready to work under the supervision of a bishop, passionate about ministering the Word of God, eager to celebrate the Mysteries faithfully, and pastorally sensitive to others while increasingly cognizant of their own strengths and limitations.

ST 201—Orthodox Systematic Theology
This course explores modern Orthodox approaches to some of the kinds of questions posed of the Fathers in PA101-102: what is the nature and method of theology itself? What are the central teachings of the Church regarding the person of Christ and his relation to God and the Spirit, and also regarding what is sometimes called salvation history? What are the texts that inform our understanding of these teachings, and how are they to be interpreted?

The main portion of the course will explore the theologies and theological methods of several 20th century Orthodox thinkers, such as Sergius Bulgakov, Vladimir Lossky, Georges Florovsky, Dumitru Staniloae, and John Zizioulas. We will seek to analyze their approaches in terms of strengths and weaknesses, the respective milieus out of which they arose, as well as their relevance to the life of the Church and of Western society today. They will also be examined in relation to some Western systematic theologians, notably Barth, Balthazar, and Pannenberg. Engaging with the written work of all these authors through lecture and discussion, we will evaluate the 20th-century project of “Orthodox systematic theology.” Such analysis will allow us to ask: what might be required of Orthodox theology today?

ST 202—Living Tradition: Theology in Contemporary Society
The classical theological questions that engaged both the Church Fathers and 20th-century dogmatic theologians require fresh answers in the face of developments in philosophy, science, and culture. This course will attempt to address such questions as: How do we understand and speak about a “personal” God in a way that accounts for contemporary popular and philosophical discourse about “personhood”? How do we explain our belief in a good and omnipotent God in the face of the extermination of tens of millions at the hands of Nazi and Communist regimes? How do we understand and affirm an Orthodox doctrine of creation in the face of debates about evolution and intelligent design? How are such debates brought to bear also on our understanding of the fall and of salvation? How do we speak of the human soul in view of developments in molecular biology, the study of consciousness, and artificial intelligence?

Such questions, together with others touching on the person of Christ, the nature of the Church, Mary, the Holy Trinity, and death, will be examined in turn with reference to developments in science, philosophy and literary theory, and popular culture, through lecture, multimedia presentation, and extensive discussion. The goal of the course is to engage more deeply with our faith, and to be able to preach it credibly in the world today.

Liturgical Practice Courses

Liturgical practice courses meet twelve times per semester, with each class meeting for seventy minutes at a time. (Liturgical practice courses do not meet during final exam week.) Students use the in-class time not only to learn theory but also—and especially—to practice, working toward the level of competence defined for that discipline. Students are graded pass-fail, with failure resulting not only in repetition of the course but also possible enrollment in the seminary’s Saturday morning prep program. Homework for these courses is also practical: assignment to (and faithful participation in) at least one of the seminary choirs, and serving, reading, and preaching in the seminary chapel.

Music

LM 101–102—Music (basic)
This course is a general introduction to fundamentals of Orthodox liturgical music in theory and practice, designed for all students at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. In class sessions, students will learn to read and sight-sing Western notation, and the rudiments of reading neumatic notations. Lectures and demonstrations of services from various Orthodox worship traditions—Byzantine, Slavic, Oriental—will introduce students to both the structure of liturgical services, and the musical expression of various forms of psalmody and hymnography.

Students successfully completing LM 101–102 will be able to: 1) identify and read/sing elements of Western musical notation; 2) hear and reproduce pitches, intervals, and melodies; 3) organize services of the eucharist and the daily office from their worship tradition; 4) relate the forms of liturgical singing to the liturgical actions they accompany; and 5) recognize and chant/sing traditional melodies and forms effectively.

LM 103–104—Music (jurisdictional)
In its various forms, this course will introduce students to chanting the daily office and the eucharist, using the tones of the Octoechos and fixed traditional melodies. In unison chant, this will consist of singing both from Western and neumatic notation (where applicable), and singing from text only. In choral singing, this will include part-singing in two or more voices, again from notation and from text only. Combining knowledge of service orders (LM 101–102) with liturgical singing (LM 103–104) will prepare students for service leadership from the choir/chanter's stand.

Students completing LM 103–104 should be able to: 1) sing, in ensemble and as soloist, the basic chants of vespers, matins (orthros), and the Divine Liturgy; and 2) prepare and assign readers and singers to perform these services, locating texts and musical materials, making changes where appropriate to the feast or saint of the day.

LM 105–106—Music (jurisdictional)
Building on LM 103–104, this course will introduce students to the chanting of texts and melodies occasional services -- funeral/memorial service, wedding, baptism, and hierarchical services, as well as special melodies for festal services -- stichera, canons, exapostilaria, and the magnification. Exercises will increasingly emphasize a presumed leadership position for students in their final year, who will be able to organize both participants and materials for the range of services offered in a typical parish.

Students completing LM 105–106 should be able to: 1) sing, in ensemble and as soloist, the special chants of occasional, hierarchical, and festal services; and 2) prepare and assign readers and singers for the performance of all the same services, including locating the necessary materials for reading and singing.

Liturgics

LI 101–102—Liturgics (basic)
This course is a general introduction to fundamentals of Orthodox liturgical movement and comportment in theory and practice, designed for all students at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The course will emphasize comparative, cross-jurisdictional, understanding of all liturgical and ecclesial matters. Lectures and demonstrations of services from various Orthodox worship traditions—Byzantine, Slavic, Oriental—will introduce students to the orders of service, patterns of movement, and issues related to protocol (churchly behavior).

Students completing PL 101–102 should be able to: 1) enter and exit liturgical spaces (church, altar/sanctuary, chancel); 2) handle properly and transfer liturgical objects with the celebrant/deacon; 3) plan patterns of movement for self and servers in the eucharist and the daily office; 4) greet hierarchs from one’s own and other Orthodox traditions; 5) contact, meet with, and host hierarchs and church officials; and 6) adapt movements for services with clergy concelebration and hierarchical services.

LI 103–104—The Priest as Liturgical Celebrant (jurisdictional)
During this course, the students will study the celebration of Vespers and the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, and the Presanctified, including the special features of concelebration and the hierarchical liturgy. This will be carried out through an examination of the general structures of these services, as well as their rubrics. Classes will also utilize multi-media presentations and in class practicum.

LI 105–106—The Priest as Liturgical Celebrant in a Parish (jurisdictional)
During this course, the students will study structure and the celebration of Matins and the All-night Vigil, as well as the rubrics of the services of Great Lent and Holy Week, the Nativity-Theophany Cycle, Annunciation, and the Exaltation of the Cross. In this course, the instructor will also present the structure and rubrics for the funeral and panakhida, baptism, and weddings. This will be carried out through an examination of the general structures of these services, as well as their rubrics. Classes will also utilize multi-media presentations and in class practicum.

Teaching and Preaching

CE 101–102—Teaching 1
The purpose of this course is to provide a distinctively Orthodox introduction to educational theory and practice, applied to the principle of total parish education. The course includes a brief overview of selected learning theories. In addition, the course will introduce the students into the actual practice of teaching religious concepts to children, adolescents, and adults. The approach will be lecture, discussion, and primarily student teaching. To the extent possible, students will be encouraged to extend their learning to settings outside the classroom during the course.

HO 101–102—Homiletics 1
The purpose of this course is introduce the theology, history, and practice of preaching centered on Christ, based in the Scriptures, and attested in the life of the Church. The course will explore what makes for a good preacher; what a homily is and is not; the promise and problem of lectionary readings; the community of faith; biblical exegesis for preaching; preparing a sermon; form and function; beginnings, connections, and endings; images, experiences, and connections with real life; types of sermons; liturgical settings; different life situations; style and delivery. Class time will include lecture, discussion, sermons and critique.

HO 103—Homiletics 2
The purpose of this course is to build upon Homiletics 101–102 through further exploration. Students will deliver in class and in chapel multiple sermons that address different liturgical and life settings, e.g., funerals, weddings, baptisms, chrismations, unction, confession, stewardship, disaster, mission, and social outreach. Sermons will be videotaped and critically reviewed.

CE 103—Educating the people
Building upon CE 101–102 and HO 101–102–103, this course seeks to motivate future clergy and lay leaders to take responsibility for a comprehensive Christian education program in a parish setting that incorporates children through adults. It will be shown that education involves not only the basic content of Scripture within the Orthodox Tradition (what is “taught”) but also life in the Holy Spirit (what is “caught”). Particular elements will include: creating a positive learning environment; identifying gifts, motivating and training teachers; working with a curriculum; incorporating different dimensions of Christian life (e.g., Church School, Bible study, catechism classes, camp programs and retreats, social action, mission and outreach, intergenerational interaction, and pan-Orthodox cooperation); and capitalizing on different life situations as teaching opportunities (e.g., local philanthropic needs, death of a schoolmate, or community disaster). Specific instruction will be provided to tailor Christian education to different parish settings (e.g., new missions; small, medium, and large established parishes), or to different models (e.g., Sunday morning or another day of the week).

Pastoral Units

Pastoral units are short, intensive courses designed to supplement the core curriculum in specialized areas of pastoral ministry. Pastoral units meet once each semester, all day on a Friday. Although no course credit is assigned to the pastoral units per se, all M.Div. students are required to participate faithfully in these sessions in order to complete successfully the course requirements of the respective integrating seminars. Adjunct faculty with invited experts in the field, under the direction of the regular faculty, will conduct these day-long sessions, and other members of the seminary community will be invited to attend as auditors.

PT Unit 1—Gerontology: Pastoral Approaches to the Elderly
The purpose of this unit is to explore the issues of aging and the aged from an Orthodox pastoral perspective. The emphasis will be upon learning not only about the elderly but, in the process, learning about God and ourselves. A central theme will be that the purpose of growing old is to prepare for death. This will include the exploration of the various familial, societal and personal processes in which the older person finds him or herself, all within the vision of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. The unit will include lecture, audio-visual materials and large and small group discussion.

PT Unit 2—Thanatology: Counseling the Suffering and Dying
The purpose of this unit is to address the pastoral concerns centering on the Christian response to suffering and dying: ministering to persons with incurable diseases; death and children; bereavement and grieving; widowhood and separation. The place of suffering in human life will be addressed. The unit will discuss death as the finality of earthly life and the small deaths that occur daily as a prelude to one’s final death. Some consideration will also be given to liturgical and questions of funeral practice. The unit will include lecture, audio-visual materials and large and small group discussion.

PT Unit 3—Pastoral Counseling in a Parish Setting
The purpose of this unit is to seek to familiarize students with some of the more practical issues associated with counseling in the parish setting such as: the nature of the counseling process, listening, assessing problems and symptoms, making interpretations and recommendations, offering advice, referring to outside resources, confidentiality, and record keeping. The unit will include lecture, audio-visual materials and large and small group discussion.

PT Unit 4—Orthodox Marriage: Pre-Marital Counseling, Marriage Enrichment, Divorce, and Issues of Interfaith Marriages and Marriage “Outside the Church”
The purpose of this unit is to explore marriage from the diverse perspectives of biblical studies, liturgy, canon law and pastoral care. Topics to be discussed include preparation for marriage, intra-Christian and inter-religious marriages, parenting and sexuality, divorce and remarriage, and marriage of the clergy. The unit will include a discussion of the role of the priest and the place of referrals to marriage counseling. The unit will include lecture, audio-visual materials and large and small group discussion.

PT Unit 5—Confession and Spiritual Direction: The Place of the Priest and Elder in the Spiritual Journey
The purpose of this unit is to investigate the relationship between confession and spiritual direction in the light of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. The centerpiece of the relationship is repentance and all that implies. The sacrament of confession will be discussed as a way of rediscovering God and oneself through the forgiveness of sins. Spiritual direction will be discussed as an ancient yet modern part of the Orthodox tradition. Obedience, submission and guidance will be discussed as part of the spiritual journey. The unit will include lecture, audio-visual materials, and large and small group discussion.

PT Unit 6—Personal and Corporate Prayer: The Power and Place of Prayer in Christian Life
The purpose of this unit is to discuss the role of prayer in Christian life. Personal prayer will be discussed within the tradition of the Orthodox Church, emphasizing the centrality of the biblical command to “be still.” Corporate prayer will be discussed in the context of liturgical services, the work of the priest and laity together to worship and adore God. The unit will include lecture, audio-visual materials and large and small group discussion.

Integrating Seminars

Seminars meet twelve times per semester, with each class meeting for seventy minutes at a time. (Integrating seminars do not meet during final exam week.) Students will use the in-class time not only to discuss the specific themes of the seminar but also to present orally their work in progress from other courses. Students are graded pass-fail, with failure resulting in repetition of the course.

SE 101–102—M.Div. 1
The first year seminar, mindful of the fact that more and more students come to the seminary with limited experience of “lived Orthodoxy,” deals with such topics as: what it means to be an Orthodox Christian; the fasts and feasts of the year; learning to study the faith critically yet faithfully; and integrating what is being taught in the different classes and what is prayed in liturgical worship.

SE 103–104—M.Div. 2
The second year seminar brings together what is being learned in the field together with a special emphasis on developing listening and pastoral skills.

SE 105–106—M.Div. 3
The third year seminar—the capstone of the students’ time at seminary—brings together all that the students have learned in their studies and are currently learning in their parish fieldwork. In the spring semester, the seminar is intended to prepare the students for the Comprehensive Oral Examination, at which time they will be expected to demonstrate competence in a range of M.Div. courses and activities before a panel of faculty members.

Liturgical Music Courses

LM 11—Conducting and Choral Leadership I
This course focuses on essential aspects of church musicianship and training in choral conducting technique, rehearsal planning and execution, choral methods, diction, repertoire selection, and liturgical style. Emphasis will be placed on understanding liturgical form and function and the impact that has on music selection and interpretation.

LM 12—Conducting and Choral Leadership II
Advanced study and refinement of liturgical music conducting technique with increased emphasis on cultivating and guiding a parish music program. This includes choral ensemble evaluation, long-term planning, techniques in choir member education and training, creating liturgical music concert and outreach programs, introducing and broadening new repertoire, and effectively addressing the various circumstances facing the Orthodox choir director today.

LM 13—Psalmody and Hymnography
A focused study of the sung textual material of liturgy, its origins, development, structure, role, and meaning in worship and its impact on music. Includes a thorough examination of the Psalms, their configuration, content, liturgical use and development, and subsequently the ways in which hymnography draws on and reflects Scripture and various teachings of the Church. Also, students will examine the musical structures and styles that follow the inherent textual forms of psalmody and hymnography, including troparia, kontakia, canons, kathismas, and so forth.

LM 14—Christian Chant
Course study includes Early Christian and Byzantine liturgical music, Old Roman and Gregorian chant, and Early Russian and Balkan chant systems. This course will also address the liturgical singing of the Slavic lands, with emphasis on the centers of Muscovy and Kievan Rus', against the backdrop of historical movements such as the Byzantine mission of Cyril and Methodius, the ascendancy of Mount Athos, the medieval Russian state-church, the Nikonian reform and its aftermath. Each early period of development in liturgical singing will be examined for signs of change and stability in liturgical practice and musical style, as they relate to liturgical and extra-liturgical developments.

LM 15—Composition and Analysis I
The nature, purpose, and function of Orthodox liturgical music. Techniques in melodic, polyphonic, and diatonic harmonic construction. Study of text-setting and textual structures. Problems in composing for solo voice and choir. Establishing thematic material and achieving musical cohesion within a composition. The task of understanding traditional liturgical music structures and practices as it influences composition technique

LM 16—Composition and Analysis II
The form and function of liturgical music in specific services. The task of composing music in sets. The study of the associative powers of music and its implication for liturgy. The diatonic and chromatic harmonization of chant melodies. Use of transposition, non-harmonic chords, and complex harmonies. Techniques in musical analysis regarding melody, polyphony, harmony, rhythm, text, and structure. Identifying and understanding musical style through contextual and comparative analysis. The problems of arranging pre-existing settings into English.

LM 17—Choral Music in Orthodox Tradition
A comprehensive look at the choral tradition in the Orthodox Church, past and present. Includes the Petersburg School and its influence in 19th- and 20th-century Russian church music. The Moscow Synodal School: The patriarchal singers, Smolensky, Kastalsky, Kallinikov, Chesnokov. Church music in the Russian emigration. Related forms of sacred choral singing from Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, and other important regions. Analysis of representative works with comparison to contemporary developments in the West. Also, the development of Greek-American choral music in contemporary usage, and choral music in the Antiochian Church.

LM 18—The Meaning of Liturgical Music
This course features guided listening, performance, and analysis, of significant liturgical works within the Orthodox tradition, from early chants to contemporary compositions. Lectures and musical examples focus on how music, text, and rite impinge upon the liturgical dimension of music as understood in various times and places, leading to the continuum of understanding that exists today. The course will also examine Patristic thought on music as well as modern approaches that prevail among leaders in the field today.