What We Believe: Theology in the Anglican Tradition

It has become rather commonplace to suppose that Anglican Christians care mostly about liturgy and not very much about theology. That’s not true! Anglican traditions exhibit a rich and diverse history of theological reflection. Anglicans have always insisted that that how Christians think and talk about God makes a critical difference in what Christians believe. As the product of a living tradition, Anglican theology is in constant and evolving dialogue with the diverse contexts in which it takes shape. In this course we will explore our theological roots in the Anglican tradition and will engage the tradition from the perspectives we bring to the conversation as we explore some of the major figures in Anglican theology like Richard Hooker, F. D.Maurice and William Temple. We will wrestle together with how we approach creation, incarnation, the Church’s sacraments and some of the contemporary issues that have concerned Anglicans, both in our own setting and around the world. And we will explore together how and why theology matters.

March 27 – May 15, 2017 (One week break for Holy Week)

Instructor: The Rev. Dr. John Kater

Dr. Kater studied at Columbia University, the General Theological Seminary and McGill University in Montreal. He has served as a parish priest in the US as well as the Education Officer in Panama. In 1990 he joined the faculty of CDSP as Professor of Ministry Development and was the director of CALL for its first ten years. Officially retired, John continues to teach at CDSP in the fall semester as Professor Emeritus. Each spring he serves as Visiting Professor at Ming Hua Theological College in Hong Kong.