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.

Instructor: A native of Virginia, John Kater served as assistant minister and later as rector at Christ Episcopal Church, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and also taught for ten years as a visiting professor at Vassar College. From 1984 to 1990 he served as education officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Panama and priest-in-charge of Iglesia San Francisco de Asís in Panama City. He joined the faculty of CDSP in 1990. Since “official” retirement in 2007, he teaches at Ming Hua Theological College in Hong Kong in the spring term and at CDSP during the June low-residency.