CoursesCourses at Seabury
Seabury Western offers a wide variety of courses designed to prepare men and women for service to the Church.
Download our June 2010-May 2011 course catalog here.
Learn more about our Anglican Studies program here.
Fall 2010
Anglican Liturgy and Music
This course is an introduction to the principles and practices of Anglican worship with particular focus on the Episcopal Church. The course will cover the nature of worship and the history of its evolution; contemporary liturgical and sacramental theology and practice; and the theology and use of music in worship. As a core component of Seabury’s Anglican Studies program, “Anglican Liturgy and Music” complements other seminary courses and assumes some introductory knowledge of scripture, theology, and liturgy.
Instructor: Dr. Therese DeLisio, Adjunct Professor of Liturgics and Theology; and Mr. Milner Seifert, Lecturer in Sacred Music
Dates: September 10-11; October 8-9; November 5-6, 2010 (Friday 1 pm-Saturday 4 pm); January on-campus intensives in 2012. Fall weekend intensives in 2013. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv.
Episcopal Church History and Polity
This course concentrates on the ways in which the transplanted Church of England in North America was transformed by the American Revolution, the establishment of the United States, and the general context of American religious experience, particularly in the colonial and Federal periods.
Instructor: Thomas Haverly, Ph.D., independent scholar
Dates: September 17-18; October 15-16; November 12-13, 2010 (Friday 1 pm-Saturday 4 pm); January on-campus intensives in 2012. Fall weekend intensives in 2013. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv.
Navigating the Valley of Shadows: Faith and Ethics at Life's End
Many people seem to believe that ethics is primarily about choosing right over wrong. Life, of course, is rarely that straightforward—particularly when it comes to life’s endings. In this course, we will consider how to weigh competing values when we can’t honor them all, and how to work with others whose ethical and theological frameworks lead them to different conclusions. Topics covered will include pain and suffering, decision-making, conflict, and grief, healing, and resilience. Participants will explore liturgical resources and reflect on practical implications for pastoral care.
Instructor: The Rev. Jacqueline R. Cameron, MD, Education Associate, Bishop Anderson Institute; Assistant Professor, Department of Religion, Health and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago Il.
Dates: September 24-25; October 29-30; December 10-11, 2010 (Friday 1 pm-Saturday 4 pm). Preparatory work begins August 15 and online coursework continues until December 17.
Click here for information about registration and fees for all courses.
January 2011
The Anglican Ethos
Anglicanism is a style of being Christian which begins in prayer and is then lived out in reflection and action. This course explores the ways in which four historical periods have shaped the way Anglicans do liturgy, theology, and ministry: the Early Church, the 16th century Reformation in England, the 19th century controversies between low church Evangelicals and high church Tractarians, and the contemporary reality of the Anglican Communion.
Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Ralph McMichael, independent scholar and author, formerly on the faculty of Nashotah House
Dates: Fall weekend intensive in 2012; January on-campus intensives in 2011, 2013. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv.
Anglican Theology and Ethics
Within Christian theology, Anglican theology and ethics have particular emphases in particular areas: authority, the use of Scripture, the conscience, the Incarnation. A primary focus of the course will be the breadth and variety of theologies and ethics in the worldwide Anglican Communion. “Classic” Anglican theologians and moral theologians will be studied to see how their thought continues to influence contemporary Anglican thought and practice.
Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Ralph McMichael, independent scholar and author, formerly on the faculty of Nashotah House
Dates: Spring weekend intensive in 2012; January on-campus intensives in 2011, 2013. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv.
Reading the Bible Through Other Eyes
What does the Bible say? That depends on who's reading it. We privilege some voices and silence others. Yet we must allow the texts to speak freshly in various contexts. This course is offered in conjunction with the Trinity Institute, featuring Walter Brueggerman, Teresa Okure, and Gerald West.
Instructor: Dr. Cheryl Pero, ELCA pastor, Bible scholar, and womanist theologian
Dates: January 17-21, 2011. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv or DMin.
Ministry in Multi-Faith America
The 21st century context for ministry is a multi-faith America. For example, there are more Muslims in the United States population than there are Episcopalians. This course provides an opportunity to explore one religious tradition other than your own, to discover ways to build relationships with the religious "other" through dialogue, as well as theological reflection on what it means to be a Christian leader in these times.
Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Susan Harlow, Director of Congregational Development and Professor of Practical Theology at Seabury-Western
Dates: January 24-28, 2011. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv or DMin.
Spring 2011
Contemporary Issues in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
This course offers participants an opportunity to explore contemporary issues through an Anglican tradition of thoughtful theological reflection, dialogue, and examination of courses of action that reflect baptismal living and are applicable to daily lives and decisions. Topics for exploration will include current mission priorities of the Episcopal Church, such as the Millennium Develop Goals and ways to overcome poverty in the world, as well as current topics of dialogue throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion, such as issues related to the theologies of Scripture and of human sexuality.
Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Ellen K. Wondra, Professor of Theology Ethics and Academic Dean at Seabury
Dates: February 18-19; March 18-19; April 15-16, 2011. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv or DMin.
Introduction to Theological Ethics
How then, are we to live, now that we have decided to follow Jesus? In this course we will study a range of approaches to Christian ethics, some focusing on formation, some on purposes, some on principles. We will see something of how the traditions associated with Christian ethics have developed and how we may think and talk about issues facing us in a variety of contexts today. Along the way, we will notice ways in which ethics connect theology, pastoral practice and everyday life. Students will have a chance to explore and present some specific issues at some depth and to learn from each other.
Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Ellen Wondra, Professor of Theology Ethics and Academic Dean at Seabury-Western
Dates: January 17-21, 2011, online only. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv.
Praying Shapes Believing
This class offers an orientation to a variety of spiritual practices, with attention to principles that guide their use for personal formation and cultivation of communities. While drawing on resources from a wide variety of Christian spiritual traditions, course materials focus on historical roots of Anglican identity along with contemporary developments in the United States and worldwide. Participation involves experiential learning.
Instructor: The Rt. Rev. Frank T. Griswold, III, former Bishop of Chicago and former Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church
Dates: March 25-26; April 1-2; April 8-9, 2011. 3 credit or CEU hrs. MDiv or DMin.
For more information and registration information, contact Seabury registrar Peggy Pearson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 847-328-9300 ext. 44.