Faculty of Theology About

Our Programs

The Faculty of Theology offers nine degree and two diploma programs.The MDiv, MTS, MRE and MACL degrees, as well as the Diploma programs, specialize in education and formation for ministry, including the ordained ministry, religious education and other pastoral ministries, especially in the Roman Catholic Church. The ThM affords the opportunity for further study to those who have completed an MDiv. The DMin Program offers advanced level theological reflection and research on the practice of ministry. The MA, ThD, and PhD programs are designed to provide a research-oriented education to women and men preparing to teach and pursue research in universities, seminaries or schools of theology.

Mission Statement

Our mission of teaching, service, research, and publication is accomplished in two spheres. First, within St. Michael's and the wider Toronto School of Theology community, we are committed to excellence in our Basic and Advanced Programs. Second, and more broadly, the Faculty serves four communities: the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto, the academy, the Church, and society.

Context and Scope of Mission

Origins and Identity

We are a Faculty of Theology engaged in the exploration and proclamation of the mystery of God in contemporary culture. Like the University of St. Michael's College, our identity is explicitly Christian and Catholic, rooted in the heritage of the Congregation of St. Basil. We commit ourselves to the faithful and creative interpretation and articulation of the biblical, liturgical, theological, ethical, pastoral, historical and cultural dimensions of our Catholic faith for the sake of the Church in our world of today. We reflect our Catholic identity in our faculty, our programs, and our commitment to the formation of our students for service in the church and society.

Values

The Faculty of Theology reflects the diversity of the Church and Canadian society. We welcome a wide range of theological perspectives and are committed to dialogue and collaboration. Faithful to the Second Vatican Council, we are nourished by approaches emerging from our globalized context, including, ecumenical, liberationist, feminist, ecological and interreligious concerns. In the spirit of our Basilian heritage we are guided by the principles of goodness, discipline, and knowledge.

Our commitment to diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, and culture is reflected in our students, staff and faculty. We strive to create a community of hospitality, equality, collegiality, and justice for all. Our communal life hinges upon the habits of study and worship.

The future of the Faculty is shaped by our discernment of the evolving character and needs of the Church. We strive to be a centre of excellence in theological studies and ministerial leadership for the renewal of the Church and the transformation of the world.

History and the Basilian Heritage

The Faculty of Theology springs from the mission of the Basilian Fathers, a congregation of priests and students for the priesthood dedicated to education and evangelization. The Basilian Fathers were established in Annonay, France in 1822 and took St Basil the Great (330-379) as their patron. St. Basil's conviction that Christian doctrine and values could be conveyed through a critical dialogue with secular culture has remained a hallmark of Basilian pedagogy. Invited to Toronto in 1850 by Bishop de Charbonnel, a small group of French Basilians opened St Michael's College in 1852, an institution combining high-school and university education. Almost a century later, the precursor to the current Faculty of Theology opened in St Basil's College at 95 St. Joseph Street, Toronto. The motto of the Basilian Fathers, "teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge," expresses succinctly their philosophy of education. By cooperating closely with other religious congregations and dioceses, with laymen and laywomen, the Basilian Fathers seek to address the needs of the local church in which they serve in accordance with their particular charism. Drawing inspiration from its Basilian heritage, the Faculty of Theology fulfils its own mission of educating men and women for faithful and creative participation in the mission of the church.

St. Michael’s College, a founding member of the University of Toronto, was incorporated by legislative act in 1855. From the beginning, the teaching of theology was a primary focus for the mission of St. Michael’s College; however, it was only in 1954 that an amending Act gave the College power to confer degrees in theology. St. Michael’s College conferred its first degrees on 29 September 1955. In 1958, a new Act created the University of St. Michael’s College, its Arts faculty remaining a college in the University of Toronto. The University of St. Michael’s College retained the Faculty of Theology and the right to confer degrees.

On 1 July 1978, the Toronto School of Theology and its member schools entered into a contractual relationship with the University of Toronto whereby most degrees given within the Toronto School of Theology are conjointly conferred by the individual colleges and the University of Toronto. As of 1 May 1979, the Faculty of Theology assumed governing responsibility for the MA and PhD programs formerly conducted by the Institute of Christian Thought.

The Faculty of Theology is empowered to recommend candidates to the Senate of the University of St. Michael’s College for admission to the following conjoint degrees: Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Theological Studies (MTS), Master of Religious Education (MRE), Master of Theology (ThM), Doctor of Ministry (DMin), Doctor of Theology (ThD); and the St. Michael’s degrees: Master of Arts in Catholic Leadership (MACL), Master of Arts in Theology (MA), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD in Theology). It also recommends candidates for the Diploma in Religious Education, the Diploma in Theological Studies, and the Certificate of Specialization in Theology and Ecology.

The Faculty collaborates with the Division of Continuing Education of the University of St. Michael’s College in offering courses towards several certificate programs. These include the Certificate Program in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a program in religious education of children between the ages of three and twelve; the Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies, the Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility and the Certificate in Catholic Leadership, a program designed for senior administrators of Catholic institutions and services.

Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Initiatives

Faithful to the Church’s commitment to Christian unity, the Faculty encourages active ecumenical and interfaith collaboration in education, research and worship. Locally, the mission of the Faculty of Theology unfolds in the context of the churches represented at the Toronto School of Theology.

At the forefront of the Faculty’s initiatives are the development of Eastern Christian Studies and the fostering of deeper relationships with the Jewish community in Toronto.

Emergent Global Civilization

Engaging the signs of the times, cognizant of the international dimension of the theological enterprise and its implications for justice and peace, the Faculty participates in emerging global dialogues. The Elliott Allen Institute of Theology and Ecology, the Religious Education Africa Project, and the Israel Programs facilitate the exchange of persons and ideas across national and cultural boundaries in order to achieve more informed theological perspectives on the questions facing our world. In this way, the Faculty participates in the ongoing examination and evangelization of human society.