SMCE3016 S26 Ritual Spaces and the Sacred Imagination

• Duration: Four weeks
• Day of the Week: Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Dates:
  • In-class sessions on-campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto (Mary Ward Centre, Loretto College, 70 St. Mary St), Tuesdays, 6:30–8:30 pm: May 5, 12, 19, and Thursday, May 21, 2026
  • Visits to places of worship in Toronto (locations TBD), Thursdays, 6:00–8:00 pm: May 7 and May 14, 2026
• Location: In class sessions: Mary Ward Centre, 2nd Floor, Loretto College and various places of worship (locations TBD)
• Cost: $150 (includes HST) **15% discount available to alumni of the University of St. Michael’s College and seniors 65+
• Level of Interfaith Dialogue (for learners taking the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue): Dialogue of Religious Experience

Course Overview

This course explores the dynamic relationship between ritual, sacred space, and imagination within the Christian tradition, with attention to contemporary questions of inclusion and accessibility. Learners will examine how architectural design shapes worship practices, and how ritual action transforms physical spaces into sites of spiritual meaning.

Through lectures, guided discussion, site visits to significant sacred spaces in Toronto, and hands-on design workshops, participants will engage both theory and practice. The course emphasizes inclusive and accessible approaches to ritual environments, inviting learners to reflect on how sacred spaces can foster belonging, participation, and community engagement today.

Ritual Spaces and the Sacred Imagination is ideal for those interested in theology, architecture, liturgical studies, and inclusive design, and offers a rich opportunity to bridge historical insight with contemporary application.

This course is an elective within the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue, and is open to all learners.

Method of Instruction

This course combines classroom sessions (on-campus at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto) with in-person experiential components. Instructional methods include lectures, seminar-style discussions, site visits, case studies, and collaborative design workshops.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Conceptualize an inclusive sacred or ritual space that integrates theological meaning, ritual practice, and principles of accessibility and belonging.

Explain the function and significance of rituals, sacred actions, symbols, and sacred space within the Christian tradition.

Show how ritual practices and sacred symbols shape the architecture and use of worship spaces, and how spatial design influences religious experience.

Analyze how spirituality and theological imagination inform the design, movement, and use of sacred spaces in historical and contemporary contexts.

Assess how sacred spaces and ritual environments can promote or inhibit inclusion, accessibility, and participation within faith communities.

About the Instructor

Dr. David Pereyra, M. Arch., Ph.D.
Dr. Pereyra has extensive experience teaching courses and workshops on sacred architecture, ritual studies, and Christian art at the University of St. Michael’s College, OCAD University, and international institutions. His previous courses include Early Christian Art in Cultural Context, Christian Imagination: Visual Arts, and Sacred Space in the Christian Tradition. He has also led workshops on inclusive design for sacred spaces.

Dr. Pereyra’s teaching combines academic rigor with practical insight, emphasizing experiential learning through site visits to churches, museums, and sacred spaces. His work invites learners to engage sacred architecture as a living dialogue between tradition, imagination, and contemporary community needs.

Questions?

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