Eastern Christian studies in the Byzantine tradition
Eastern Christian Studies at Saint Ignatios Folk High School gives participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Eastern Christian tradition — its writings, history, liturgy, languages and community life. The Eastern Christian world encompasses a rich diversity of churches, traditions and cultures, united by a common heritage of biblical faith, patristic theology and liturgical worship with roots in the earliest centuries of Christianity.
This combination course brings together two or more courses from the Department of Byzantine-Christian Studies. Participants start together and then continue with their respective course choices, which they study in parallel during the academic year.
The participants choose from the following courses:
- Bible Talks
- Byzantine church music
- Courage to Act: Social Transformation through the Church and Education
- Conflicts and Interpretation through Church History
Learning objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants are expected (individually and collectively) to be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge in one or more areas of Eastern Christian studies — such as scripture, church history, liturgy, sacred languages or church life — based on the courses they have chosen;
- engage in dialogue with others about the themes and issues they have encountered in their studies, starting from different perspectives and lived experiences within the group;
- reflect on how their chosen field of study connects to broader questions of faith, identity, culture and community;
- apply insights from their studies in a personally meaningful way and identify connections to their own life context, whether in terms of the church, education or civil society; and
- recognising their own development as learners, including how collective and dialogue-based learning has shaped their understanding over the course.
Requirements
Attendance is compulsory. Participants are expected to take part in all course activities, both by attending and actively participating in scheduled sessions and by completing assignments outside scheduled lessons. If participants miss lessons, they may need to complete additional assignments to meet the course’s learning objectives. To be considered as having completed the course, 80% attendance and active participation are required.
Syllabus
See the syllabus for further information.