Rites of Initiation: Baptism, Anointing, Eucharist

How does the church make Christians? This is a question that has theological, ecclesial, liturgical, pastoral, cultural, missional, and pedagogical significance for the Eastern Christian churches today. In this course, students will study the rites of initiation of the Coptic, Syriac, Ethio-Eritrean, and Byzantine traditions, from historical-liturgical, theological, pastoral, and missional perspectives. The goal of the course is to provide students with a thorough foundation in the historical, theological, pastoral, and missional dimensions of the churches rites of initiation in the 21st century. At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to:Demonstrate a knowledge of the historical and theological development of eastern Christian rites of initiation;Employ historical, theological, and pastoral approaches in the analysis of their chosen traditions rites of initiation;Reflect upon the theological, pastoral, and liturgical problems around the celebration of the rites of initiation in the 21st century, especially in the diaspora