As a Founding Member of the Toronto School of Theology, Accredited Member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. The Faculty of Theology is a Graduate Division of the University of St. Michael’s College, the Roman Catholic University federated with the University of Toronto. The Faculty shares the University’s purpose and its rootedness in the heritage of its founders, the Congregation of St. Basil.
The Faculty of Theology offers nine degree and three 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.
Read more about:
- Institutional Identity
- Organization and Governance
- The Spiritual Dimension
- Accreditation
- The Faculty of Theology and the Toronto School of Theology
Mission Statement
The Faculty of Theology provides graduate theological education in programs of an academic and professional nature, and promotes research in these areas. Through its programs and resources, the Faculty forms men and women for faithful and creative leadership in the mission of the Church.
Context and Scope of Mission
Origins and Identity
Grounded in the scriptural, historical, and doctrinal sources and practices that have shaped the Roman Catholic tradition, the Faculty seeks faithfully to carry that identity into the future. Informed by the teaching and spirit of Vatican II, the Faculty creatively draws upon those sources for the renewal of the Church and transformation the world.
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. Michel’s College; however, it was only in 1954 that an amending Act gave the College power to confer degrees in theology. The Faculty of Theology conferred its first degrees on 29 September 1955. In 1958, a new Act created the University of St. Michael’s College. Its Arts Faculty became 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.
Academic and Pastoral Formation
The Faculty pursues its mission of education and research in the context of a communal life of study, worship and witness to the gospel. Its international student body and teaching staff, comprising men and women, married and single lay persons, vowed religious and clergy, mirrors the present reality of the Church.
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.
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.