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A Short Summary of What Candidates Ought to
Know in Each of the Seven Canonical Areas
I. The Holy Scriptures
·
The various scholarly approaches to biblical criticism
- their values and limitations.
·
Principles and practice of exegesis and hermeneutics.
·
Chronology, history, important personalities in the
Old Testament, New Testament and Apocrypha.
·
Geography of biblical lands.
·
Knowledge of world events and their effects upon the
development of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
·
Gospel narratives in Johannine and Synoptic
traditions, including Acts.
·
Theme, contents and historical context of each Old and
New Testament book.
·
Major theological developments in the entire
tradition.
·
Biblical sources of Christian creeds and historical
doctrines.
II. Church History, including the Ecumenical
Movement
·
Major events and personalities from Apostolic and
Patristic times through medieval and reformation periods to the
present - in relationship to their historical and social contexts.
·
Development of distinctive Church institutions,
formation of the canon of scripture, doctrinal development,
heresies, theological controversies, creeds, classical writings,
missionary expansion.
·
Church of England from beginning to present,
especially the Reformation period and since - Caroline Divines,
evangelical revival, Tractarians, expansion of the Anglican
Communion, Anglican role in ecumenical movement.
·
The Episcopal Church from beginning to present in
context of American Church history in general - major events and
personalities.
·
Modern missionary movement, biblical and theological
basis, relation to Ecumenical Movement.
·
General knowledge of Comparative religions.
III. Christian Theology, including Missionary
Theology and Missiology
·
Doctrines: Revelation, Creation, Sin, Christology,
Atonement, Trinity, Soteriology, Church, Sacraments, Missiology and
Eschatology.
·
History of Christian thought: Church Fathers, creedal
development, Anglican tradition, recent developments.
·
Application: ascetical, hermeneutical, apologetic -
relation to contemporary understandings of human nature in both
individual and social dimensions.
IV. Christian Ethics and Moral Theology
·
The sources of Christian ethics and moral theology,
including the Holy Scriptures, Christian tradition and experience.
·
Major ethical theories and major figures in the field.
·
The nature, focus and justification for "the good"
including the relation between God, Christ and the good.
·
The nature of moral agency, including the
understanding of such issues as freedom, responsibility, obligation,
virtue, conscience and character.
·
Moral judgment, including the knowledge of the
relation between religious belief and moral judgment.
·
The place of spirituality in Anglican teaching about
the moral life.
·
Major moral issues facing Christians, past and
present, and how Anglican moral theologians have resolved or might
resolve them.
V. Studies in Contemporary Society, including
Racial and Minority Groups
·
Current social issues and problems, such as poverty,
homelessness, hunger, racism, injustice, addiction, crime,
illegitimacy, child abuse, war and peace, environmental pollution,
etc.
·
Ways in which the Church and Christian individuals
have addressed and may address these.
·
Current concerns peculiar to major ethnic groups in
the USA.
VI. Liturgics and Church Music
·
Christian worship and music according to the contents
and use of the Book of Common Prayer and the the various hymnals.
·
Historical development of Christian worship from
Jewish origins to present.
·
Theological understanding of the role and function of
worship in the life of individuals and of the Church.
·
Sacramental theology.
·
Esthetic and nonverbal elements of worship.
·
The role of music in particular.
·
Evolution, contents and use of the Book of Common
Prayer, the Hymnal 1982, and other authorized liturgical and musical
resources.
VII. Theory and Practice of Ministry
·
Theology of vocation and of all forms of ministry.
·
Ministerial roles of laity, diaconate, priesthood and
episcopate.
·
Duties and responsibilities of clergy in contemporary
Church.
·
Nature and significance of pastoral care.
·
Knowledge of the practice of preaching, counselling,
spiritual direction, the education of people of all ages, parish
administration, stewardship, and evangelism.
·
Polity of our Church, Constitution and Canons,
national and local.
Source: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/1521_6636_ENG_HTM.htm |