Bishops, General Convention deputies, and anyone who wants to study the work of the Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Study of Marriage may earn two continuing education units through the online course “Dearly Beloved: Rethinking Marriage.”
The course is offered through the Church Divinity School of the Pacific’s Center for Anglican Learning and Leadership. CALL offers online courses, on-campus courses, and continuing education certificates throughout the year. “Dearly Beloved” is part of CALL 2015’s seven-course winter term.
“Dearly Beloved” will meet for a seven-week period from January 26 to March 16. The instructor is the Rev. Brian C. Taylor, a veteran rector in the Diocese of the Rio Grande and chairman of the task force.
A course description says, in part:
Is there one “traditional view” of marriage, or have there been many different ones in various times and places? What are the characteristics of a “Christian” or “holy” marriage? What might the Episcopal Church say or do about same-sex marriage? What are some of the trends in society today that are challenging marriage as the norm for adult relationships? What does [S]cripture say about marriage? What kind of theology will help us rethink marriage in a way that honors both our tradition and the realities of the world we live in today? These are some of the questions that we will explore in this course.
… Our primary text will be the documents prepared by the Task Force on the Study of Marriage for the Episcopal Church’s 2015 General Convention. Essays include historical overviews of marriage and marriage canons, biblical and theological perspectives, and data on changing trends. A secondary text is Reinventing Marriage: What Marriage Has Been and Is and Might Be, by Christopher L. Webber. Students will also be encouraged, if possible, to form a discussion group in their congregations in order to facilitate conversations on marriage, using the Task Force’s tool kit for the study of marriage called “Dearly Beloved.”
These are the other courses in the CALL 2015 winter schedule:
- “What We Believe: Theology in the Anglican Tradition” with the Rev. John Kater (Essential Anglican Studies)
- “Adventures in Lifelong Formation” with Ruth-Ann Collins
- “Ritual Care in Times of Transition” with Elaine Ramshaw
- “Facing Choices: Ethics in the Anglican Tradition” with the Rev. Austin Leininger (Essential Anglican Studies)
- “The Diaconate” with Roderick B. Dugliss
- “Reimagining the People of God: Learning from Ezra and Nehemiah” with Donn Morgan
Registration began December 1.
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Henrico, Virginia.
