In January 2015, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary will be offering four public courses, comprising an online and a residential component. Offerings include three pastoral theology courses and one liturgical music course, taught by experts in their fields: "The Therapeutic Encounter," by Dr. Daniel Hinshaw; "The Parish and Prison Ministry," by The Very Rev. Dr. Nicholas Solak and The Rev. Stephen Powley, executive director, Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM); "Stewardship in American Orthodoxy," by The Very Rev. Dr. Robert Holet; and "The Music and Faith of Arvo Pärt," with Dr. Peter Bouteneff.
"Each course uniquely and practically addresses pastoral and mission-minded concerns," Dr. Barnet continued. "Students will have opportunity to learn, for example, with Dr. Hinshaw, a holistic approach to healing rooted in Orthodox Christian spirituality, and how to apply that approach within an actual healing encounter; or they can learn with Fathers Solak and Powley how to prepare a parish to accept a recently released prisoner into its fold, or how to begin a parish-run Bible study at a local prison.
"Likewise, with Fr. Holet, students can learn how to create a functional parish stewardship program as modeled by the sacrificial High Priesthood of Christ; and with Dr. Bouteneff, they will be able to explore how the sacred arts engage the surrounding culture, becoming a witness to the Orthodox faith.
"I'm elated that we are able to offer these exciting opportunities to both our current students, so that they may augment their education, and to our alumni and the general public, so that they may continue their education," concluded Dr. Barnet.
Course participants will be able to earn one Masters-level credit for each of the courses, and there are no pre-requisites for enrollment. Courses will begin with 10 hours of online instruction (starting Monday, January 12), followed by the residential component (either January 18–23 or January 19–24), which includes 2.5 hours of instruction and 2 hours of homework per day for five days, and will conclude with a 10-hour writing assignment, due Saturday, January 31.
Students who are already enrolled at the seminary may begin the registration process by contacting Dr. John Barnet: jbarnet@svots.edu. Students not currently enrolled currently should begin registration by first contacting Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, director of Admissions: jmatusiak@svots.edu. Deadline for registration is November 6.
To view course details and to download a registration form, click here. The cost of each 1-credit course is $438.00 plus a registration fee of $35.00; the cost of each course for auditors is $219.00 plus a registration fee of $35.00.
Important Note: On-campus housing for the required residential component of the courses is not available; participants who are not enrolled students are welcome to commute if they live nearby, or to take advantage of local accommodations in the area.
