The Saint Christopher's Seminary
for the Province of United Kingdom and Associated Territorities
About Seminary
St. Christopher's Seminary is based in the United Kingdom for potential clergy called Seminarians, who are looking for ordination with the Province of the United Kingdom and it's associated Territories for the United Temple of the Spirit.
We would appreciate it if before contacting us to register that candidates read and discern the Key Questions for Prospective Seminarians document first.
If you wish to attend our Seminary please contact The Most Reverend Dr Jonathan Bennett-Hughes by email.
For current Seminarians, please download the following front sheet for each assignment.
On the successful completion of your studies you will receive a certificate.
Syllabus Ordination Preparation
Syllabus Term I
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Independent Catholics – An Introduction;
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The Old Catholics Catechism;
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Introduction to the History of Christianity:
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An Overview of the First Two Thousand Years,
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The Old Catholic Apostolic Church within Historical Context,
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The Didache, Christianity as the Apostles preached it,
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The One Church of Jesus Christ, and the meaning of the term “Catholic” within context,
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The One Church of Jesus Christ, the Roman Catholic perspective after “Ut Unum Sint” and how the Pontificate of Pope Saint John Paul II gives Ecumenism new significance;
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Paper submission covering any of the subjects in 1/2/3. Canon Law – Old Catholic Apostolic Church Law;
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Paper submission covering subject 4. Christian Philosophy Introductory Guide to Philosophy within a Christian context, its key concepts, scholar arguments and fundamental issues, Christian Philosophy – Introduction;
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Short Summary Essay submission covering subject 5. Theology – A Systematic Narrative Introduction:
Why study Theology;
The Spirit:
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Spirit Knows,
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Loves,
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Is Powerful,
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Spirit Produces What Matter Cannot,
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Spirit Is Not in Space,
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Spirit Is Always Itself;
The Infinite Spirit:
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God Is Infinite Spirit,
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God Is Omnipresent and Eternal,
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God is Knowledge,
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God is Love,
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God is Power;
The Blessed Trinity:
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Three Persons,
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The Doctrine Outlined,
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Mystery,
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Not Contradiction;
The Three Persons:
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Father and Son,
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Holy Spirit,
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Equality in Majesty,
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Appropriation;
The Human Mind & The Doctrine of The Trinity:
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Mystery,
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Making the Doctrine Our Own,
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God Is Love;
Creation:
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All Things of Nothing,
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Without God All Is Meaningless Matter,
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Angels,
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How God Created Humanity;
The Human Nature:
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Soul and Body,
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God’s Law and
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Freedom;
Supernatural Life:
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A Goal above Our Nature,
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Sanctifying Grace,
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Faith, Hope and Charity,
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Supernatural Habits;
The Fall:
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Fall of Angels,
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Fall of Adam,
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Results of Adam’s Fall,
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How to Restore a Fallen Species?
The Redeemer:
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God Became Man,
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Our Lord as We Meet Him,
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Christ: God and Man,
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The Manhood;
Redemption:
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Suffering and Death,
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Passion, Resurrection and Ascension,
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Truth,
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Life,
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Union;
The Visible Church:
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The Structure of the Church,
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The Church Is Catholic and Apostolic,
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The Church Is One,
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The Church Is Holy,
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The Teaching of Truth;
The Mystical Body of Christ;
The Mother of God:
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The Son Who Chose His Mother,
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Immaculate Conception – Dogma, Infallibility and Discord,
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Assumption,
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Our Mother;
Grace, Virtues & Gifts:
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The Moral Virtues,
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Actual Grace,
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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit,
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How Grace Is Lost;
The Sacraments:
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The Sacramental System,
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The Minister,
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How are the Sacraments Administered,
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What the Sacraments Do,
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Forgiveness of Sin;
The Eucharist and Holy Mass:
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The Real Presence,
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Transubstantiation,
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Communion in One Kind,
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The Sacrifice of the Mass;
The Next Life:
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Death,
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Hell,
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Purgatory,
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Heaven;
The End of the World
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Exam Paper Submission, covering subject 6 in any number of its 20 Key Chapters. Exam rules allow for books, notes and research material consultation during the exam. You may consult material, introduce quoted passages, subject to disclosure of the exact source i.e., work title, author, publisher and year of publication, and the page number you are quoting.
Syllabus Term II
The Second and Final Term is rooted in a different approach to what you experienced in TERM I.
In TERM II, the Seminary invites you to pick ONE SUBJECT in each TITLED THEME, and UP TO MAX 5 THEMES.
Research, dig for books, academic papers or any other materials, then write an Essay.
LITURGY STUDIES
LITURGY – HOLY MASS
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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The Traditional Latin Rite – Tridentine Mass: History, Form, and Theology of the Roman Catholic classic Mass.
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The “Novus Ordo”, the post Vatican Council II Reformed Mass.
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The Anglican Rite – How to say Mass.
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The Latin Rite vs. the Anglican Rite – Comparative Analysis.
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The Liberal and Old Catholic Churches Liturgy.
LITURGY – THE LITURGY OF HOURS
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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The Catholic Breviary, what it is and how it works.
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The Catholic Breviary in book format.
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The Catholic Breviary in electronic format – Options.
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The Anglican Breviary – Common Worship Daily Prayer.
LITURGY – THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
(Mandatory Reading)
Brief on general structure.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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Structured vs. Improvised Prayer.
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Spoken vs Mental Prayer.
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Popular prayer: The Rosary.
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Popular prayer: The Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
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Popular prayer: The Novena.
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Classic prayers: In the Latin Rite
PASTORAL CARE STUDIES
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY PASTORAL CARE
(All subjects are mandatory in Module 1, if you choose to study it)
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Introduction;
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The Chaplain – A Brief History;
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The Chaplain – Professionalisation;
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The Modern Chaplain – Ethnography, Faith Communities, Auto-Ethnography Methodologies;
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Religion, Spirituality and Secularisation;
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Concluding Notes
{ EXAM }
PASTORAL CARE OF THE ELDERLY & THE DYING
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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Reflections on Caring for the Elderly and the Dying;
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Practical Guidance in Hospice and Palliative Care for Chaplains and Volunteers;
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How to approach Dying Adults to Prepare, practical guidance for Clergy and Chaplains;
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Chaplains’ Thoughts on Death, Dying and Pastoral Care.
{ ESSAY }
PASTORAL CARE IN A GEOGRAPHICALLY DEFINED PARISH
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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Pastoral Outreach to tackle Loneliness and Depression in the Parish;
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Re-thinking the Parish from Pastoral Care to Mission;
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Anglicanism: Renewal of Parish Ministry;
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Catholicism: Renovation – From Maintenance to Missionary Parish;
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Why the UTotS does not usually keep geographical parishes.
{ ESSAY }
PASTORAL CARE IN AN EVER GROWING DIGITAL WORLD
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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The Analog Church vs. The Digital Church;
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Preaching in the Binary World of Entertainment;
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The Christian Ministry of the Digital Era;
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Ministry in the Sphere of Social Media.
{ ESSAY }
PASTORAL CARE FOR CHRISTIAN LGBTQ COMMUNITIES
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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Adam & Eve or Adam & Steve? Why the question is false!
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The Gospel of Inclusion – Making the Case for full LGBTQ Integration in the Christian Community;
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LGBTQiA Youth Ministry – Practical Guidance;
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LGBTQ – Unlocking Thomas Aquinas in the words of the World’s most celebrated Thomistic Dominican Theologian;
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Jesus, Bible and LGBTQ – Exploding the Myths.
{ ESSAY }
SPECIALIST STUDIES
GENERAL ECCLESIOLOGY
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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Women, Holy Orders & Models of the Western Church;
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Women, Holy Orders & Models of the Orthodox Church;
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Liberation Ecclesiology & Relevance to Latin America and the World;
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Roman Catholic Ecclesiology;
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Anglican Ecclesiology;
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Eastern Orthodox Ecclesiology;
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The Pauline Churches – Their Shape & Direction;
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Early Ecclesiology in the West
CHRISTOLOGY
(Choose ONE Subject ONLY)
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Who is Jesus Christ?;
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The Biblical Jesus and the Historical Jesus;
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Divine and Human – Understanding the True Nature of Jesus;
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The Original Christian Christ vs. the Islamic Christ;
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The Doctrinal Effect of the Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus and Chalcedon;
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Knowing about Jesus & Knowing Jesus – The Journey from Christology to Spirituality;
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Feminist Christology – Explorative Journey.