The
2022 Conference classes were as follows:
FIRST PERIOD
SURVEY – (REQUIRED for all 1st year students). Frs. Joseph Francis- A study of the basic aspects of the Christian life.
RECEIVING THE WORD OF GOD – (REQUIRED for all 2nd year students) - Fr. Jeff Stubbs - An introduction to and survey of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
The following electives are ONLY for 4th years and above
Be sure to mark your 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th elective choices when you register
JULIAN OF NORWICH: REVELATIONS OF DIVINE LOVE – Fr Micah Snell - In this class we will look at the writings of a medieval mystic woman who, through her suffering, experienced revelations of God's love. As Lady Julian writes: "Our Lord gives generously...and sometimes allows us sorrow; and both come from the same love. So it is God's will that we should hold on to gladness with all our might, for bliss lasts eternally, and pain passes and shall vanish completely for those who are saved. And therefore it is not God's will that we should be guided by feelings of pain, grieving and mourning over them, but should pass quickly beyond them and remain in eternal joy."
SAINTS YOU SHOULD KNOW – Fr Geordan Geddings - Who are the Saints? Discover how saints are made. We will also learn about some of the best known and least known saints, and how you can become one too! And one was a doctor, and one was a queen, and one was a shepherdess on the green; they were all of them saints of God, and I mean, God helping, to be one too.
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE – Fr Edward Fitzhugh – Exploring different ways of connecting with God on a deeper level through prayer, meditation, fasting, and using scripture.
I THINK, THEREFORE I… WHAT? – Fr John Mack - What is science? Where does it come from? Is it real? Is anything real? Does knowledge of the created world have anything to do with knowledge of the Creator? This class will explore the Christian view of creation and the human role of knowing and stewarding God’s world.
MATTER MATTERS: THE SACRAMENTAL WORLDVIEW OF AUTHENTIC
CHRISTIANITY – Fr Ronald Drummond – Are we just souls trapped inside a shell of a body?
Brains on a stick? Is the point of Christianity to “die and go to Heaven?” This course will look at
how Christianity views the “stuff” of creation: not just the bread, wine, water, and oil of the
sacraments; but bodies, trees, dirt, mountains, food, drink, and all the other “stuff” of the
physical realm and how that “stuff” participates in the reality of God’s kingdom.
SECOND PERIOD
Be sure to rank your elective choices when you register
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – Fr. Martin Yost – Mary is a model and intercessor for all Christians. In this class, we will discuss the key doctrines concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in salvation and discover the beauty of devotion to the Mother of God.
MADE WHITE WITH BLOOD – Fr Spencer Stubblefield – “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” -Revelation 7:14. Made White with Blood will look at intriguing and inspiring martyrs found throughout the history of the Church. How they died, why they died, and how they had the strength to face such trials for the sake of their faith and the Gospel.
APOCALYPSE NOW – Fr Edward Fitzhugh - Is the Book of Revelation really about the end times? What was Saint John really talking about in this cryptic book and what does it all mean? Where does the Church get its liturgy? Is an antichrist really coming? Find out in this fascinating, informative course.
1 CLEMENT: A LETTER FROM THE EARLY CHURCH – Fr Jeff Stubbs - After Paul wrote his letters to the Corinthians, they began a golden age where they were a shining start in the Christian world. Then they began to act foolish again, and Clement, the Bishop of Rome, writes a letter to correct their behavior. Craziness ensues. And there is a phoenix in it.
DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? – Fr John Mack - Mortality is a fact of human life. For centuries, Christians have prepared for eternity by recalling the fragility of life. Drawing on the gospels and the lives of the Saints, this course will look at the meaning of life, the dignity of the human body, the right way to practice detachment, and how the recollection of death allows us to accept God’s gift of abundant life in Jesus Christ.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN C.S. LEWIS’ “THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS” PART II – Fr Micah Snell - "There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against [God]." How are we deceived through fear and uncertainty? What will set us free from sin and temptation? The devil is a liar. Following C.S. Lewis' brilliant example, let us learn to defeat the devil with eyes and hearts full of the truth. (This class covers different material than Screwtape Letters Part I and may be taken by anyone.)
DEADLY SINS & HEAVENLY VIRTUES – Fr Timothy Matkin - For each of the capital vices, there are corresponding virtues. A virtue ethic tries to steer the middle way along the path of righteousness, avoiding the ditches on the sides when we run off the road. Good habits keep us on the straight and narrow way that leads to eternal life.
THIRD PERIOD
THE MASS – (REQUIRED for all 1st year students).- Fr. Martin Yost - What is the Mass? Why do we do what we do? What did Jesus mean when he said “Do this in remembrance of me”?
TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS - (REQUIRED for all 2nd year students) - Fr. Micah Snell - “There is a story about a schoolboy who was asked what he thought God was like. He replied... that God was ‘The sort of person who is always snooping round to see if anyone is enjoying himself and then trying to stop it.’ And I am afraid that is the sort of idea that the word Morality raises in a good many people’s minds, as something that stops you from having a good time. In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine” from Christian Behavior by C.S. Lewis. This course will look at Christian decision making and our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
CHURCH HISTORY (REQUIRED for all 3rd year students) - Fr. Spencer Stubblefield - The sweeping saga of the great commission unfolding through the pages of history from the Acts of the Apostles to the 21st Century.
The following Electives are ONLY for 3rd Years and above
Be sure to rank your elective choices when you register
TYPOLOGY: THE FORGOTTEN GRAMMAR OF THE BIBLE – Fr Jeff Stubbs - Would you like to learn how to read the Bible better? I would like to teach you how to read the Bible better. Deepen your faith and impress your friends. All with the tools you already have on hand.
CRADLE TO GRAVE: THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE – Fr Travis Province - From the moment we enter this world to the moment we depart it, we are enveloped in the sacramental embrace of the Church. Learn more about the ways in which the sacraments convey God’s grace to us at key points all along our pilgrimage through this life and the ways in which various sacramentals and devotions renew and strengthen our faith in God and His grace.
ALL ABOUT PURGATORY – Fr Timothy Matkin - What happens when you die? Do the redeemed immediately experience heaven, or is there a transition in between? What's the Anglican answer? The Protestant answer? The Roman Catholic answer? The biblical answer? You'll find the answers to all these questions and more.
THE ADVENTURES OF KING DAVID - Fr Geordan Geddings - One of the most adventurous and action packed tales of the Old Testament! Come and learn about the “King Arthur of the Bible,” and how he points us to Jesus. It’s better than the Avengers!
