Current Course Offerings

This course presents the mystical traditions of Christianity with reference to other faith practices as the experience of a sacred journey of transformation according to the narrative pattern of life, death, and resurrection (or, in Richard Rohr’s contemporary expression, “order, disorder, and reorder”). As we examine the rich history of Christian mystical experience and parallels within other ancient spiritual traditions, we will recognise the special role of entheogens, sacred fungus and plant medicines, alongside other practices, in facilitating or deepening transcendent experience. We will examine the potential role of entheogens in mystical encounters today, mindful of both ethical considerations and diverse perspectives on their usage. Interdisciplinary reflection will draw upon research in human consciousness, psychology, anthropology, comparative mysticism, medicine, and spiritual care, and invited guest speakers from different contexts, including indigenous spiritual leaders and clinical researchers studying the benefits of psychedelic therapy (including for addiction, trauma, and end-of-life care), will assist students as future faith leaders and spiritual care providers to develop a holistic and coherent response to the current psychedelic revival. We will emphasise harm reduction and overall well-being and uphold sacred narrative, ritual, and spiritual disciplines as essential elements of the ‘set and setting’ for the healthy and transformative use of entheogens. Structured around the key concepts, practices, and texts of the mystical tradition, as well as the lives and teachings of influential mystics within Christianity and beyond, the course provides the opportunity to explore the ongoing invitation of the sacred journey of transformation – both with and without entheogenic aids – for us to embrace change, navigate challenges, accept inner healing, experience personal and spiritual growth, and establish a more profound and interdependent connection with the divine, with others, and all creation.

Please note that this course neither condones nor encourages illicit or unsafe behaviour.

The love of learning and the desire for God have been at the heart of English worship since Augustine brought the Rule of St. Benedict to Canterbury, England, in 597 CE. Benedict lived in a time much like our own, when the Roman Empire was disintegrating, when the most vulnerable in society were the target of the rich and powerful, and when learning and culture were threatened along with political and social stability. How can the Rule of Benedict be a guidebook for parish and community life in a time when so many of our churches are in serious decline, where parishes are being closed or combined? How can Benedictine/Anglican spirituality help strengthen parish life as centres of prayer, learning, community and service? How can parish churches welcome seekers who have a deep and mostly unarticulated desire for God but are not able to connect their longing with what they normally see in a parish church? The course will seek answers to these questions through a study of Leclercq’s book Because the Rule of Benedict has so deeply shaped Anglican culture.

Course code pending! For registration, please contact sydney.yeung@utoronto.ca