About The Program
Sample Courses
This course surveys the history of the development of Anglican liturgies from the Reformation to the present, with specific attention to the influence of theological and social movements on Christian worship. The central theme of the course is the formation and revisions of The Book of Common Prayer in response to social, political, and theological debates, and the link between worship and movements for social justice and evangelism. The focus is on Anglicanism in Great Britain and the United States, but parallel developments of distinct, not just colonial, African, Asian, Oceanic, and Latino expressions of Anglican liturgy are addressed throughout in lectures and in reading assignments.
Justice lies at the heart of the Christian mission. How have Anglican missions responded to injustices in their mission fields? How was seeking and doing justice part of their work? Were the missionaries interested in bringing justice to the oppressed? How did this transpire, especially in the context of the British Empire? After all, mission projects were often permitted by the empire to serve as “civilizing” projects. However, within these colonial contexts, the agency and the contributions of the native Anglicans must also be taken into consideration. How did these local Anglicans and the European missionaries, who were willing to learn from them, redeem the face of the Anglican church and missions? How does this wisdom of/from the subjugated influence the understanding of mission and justice today for the Anglican communion worldwide? What are the different understandings of missions in post-colonial contexts? This course seeks to address these questions by listening to the perspectives mission in global Anglicanism that foregrounds social justice and liberation of the oppressed. The course will be a critical review of the work of Anglican missions, both their attempts and endeavors, as well as their failures and compromises in enacting and establishing justice.
This course studies the canonical theologians of the Anglican tradition from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries, notably Thomas Cranmer, Richard Hooker, Lancelot Andrewes, Jeremy Taylor, Joseph Butler, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Frederick Denison Maurice, the Oxford Movement, Charles Gore, Vida Scudder, William Temple, Michael Ramsey, Norman Pittenger, and Desmond Tutu, and ends with representative theologians of the twenty-first century, notably Kwok Pui-Lan, Kelly Brown Douglas, and Sarah Coakley.
This course welcomes all students and is the culminating experience for Anglican Studies concentrators as well as students in other programs interested in ministry post-graduation, offering an opportunity to reflect on and integrate prior learning and ministerial experiences. Emphasis is placed on understanding ministerial leadership dynamics, especially common challenges, with the goal of understanding one’s own preferences and growing edges, and ongoing discernment of ministerial gifts and call. The course provides students with opportunities to engage in readings and discussion about authentic Christian leadership in a variety of parish, chaplaincy, or community contexts with an emphasis on making the transition from seminary into ministry. Tools and skills for effective leadership will be engaged, practiced and evaluated.
Fall 2026 Courses
AS 201 – Anglican Liturgy (Historical) (3 Credits)
In Person
Capacity: 25
R. William Franklin, PhD, DD
This course surveys the history of the development of Anglican liturgies from the Reformation to the present, with specific attention to the influence of theological and social movements on Christian worship. The central theme of the course is the formation and revisions of The Book of Common Prayer in response to social, political, and theological debates, and the link between worship and movements for social justice and evangelism. The focus is on Anglicanism in Great Britain and the United States, but parallel developments of distinct, not just colonial, African, Asian, Oceanic, and Latino expressions of Anglican liturgy are addressed throughout in lectures and in reading assignments.
HS/AS 327 – England’s Second Reformation (3 Credits)
In Person
Capacity: 15
Christopher Gillett, PhD
Between 1640 and 1660, English Christians undertook a series of radical religious and political projects to create a just society. The creative and destructive potential of this moment was encapsulated in the contemporary observation that the world was “turned upside down.” This course examines the characters and movements from this period that called for ecological, economic, interreligious, racial, social, and political justice, offering historical context to a range of modern concerns. It explores how England’s “second Reformation” contributed to the emergence of Anglicanism.
SU 107 – Episcopal Canon Law and Polity (1 Credit)
December 4, 2026: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST
December 5, 2026: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST
Online
Capacity: 20
Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, PhD
This course, offered online, will cover the basics of the canon law and polity of the Episcopal Church, which is a fundamental part of formation for all postulants in the Episcopal Church.
Field Education
Sample Field Ed Sites
- St. Luke in the Fields Church
- St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Harlem
- Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy
- Canterbury NYC (Uptown)
- St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
Spiritual Formation
Students also participate and lead in regular Noonday Prayer and serve at the altar during the weekly Eucharist in James Chapel. Episcopal and Anglican Studies students are also encouraged to participate in Union chapel services.
Before each semester, Episcopal and Anglican Studies students have the option to participate in a Retreat where, depending on the needs of the community, students take some time together to meditate, share meals, worship, reflect, prepare, and have fun with one another.
Students who are candidates for priesthood prepare for the General Ordination Examination every Fall semester under the supervision of an Episcopal and Anglican Studies faculty member.
If you are seeking one year of Episcopal and Anglican Studies (an Anglican Year) as an aspirant, postulant, or candidate in the Episcopal Church, please contact the Administrative Director of Episcopal and Anglican Studies, Chanmi Byun at [email protected] or 212-280-1459. We are ready to discuss with you how we can best accommodate your diocesan requirements and expectations in the context of the academic and spiritual formation we offer at Union Theological Seminary.