A collection of essays, articles, resources, podcasts, etc. about the Centre for Christian Studies, diaconal ministry, theological education, adult education, theology and liberation, justice issues, and a bunch of other things too.
Don’t forget to check out the “Reflections” category on the blog, and “Second Fridays” – videos from CCS’s monthly noon-hour lectures and discussions.
Please note, the articles and materials on this page should be treated as copyrighted by their respective authors.
Educational and Reflection Resources
The Spiral – a tool for action/reflection used at CCS. (This is a CCS resource, included in our Creative Commons license. )
See also Hints for Writing Spiral Reflections by Lori Stewart.
“Once Upon a Spiral” – a thesis by Lori Stewart on the history of the CCS Spiral
Learning Styles – a summary of learning styles based on the Grasha-Riechmann Scale.
Multiple Intelligences – 8 styles of learner, based on the work of psychologist Howard Gardner.
Feedback Theory – Tips on how to give effective evaluation, criticism, and praise. (This is a CCS resource, included in our Creative Commons license.)
Diaconal Ministry and History
The DUCC (Diakonia of the United Church of Canada) website hosts an impressive collection of articles and theses by United Church diaconal ministers, including many CCS grads.
“Learning About Servant Ministry” – an essay by Walter Deller exploring the formation of communities for diakonia, ©2006
“Love Spent in the Service of Others” – an excerpt from the thesis “No Menial Tasks : An Historical Examination of Accompaniment Ministries in the Early Christian Church”, by Deborah Deavu, ©2004
History of Diaconal Ministry – a chapter by Mary Anne MacFarlane, Carol Stevenson Seller, and Dawn Wood, ©1987
History of Diaconal Ministry 82-89 – a recounting of a critical decade for diaconal ministers in United Church of Canada, by the Committee on Diaconal Ministry, ©1999.
Beguines & Beghards – an article from the Catholic Encyclopedia on the origins and history of the medieval predecessors of the diaconal movement.
History of the Deaconess and Missionary Training Houses – an excerpt from the thesis “Canadian Deaconess and Missionary Education for Women – Training To Live The Social Gospel: The Methodist National Training School and the Presbyterian Deaconess and Missionary Training Home, 1893-1926”, by Sherri McConnell, © 2003
UCC Deaconess History – Caryn Douglas’ website devoted to the history of deaconesses in the United Church, including the history of disjoining.
Justice issues
“Truth & Reconciliation: Where Do We Go From Here?” – podcast of a CCS-sponsored address by the Very Rev. Stan McKay, Oct. 13, 2010. (29:30 minutes, MP3, 13.5 MB).
Theology and Worship
Five Ways of Talking About Church: notes from a discussion on ecclesiology facilitated by Ted Dodd.
Schools of Biblical Interpretation: a summary chart of different approaches to the Bible, including Neo-Orthodox, Feminist, Latin American Liberation, Queer Theology, Minjung, etc. (This is a CCS resource, included in our Creative Commons license.)
Lectionary: notes from a worship workshop presented by Lori Stewart on working with lectionary.
