Description
When pondering the Church’s teachings about the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ, one of two things might happen. We could quickly become overwhelmed, growing more and more frustrated trying to comprehend the greatest of mysteries. Or we might easily become suspicious, fearful that our love for God is being reduced to simple agreement with propositions or statements. Such teachings are central to the Christian tradition and one of the pillars of the Church, but many people wonder: what place do these teachings have in our lives today?

Our goal in this six-week study will be to explore the Church’s teachings concerning the Trinity and the person of Jesus, and the impact of such teachings on our Christian lives today. We will read Scripture together, look closely at the shape of our liturgy, and learn from Christians throughout the ages. In doing so, we will find that these teachings are not so much “fences” but rules that give us freedom to think, speak, and worship God. Our aim is not to exhaust the mysteries of our faith, but to enrich our lives by unlocking new horizons of adoration and love for God, whose character is given to us in the person of Jesus.

Topics covered will include:

• Christian reflection on the person of Jesus Christ after the Apostolic period

• The doctrine of the Trinity, the Nicene Creed, and Christian worship

• The person of Jesus Christ and Holy Scripture

• Christ and human fellowship with God, through Word and Sacrament

Course leader
Michael Brain is a scholar with research interests in twentieth-century theology and Reformation theology. He holds an MA from McMaster Divinity College and a PhD in Theology from Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. Since 2021, he has served as the parish ministry coordinator at St. Mary and St. Martha Anglican Church in west Toronto. Originally from the Niagara region, Michael lives in Toronto with his wife, Bridget.''

When and where
The study will run for six weeks, starting Wednesday, May 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There is no charge to attend.

All sessions will be held at St. Thomas’s in the Undercroft (the lower level of the church).