Christian Unity in Rome: Anglican Ecclesiology and Ecumenism

Presented by Nashotah House Theological Seminary and The Living Church Foundation, Inc. in partnership with The Anglican Communion Office, London

Class: January 15-25, 2025 | Travel Days: January 13-14 and 26

This course is at capacity and registration is now closed.

With Rome as the backdrop, this course will focus on the history and development of Anglican ecclesiology as an ecumenical enterprise. The course will primarily take place at the Anglican Centre in Rome and the Centro Pro Unione. Participants will share in the Daily Office and Mass, engage in events around Rome in observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, as well as the following:

• Worship at St. Paul’s within the Walls, an Episcopal parish in Rome
• Tour the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums, and St. Peter’s Basilica with a world-renowned art historian
• Worship with the ecumenical community of Sant’Egidio
• Tour the Scavi, the burial site of St. Peter underneath the famed basilica that stands at the heart of the Vatican
• Visit the excavations under Santa Maria in Via Lata, where St. Paul was held under house arrest
• Optional day trip to Assisi
• Plans for additional events are underway

Instructors

The Rev. Matthew S. C. Olver, PhD matthew.olver@livingchurch.org
Executive Director and Publisher | The Living Church Foundation
Affiliate Faculty Member, Nashotah House Theological Seminary

Christopher Wells, PhD christopher.wells@anglicancommunion.org
Director of Unity, Faith and Order | The Anglican Communion Office
Affiliate Faculty Member, Nashotah House Theological Seminary

Two Modes of Engagement

There are two ways to engage in this course. First, you can participate as a student. To be a student means that you will complete all reading and coursework and that you will actively contribute to all class discussions in Rome. Students will be required to complete a 15-to-20-page academic research paper. Students receive graduate-level credit through Nashotah House Theological Seminary.You do not need to be enrolled in a degree at Nashotah House to be a student and to earn graduate credit.

Second, you can participate as a pilgrim. Pilgrims are not required to complete all of the reading and coursework, and they are primarily observers during the class discussions in Rome. 

Course Format

The course will meet for six, three-hour sessions in Rome for seminar-style discussions led by the professors with limited lecture time. Students will be expected to have read the material in advance. Non-student pilgrims may sit in on the class. A complete syllabus will be made available no later than November 1. The course sessions are as follows:

• Session 1: Scriptural Foundations
• Session 2: Augustinian Roots of the Church of England
• Session 3: Emergence of the Anglican Communion
• Session 4: Second Vatican Council and “Communion Ecclesiology”
• Session 5: The Arc of Anglican-Roman Catholic Encounter
• Session 6: Looking Forward

Program Fees: 

Students: $2,700. This includes a $1,800 tuition fee for a three-credit, graduate-level course, a $100 technology fee, and a $800 program fee to cover all touring and organizing costs, including those of the Anglican Centre in Rome.

Pilgrims: $1,800. A non-refundable program fee that guarantees your spot on the trip. 

Travel: 

Participants will arrange their own airfare to Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome (airport code FCO). It is suggested that you book a ticket that departs on Monday, January 13, and arrives Tuesday, January 14, so that you are settled in time to begin on Wednesday, January 15.

The earliest departure date is Saturday, January 25 (the last class session is the day before). However, January 25 is the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the closing event is typically Vespers at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, officiated by the Pope.

By booking ahead, airline tickets can be found beginning at approximately $750. Note: American Airlines now has direct flights from Chicago to Rome.

Rome is a very walkable city. Almost all of the places we will visit are accessible on foot, and this trip involves a great deal of walking. Participants should be prepared to walk a couple of miles a day, sometimes over uneven streets or cobblestone. Those who wish to move around the city in another fashion can make use of the extensive bus system, taxis, and Uber.

We recommend budgeting $100 for miscellaneous travel costs. There will be an optional day trip to Assisi, a two-hour train ride north of Rome. Those who wish to make this trip should budget an additional $50.

Accommodations:

Participants will arrange their own accommodations. Rome presents a significant range of options, from the very modest to five-star hotels and everything in between.

Food: 

Participants are responsible for all food and should budget for approximately $50/day (one may find a range of restaurants in Rome, at all price points).

Total Cost:

Students: We estimate $4,200 as a base cost per student, recognizing the variability of several factors (airfare, accommodation, food).

Pilgrims: We estimate $3,000 as a base cost per pilgrim, recognizing the variability of several factors (airfare, accommodation, food).