Overview
This program provides the environment, structure and guidance necessary for the intellectual and personal formation for servant priests who wish to serve the Orthodox Tewahdo Church in parish ministry. This two-year course is taught in Tigrigna or Amharic and does not require proficiency in Swedish or English.
The Program includes advanced education in Ge’ez and Zema (liturgy and hymns), which will enable candidates to lead sacramental and liturgical services. In addition to this, the candidates are expected to complete nine theological training modules over the course of two years: Dogmatic Theology, Church History I, Bible Study, Patrology, Church History II, Canon Law and Church Administration, Ecclesiology, Liturgy and Homiletics.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will have:
- acquired the ability and knowledge to celebrate the sacramental services of the church in accordance with the Tewahedo tradition
- a good level of understanding of the church’s administrative procedures in order to lead a parish in line with the canons of the church
- developed ministerial skills working together with their fellow participants
- acquired the skills necessary to identify musical notation and apply it accordingly
- learned how explain the theological message of the liturgical texts and relate them to their own lives and to the life and worship of the community
- incorporated into their knowledge more advanced Geez grammatical structures and expanded their vocabulary
Requirements
Students are expected to participate in all course activities, both by being present and playing an active role in scheduled course sessions, and by completing assignments to be done outside of scheduled lessons. If participants miss lessons, they may be required to do extra assignments in order to fulfill the participation requirements of the course. 80% attendance and participation (including completion of assignments) are required for the course to be considered to have been completed.
In order to enroll in the parish priest program, participants must have successfully completed the diaconal training program in the Tewahedo tradition or equivalent liturgical studies.
