The Curriculum of the Old Catholic Institute
All courses at the Old Catholic Institute are graduate-level, fully online, self-paced, and asynchronous. Every course consists of 16 modules and is taught by Bishop Greer Godsey from within the Dutch Old Catholic tradition. All required resources are freely available online. No textbook purchases are required.
Courses are listed below by program. Courses marked as In Development are part of the program curriculum and will be available to students when they reach that point in their formation sequence.
Diaconal Formation Program (DIAC)
72 Credit Hours | 3 Years | 5 Practica
Year One: Biblical and Theological Foundations
BIBL601 — Introduction to the Old Testament for Ministry A comprehensive graduate-level survey of the Hebrew Scriptures as Christian Scripture within the Dutch Old Catholic tradition. Beginning with the canonical and hermeneutical foundations of Old Testament study and moving through the Torah, Historical Books, Major and Minor Prophets, and Wisdom Writings, this course equips the minister to read, interpret, preach, and teach from the Old Testament with both scholarly rigor and pastoral wisdom. Two research papers are required.
BIBL602 — Introduction to the New Testament for Ministry A comprehensive graduate-level survey of the New Testament with sustained attention to the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline letters, and their use in preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. The course is taught from within the Dutch Old Catholic tradition, with particular attention to the sacramental, ecclesiological, and apostolic dimensions of the New Testament witness. Two research papers are required.
THEO601 — History of the Catholic Church A graduate-level survey of Christian history from the Apostolic Age through the eve of the Reformation, with particular attention to the development of doctrine, the conciliar tradition, and the ecclesiological questions that give rise to the Old Catholic understanding of apostolic succession and Church governance. The capstone module asks students to construct a theological argument for the Old Catholic understanding of conciliar authority.
THEO602 — Introduction to Systematic Theology In Development. An introduction to the major loci of Christian systematic theology, including the doctrines of God, creation, humanity, sin, Christology, pneumatology, soteriology, and eschatology, examined through the lens of the patristic consensus and the Dutch Old Catholic tradition.
SPIR601 — Spiritual Formation and the Interior Life In Development. An introduction to the theology and practice of Christian spiritual formation, with attention to the disciplines of prayer, Scripture, and sacramental life that sustain a long and faithful ministry. Students develop a personal rule of life as part of this course.
PRAC601 — Practicum I: Supervised Ministry Observation In Development. The first of five supervised practica in the Diaconal Formation Program. Students observe and reflect on the liturgical and pastoral ministry of an experienced Old Catholic minister under the supervision of Bishop Godsey.
Year Two: Liturgy, Sacraments, and Proclamation
LITU601 — Liturgics in the Dutch Old Catholic Tradition A graduate-level study of the liturgical theology and practice of the Dutch Old Catholic tradition, from the ancient sources of Christian worship through the development of the Old Catholic rite. Students examine the structure, theology, and pastoral dimensions of the Mass and the other sacramental rites of the Old Catholic Church, with attention to the relationship between liturgy, doctrine, and the life of the community. Two research papers are required.
SACR601 — Sacramental Theology A graduate-level course in the theology of the seven sacraments as understood and celebrated in the Dutch Old Catholic tradition. Beginning with the patristic foundations of sacramental theology and moving through the theology of each sacrament individually, the course grounds the minister’s sacramental practice in a rich theological understanding of how God acts through material signs to communicate divine grace. Two research papers are required.
HOMI601 — Homiletics A graduate-level course in the theology, history, and craft of Christian preaching within the Dutch Old Catholic tradition. Students develop the skills of expository sermon preparation and delivery, with particular attention to the liturgical homily as the primary form of Old Catholic preaching. The course includes four sermon submissions with written manuscripts and video recordings, progressing from a New Testament epistle homily through an Old Testament narrative sermon, a Christ-centered Old Testament sermon, and a capstone sermon of the student’s choice.
PAST601 — Pastoral Care and Ministry In Development. A graduate-level introduction to the theology and practice of pastoral care, including the care of the sick and dying, bereavement ministry, the sacrament of reconciliation, and the accompaniment of persons in crisis. Students are equipped to bring the resources of the Old Catholic sacramental tradition to bear on the full range of human suffering and need.
ECCL601 — Ecclesiology and Church Polity In Development. A study of the theology of the Church, with particular attention to the Old Catholic understanding of apostolic succession, the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the diaconate, the conciliar principle, and the relationship between the local church and the universal communion. The Declaration of Utrecht is a primary text.
PRAC602 — Practicum II: Liturgical Ministry In Development. Students serve in the liturgical ministry of their parish or faith community under supervision, with structured reflection on the theology and practice of liturgical leadership.
PRAC603 — Practicum III: Homiletical Ministry In Development. Students deliver a series of supervised homilies in their ministry context, with structured feedback from Bishop Godsey on content, delivery, and pastoral effectiveness.
Year Three: Specialized Formation and Ordination Preparation
BIBL603 — Biblical Languages for Ministry In Development. An introduction to the biblical languages in their pastoral and ministerial application, equipping the minister to use Greek and Hebrew resources in sermon preparation, biblical study, and theological reading without requiring full linguistic fluency.
THEO603 — Moral and Ethical Theology In Development. A graduate-level course in Christian moral theology, examining the foundations of ethical reasoning in Scripture, the patristic tradition, and natural law, with application to the pastoral situations ministers encounter in the care of souls.
DIAC601 — The Theology and History of the Diaconate In Development. A study of the diaconal order from its apostolic origins through its development in the early Church, its virtual disappearance in the medieval period, and its restoration in the modern Church. Students examine the theological identity and distinctive ministry of the deacon within the threefold order of ordained ministry.
DIAC602 — Diaconal Ministry in Practice In Development. A practical course in the specific ministerial responsibilities of the deacon: liturgical ministry at the altar, proclamation of the Gospel, ministry to the poor and marginalized, and the administrative dimensions of diaconal service.
ECUM601 — Ecumenism and the Old Catholic Tradition In Development. An examination of the Old Catholic tradition’s engagement with other Christian communities, including the theological principles that guide ecumenical dialogue, the history of Old Catholic ecumenical relationships, and the pastoral implications of the Church’s commitment to visible Christian unity.
PRAC604 — Practicum IV: Pastoral and Diaconal Ministry In Development. Students engage in a sustained period of supervised pastoral and diaconal ministry in their community, with structured theological reflection on their experience.
PRAC605 — Practicum V: Pre-Ordination Capstone In Development. The final practicum of the Diaconal Formation Program, integrating all prior formation in preparation for ordination. Students complete a capstone reflection on their formation journey and demonstrate readiness for ordained ministry.
Priestly Formation Program (PRST)
96 Credit Hours | 4 Years | 8 Practica | Master of Divinity
The Priestly Formation Program includes all courses of the Diaconal Formation Program in Years One through Three, together with the following advanced courses completed in Year Three and Year Four.
Year Three: Advanced Formation (in addition to DIAC Year Three courses)
BIBL604 — Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology In Development. An advanced course in biblical interpretation, examining the major hermeneutical methods and their theological implications, with attention to the development of a coherent biblical theology grounded in the Old Catholic tradition’s approach to Scripture and Tradition.
THEO604 — Advanced Sacramental and Dogmatic Theology In Development. An advanced study of the dogmatic and sacramental theology of the Old Catholic tradition, engaging the major doctrinal definitions of the ecumenical councils and their continuing significance for the Church’s faith and worship.
HOMI602 — Advanced Homiletics and Liturgical Preaching In Development. An advanced course building on HOMI601, with particular attention to the full range of liturgical preaching occasions in the Old Catholic calendar, including the great feasts, the sanctoral cycle, and the sacramental rites.
PAST602 — Advanced Pastoral Theology In Development. An advanced study of the theology and practice of pastoral ministry, including hospital and institutional chaplaincy, the accompaniment of the dying, and the pastoral dimensions of the sacrament of holy orders.
DIAC603 — Theology and Practice of the Diaconate (Advanced) In Development. Advanced study of diaconal ministry in the context of priestly formation, with attention to how the priest’s diaconal ordination shapes and informs priestly identity and service.
DIAC604 — Clinical Pastoral Education In Development. A structured engagement with clinical pastoral care in a healthcare, hospice, or institutional setting, providing supervised experience in the ministry of presence, prayer, and sacramental accompaniment to the seriously ill and dying.
PRAC601 through PRAC606 — Practica I through VI In Development. Six supervised practica completed across Years One through Three of the Priestly Formation Program.
Year Four: Priestly Formation and Ordination Preparation
PRST601 — The Theology of the Priesthood In Development. A study of the theology of the ordained priesthood within the Old Catholic tradition, examining the scriptural, patristic, and conciliar foundations of priestly identity, the relationship between the common priesthood of the baptized and the ministerial priesthood, and the spirituality of the priest.
PRST602 — Sacramental Presidency and Liturgical Leadership In Development. Practical and theological preparation for the priest’s role as the ordinary minister of the sacraments, with particular attention to the celebration of the Mass, the administration of baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, and the celebration of marriage and funerals.
PRST603 — Pastoral Administration and Canon Law In Development. An introduction to the administrative responsibilities of the parish priest and the canonical framework within which Old Catholic ministry is exercised, including parish governance, sacramental record-keeping, and the canonical dimensions of ordination and ministry.
PRAC607 — Practicum VII: Eucharistic and Sacramental Ministry In Development. A supervised practicum in which the deacon preparing for priestly ordination engages in the full range of sacramental ministry under close episcopal supervision.
PRAC608 — Practicum VIII: Pre-Ordination Priestly Capstone In Development. The final practicum of the Priestly Formation Program, integrating all four years of formation in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. Students complete a comprehensive capstone reflection demonstrating theological maturity, pastoral readiness, and formation in the Dutch Old Catholic tradition.
For full program details, including credit hours, tracks, and program structure, visit the Programs page.
For questions about specific courses or the curriculum, contact Bishop Godsey at bishopgodsey@myocci.org.
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