What is the School of Theology

In the words of Saint Paul, the aim of The School of Theology is “[…] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4.12-13)

Find a welcoming space to pursue and deepen one’s spiritual awareness, receive assistance with the interpretation of the Scriptures, have plenty of room to grow in moral sensibility and character, and gain a genuine appreciation of the Anglican tradition.

Thorneloe University was founded by the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma as a church-related university in the Laurentian University Federation, to be based in Sudbury and primarily to serve Northern Ontario. It received its university charter from the government of Ontario in 1961, and taught within the Laurentian Federation from 1963-2021.

In its Charter, Thorneloe is described as a “Christian school of learning.” Its objectives and purposes are:

• the advancement of learning and the dissemination of knowledge; and
• the intellectual, social, moral, and physical development and the betterment of society.

Thorneloe is a member of the Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide association of Anglican colleges and universities of higher education. See https://cuac.anglicancommunion.org/   It is part of the network of Anglican Universities in Canada, and is part of the Ontario (ecclesiastical) Provincial Consultation on Theological Education.

Thorneloe also operates a residence on the Laurentian campus, which can accommodate 58 men and women in single rooms. Thorneloe welcomes students who wish to be a part of a family-like community, and who are willing to contribute to building a quiet, congenial atmosphere of study and recreation.

Thorneloe University has the only freestanding chapel on the Laurentian campus. Built in 1968 as a memorial to George Parker Fielding and Agnes Ceasar Fielding, St Mark’s Chapel comprises a series of progressively larger triangular walls suggesting a rising spirit, which culminates over the altar. The quiet interior is adorned with several unique icons, created by Canadian iconologist Michael O’Brien of Ottawa.
While the core courses in the Thorneloe curriculum are designed with students coming from the Anglican tradition in mind, many of our students come from other church  backgrounds. Flexible course assignments allow students to become engaged in topics that are relevant to almost any church context.

With the exception of occasional courses taught via Zoom or other platforms, THEO courses are offered at a distance.

Credentials and course credits from THEO have been recognized by other educational institutions, including Wycliffe College and Trinity College in Toronto (see Appendix), and by ecclesiastical bodies responsible for licensing lay and ordained ministry. However, the program is also intended for people who wish to gain a basic theological education. Please note that recognition of Thorneloe credits and degrees as a prerequisite for lay and ordained ministry rests with diocesan bishops or other church leadership, not Thorneloe.