Timetable & Duration

29th September to 24th November, 2025

This course will take place online on Monday evenings, 6.30pm-8.30pm. This course will be taught over 9 weeks (including a one-week break) via online real-time meetings & instruction.

This course aims to:​

• provide an introduction to the history of liturgy and worship in the Western Church, with a particular focus on the Churches of Scotland and England;

• explore how liturgical traditions can be understood to relate to scripture;

• offer a critical introduction to different traditions within liturgical and sacramental theology.

• enable participants to reflect on their own liturgical practice and to gain a deeper understanding of their own liturgical and theological tradition.

Topics to be covered include:

​

• Worship in Ancient Israel; 

• Worship, Baptism and Eucharist in the New Testament and the Early Church; 

• The development of the Western rite(s); 

• Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation in the Reformation; 

• Book of Common Prayer (Church of England); the Westminster Directory & Common Order (Church of Scotland); 

• The Liturgical Movement + Vatican II; 

• Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Renewal; 

• Current approaches to the theology of worship

Course information

This course is conducted online in weekly real-time conversations along with materials and interaction using the learning platform, Moodle. Zoom as an online meeting tool will be used for the real-time conversations and online group times. Access to these tools will be supported by the course administration. More information about the use of these will be provided once enrolled.

Each learning module will be taught through a range of online group discussion, exercises, and activities, viewing and reading. 

If you take the course for credit, the formal assessment for this course consists of the following:

Reflection on own church worship tradition (800 words – 40%)

Essay (1200 words – 60%) 

Support, guidance and feedback will be available for all assessment.

Cost £207*

*Priority Area subsidy available for this course. Email TrinityCollegeGlasgow@gmail.com for more information.

Sponsorship or subsidies may be available through your own church or denomination and we encourage you to approach them with the details of the course.