Course Description

In a culture driven by urgency and instant results, Christian patience is easily misunderstood—or dismissed altogether. Yet the early Church saw patience not as passivity, but as a formative expression of faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ—central to Christian witness, leadership, and catechesis. This 4-week online course is designed for clergy, teachers, and lay leaders seeking to form others in the virtue of patience. Through Scripture, the Church Fathers, and practical resources, Fr. Sergius Halvorsen will help you rediscover patience as a theological practice—one that shapes Christian identity, nurtures communal life, and strengthens our witness to Christ in the world.

Course Curriculum

    1. About The Course

    1. Readings

    2. Watch Video Lecture

    1. Readings

    2. Watch Video Lecture

    1. Readings

    2. Watch Video Lecture

    1. Readings

    2. Watch Video Lecture

About this course

  • Free
  • 4 video lectures by the professor
  • 4 PowerPoint slides
  • Optional readings

About the Professor

V. Rev. Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen

Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 2011. He also directs the Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry Program and regularly teaches courses in Christian education and the sacred art of narrative. A priest of the Orthodox Church in America, Fr. Sergius is attached to Holy Transfiguration Church in New Haven, Connecticut. He also serves as a part-time chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital. In addition to his teaching and pastoral work, Fr. Sergius is an accomplished liturgical musician. He has contributed to several recordings with Archangel Voices, a vocal ensemble dedicated to Orthodox liturgical music in English.

Ready to take this course?