Yarra Theological Union is an inclusive and welcoming community, Catholic by tradition and ecumenical in spirit. We are committed to being a community of scholarship, prayer and pastoral care.
Welcome
Yarra Theological Union is an inclusive and welcoming community, Catholic by tradition and ecumenical in spirit. We are committed to being a community of scholarship, prayer and pastoral care.
We offer theological education and ministerial formation, open to those who seek educational and personal transformation in changing contexts.
Our mission is to equip people for various ministries in the churches: parishes, schools, hospitals, church agencies and in the world at large.
Reverend Dr Chris Monaghan CP, Principal
History
Yarra Theological Union (YTU) was originally founded in 1971 by the Carmelites, the Franciscans, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and the Passionists. Over the years other orders joined: the Redemptorists (Australian and New Zealand Provinces), Pallottines, Dominicans, Divine Word Missionaries, the Discalced Carmelites and the Blessed Sacrament Congregation. Graced by the generosity of the Franciscan Friars YTU is located at St. Paschal Friary.
On 18th January 1973, YTU was granted formal recognition as an institute of priestly formation by the then Archbishop of Melbourne, James Cardinal Knox. In September 1973, YTU, together with the Catholic Theological College in Clayton and the United Faculty of Theology in Parkville, was approved by University of Divinity (then MCD) as a College with the right to teach for the degree of Bachelor of Theology. This was extended to approving the right to teach towards the postgraduate degrees of Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology in 1975. Over recent years YTU, together with the other college members of University of Divinity (UD), has extended its teaching program to provide postgraduate units for candidates for the degrees of Master of Theological Studies and, from 2000, Graduate Diploma in Theology, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy.
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Recent publications from the University of Divinity research community – 2022
The University of Divinity research community recently gathered in person for the annual Research Conference. During the conference, we celebrated publications written by our academics, honorary researchers and HDR students that had been published in the last 12 months (since the previous Research Conference). We invite you to explore the books below.
Semester 2 unit | Philosophy for beginners: Wisdom for life
In addressing some of the most significant issues in the history of Western philosophy, students will be introduced to many of the most significant writings and thinkers within the study of the philosophical traditions.
Semester 2 unit | Professional issues in pastoral ministry
This unit explores a comprehensive range of personal, professional, and ethical issues common to pastoral ministry, providing students with opportunities to engage in a reflexive process for reviewing their pastoral practice.