Knox College, University of Toronto
Encyclopedia
Knox College is a postgraduate theological college of the University of Toronto
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It was founded in 1844 as part of a schism
movement in the Church of Scotland
following the Disruption
. Knox is presently affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Canada
and confers doctoral degrees as a member school of the Toronto School of Theology
.
led to the Disruption of 1843
and the establishment of the Free Church of Scotland
. In response, several Presbyterian ministers and congregations within the Canadian synod
of the Church of Scotland switched their affiliation to the new denomination. Queen's College, a Presbyterian seminary in Kingston
, decided in 1844 to remain affiliated with the Church of Scotland, prompting some of its students to defect and establish Knox College in Toronto
. Named for Scottish Reformation
theologian John Knox
, the new college became affiated with the Free Church.
The first class included 14 students and took place on November 5, 1844, in the home of Rev. Henry Esson on James Street, at the present site of Toronto Eaton Centre
. For the next two years, Knox College transitioned to larger buildings acquired at Adelaide Street and later Front Street
, at the present site of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Scottish minister Rev. Dr. Michael Willis, the founding president of the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada (1851), became the first principal of the college in 1857. Willis came to Toronto in 1846 from St. John's Renfield Church, Glasgow
, where he followed Thomas Chalmers
and took part in the Disruption of 1843
. Knox was formally granted its charter from the colonial government in 1858, thereby possessing the authority to confer academic degrees.
In 1861, the Presbyterian Church of Canada was created from the union of the Canadian synods of the Free Church of Scotland with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
. Knox College absorbed the existing United Presbyterian Church theological college that was initially founded in London, Canada West
in 1844. In 1867, Knox College assisted the establishment of The Presbyterian College, Montreal
, as the second theological college affiliated with the Canadian Presbyterian Church. Knox College donated some of the books from its library collection, and several Knox alumni served as faculty of The Presbyterian College.
In 1875, Knox College moved to a new Gothic-revival building at 1 Spadina Crescent
, and operated as the main seminary for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Towards the end of the century, Knox began encouraging its students to attend non-divinity studies at the nearby University College
of the University of Toronto
. Knox College entered formal affiliation with the University of Toronto in 1885, and in 1890 became part of the university within a federated governance structure. In 1915, Knox College moved to its present site adjacent to University College. During World War II
, Knox College accommodated faculty and students from The Presbyterian College, Montreal, whose building was used for military training until 1946.
In 1969, Knox became a founding member of the Toronto School of Theology
. By virtue of an amendment of its charter, Knox College has granted theology degrees conjointly with the university and the Toronto School of Theology since 1978. Ewart College
, a women's college of the Presbyterian Church, was merged into Knox College in 1991. Founded in 1897, Ewart College was initially known as the Presbyterian Missionary and Deaconess Training School and then Ewart Missionary Training Home after Catherine Seaton Ewart in 1960. In 2005, Knox observed its 160th anniversary with a visit and lecture by Alison Elliot
, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
.
Knox college provides a number of facilities to the University of Toronto community, including Knox College Chapel. The chapel is noted for its Hellmuth Wolff organ. The chapel has a large south-facing window that is largely unobstructed by other buildings. As a result, natural sunlight streams in through the window. The glass is such that it softens the light to some degree, but without taking away its directionality. Seating is provided by two rows of pews on either side of the central aisle. There is a front piece in front of the frontmost pews for hymn books of those at the front of the congregation.
and is original to the building. It is split between two chambers at the front of the room and consists of 26 stops and 24 ranks. The console
was replaced in 1959, and in 1974 a four-rank mixture was added to the Great. It has Ventil chests and electro-pneumatic action.
. The pipework is modelled on the Johan Niclas Cahman organ at Leufsta Bruk, Sweden
from 1726/28. The case, though, is a modern interpretation of north-European style that does not refer to any particular historic instrument.
The key action and stop action are both mechanical. The two bellows can be pumped either by foot or with an electric blower.
Notably, the Wolff organ is tuned to a modified fifth comma meantone temperament devised by Harald Vogel following 17th century Swedish theorists. This same tuning has been used for the Arp Schnitger
organ in Norden
, Germany
.
.
A number of faculty have served as Acting Principal during vacancies and sabbaticals. The convener of the Board of Governors of Knox College is Stephanie Ling.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was founded in 1844 as part of a schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
movement in the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
following the Disruption
Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
. Knox is presently affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Canada
Presbyterian Church in Canada
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
and confers doctoral degrees as a member school of the Toronto School of Theology
Toronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
.
History
Controversy arising from the issue of state control in the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
led to the Disruption of 1843
Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
and the establishment of the Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
. In response, several Presbyterian ministers and congregations within the Canadian synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of the Church of Scotland switched their affiliation to the new denomination. Queen's College, a Presbyterian seminary in Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, decided in 1844 to remain affiliated with the Church of Scotland, prompting some of its students to defect and establish Knox College in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Named for Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
theologian John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
, the new college became affiated with the Free Church.
The first class included 14 students and took place on November 5, 1844, in the home of Rev. Henry Esson on James Street, at the present site of Toronto Eaton Centre
Toronto Eaton Centre
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, named after the now-defunct Eaton's department store chain that once anchored it. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, with around one...
. For the next two years, Knox College transitioned to larger buildings acquired at Adelaide Street and later Front Street
Front Street (Toronto)
Front Street is an east-west road in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The street marks the rough outline of the shoreline of Lake Ontario as it existed during the original English settlement of York, then called Palace Street...
, at the present site of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Scottish minister Rev. Dr. Michael Willis, the founding president of the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada (1851), became the first principal of the college in 1857. Willis came to Toronto in 1846 from St. John's Renfield Church, Glasgow
St. John's Renfield Church, Glasgow
St. John's Renfield Church is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, serving Kelvindale in the west end of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Glasgow.-Location:...
, where he followed Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers , Scottish mathematician, political economist, divine and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland, was born at Anstruther in Fife.-Overview:...
and took part in the Disruption of 1843
Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
. Knox was formally granted its charter from the colonial government in 1858, thereby possessing the authority to confer academic degrees.
In 1861, the Presbyterian Church of Canada was created from the union of the Canadian synods of the Free Church of Scotland with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...
. Knox College absorbed the existing United Presbyterian Church theological college that was initially founded in London, Canada West
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in 1844. In 1867, Knox College assisted the establishment of The Presbyterian College, Montreal
The Presbyterian College, Montreal
The Presbyterian College/Le Collège Presbytérien, 3495 University Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, is a Theological College of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and is affiliated with McGill University through their Faculty of Religious Studies...
, as the second theological college affiliated with the Canadian Presbyterian Church. Knox College donated some of the books from its library collection, and several Knox alumni served as faculty of The Presbyterian College.
In 1875, Knox College moved to a new Gothic-revival building at 1 Spadina Crescent
1 Spadina Crescent
1 Spadina Crescent is an academic building of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated in the centre of a roundabout of Spadina Avenue, north of College Street. Its location provides a picturesque vista looking north up Spadina Avenue; it is an axial view terminus for Spadina...
, and operated as the main seminary for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Towards the end of the century, Knox began encouraging its students to attend non-divinity studies at the nearby University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. Knox College entered formal affiliation with the University of Toronto in 1885, and in 1890 became part of the university within a federated governance structure. In 1915, Knox College moved to its present site adjacent to University College. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Knox College accommodated faculty and students from The Presbyterian College, Montreal, whose building was used for military training until 1946.
In 1969, Knox became a founding member of the Toronto School of Theology
Toronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
. By virtue of an amendment of its charter, Knox College has granted theology degrees conjointly with the university and the Toronto School of Theology since 1978. Ewart College
Ewart College
Ewart College was a historical women's college located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Canada. In September 1991, it merged with Knox College, University of Toronto....
, a women's college of the Presbyterian Church, was merged into Knox College in 1991. Founded in 1897, Ewart College was initially known as the Presbyterian Missionary and Deaconess Training School and then Ewart Missionary Training Home after Catherine Seaton Ewart in 1960. In 2005, Knox observed its 160th anniversary with a visit and lecture by Alison Elliot
Alison Elliot
Alison Elliot OBE is the Associate Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2004 she became the first woman ever to be elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland...
, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
.
Campus and architecture
Chancel organ
This organ was built in 1915 by CasavantCasavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...
and is original to the building. It is split between two chambers at the front of the room and consists of 26 stops and 24 ranks. The console
Organ console
thumb|right|250px|The console of the [[Wanamaker Organ]] in the Macy's department store in [[Philadelphia]], featuring six manuals and colour-coded stop tabs....
was replaced in 1959, and in 1974 a four-rank mixture was added to the Great. It has Ventil chests and electro-pneumatic action.
Gallery organ
In 1991, a second, thirty-two-stop, three-manual instrument was added in a new rear gallery. (photo) (photo) It is an historically oriented organ in the North German baroque style, built as Opus 33 by Wolff & Associés of Laval, Quebec
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
. The pipework is modelled on the Johan Niclas Cahman organ at Leufsta Bruk, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
from 1726/28. The case, though, is a modern interpretation of north-European style that does not refer to any particular historic instrument.
The key action and stop action are both mechanical. The two bellows can be pumped either by foot or with an electric blower.
Notably, the Wolff organ is tuned to a modified fifth comma meantone temperament devised by Harald Vogel following 17th century Swedish theorists. This same tuning has been used for the Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger was a highly influential German organ builder. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany, where a number of his instruments survive to the present day; his organs can also be found as far away as Portugal and Brazil.Notable examples still in...
organ in Norden
Norden, Lower Saxony
Norden is a town in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea shore, in East Frisia.-External links:* *...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Academics
Knox College is a wholly postgraduate institution, confering four master's degrees and two doctorate degrees. It administers both academic programs for the general-interest study of theology and professional programs for ordained ministry. The basic degree program comprises the degrees of Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies and Master of Religious Education. The advanced degrees of Master of Theology, Doctor of Theology and Doctor of Ministry are awarded jointly with the Toronto School of TheologyToronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
.
- Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
- Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.)
- Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.)
- Master of Theology (Th.M.)
- Doctor of Theology (Th.D.)
- Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
Principals
- Michael Willis (1857–1870)
- William Caven (1873–1904)
- William MacLaren (1904–1909)
- Alfred Gandier (1909–1925; became principal of Emmanuel CollegeEmmanuel College, University of TorontoEmmanuel College is a theological college of Victoria University at the University of Toronto. Affiliated with the United Church, it is a member institution of the Toronto School of Theology. The principal is the Rev. Dr Mark G. Toulouse...
) - Thomas Eakin (1926–1940)
- Walter W. Bryden (1945–1952)
- Stanley Glen (1952–1976)
- Allan Farris (1976–1977 death)
- J. Charles Hay (1978–1985)
- Donald J. M. Corbett (1985–1990)
- Arthur Van Seters (1992–1999)
- J. Dorcas Gordon (1999–)
A number of faculty have served as Acting Principal during vacancies and sabbaticals. The convener of the Board of Governors of Knox College is Stephanie Ling.
Further reading
- Brian J. Fraser. Church, College, and Clergy: A History of Theological Education at Knox College, Toronto, 1844-1994. McGill-Queen's University Press, 1995.
- Gordon Goldie et al. A Covenant for Tomorrow, 1979-1987. Toronto: Knox College, 1987.
- Richard W. Vaudry. "Theology and education in early Victorian Canada: Knox College, Toronto, 1844-62". Studies in Religion, 16.4 (Fall 1987), p. 434-35.