An Enrichment Program at the Intersection of Faith and Life
No matter your age, discovery can be a life-long delight. Xplore offers courses that investigate dimensions of the Christian faith, our world, and life in it. All without any assignments or examinations!
The Xplore program will come to you in person and online, making courses available broadly across Canada and beyond. All in-person classes will be held on the CMU campus on Wednesdays.
Xplore happens in a six-week block in Fall 2025 and Winter 2026.
Regardless of where you live, anyone with access to a computer and the internet will be able to benefit from these courses.
Tuition and Registration
Single in-person, hybrid (in person or Zoom) or Zoom registration is $65 per person/course.
Small group (2-4 people) for any online course in a home is $90.
Large group (5 or more people) in a church or other community for any online course is $200.
Late free of $10 will be added after September 22, 2025.
Tuesdays: September 22 - November 4 (no class September 30)
11:00 AM –12:00 PM CT | Zoom Only
The Practice of Tension: An Upside-Down Look at Depolarization
In addition to theory, theology and songs to soothe polarized hearts, this course will include live conversations between people with differing views on matters such as COVID restrictions, politics, big ag, solar power, and abortion (topics yet to be confirmed).
After discussing the mechanics of de-polarization and spiritual paths to tolerance, participants will practice the arts of curiosity and humility as they witness and interact with contentious conversations.
The course will be particularly well suited to people who feel ill-at-ease at either end of the ideological spectrum and/or who want to build their capacity to respond with greater equanimity to people with opposing views.
Will Braun, along with his wife and two teenage sons, live on a subsistence-oriented farm among some big oaks near Morden, Manitoba. He currently serves as editor of Canadian Mennonite magazine. Braun, whose writing has appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Globe and Mail and religious publications from six denominations, has often interviewed people whose beliefs he does not share, including prominent Zionists, right-wing politicians, truck convoy organizers, pro-industry Indigenous leaders, and Trump supporters.
Wednesdays: October 1 - November 5
10:00–11:00 AM CT | Hybrid Class (at CMU or on Zoom)
Life Writing: How to Tell your Stories
This class will focus on the nature of life writing. It will include presentations on various issues and challenges involved in life writing, including the reasons we choose to engage in this kind of writing, the ‘audience’ we write for, the ethical dilemmas that sometimes arise, and the potential pitfalls such as narcissism; it will also include a discussion on the rewards afforded by this kind of project. As well, practical suggestions on how to structure life writing will be offered. Examples of life writing by various writers will be included in each class, in order to expand our thinking on this topic. Time will also be given for general discussion, as well as for sharing our own writing with fellow classmates and appreciating their feedback.
Mary Ann Loewen is the editor of two collections of memoir writing: Sons and Mothers and Finding Father, both published by the University of Regina Press. She has taught Academic Writing at both the University of Winnipeg and Canadian Mennonite University. She currently teaches Life Writing and Literature courses at the McNally Robinson Bookstore in Winnipeg. She loves to read, to cook and to cycle, and to hang out with her family. She has three grown children and three fiercely interesting grandchildren. She lives in Winnipeg.
10:00–11:00 AM CT | Hybrid Class (at CMU or on Zoom)
The Anabaptists at 500: A Popular History
This course compares and contrasts a top-down church history and a bottom-up social history approach to Anabaptist history in the sixteenth century. Special emphasis is given the social conditions that spawned Anabaptism and the ordinary folks who comprised the movement, including those of artisans, women, and anti-clerical theologians.
Royden Loewen is the former Chair in Mennonite Studies and current Senior Scholar at the University of Winnipeg. His research and writing ranges from local history in Manitoba, settler history across Canada and global environmental history of the Mennonites. He is father to Rebecca, Meg and Sasha, proud grandfather to Remy, Kay and Sid and husband to Mary Ann. The Loewens are active members of the Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship. Royden owns and operates a certified organic farm at Steinbach and revels in life in the outdoors.
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM CT | Hybrid Class (at CMU or on Zoom)
Understanding Roman Catholicism, the Augustinians, and Pope Leo XIV
An examination of the development and significance of Catholicism from early Christian history to modern-day globalism. This course includes a focus on major events and ideas that shaped much of the Western world including an exploration of the 267th Bishop of Rome, the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. We will examine how his current mission, style and personality have been influenced by his longstanding membership in the Augustinian religious order—a community of clergy dedicated to “live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God” founded upon the rules of Saint Aurelius Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo (354-430).
An alumnus of the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, and the University of Ottawa, Dr. Michael Caligiuri earned several degrees in the sciences and humanities, with a PhD in Religious Studies. Joining St. Paul’s College at the University of Manitoba as a Research Fellow and as an instructor in the department of Catholic Studies and the department of Religious Studies, his special areas of focus include religious and secular bioethics, issues in body modification, cybernetics, nanotechnology, as well as death and religion in the media.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM CT | Hybrid Class (at CMU or on Zoom)
Daniel: Grappling with the Challenges of Living within Empire
Daniel is a biblical book worth dusting off in our time because it focusses on living faithfully in the midst of the oppressive and idolatrous forces of empire. Through its engaging stories about the faithfulness of Daniel and his friends under pressure, followed by Daniel’s (complex and confusing) apocalyptic visions, the book invites faithful readers to reflect on questions like: how much can we cooperate with and serve the empire, where and when must we draw the line and refuse to obey the empire’s demands, what spiritual practices can nurture a faith capable of resisting the idolatrous demands of empire, what does the sovereignty of God look like in the face of evil political powers, how can we live and what can we hope for when the world is in the grip of monstrous evil forces.
Dan Epp-Tiessen is retired from teaching Bible and theology at CMU after twenty-six years. He is grateful for ongoing opportunities to live out his vocation of teaching and preaching the Bible and Christian faith, especially without assignments to mark in the evenings. Dan is active in solidarity efforts to resist Israel’s settler-colonial oppression of Palestinians and its genocide in Gaza. Dan enjoys gardening, birdwatching, camping, biking, exercising, and spending time with his wife Esther as well as their children and grandchildren.
Thursdays: October 2 - November 6
9:30–10:30 AM CT | Zoom Class
Retirement and Beyond!
As we age, we find ourselves asking new questions and looking for new insights. How will I know when it is time to retire? What will I do with myself if work does not fill my days? What is important in how I look back on my life and look ahead to the end of my life? What does my legacy look like and how do I want to be remembered? How do I accompany those who are dying and grieving, and prepare for death myself?
These questions and more will be posed for reflection and discussion as we explore different viewpoints and wisdom around the second half of life! Many spiritual writers, as well as those in the fields of social psychology and aging, have much to offer as we manage this time in our lives. Join us as we learn together how to lean into this chapter of our living with grace and passion!
Michelle O’Rourke RN MA has a background in Emergency Nursing, Hospice Palliative Care, Lay Ministry and Parish Nursing. Her career included the design and development of the Chatham-Kent Hospice, serving as the Program Coordinator for both the Hospice and the Palliative Care and Oncology Departments at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance until her retirement.
Michelle is the author of three books, including Befriending Death: Henri Nouwen and a Spirituality of Dying (Orbis 2009). She lives in Chatham ON, and enjoy speaking, writing and inspiring others. She currently serves as a Trustee with the Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust. Her website is www.selahresources.ca.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT | Zoom Class
The Book of Ruth: Change, Challenge, and New Life
In the Bible, the book of Ruth is not only the story of one woman. It’s a story that embraces an entire community and that can speak powerfully into our lives today. What can we learn from those who are socially vulnerable like Ruth and Naomi? What can we learn from those who have wealth and social status like Boaz? What can we learn from the community that surrounded them? As we explore these questions together, each session will include time for teaching, reflection, sharing, and discussion, with a view to the changes, challenges, and new life we face today.
April Yamasaki is a pastor, author, editor, and spiritual formation mentor. She currently serves as resident author with Valley CrossWay Church in Abbotsford, BC, editor of Rejoice! daily devotional magazine, and is a frequent guest speaker for churches and in other settings. Her books include Hope Beyond Our Sorrows, Four Gifts, Sacred Pauses, and This Ordinary, Extraordinary Life. Learn more at https://aprilyamasaki.com.
If you have any questions, or would like more information, please email xplore
Printed from: www.cmu.ca/community/xplore