Centre Place

Centre Place Centre Place produces free original online content including history, philosophy, and theology lectu Please continue to join us online.

Centre Place produces free original online content including history, philosophy, and theology lectures; meditation resources, music, and more. Our international community of learners and spiritual seekers is LGBTQ+ affirming, non-dogmatic, & interfaith. Our facility in downtown Toronto is currently not hosting in-person events. Find out more at www.centreplace.ca.

12/23/2025

John and Leandro react to the story of Jesus as pictured in “King of Kings” (1961) a film that received mixed reviews at the time.

The words of our favourite Christmas carols can feel simple and heartwarming, but beneath the familiar words are theolog...
12/20/2025

The words of our favourite Christmas carols can feel simple and heartwarming, but beneath the familiar words are theological claims about God, the world, and what it means for Christ to be born among us.
Join the Beyond the Walls Choir and John Hamer this Christmas Eve for a service of music, theology, and fellowship with the Beyond the Walls global community on
📅 Wednesday, December 24, 2025.
⏰6:00 PM EST

“God on the lips, without a good conduct of life, is a word.” –Plotinus, Enneads 2.9.15In our last lecture “Christian My...
12/20/2025

“God on the lips, without a good conduct of life, is a word.” –Plotinus, Enneads 2.9.15
In our last lecture “Christian Mysticism – Part 3: Neoplatonism,” we explored Plotinus’ thought and lasting influence. In this quote, he is refuting some Gnostic positions that deemed the world a corrupt or evil creation of the Demiurge, a lesser creator being. Learn more about Plotinus and his school of thought, known as Neoplatonism, and its lasting influence on Christianity.
🎥 Watch video: https://youtu.be/HDrWPoWYihU

The Gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus’ birth in simple, restrained terms. By contrast, the Infancy Gospel of Ja...
12/19/2025

The Gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus’ birth in simple, restrained terms. By contrast, the Infancy Gospel of James presents the nativity as a deeply symbolic and theological narrative, deliberately shaped as a mirror of the Easter story.

This Sunday, we reflect on the wise men’s statement “a great king is born” and how the text portrays Jesus as a new Moses born amid violence and political fear, inviting us to see Christmas not simply as a beginning, but as a story already shaped by resurrection hope.

As we light the candle of peace ☮️ in a world in need of healing, where do we see signs of Christ’s peace breaking into the world?

“King of Kings” is the story of Jesus told in a 1961 “sword-and-sandal” Hollywood epic. It stars Jeffrey Hunter who als...
12/18/2025

“King of Kings” is the story of Jesus told in a 1961 “sword-and-sandal” Hollywood epic. It stars Jeffrey Hunter who also starred as Captain Christopher Pike in the original 1964 “Star Trek” pilot. John and Leandro have never seen the film before and they will be sharing a summary and giving their reaction to a film that received mixed reviews at the time.
Join the livestream to participate in the discussion and to ask questions of our lecturer during the Q&A.

📅 Tuesday, Dec 23
⏰ 7:00 PM EST

12/16/2025

How did Greek philosophy shape the development of Christian mysticism?

As we light the Candle of Love, we seek to fill a world weary from suffering and uncertainty with Christmas cheer as mem...
12/12/2025

As we light the Candle of Love, we seek to fill a world weary from suffering and uncertainty with Christmas cheer as members and friends from around the world share testimonies of Christmas. We also continue our exploration of the Infancy Gospel of James, the source for many of our earliest Christmas traditions. Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem and there is no room for them at the inn.

How did Greek philosophy shape the development of Christian mysticism? And to what extent did the Neoplatonic model of O...
12/11/2025

How did Greek philosophy shape the development of Christian mysticism? And to what extent did the Neoplatonic model of One, Nous, and Soul provide a framework for articulating the Christian doctrine of the Trinity?

In this live lecture, Leandro Palacios of Toronto Centre Place examines how Neoplatonism shaped the language of Christian mysticism and how the at times clashing encounter of Greek philosophy and Jewish mystical tradition shaped the spirituality of the early Church.

12/09/2025

Was Christmas deliberately chosen to replace pagan festivals like Saturnalia?

The idea of God becoming flesh was shocking enough, but insisting that this infant is not the offspring of a great emper...
12/06/2025

The idea of God becoming flesh was shocking enough, but insisting that this infant is not the offspring of a great emperor but of ordinary people in impoverished circumstances, is scandalous. The Infancy Gospel of James highlights the scandal even further elaborating on Mary who became pregnant before her wedding. We will consider this tomorrow as we light the Candle of Hope 🕯️and share communion 🍞🍇
Speak the Truth | Beyond the Walls | Dec 7 2025

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