700
These courses take a Catholic approach to contemporary moral issues from a theological and pastoral perspective. Issues in one or more of the following areas will be treated: social, medical, sexual, marital, and business morality.
Notes
This course may be taken more than once on different topics.
An in-depth study of a particular area, book, or theme of Old Testament literature. Examples of possible course topics include: The Pentateuch, the prophetic literature, the Psalms, covenant theology.
Notes
This course may be taken more than once on different topics.
An in-depth study of a particular area, book, or theme of New Testament literature. Possible course topics include: Pauline writings, the Gospel of John, the Church in the New Testament, theology of the Holy Spirit.
Notes
This course may be taken more than once on different topics.
This course, which presupposes undergraduate background in moral theology, is an exploration of some foundational issues in moral theology. One topic treated is the distinctively Christian contribution to our understanding of morality. In addition, one or more of the following are covered: the structure of the human/moral act, the meaning of natural moral law, the meaning of virtue, the meaning of conscience, the meaning and possibility of sin. One text used is Veritatis Splendor. In addition, other texts that serve as important background or context for Veritatis Splendor, and/or that contribute to subsequent theological discussion about the topics treated, are also used.
Christian Spirituality is the study of the nature and means of Christian holiness. This course will consider various dimensions of Christian holiness, including prayer and worship, the cross and the ascetical life, repentance, the activity of the Holy Spirit, the role of the sacraments, and the love of God in Jesus Christ, which is the center of all Christian spirituality. This course will approach these topics through the study of major spiritual writers and saints of the past and of more recent times.
This course pursues an in-depth study of an important topic or author from either the patristic period (the era of the Fathers of the Church) or from the great Doctors of the Church, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, St. Catherine of Siena, or St. Theresa of Avila.
Notes
This course may be taken more than once on different topics.
Through a careful study of the “Theology of the Body” developed by Pope St. John Paul II in Man and Woman He Created Them, this course exams the deep connections between Christian anthropology, sexual ethics, and sacramental spirituality and the significance of embodiment within the Catholic tradition. While addressing specific questions regarding sexuality, love, and marriage and continence for the Kingdom, this course also provides an understanding of how the theology of the body presents a vision the dignity and vocation of the human personal through the lens of salvation history and its culmination in the mystery of redemption in Jesus Christ.
This course takes as a foundation the vision of the dignity and vocation of the human person presented by Pope St. John Paul II in Man and Woman He Created Them, the Theology of the Body, and applies it to contemporary moral issues in the field of sexual morality (such as responsible parenthood, pornography, modesty, marital fidelity, divorce, etc.) and the field of medical morality (such as abortion, reproductive technologies, euthanasia, organ transplants, etc.). Additionally, this course exams how the Theology of Body can serve in a more general way to foster a culture of life and advance the work of the new evangelization.
This course focuses on the Theology of the Body explicit or implicit in selected passages of Scripture. Some texts throw light directly on Gods plan for love between man and woman (e.g., marriage laws in the Pentateuch and their re-interpretation by Jesus and Paul); others speak about marriage as a sign and symbol for God’s relation to his. Particular attention is paid to the vision of the human person expressed in these texts and to its theological roots in the Trinity and the mission of Jesus. The Theology of the Body serves as a point of departure and guides the reading of texts not taken up by John Paul II himself.
Studies the life and theology of the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, in light of his pivotal influence upon the development of Catholic doctrine. The course will expose the student to a wide range of topics investigated by Aquinas through a close and direct reading of Aquinas’s own works. The course also considers the ongoing importance of the study of Aquinas today.
This course will be a systematic exploration of the theology of grace. We will examine the various meanings and key issues involved in understanding grace as presented in Scripture, tradition, and contemporary sources. The development of an integrated theology of grace will lead to and ground a reflection on fundamental aspects of our relationship with God and our living out of the Christian life.
A systematic study of the person and work of Jesus Christ will be conducted in this course. Beginning with a consideration of method, we will develop a contemporary, integrative approach to Christology, drawing on the riches of the biblical, traditional, and contemporary testimony.
A consideration of the signs of salvation flowing from the sacrament, Christ, and his Church will be the goal of this course. The anthropological bases of these signs will be examined and utilized in the seven sacraments that will be covered in-depth.
This course will explore the meaning of Tradition and its relation to Sacred Scripture, touching upon such issues as the material sufficiency of sacred Scripture and its relation to the Reformation doctrine sola scriptura. The monuments of Tradition are studied with a view to recognizing the complementarity between Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The study of Tradition readily leads to an exposition of the development of doctrine within the Catholic Church. The course investigates such development beginning with Cardinal John Newman's text, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, wherein the development of doctrine answers the questions of how the Catholic Church's teaching extended into every generation after the close of the Apostolic Age. The study of the development of doctrine follows various authors from Newman to the present day.
This course, building on the work undertaken in the graduate class, CAT 602: Deposit of Faith, examines the transmission of the faith, analyzing the elements involved in this transmission in light of what the Church calls the "original pedagogy" of the faith. Learning the craft of transmission according to this pedagogy is understood as the fostering of faith, hope and love through an intellectual, affective and practical environment that nurtures the development of one's relationship with Christ. The pattern of transmission is analyzed through a study of the annunciation narrative, with the different elements of proclamation, dialogue, questioning,application to life and so on, being inspired by this narrative. A detailed examination is made of the theological virtues of faith, hope and love, gifts that enable us to share in the "dialogue of salvation" and respond to the promptings of God, making a full assent and adherence to him.
This course will select a topic of theological interest for careful study. Possible topics include: recent papal teachings, ecumenism, Catholic apologetics, theology of renewal, the Church and the Holy Spirit, etc.
Notes
This course may be taken more than once on different topics.
This course will study the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.) in order to discern “what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words” (Dei Verbum 12). Attention will be given to literary forms, historical and cultural context, the place of the Pentateuch in the canon, and the interpretation of it in the tradition of the Church.
This course will study the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Ester, 1 & 2 Maccabees) and the Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) in order to discern “what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words” (Dei Verbum 12). Attention will be given to literary forms, historical and cultural context, the place of the Prophets in the canon, and the interpretation of it in the tradition of the Church.
This course will study the Wisdom Literature of the Bible (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Sirach) in order to discern “what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words” (Dei Verbum 12). Attention will be given to literary forms, historical and cultural context, the place of Wisdom literature in the canon, and the interpretation of it in the tradition of the Church.
Matthew, Mark, Luke share common materials within their unique presentations of the Good News about Jesus Christ. This study will include explore the literary, theological, and spiritual dimension of these "sibling" Gospels. Topics may include: the literary relationships of the "sibling" gospels; the literary/theological architecture of each Gospel (Luke with Acts of the Apostles); treatment of major themes such as Christology, Ecclesiology, Pneumatology; moral teaching; Pascal Mystery.
A study of the Johannine Corpus: Gospel, Letters, Apocalypse of St. John. Issues to be addressed include: the existence of a "Johannine Corpus;" literary, theological, spiritual architecture of the Gospel's canonical form. Intensive reading of select texts. Other topics at the discretion of the professor.
As study of the Pauline Corpus: Pauline Chronology; Life of Saint Paul; Major Thematic developments; intensive reading of select passages.
Mariology II, grounded upon the historical, dogmatic, doctrinal, and devotional content presented in Mariology I, expands the theological exploration of Marian truth and love in the life of the Church, with particular emphases in the following areas: I. The Mariology of the Second Vatican Council: Developments and Controversies; II. Biblical Mariology: Extended commentaries on Principal Marian Passages; III. Great Figures in Patristic Mariology; IV. Great Figures in Medieval Mariology; V. Great Figures in Modern/Contemporary Mariology; VI. Contemporary Marian Apparitions: Ecclesial Norms of Evaluation and Updates from the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and local diocesan authorities, e.g., Fatima, Medjugorje, Our Lady of America, etc.
This course will explore the rich theological and historical tradition of Marian Spirituality and Mysticism. Principal contributions of Church fathers, doctors, popes, saints, and mystics will be read and discussed, with particular emphasis on the role of the Mother of Jesus in the Christian life and pursuit of Christian holiness, as well as an examination of life of Our Lady as presented in the Church's mystical tradition.
This course introduces revelation as the teaching technique of God the Father and examines the content and method of Jesus' teaching. The apostles' teaching styles, the content of their catechesis, and their use of Scripture are covered as well. The scriptural basis of the catechesis of the Fathers of the Church is included. The course also explores implementation of Bible studies and liturgies of the Word for evangelical and catechetical purposes and provides practice in biblical narrative and teaching from Scripture.