THEOLOGY

THE 100 THE BIBLE

An introduction to the Bible. Both the Old and the New Testaments will be approached from their historical and theological perspectives. It is the first-level course in Theology, required of all students. Staff/Three credits

THE 201 THE PROBLEM OF GOD

Does the world make sense? Does the universe have a purpose? Is human life meaningful? Why do innocent people suffer? Where, if anywhere, do we fit in the “big picture?” What, if anything, can we know about God and how might we learn it? These are questions that no serious human being can avoid. Poets, philosophers, scientists, and theologians have all contributed their insights and the many ways in which human beings—both religious believers and non-believers—have struggled with these deep issues. The course is designed to challenge students to ask these questions for themselves and test their answers in conversation with the world’s great thinkers and religious traditions. Bercier/Three credits

THE 202 MORAL THEOLOGY

No one can live a genuinely human life without asking the question “How should I live and what kind of life will make me happy?” This course introduces students to the unique way in which theology goes about answering the question of human flourishing. Moral theology is not so much preoccupied with drafting ethical and legal codes, but rather with shedding light on those actions that respond to the deepest aspirations of the human heart. Beginning with the premise that human beings need to be related to God if they are to be truly happy, this class invites students to think about what it would mean to live a morally serious human life. Klofft, Torraco/Three credits

THE 203 THE EARLY CHURCH

We examine how the Christians of the first five centuries worked out the implications of their original profession of faith in Jesus Christ. What was the relationship between Christian discipleship and Judaism? How did the early Christians envision their role within their social, cultural, and political surroundings? We look back to the earliest Christian writings in order to see how the Christian Church came into existence and to grapple with issues that continue to be important today: the nature of God and Christ, grace and salvation, the use and interpretation of the Bible, and the practice of faith and the sacraments. Fisher, McCarthy/Three credits

THE 204 CATHOLICISM TODAY

Catholics do not live their lives within a Catholic bubble, a hermetically sealed world in which everyone and everything is shaped by the teachings of Catholicism. Christ himself said this would not be the case, informing his disciples that in this world they would have to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God that things that are God’s. As a result, the Catholic Church has always had to find some way of engaging the world in which it currently finds itself. This course introduces students to Catholicism’s ongoing engagement with the world today, paying particular attention to both the main currents in contemporary thought and the representative social movements that shape the modern world. McGuire, Murano/Three credits

THE 205-206 FOUNDATIONS: RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

An introduction to the religious and philosophical foundations of the West. The purpose of the two courses is to help students discover the principles at the heart of Western civilization and thereby develop a critical approach to their own thoughts and actions through a study of the major thinkers who have formed our culture. (This course is taught as a two-semester sequence in PHI and THE. Students may take either or both semesters and receive three credits for each semester.) (Same as PHI 205-206) Corrigan, LePain/Three credits

THE 207 CHRIST, YESTERDAY AND TODAY

We study the different theological interpretations of Jesus of Nazareth. The course focuses on the significance of Jesus, the Christ, asking such questions as: whether he is only a man, only God, or both; what the original experiences of men and women were in the presence of Jesus, before his Resurrection and afterward; what the subsequent experience of his presence is within the Church; and what difference the identity of Jesus makes for the idea of salvation. McCarthy/Three credits

THE 314 WISDOM AND PSALMS OF ISRAEL

The origins and nature of the Wisdom tradition in the context of Near Eastern cultures. Interpretation of selected texts from Hebrew Wisdom Books. Later developments in Synoptic Studies with special attention to the theological perspectives of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as reflected in their varying presentations of the Good News Staff/Three credits

THE 321 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE

A study of the life and ministry of Jesus in light of recent developments in Synoptic Studies with special attention to the theological perspectives of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as reflected in their varying presentations of the good News. Staff/Three credits

THE 322 THE LETTERS OF PAUL

The influence of the life and thought of Paul on the early Church and on Christian thought today. An examination of the historical, social, theological, political, and spiritual forces that brought Paul to the forefront of early Christian thinking—his travels, letters, and, above all, the key themes in his writings as they relate to contemporary understanding. Staff/Three credits

THE 323 JOHN’S GOSPEL AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION

General introduction to the Fourth Gospel, the First Letter of John, and the Book of Revelation. John’s understanding of Christ and Christian living. Staff/Three credits THE 334 THE SACRAMENTS: ENCOUNTERS WITH CHRIST The nature of religious symbolism and the sacraments. A study of the tradition of the Church’s worship in the liturgical prayers of the sacraments with special emphasis on the initiation rites of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Bercier/Three credits

THE 341 MORAL ISSUES IN MEDICINE

An introduction to medical and health care ethics. Assisted by the writings of health care professionals, moral thinkers, and theologians, and in the distinctive light of Catholic morality, the course includes a study of the significance of conscience, prudence, and moral character, as well as competence in the health care profession, and an exploration of the many biomedical issues that have arisen as a result of the impact of modern science and technology. Torraco/Three credits

THE 342 A THEOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

This course seeks to clarify what God has revealed about the nature and the purposes of human sexuality. Beginning with a study of Christian moral principles and moving to an examination of biblical teachings on the subject of sexuality, the course will then address the topics of masturbation, premarital sex, homosexuality, and birth control from the perspective of a theology of marriage. Klofft/Three credits

THE 343 THE SOCIAL TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH

A study of the social teachings of the Church, based on the writings of early Christian, medieval, and modern authors. The aim of the course is to discover and understand the distinctive principles of Catholic social teaching and to reflect on current critical issues in the light of those principles. Torraco/Three credits

THE 352 MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN WRITERS

An introduction to the major themes of Christian writers of late antiquity and the Middle Ages: the relationship of religious faith and philosophy, the approaches to God, including mysticism, the relationship of spiritual and temporal authorities, the role of science in understanding human nature. Readings drawn from the principal writings of authors such as Augustine, Benedict, Anselm, Bonaventure, Abelard, Aquinas, Teresa of Avila, Hildegard of Bingen, Margery Kempe, Francis and Clare of Assisi. Fisher/Three credits

THE 371 RELIGION AND MODERNITY

Taking its bearings from the works of representative thinkers, both religious and secular, the course investigates the encounter between Christianity and modernity. Attention will be focused on the relationship between Christianity and the theoretical foundations of modern science and modern liberalism, the attempted accommodation between Christianity and modernity, the modern criticism of religion, and the challenge of Christian faith in the contemporary world. Klofft/Three credits)

THE 372 RELIGIOUS THINKERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

The reigning optimism of the later 18th and 19th centuries has given way in our time to a more precarious sense of limits. If our scientific progress has empowered us to achieve an unprecedented degree of comfort, it has also given us the possibility of bringing massive destruction upon our world. Within this perilous context, religious thinkers have posed the permanent questions of knowledge and wisdom, belief and unbelief, freedom and salvation, in ways that address our most pressing concerns. The works of several important religious thinkers will be studied with a view toward clarifying and deepening an understanding of the contemporary human situation. Staff/Three credits

THE 374 THEOLOGY AND LITERATURE

Stories matter. That seemed to be the point of view of Jesus, one of the greatest storytellers ever. He used them to offer his listeners a window on reality—his stories make claims about what is real, what life is about, how one should live. Often, they are not overtly religious or particularly pious, but they cut to the bone—the Story of the Prodigal Son being a prime example. This tradition of imaginative literature seeking to understand life from a theological standpoint continues today. This course concerns itself with examining theological—notably Christian—claims about life, about reality, about the good, about truth, through the study of imaginative literature: fiction, poetry, drama. To this end, we will read and discuss such writers as Bernanos, Greene, O’Connor, Lewis, Tolkien, L’Engle, Donne, Herbert, Kazanzakis, Eliot, Percy, Powers, and many others. Cotter/Three credits

THE 383 ASIAN TRADITIONS

An introduction to the major themes of the Muslim, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese traditions through background lectures and class discussions of selected sacred texts and works of art and of imaginative literature. Emphasis on the classical expressions of the Asian civilizations and their more recent encounter with modernity. LePain/Three credits

THE 400 THE NATURE OF THEOLOGY

This course focuses on the subject matter, as well as the method, structure, and purpose of theology as understood by several outstanding theologians who can inform a student’s own search to understand his or her faith. These theologians include Augustine, the principal Father of the Church in the West; Thomas Aquinas, the Common Doctor or Teacher; Martin Luther and John Calvin, theologians of the Reformation; Friedrich Schleiermacher, the inaugurator of modern theology; and Karl Barth, a major 20th-Century theologian. (Required of all majors in Theology.) McCarthy/Three credits

THE 450 SEMINAR IN THEOLOGY

Introduction to the procedures of research in theology through an intensive study of selected topics or thinkers. Presentation of reports by students. (Required of all majors in Theology and open to qualified Juniors and Seniors.) Bercier/Three credits

THE 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY

Available only to highly qualified students who wish to develop a special interest but cannot find a suitable course among the regular offerings. (Offered when warranted.) Staff/Three credits.

Did you Know?

Members of the Class of 2006 interned at more than 120 corporations, nonprofit organizations and schools.