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Programs of
Study
Theology/Religious
Studies
Course Descriptions
— Theology/Religious Studies
- HEBR 101-102 — (CF) Biblical
Hebrew — 6 credits
- (HEBR 101 is a prerequisite for HEBR 102) A
systematic introduction to the fundamentals of Biblical Hebrew grammar and to
certain aspects of ancient Semitic language and culture.
- T/RS 121 — (P) Theology I:
Introduction to the Bible — 3 credits
- A survey of central texts and themes of the Bible.
Its purpose is to develop biblical literacy as well as skills in interpreting
various literary forms and key theological concepts.
- T/RS 122 — (P) Theology II:
Introduction to Christian Theology — 3 credits
- (Prerequisite: T/RS 121) A survey of key Christian
themes: creation, Christ’s incarnation and redemption, the Church and
sacraments, Christian personhood, and the practice of prayer, virtue, and hope
for the future.
- T/RS 210Z — (P, D) Jews,
Christians, and the Bible — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 207) A survey of ancient and modern
ways of reading the Bible. The focus will be on a group of central biblical
figures whose stories will be examined in the context of ancient Israelite
history and society. The biblical stories will then be compared with later
elaborations by Jewish and Christian interpreters.
- T/RS 211 — Perspectives on
Western Culture — 3 credits
- The religious, philosophical and political writings
of major thinkers of the Western tradition. The first semester includes the
study of the Bible, Aristotle’s Ethics, Plato’s Apology,
Augustine’s City of God, and the thought of Aquinas. Emphasis is on the
study of these works as they illuminate the current world.
- T/RS 212 — (P) Saints and
Holiness — 3 credits
- An inquiry into the nature of Christian sanctity by
an examination of the lives and accomplishments of traditional saints and of
contemporary persons who respond to the Gospel message.
- T/RS 213 — American Catholic
Thought — 3 credits
- The major themes of American Catholic tradition
from colonial times to the present are placed in their historical, religious,
social and political context.
- T/RS 214C — (P, W) Inside the
Catholic Tradition — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 184C) This introduction to Catholic
Tradition will study its scope, depth, and ongoing development, reception, and
characteristics. Topics covered include Faith and Revelation, the
intercommunion of Scripture and Tradition, the role of Magisterium, and the
development of doctrine. Selected readings are taken from important conciliar
texts and theologians.
- T/RS 215Z — (P, W) The History of
Christian Theology — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 210) A study of the vital growth of
Christianity’s life, doctrine, worship and spirituality over the
centuries. Special emphasis will be placed on principal leaders, thinkers and
heroes.
- T/RS 216Z — (P, D) Judaism in
Modern Times — 3 credits
- This course is a detailed study of the history of
modern Judaism (1700 to present) in all of its aspects, including Messianism,
Hasidism, Jewish Emancipation, new Jewish religious movements, Zionism,
Holocaust, and the rise of the State of Israel.
- T/RS 217 — (P, D) The Holocaust
in Context: History and Theology — 3 credits
- An exploration of the Holocaust through the
perspective of the history of anti-Semitism. The course will examine the
historical aspects of the Holocaust as well as the moral and theological issues
raised by it.
- T/RS 218Z — (P, D) Women in
Christianity — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 315) An exploration of some of the
major roles women have played in Christian thought and experience, including
their contributions as disciples, spiritual guides, and social critics. Will
also examine assumptions about male and female identities and consider
challenges to traditional roles.
- T/RS 219Z — (P,D) The Religions
of the World — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 314) An exploration of belief in the
traditions of the classical historical religions of the world through both
systematic analysis and the reading of sacred texts.
- T/RS 220 — (P) Spirituality:
Liturgy and Sacraments — 3 credits
- A basic course in sacraments which explores the
religious experience of the faith community and its expression in sacraments.
Two features of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, its process
orientation and the role of community, will serve as basis for the examination
of new sacramental models. Specific attention will be given to the development
of a sacramental spirituality.
- T/RS
221 — Prayer — 3 credits
- Introduction to the nature, purpose, and method of
prayer in the Catholic Christian tradition.
- T/RS 222 — (P) Introduction to
Liturgical Theology — 3 credits
- This course will consider the relationship between
liturgy and theology, as realities in the Christian life which form and inform
one another. Fundamental documents of the Roman liturgy will be introduced,
with an eye toward discerning insights into God, Christ, the Church, the
sacraments and the human person which are embodied therein.
- T/RS 223Z — Introduction to the
Theology of the Byzantine Churches — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 225) The Byzantine theological
tradition develops special emphases within the mainstream of the Christian
tradition. This course introduces the student to the study of some of the
specifically Byzantine contributions to the understanding of the Christian
mystery, with particular emphasis on early developments.
- T/RS 224Z — (P) Introduction to
Eastern Liturgies — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 226) A survey of the Eastern
Eucharistic Liturgies with particular emphasis on the structure, history, and
liturgical theology of the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
- T/RS 225Z — (P) A Theology of
Marriage — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 240) This course will introduce
students to the theology of marriage. It will focus on the distinctiveness of
Christian marriage, its sacramentality, marriage as a vocation and covenant,
love and friendship in marriage, sex, singleness, family and children.
Questions of the state of the institution of marriage in contemporary culture
will also be discussed.
- T/RS 226Z — (P) Faith and
Healing: God and Contemporary Medicine — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 313) This course will consider the
history of Western medicine in the light of a range of Christian notions such
as that life is a gift from God, that the body is good, that illness is a
(limited) evil, that health is a responsibility. In this light, the idea that
medicine is a calling and healing an art will be considered.
- T/RS 227Z — (P) Biomedical
Ethics — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 330) This course will present
theological reflections on the two main ethical theories undergirding
contemporary biomedical ethics. It will also present and discuss relevant
philosophical and theological arguments on such issues as abortion, care of
handicapped infants, euthanasia, suicide, and the profession of medicine.
- T/RS 228Z — (P) Parables in Pop
Culture — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 214) This course is designed to help
students attend to and interpret the narratives of popular culture from the
perspective of Christian faith. We will discuss Jesus’ use of parables,
engage the theological tradition of “finding God in all things,” and
analyze a variety of artistic productions (movies, television and music) that
represent dominant themes of contemporary culture.
- T/RS 230 — (P) Moral
Theology — 3 credits
- A study of the Christian moral tradition, its
history and principles. Among areas to be treated are: the family, sexual
activity and human rights.
- T/RS 231 — (P) Social
Ethics — 3 credits
- This course will prepare students to recognize
ethical dimensions of political, economic and social issues through the study
of the following: pertinent writings of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, a
classic work of political theory, and several contemporary writings on such
issues as morality, foreign policy and economic justice.
- T/RS 232 — John Paul II and
Catholic Social Thought — 3 credits
- This course will explore the dialogue between the
Catholic Church and modern ideologies on social and political matters. Readings
include pertinent documents of the Second Vatican Council and recent papal
writings, especially those of Pope John Paul II.
- T/RS 233 — (P, W)
Suffering — 3 credits
- This course examines the way in which Christians
and Jews narrate their suffering in the context of God’s purposes.
Traditional formulations of “the problem of evil” will be critiqued,
and the concept of redemptive suffering will be explored.
- T/RS 234 — (P, D)
Twentieth-Century Peacemakers — 3 credits
- A study of some of the principles and methods of
“waging peace” found in the lives and writings of Mohandas Ghandi,
Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and Martin Luther King.
- T/RS 235 — (P) The Theology of
Birth and Death — 3 credits
- This course will investigate the meaning and
significance of the birth and death of human beings in the Christian tradition.
Related topics will be: suicide, euthanasia, capital punishment, contraception
and abortion.
- T/RS 236 — (P) Prophets and
Profits: The Economy in the Christian Life — 3 credits
- An inquiry into the witness of the Church with
regard to questions of wealth, business, economics and formulation of public
policy. Biblical sources, Church tradition, and contemporary narratives will be
employed to assess the common good.
- T/RS 237 — Politics: A Christian
Perspective — 3 credits
- An inquiry into the role of the state, the Church
and the individual in political life. Special attention is given to the problem
of violence; the course is set in the unique American perspective of
Church-State relations.
- T/RS 238 — Nietzsche and
Christianity — 3 credits
- A focus on Nietzsche’s relation to and
critique of Western thought in general and Christian thought in particular.
Nietzsche’s deep influence on contemporary theology and philosophy will be
shown through extended readings from his collected works.
- T/RS 239Z — (P) Money and Power
in the Biblical Tradition — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 328) A study of the presentation of
various social-justice issues in the Old and New Testaments, including wealth
and poverty as signs of God’s favor, obligations to care for and protect
the poor, and faith as involving both rights and responsibilities.
- T/RS 240Z — (P, W) Scrolls and
Scriptures — 3 credits
- What are the Dead Sea Scrolls? Do they predict the
future? Were they suppressed by the Vatican? Do they reveal secret information
about Jesus? Conspiracy theories and tabloid headlines abound, but what do the
scrolls really tell us? This course will look at the tabloids, the conspiracy
theories and the scrolls themselves to understand better Judaism and early
Christianity.
- T/RS 241Z — (P) Early Biblical
Heroes and Villains — 3 credits
- (Prerequisites: T/RS 121, T/RS 122) This course
will be a theological study of some of the historical books of the Old
Testament, especially Joshua, Judges, and the four books concerning kings.
Major figures and narratives, like those of King David and the prophet Elijah,
will be the main focus.
- T/RS 250 — Latin American
Liberation Theology and Beyond — 3 credits
- The objective of the course is to explore the
development of theology within Latin America after the Second Vatican Council
(1962-65). Special attention is given the theological, social and political
settings of Catholicism in Latin America.
- T/RS 295 — Christianity in
Africa — 3 credits
- This travel course takes students to Uganda in East
Africa. It covers the life and story of Ugandan Christianity since 1877,
including the Uganda martyrs, the relationship between Anglicans and Catholics,
and the role of Christian churches in Uganda culture, especially related to
education, justice and medicine.
- T/RS 296 — (P, D) Life Along The
Dead Sea — 3 credits
- A three component travel course: (1) Participation
in a one-week archaeological excavation at Ein Gedi, Israel; (2) A one-week
tour of important biblical sites; and (3) a U of S-based series of lectures for
background and context.
- T/RS 310Z — (P) The Heart of the
Old Testament — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 309) An in-depth look at the five
books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) using
ancient and modern exegetical views to examine and emphasize the central theme
of the Covenant.
- T/RS 311Z — (P) Job and the
Psalter — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 306) A close look at the wisdom
literature of the Old Testament. The study of both the Book of Psalms and the
Book of Job will emphasize theological themes.
- T/RS 312Z — (P) The Great
Prophets — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 308) An examination of the four
major prophets of the Old Testament: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, with
an emphasis on the study of selected texts.
- T/RS 313Z — (P, W) Faith and
Justice in the Prophetic Tradition — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 208) The goals of contemporary
Jesuit education are the service of faith and the promotion of justice. This
course will examine the roots of these ideals in the writings of the OT
prophets, with special attention to Isaiah.
- T/RS 314Z — (P) The Four
Gospels — 3 credits
- A study of the four Gospels from the perspectives
of history, theology and literature.
- T/RS 315Z — (P, W) John’s
Gospel and Letters — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 304) A close look at the Fourth
Gospel and the Epistles of John with an emphasis on their literary, historical,
and theological characteristics.
- T/RS 316Z — (P, W) Passion and
Resurrection Narratives — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 307) A study of the theology of each
of the Gospels by an analysis of the key narratives of the Passion and
Resurrection in the four Gospels.
- T/RS 317Z — (P) Pauline
Letters — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 204) An introduction to the writings
of the Apostle Paul, exploring Jewish and Greco-Roman influences on his letters
as well as his contribution to basic Christian beliefs and practices.
- T/RS 318Z — (P) The Apocalypse of
St. John — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 305) This introduction to the last
book of the Bible will emphasize the literary forms and thought patterns of
apocalyptic literature as well as the historical and theological character of
the book itself, highlighting both textual interpretation and contemporary
relevance.
- T/RS 319Z — (P, D, W) Judaism in
the Time of Jesus — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 335) A study of first-century Jewish
religious sects as well as the cultural, political, and historical setting of
the Roman Empire in which Jesus lived and preached and where monotheism
continued to develop.
- T/RS 320Z — (P) Early Christian
Writers — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 215) This course is designed to
provide an introduction to the main figures, theological currents and ideas of
the formative period of the history of Christian theology by a close reading of
selected texts from the major authors of the first six centuries of the Church.
- T/RS 321Z — (P) Development of
Christian Thought to 1100 — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 218) A survey of the principal
theological, spiritual and institutional developments in the first millennium
of the Church’s life.
- T/RS 322Z — (P) Development of
Christian Thought 1100 to 1800 — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 219) Survey of the principal
theological, spiritual, and institutional developments in the Church in the
medieval, reformation, and early modern periods.
- T/RS 323Z — (P) Protestant
Traditions — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 228) This course will examine both
historical and contemporary representatives of selected Protestant traditions,
focusing on their characteristic understandings of (1) scripture, tradition and
knowledge of God; (2) grace, faith and works; and (3) the Church and the
Christian life.
- T/RS 324Z — Jesuit
Spirit — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 312) The Society of Jesus (Jesuits):
its spirituality, tradition and history from their sixteenth-century origins in
the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola through the
contemporary period, with special emphasis on Jesuit theological and cultural
contributions to the Church.
- T/RS 325Z — (P) Heaven and
Hell — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 223) Besides studying the origins of
the Christian belief in the afterlife, the course will also focus on Catholic
and Protestant formulations of the doctrines of salvation and damnation as well
as literary responses to the notions of heaven and hell.
- T/RS 326Z — Belief and
Unbelief — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 327) A multidisciplinary inquiry
into the nature of Faith in the Catholic tradition with special attention to
the challenges of modernity.
- T/RS 327Z — Spiritual
Classics — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 324) A study of the autobiographies
of St. Augustine and St. Teresa of Avila (The Confessions and Life of Teresa of
Jesus). As an introduction to the study of the spiritual life, John Paul
II’s “Sign of Contradiction” is read.
- T/RS 328Z — (P) Models of the
Church — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 318) A brief survey of various
expressions of the Church’s nature and mission throughout its history,
from the New Testament through Vatican II. Exploration of some contemporary
approaches, including liberation and feminist theology, and such questions as:
What and who is the “true Church”? Where is it located? What is the
place of Mary in the life of the Church?
- T/RS 329Z — (P) Signs and
Symbols — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 323) A study of the nature and
purpose of symbols in the Church. Students will draw from the insights of
contemporary symbol theorists as they piece together their own definition of
“symbol.” This definition will then be used to gain a new perspective
on the Church’s doctrine and sacraments as fundamentally symbolic
realities.
- T/RS 330Z — (P) Christ in
Tradition and Culture — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 227) Examines the meaning and
message of Jesus Christ as understood and communicated in the faith of his
followers with special consideration given to the symbolic dimensions and
cultural aspects of that Christian understanding.
- T/RS 331Z — (P, W) God and the
Earth — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 316) This course will explore the
way human beings relate to the land and to other life forms and how this
relationship is affected by belief in God. Biblical and other theological texts
from Christianity and other religious traditions will be considered.
- T/RS 332Z — (P) Jesus and the
Moral Life — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 338) A study of how the life of
Jesus and the theological claims Christians make about his person relate to the
moral life. Historical resources of the first century will be considered as
well as contemporary writings in Christian ethics.
- T/RS 333Z — (P) Friendship and
the Christian Life — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 321) This course will explore
friendship as a central practice of the Christian life, especially the moral
and spiritual life, and examine virtues such as fidelity, forgiveness, and love
which are essential for sustaining and nurturing friendships.
- T/RS 334Z — (P, D) The Church and
Contemporary Social Issues — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 326) Explores the religious and
ethical dimensions of social issues such as prejudice and violence. The
findings of related social sciences and literature are placed in the context of
Christian anthropology to give the student a concrete view of their
interrelationship.
- T/RS 335Z — (P) Christian
Ethics — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 331) This course will discuss the
practice of the Christian moral life in contemporary society. The Christian
virtues will be distinguished and related to selected problems arising in our
lives as private individuals, as members of families, as professionals, and as
citizens. Other topics to be treated include: evil, sin, Christian liberty,
Christian perfection, relativism and humanism.
- T/RS 336Z — (P, D) The Jewish Way
of Life — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 333) As a global introduction to
Judaism this course will examine: essential beliefs, holidays and life
ceremonies, Jewish history and modern Judaism, especially the Holocaust, the
State of Israel and the Coming to America.
- T/RS 337 — (P, D, W) Jewish
Approaches to Ethics — 3 credits
- A survey of Jewish approaches to ethics and ethical
problems with comparisons to other religious traditions and the writings of
secular ethicists. Students who take T/RS 334Z may not take T/RS 337.
- T/RS 338Z — (P, D, W) Psychology
and Spirituality — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 439; prerequisite: PSYC 110) This
course explores selected Christian and Buddhist traditions of spirituality as
understood by their practitioners and from the perspective of representative
theorists or schools of Western psychology. The course concludes by assessing
positive and negative aspects of these psychological approaches to
understanding and evaluating spiritual experience.
- T/RS 339Z — Eastern Christian
Spirituality — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 325) A study of the meaning of the
spiritual life for Eastern Christian writers with a particular emphasis upon
Sts. Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory Palamas. Themes such as prayer,
image of and likeness with God, discernment of spirits, hesychasm and icons
will be discussed.
- T/RS 440Z — Introduction to Old
Testament — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 400) An introduction to the primary
methods and problems of Old Testament interpretation: its historical
background, the theological analysis and synthesis of major sections, as well
as the use of source, form, and redaction criticism and such more recently
developed approaches as social, scientific, literary, and feminist criticism.
- T/RS 441 — Inside the New
Testament — 3 credits
- An introduction to the primary methods and problems
of New Testament interpretation focusing on the contents, historical background
and theological import of major passages. Among the specific topics studied
will be from and redaction criticism along with recent critical approaches to
the text such as structuralist exegesis, narrative and feminist criticisms.
- T/RS 445 — Pastoral
Theology — 3 credits
- (Formerly T/RS 441) This course is based on the
assumption that when done properly, all theology is pastoral. Throughout the
course, students will “read” both the liturgy an classical
theological texts in a pastoral way, as well as reflect theologically on their
own pastoral experience. It will be conducted in seminar format.
- T/RS 480 — Internship in
Theology/Religious Studies — 1-3 credits
- (Prerequisite: Junior standing, 15 credits of
Theology/ Religious Studies) Theology majors and minors can receive credits for
a variety of ministerial experiences. Approval must be obtained beforehand from
supervising faculty member and chairperson. Internship credits can be placed in
the cognate or free area; they do not count toward the 30 credits needed for a
Theology major or the 18 credits needed for a Theology minor.
- T/RS 490 — Theology Capstone
Seminar — 3 credits
- (Prerequisite: 12 credits of Theology/Religious
Studies). A capstone seminar required for Theology majors, recommended for
minors and available to other qualified students with permission of instructor.
Topics will vary from semester to semester depending on student interest and
faculty expertise. The use of primary sources and research appropriate to the
specific topic will be emphasized. Students may take more than one semester of
this course.
- T/RS 491 — Pastoral Studies
Capstone Seminar — 3 credits
- (Prerequisites: 9 CHS cr., 9 T/RS cr. and T/RS
338Z; co-requisite: Pastoral Studies internship) Exploration of the history,
development and theology of Christian pastoral ministry, methods of theological
reflection and pastoral assessment, and formation of pastoral caregivers’
professional identity. Readings from pastoral theology texts, presentations by
practitioners, case presentations by students. (Also listed as CHS 491.)
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