Course Descriptions

2 credits

This course is a study of the character, methodology, and significance of theological knowledge, specifically of Christian revelation. The first part of the course treats revelation, understood as the fundamental concept of theology—the “science of faith”, as well as the transmission of revelation in the life of the Church. The second part of the course focuses on the attempt of Fundamental theology to demonstrate how Christian revelation is credible theologically, historically, and anthropologically, for the modern man and woman. The course will analyze man’s openness to revelation; the relationship between faith and reason; Christology as the foundation of fundamental theology; and the place and the credibility of the Church in handing on revelation. 

2 credits

This course is a systematic, historical, and theological study of the Church’s confession in the one God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Attention is given to the Trinitarian character of the Church’s worship and theology as grounded in Scripture and Tradition. This course will also include an exploration of the distinction between reason and faith in coming to know God. The course also investigates the doctrine of creation and its importance within the present cultural context of materialism and scientific positivism. 

2 credits

This course presents a systematic study of the person and mission of Jesus Christ as found in Scripture and Tradition. It traces the historical developments of how the person of Christ came to be understood within the various theological traditions of the past and present. The course also examines the human person in the light of Christology, and focuses upon such themes as the fall and redemption, grace and freedom, and sin and conversion. 

2 credits

Building on the Church’s understanding of nature and grace, this course treats the Church’s development of a moral tradition that identifies the proper character of human actions, the virtuous character of the human person, and the opposite of these in sin and vice. The context for this moral profile is a proper understanding of the weight of law in moral discourse and an acknowledgment of the mystery of suffering and evil. Finally, the course presents the object of Catholic Christian morality as becoming a holy person, shaped by the spiritual practices derived from the faith Tradition.

2 credits

This course introduces students to the Church's social doctrine. This introduction is accomplished by a careful overview of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, with special attention paid to the most important social encyclicals of the Church’s Magisterium. Students also explore ways to prepare and form the laity to sanctify the world of politics, business, and culture more effectively.

2 credits

This course provides an introduction to Liturgy and Sacramental Theology. It is theoretical and foundational in that it explores Sacramental Theology and thoroughly covers the teaching in Part II of the Catechism and the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC). It is also practical and in depth in exploring such topics as the Liturgy of the East and West, the role of beauty (including art and music) in the Liturgy, the meaning of “full, active, conscious participation” in the Liturgy, and the Liturgy of the Hours. 

2 credits

This course addresses the historical-cultural background, content, and theology associated with each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). It considers the relationships of these Gospel accounts to one another and aspects of the literary and historical contexts that provide insight into the intended meaning of the evangelists for particular passages as well as the overall structure and content of each of their accounts of the Gospel. The course explains basic principles and considerations for performing Catholic biblical interpretation (exegesis) and requires limited exegeses of specified passages over the course of the term as well as an exegetical paper on a selected passage. Concurrently, it examines the doctrinal import of the respective texts.

2 credits

This course provides an introduction to Liturgy and Sacramental Theology. It is theoretical and foundational in that it explores Sacramental Theology and thoroughly covers the teaching in Part II of the Catechism and the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC). It is also practical and in depth in exploring such topics as the Liturgy of the East and West, the role of beauty (including art and music) in the Liturgy, the meaning of “full, active, conscious participation” in the Liturgy, and the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Course topics include: 
● Exploring the innate and mutually illuminative relationship between Sacred Scripture and the Liturgy and the unity between the Bible, the Liturgy, and life. 
● Studying the relationship between passages in the Old Testament and the New Testament to gain insight into the New Testament concealed in the Old Testament and the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament and of the ongoing fulfillment of Scripture in the liturgy in which the whole mystery of Christ is present. 
● Examining fundamental aspects of first-century Judaism, including Scripture, the Temple, sacrifice, major Jewish feasts, and liturgical and ethical worship.
● Aside from extensive recourse to Sacred Scripture, the course will utilize the Ordinary of the Mass, the earliest witnesses on the Liturgy, the arrangement of Sunday Lectionary, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Sacrosanctum Concilium.

2 credits

This course introduces students to the literary, historical, and theological study of John’s writings, especially his Gospel. The objective is to gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the Johannine writings, including their use in the Church’s Tradition. Special attention will be given to the use of the Gospel of John in the Catholic Christian celebrations of Christmas and Easter. 

2 credits

This course demonstrates how these texts taken together as a corpus display the mutual development of orthodoxy and orthopraxis. The course will study how the Pauline and apostolic teachings lead to and are rooted in the prayers and worship of the early Church, and how these beliefs and practices lead to later moral, pastoral, and ecclesial developments.

2 credits

This course will explore the theme of love in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, in Luke-Acts, in the Pauline corpus, and most especially in the Johannine literature through a semantic field study of the words and concepts affiliated with love. The notions of love in the Old Testament as well as in ancient Greek philosophy will be discussed. Students will examine commentaries across the ages including several from the Patristic era, Thomas Aquinas, and the more recent scholarship of Ceslas Spicq OP, Francis J. Moloney SDB, Pheme Perkins, Luke Timothy Johnson and others. This course will require students to write an exegetical paper engaging the tools and methodology of modern Catholic biblical study. At the conclusion of this course students will be better equipped to convey through their teaching, worship, and witness the essence of the life of a disciple: loving God and neighbor.

2 credits

“I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15). This course will explore a Catholic theology of Divine-Human friendship as revealed in sacred scripture, magisterial teachings, as well as the writings and witnesses of Saints throughout the ages. The course will begin by examining Divine-Human friendship in the Old and New Testaments with a particular emphasis on the Gospel of John. Students will study the ancient, medieval, and contemporary theologians on Divine-Human friendship, especially the writings of Saint Ambrose, Richard of Saint Victor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Aelred of Rievaulx, and Saint Francis de Sales. Students will reflect upon their own friendship with God and the necessity of cultivating sacred friendships for growth in the spiritual life. 

2 credits

Beginning with the Theology of the Body that Pope Saint John Paul II presented, this course will explore the understanding of marriage as a sacramental covenant in God. As such, it is also an ecclesial reality subject to canon law and the liturgical expressions of the Church. Marriage and family are the context within which one needs to treat many of the bioethical issues facing the modern believer. This course explores how this context bears upon our moral judgment. 

2 credits

This course first presents a theology of the Church in its Marian dimension - Mary being the exemplar of the Church and the roots of this notion in Scripture and Tradition. The central portion of the course is a study of the mystery, structure, and life of the Church in the documents of Vatican II. The course will focus finally on how the Church as a community of disciples extends the work of Jesus Christ in its mission The relationship of the Church to God’s Kingdom now and in the future will mark this mission’s identity and limitations.

2 credits

This course will equip students with an understanding of the Trinitarian origin for mission, the biblical basis for mission, the sacramental impetus for mission, the church’s teaching on mission, as well as the processes for making missionary disciples. A survey of Catholic missiology in the documents of Second Vatican Council, the magisterium of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis will provide students with the theoretical knowledge to design strategies to transform existing parish processes into a missionary mode. This course will require not only learning Catholic missiology but applying it to parish life today. 

2 credits

This course provides the foundation for an understanding and application of law in the life of the Church and in pastoral ministry. The meaning of law in the ecclesiology of Vatican II and its role in the life of the People of God are the basic themes of this course. Topics considered include: canonical principles and general norms (Book I of the Code of Canon Law); the People of God and their rights and obligations in the Church; the organization of the universal, the particular and the local church (Book II); responsibilities governed by the teaching office of the Church, particularly as these relate to ordained ministry (Book III); temporal goods in the Church (Book V); and penalties and sanctions in the context of the Church as a communion of faith (Book VI). This course is intended to give the student: (1) a general sense of the nature, structure, and role of law in the Church; (2) an understanding of the relationship between the pastoral mission of the Church and the law; and (3) an understanding of the content of the law as it may be encountered in parish ministry and the administrative reality of the local Church. The large body of material in the Code of Canon Law and the limited length of time in the semester make it impossible to treat the law in great depth; however, the course will cover some critical areas such as the magisterium, the hierarchical organization of the Church and the rights and obligations of the Christian faithful in greater depth. This course will not make the student expert in the law; it should, nevertheless, give the student a sense of the “how and why” of law in the Church.

2 credits

If one member suffers in the Body of Christ, all the members suffer with them (1 Cor 12:26). For this reason, the Church has always cared for the sick, the dying, and the grieving through works of charity and mutual support in addition to her sacramental ministry. All the baptized share in the ministry of mutual charity to support those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. In this course, students will learn the theological foundation, the pastoral skills, and practical guidance to accompany the sick, dying, and grieving in the parish community. The course will begin with an overview of the Catholic theology of suffering and then explore a mystagogical theology of the Sacraments of Anointing, Communion to the sick and homebound, and Reconciliation revealed in The Pastoral Care of the Sick Rites of Anointing and Viaticum. Catholic moral teaching on end of life will be embedded throughout the lectures. Students will learn the best practices in parish ministries 209 of accompaniment and develop the necessary pastoral skills to enable them to engage effectively in this work of mercy. 

2 credits

The goals of this course are to develop an understanding of the basic elements of organizational leadership and to examine the exercise of pastoral leadership in the parish and local church. The main goal of the class is the development and integration of the skills related to solid leadership and the ability to work collaboratively with clergy and laity in the parish and in the diocese for the growth of the mission of Jesus Christ in the areas they have been assigned. It is believed that in the coming days collaborative ministry that is informed by a strong understanding of the faith, the laws of the Church and good management practices is essential for the growth of the Church. This course develops participants’ vocabulary and understanding of fundamental issues in organizational and Church leadership. Particular application is made to their current experience and projected pastoral leadership roles in the local church. Topics include: leadership theory and styles, interpersonal and group skills, organizational skills (collaboration, planning, management of others, evaluation), roles of pastor and staff, parish councils and mission of the laity, and decision-making.

2 credits

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a faith formation experience for children ages three to twelve years old. It is based on the belief that young children can and do experience God. Founded on the principles of Maria Montessori and Sofia Cavalletti, the catechesis is rooted in scripture and liturgy. Central to the catechesis is the atrium, a special environment created to nurture the child’s spirituality with beautiful materials that focus the child’s attention on key scripture passages or liturgical moments. 

This course explores the main message of Jesus - the Kingdom God - what is it, how do we live in it, how do we celebrate it. 

Part 1 of the course delves into Parables of the Kingdom of God which give us clues about the characteristics of the Kingdom, examples of how to live in the Kingdom, and our response to the invitation to live in the Kingdom thru the Parousia.
Part 2 explores Sign Language of the Liturgy, lifting up the signs, colors, gestures, prayers and sacramental elements of our liturgy and pondering their meaning while giving a taste of each CGS level.

2 credits

The course Benedictine Spirituality is designed to introduce people to the life and teachings of St Benedict of Norcia (480 – 547), Patriarch of Western Monastics, and Patron of Europe. St Benedict is well-known for his Rule, in which he carefully integrates prayer, manual labor, and study into a well-rounded daily routine. 

His Rule for Monasteries is steeped in Sacred Scripture and is presented as a small guide for beginners. This course shows the Rule of St Benedict as a handbook whose teachings can be readily applied to twenty-first century Christians willing to live their Christian lives in a parish, school, hospital community, or any other community, which for them would be a school of the Lord’s Service’. The ultimate aim is holiness and beholding the face of God. 

2 credits 

2 credits

Special topic courses cover particular content in Scripture and Systematic theology at the Master’s level. These apply as electives for the Catholic Theology Certificate.