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Catholic
Studies Courses Arts and Sciences AR 299-51: Catholicism and Music: Theology,
Texts, Tunes This course explores the use of music in the Catholic
tradition from its origins in temple and synagogue worship to its
present range of liturgical and secular expressions and concludes
with a look at the ways in which Catholicism and Catholic music
influence the wider musical culture. This course will concentrate
on such topics as the theology of music in Catholic documents, the
spirituality of music, choral performance of art music and congregational
singing, and the ways in which other traditions intersect with Catholic
music. Approximately 1/2 to one hour of additional listening outside
the class will be required each week. Musical training is not required. This seminar is the capstone course in the concentration in Catholic Studies designed to synthesize the intellectual tradition of Catholicism across the ages. The seminar will examine the works of great Catholic thinkers whose ideas have impacted the Church, society, and culture. English EN 299-51: Studies in Modern British novelists:
Waugh and Greene The course will concentrate on a careful reading of Graham Greene’s and Evelyn Waugh’s novels. In this reading, however, there will be another focus, one which attempts to discover to what degree either or both novelists reflect their Catholicism within their writing. This additional focus on the writing provides an insight into whether novelists offer an answer to contemporary moral, political, and social problems. History HS 412-51: Reformation Europe This course will explore the character and pattern of religious reform and renewal in sixteenth century Europe as manifested in the major Protestant and Catholic reformers of the period. The phenomena of Catholic reform as distinguished from Protestant reform will be explored highlighting positive reform efforts within the orbit of Catholicism. Emphasis will be placed on an understanding of Roman Catholic theology, dogma, and piety as the framework to examining the new theological ideas developed by the Protestant reformers of the 16th century. Particular attention will be given to the intellectual ideas of the late medieval Church and the doctrinal teachings of the Council of Trent. The course will also highlight the various dimensions of Catholic intellectual life by examining the ideas of Augustine, Aquinas, Ockham, Erasmus, Ximenes de Cisernos, and Ignatius Loyola. Classical and Modern Languages ML 299B-51: "Sin and Salvation":
Indians and Jesuits in "New France" (Quebec) What would your life have been like had you lived in the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries? North America was known as New England, New France, and New Spain, with the first Jesuit arriving to New France in 1611. The Jesuit mission in the New World included bringing "Civilization" to the "Savages" and promoting commerce, particularly with regard to the fur trade. But their main goal was to convert "Amerindians," as they were known at the time, to Christianity in a sincere effort to save their souls and offer them entrance to "Paradise" upon their deaths. This only led to a clash of cultures. As part of this course, we will engage in a critical reading of Francis Parkman's seminal work, The Jesuits of North America, as well as the Jesuit Relations. Among other course material will be a reading of the novel by an Irish/Canadian writer, Brian Moore, followed by a viewing of the film Blackrobe. Finally, as part of this course we will also explore how the more modern concept of racism might be applied and practiced (even among the Amerindians themselves), the clash of cultures with respect to differences in lifestyle and values (French Jesuits vs. Amerindians), and whether alternative value systems can or should be acceptable. ML 350-1: Dante's Cities: Rome, Florence,
L'Aquila, Siena… This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth examination of Dante's Divine Comedy and of a portion of his minor works, showing how these reflect the social, cultural and artistic representation of late Medieval Italy. The course will focus on how Dante's notion of the relationship between human knowledge and Divine knowledge analyzes the values, beliefs, and practices of Medieval Italy. Philosophy PL 220-1 and PL 220-51: History of Medieval
Philosophy The Christian philosophical tradition emerged and, one might argue, reached its height during the medieval period. The purpose of this course is to reconstruct that emergence and to pay particular attention to the way in which medieval philosophers laid the foundations for the intellectual analysis integral to the Catholic intellectual tradition. We shall begin with the Greek Scriptures and the Church Fathers, study carefully the contributions of the late classical period (Augustine and Boethius), and then analyze in some depth the medieval works of Eriugena, Anselm, Bonaventure, Aquinas, and Dante. Finally we shall explore the transition from the medieval into the modern period prompted by the Franciscan thinkers Scotus and Ockham. Particular attention will be paid to questions about the nature and existence of God, the relationship between philosophy and theology, the doctrine of Purgatory, the centrality of love, the connection between intellect and will, the community (the Mystical Body), and sin. PL 230-51: Christian Thinkers The purpose of this course is to present a historical and critical examination of some salient examples of Catholic thinkers who stand within the general tradition of Christian philosophy. The course will begin by presenting a working definition of Catholic philosophy: a metaphysics that has a particular concern for the question of being. Then we trace the development of this tradition from Augustine and Anselm, through Aquinas and Scotus, into the tradition of neoscholasticism. We conclude with an examination of two contemporary figures: Alasdair MacIntyre and Charles Taylor. Then we will make a critical assessment of how Catholic philosophy, as a Christian philosophy, relates to the tradition of philosophy as a whole. We conclude with some speculations as to the possible future of Catholic philosophy in the twenty-first century. PL 240-41: 17th and 18th Century European
Philosophy An examination of early modern philosophy, with special attention given to Descartes and Kant. The course will begin by examining the breakdown of the medieval worldview and philosophy, and the factors that contributed to the birth of the modern world; it will then cover the great philosophers of the modern era, beginning with Decartes, Leibniz, and Spinoza, followed by the critique of rationalism by empiricism, as articulated by Locke and Hume, concluding with Kant’s philosophical synthesis. Attention will also be given to the political philosophy of the Enlightenment (particularly that of Hobbes, Rousseau, and Locke), and the influence of the Enlightenment thought and philosophy on the founding of the American Polity. Throughout the entire course, special consideration will be given to the influence of modern philosophical thought on religion and spirituality, and its continuing effects today. PL 307-41: Philosophy of Religion Dealing with the main themes, issues, and controversies of the field, this course will highlight the perspective of Catholic Church teachings in each case. Themes will include the nature and attributes of God, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, mysticism, and religious experience, faith and miracles, death and immortality. It will highlight the works of the following Catholic thinkers: Anselm, Boethius, Augustine, Ignatius, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, and C. S. Lewis. PL 307-51: Philosophy of Religion Dealing with the main themes, issues, and controversies of the field, this course will highlight the perspective of Catholic Church teachings in each case. Themes will include the nature and attributes of God, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, mysticism, and religious experience, faith and miracles, death and immortality. It will highlight the works of the following Catholic thinkers: Anselm, Boethius, Augustine, Ignatius, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, and C. S. Lewis. PL 310-41: Contemporary Ethical Problems Giving particular attention to the Catholic tradition of ethical thinking, this course will discuss the principles of ethical action and apply them to contemporary problems. It will apply Catholic ethical theory to personal, social, and global issues, including a review of a method of ethical decision making, and it will ask students to apply both theory and method to ethical problems. Examining several ethical theories, it will place special emphasis on natural law theory as a consistent approach of the Catholic tradition. It will present Catholic ethical tradition by exposing students to its theoretical foundations as well as its practical implications, using Papal documents and documents from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) as resource materials. Religious Studies RL 205-41: New Testament Introduction This course is an introduction to the study of the New Testament in the Roman Catholic tradition. The development and composition of the New Testament as part of the Catholic Canon of Scripture, the historical, cultural, and religious environment out of which it arose, and the various theologies and their impact on the Catholic Biblical imagination will be interpreted in light of the Catholic church, and expose the student to the authentic Catholic exegesis rooted in the Tradition of the Church and exemplified by contemporary Catholic Biblical Scholarship. RL 205-51 and 52: Introduction to the New
Testament This course is an introduction to the earliest Christian communities, the collection of literature which they produced (i.e., the New Testament), and their historico-cultural contexts. Some aspects considered are: the origins, formation, and development to these communities as they interact with their socio-political environment; their different theological perspectives- in regard to Jesus, his life, teachings, death, and resurrection, and his community of disciples-especially with regard to regional differences; the influence of Paul; and the apocalyptic perspective of early Christians. This course is part of the Catholic studies curriculum because it engages the student with the Roman Catholic theological tradition of interpretation of the New Testament, both as an entity and in its respective parts. The ecclesial nature of authentic scriptural interpretation is fundamental to this tradition. RL 220-51: History of Christianity I Christianity from its origins to 1300: the earliest communities, the encounter with the Roman world, establishment of Christian intellectual and artistic life, conversion of the barbarians, rise of the papacy, the Gothic age. RL 231-41: Contemporary Catholic Theology This is an introduction to current Church teaching that covers multiple areas of Catholic thought. The course contains an introduction to the Catholic understanding of Scripture, the sacraments of the Church, and the foundations of Catholic moral teaching. Each area is covered as an introduction, teaching basic concepts and terminology and preparing students for further in-depth study. RL 272-51: Christian Spirituality Spirituality is the human experience of striving to integrate one's life according to values one claims as ultimate or absolute. Christian spirituality, then, puts the person Jesus Christ, his teachings, values, and mission (christology, scripture), at the heart and center of this striving. Personal relationship to Jesus happens through the gift of the Holy Spirit mediated over the centuries both through the Church (ecclesiology, Vatican II, mission of the holiness and social justice) and through personal relationship with Christ (prayer and mysticism). RL 369-41: Foundation of Christian Social
Justice This course will present an overview of some contemporary conceptions of justice with reference to social and economic issues as they are treated in the Roman Catholic tradition. The course will trace the development of important documents and movements in Catholic social justice efforts. RL 399A-51: The Quest for Christian Unity Participants will study the ecumenical movement of the 20th century, featuring the Catholic commitment, made at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), to seeking the ecumenical goal. The course will investigate the complex world of Christian denominations, especially those present in North America, and move on to review their coming together to collaborate and seek visible unity. Study of Vatican II will introduce a Catholic vision of Christian differences and of the imperative to seek reconciliation and communion. The course will review selected dialogues between the churches and the contribution of Pope John Paul II, in the encyclical Ut unum sint (1995). But the unfinished ecumenical narrative must also take stock of many-sided crisis of ecumenism in the early 21st century. Sociology SC 299C-51: Catholic Social Teachings This course will explore the major papal social encyclicals from Pope Leo XIII to Pope John Paul II. Each of the encyclicals will be examined historically as well as within the context of each of the specific pontificates. The encyclicals will be approached not only as a body of writings for the Church and its members, but also for all individuals concerned with social justice and for society as a whole. The relevance of the encyclicals to current social events, issues, and trends will also be explored. The encyclicals that will be examined are Rerum Novarum, Quadragesima, Mater et Magistra, Pacem in Terris, Populorum Progressio, Octogesimo Adveniens, and Centisimus Annus. |