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Catholic
Studies Courses
AH 303-51: Italian Renaissance Painting, sculpture, and architecture in Italy from the 14th through the 16th centuries, including such masters as Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Giovanni Bellini, and Titan. Influence of shifting political and religious ideas. English EN 299D-51: The Bible as Literature Embarrassed when a professor asks to recapitulate the temptations of Sampson, when you don’t remember how Paradise Lost will end? Wipe away those blushes of shame with a course which reads the Bible. Old and New Testaments, from the perspective of literature. What kinds and types of stories are used, what are the various literary genres employed by the authors and why those literary types make an essential difference for rational adults in making sense out of the sacred writings. The authentic and ancient Catholic reading of scripture always presupposed that the holy books were to be understood in more than just a literal fashion, and also interpreted according to the literary forms used. We’ll also look at the source stories that authors of scripture mined to make their psalms, war stories, court histories, tragedies and the like. This is not a religion course, but it will help you to make sense out of the deep sources of Western literature and civilization. History HS 196B-51: SP TP Saints and Scoundrels This course will examine one of the most prominent, notorious, talented, and despised groups in the modern world – the Jesuits. We will seek to clarify the historical and cultural significance of the Society of Jesus, the largest religious order in the Catholic Church. This will include study of their founder, Ignatius of Loyola; their place in the world of Renaissance and Reformation learning and culture; the works of the Jesuits in Asia and Latin America during the period of Eurpean expansion in the sixteenth to the eighteenth century; the roles played by the Jesuits during the Enlightenment and French Revolution; the suppression of the Socity of Jesus in the eighteenth century; and the place of the Society in the modern world, particularly their reaction to Liberalism in the Western society and their role in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Modern Languages ML 320-51: Dante’s Divine Comedy This course will study Dante’s Divine Comedy with special attention to its theological as well as literary content. Emphasis will be given to Dante’s particpation in the ecclesiastical and doctrinal issues of this time, e.g. the ascendancy of papal power against secular government; his debt to Catholic patristic tradition, particularly Thomas Aquinas, and his own sometimes heterodox theology involving issues such as infant damnation, the autonomy of will, predestination and the requisite nature of baptism. Dante will be studied as not only a supreme poetic craftsman but as a church reformer. Philosophy PL 220-51: Medieval Philosophy In this course, we will survey the central problem areas of medieval philosophy, reading Catholic thinkers such as Augustine, Anselm, Abelard, Aquinas, Scotus, and Ockham along with Jewish and Islamic thinkers for comparison. Our goal will be two-fold: first, to learn how these authors thought through philosophical issues; second, to think them through for ourselves. The issues we will be focusing on include freedom of the will, proofs of the existence of God, the problem of universals, the nature of virtue, and mysticism. PL 230-51: Christian Thinkers Christian thinkers have long struggled with the philosophical ramifications of their faith and praxis. They have engaged in a centuries-long examination of the intellectus fidei: the knowledge of the faith. This course will critically examine some of the key texts written primarily, but not exclusively, by Catholic members of this tradition (since this course has a Catholic Studies designation). These texts will be analyzed on the basis of some important themes in this tradtion: the question of God’s existence and essence (or nature), and how (or whether) they are known; the relation between faith and reason; the analogy of being and its relation to unity, truth, and goodness; philosophical anthropology: the human person’s capacity for empirical knowledge, moral action, and aesthetic/religious expression and enjoyment; realism in epistemology; and natural law theory in ethics. The overall aim of the course is not only to provide a broad historical examination of this philosophical tradition, but also look at the impact it has had both on Christian theology and on philosophy generally. PL 240-41: 18th and 19th Century European
Philosophy Explores the genesis of modern philosophy and science in Bacon and Descartes. The modern project of mastering nature is contrasted to the classical program of contemplating nature. Attention is paid to early critiques of modernity from such thinkers as Pascal, Leibniz, and Rosseau. The effect of the modern transformation on political philosophy is examined in Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. PL 307-41: Philosphy of Religion Against the backdrop of contemporary “practical atheism,” this course seeks to grasp the distinctively Christian understanding of God as it is accessible to human reason. To this end, it is shown how human experience and rational reflection on creation can lead the mind to contemplation of God. Includes readings from Nietzsche, Pascal, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and contemporary thinkers. PL 310-41: Contemporary Ethical Problems This course is an introdution to ethics, or the formal study of our moral disclosure. The course will explore various ethical theories from Aristotle, Aquinas, John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, G.E.M. Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre, and John Paul II and then engage these theories with some of the most pressing ethical issues of our time. These issues include but are not limited to reproductive technology, abortion, stem-cell research, global poverty, war, capital punishment, and euthanasia. PL 310-51: Contemporary Ethical Problems 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 Neo-Scholasticism. We will make a critical assessment of how Catholic philosophy, as a Christian philosophy, relates to the tradition of philosophy as a whole.
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: New Testament Introduction 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, 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 1 Christianity from its orgins to 1300: the earliest communities, the encounter with the Roman world, establishment of Christian intellecutal and artistic life, conversion of the barbarians, rise of the papacy, and the Gothic age will be studied.
This course will be an overview of Roman Catholic theological themes and issues developed since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) with special attention being given to selected areas: scripture, grace, sin, redemption, the role of Jesus, the Church, ethical norms/morality, and sacraments. RL 260-51 and 52: Moral Decision Making This course investigates contemporary moral issues in light of certain theological and philosophical methods for evaluating the issues. The issues will address dilemmas in the area of human sexuality, bioethics, criminal justice, economics, and war and peace. Specific issues handled largely through cases include abortion, stem cell research, euthanasia, capital punishment, war in Iraq, international trade and sweatshops, just friendships and same-sex relationships, marriage and divorce. The methods-divine command theory, ethics of virtue and Kantian ethics-attend to human experience, divine revelation, church teaching, and philosophical reasoning. Format calls for some lecture and much class discussion. RL 272-51: Christian Spirituality Spirituality, that illusive quality of soul that dwells on the borders of mystery and grace, resists definition. Christian spirituality is the concrete experience of grace and healing in the paschal mystery, the daily dying, rising, experience of communion and alienation, of virtue and sin that constitute our redeemed lives in Christ. This course is a way to reflect upon the experience of being in communion with the ultimate. RL 299A-41: Third World Cultures: Honduras This course will use the discipline of theology to study and evaluate the political, social, historical, and religious themes that emerge from a study trip to Honduras. Instructor and students will go to Honduras in February to experience and observe life in a Third World culture. They will prepare for the trip by reading about the principles of Catholic Social Justice, as well as books by and about the people and Church workers in Honduras. Students will read and discuss the texts with the instructor before and after the trip. Students will keep journals of their thoughts and experiences during the trip. Students will present insights from their study and experience to a larger group of students when they return. RL 321-51: History of the Idea of Evil (Honors) Problem of evil from its biblical origins to the modern period with emphasis on the interaction between religious notions and cultural forces. Topics include the Book of Job, the rise of Satan, Augustine and original sin, Aquinas, Dante, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, demonic and Gothic, modern theological and scientific approaches. RL 337-51: The Quest for Christian Unity After a New Testament Prologue on the unity of the church first gathered by the Easter-Pentecost proclamation by Christ’s apostles, those in the course will study the ecumenical movement of the 20th century, featuring the Catholic commitment, made at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), to work toward the ecumenical goal of establishing respectuful relations, mutual understanding, agreement in teaching and worship, and even “full communion” with the Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches. 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, highlighting the ground-breaking Lutheran-Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (1999) and the forward-looking contribution of Pope John Paul II in his ecumenical narrative must also take stock of a many-sided crisis of ecumenism in the early 21st century. RL 368-41: Christian Social Justice This course will present an overview of some contemporary conceptions of justice with reference to social and economic issuses 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 368-51: Christian Social Justice (Honors) Momentous events, like colonization of Africa and Latin America, the genocide in Rwanda, and the destruction of the Twin Towers have changed the way we view the world and challenge us to think creatively about contemporary events. After reviewing key important historical events, we analyze and evaluate important contemporary social problems in light of Catholic and Protestant ethical frameworks. Themes include poverty and development, conflict and war, international trade, weapons and disarmament, protecting the environment, and issues dealing with human rights. Requirements include one oral report in class on a man or woman who lived social justice to a heroic degree. RL 374-51: Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton This course examines the life and writings of two of the most prophetic and controversial figures in U.S. Catholicism in the twentieth century. It traces the influence of Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day on the Church’s self-understanding and mission, social reform, war and nonviolence, spirituality, racism, and inter-religious dialogue. RL 399A-1: Classics in Spirituality This class is designed for students who are interested in religious experience, spirituality, and the classic literature in the field of spiritual writing. Your interest might be personal or theoretical. The material covered should appeal especially to philosophy, history, English, psychology, and sociology students – and, of course to religious studies majors and minors. This course explores the theory and practice of the spiritual life through the worlds of classic and contemporary religious figures who have significantly influenced the field of spirituality. We will approach this course thematically gathering insight, wisdom and practical application from primary sources. RL 399B-1: Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius
Through Literature This course is basically a study of a great spiritual classic- The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola- adapted to be illustrated by classic and contemporary drama. As a Catholic Studies course, we will engage the great themes of the Exercises: 1.) creative love and sin, 2.) reconciliation and restoration, and 3.) Christian discipleship in the following of Christ and his life as a paradigm of service, sacrifice and transcendence. We hope in this way to integrate the rich Catholic tradition of theological reflection and imaginative representation. RL 408-1: Paul and His Writings This seminar introduces students to the scholarly analysis of the earliest extant Christian documents, the writings of Paul of Tarsus, and other writings from his followers. Reading and discussion of key studies that dominate the current debate will focus around such themes as apocalypticism, authenticity and pseudonymity, epistolography, literary and rhetorical criticism, sociology of sectarian movements, feminist hermeneutics, canonicity and the authority of scripture,and development of doctrine. The readings will be coordinated with lecture and discussion sessions where various exegetical methods will be applied to the interpretation of the Pauline corpus, with selected Pauline texts providing "case studies" for discussion. |