509. SPECIAL TOPICS IN OLD OR NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY AND LITERATURE  1‑3 cr.  Selected questions from the text and background of the Old or New Testament. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered.

522. GOD AND RADICAL EVIL IN THE MODERN WORLD 3 cr.  Development of the idea of God’s relation to evil from the Renaissance until today; emphasis on the changing notion of evil in response to cultural changes such as the Enlightenment and Darwinism; the demonic and the Gothic in the nineteenth century; modern literary and philosophical theodicies; scientific theories; theological responses.

529. SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT  1‑3 cr.  Selected questions from the history of Christian thought with emphasis on reading in primary sources. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered.

531. MODELS OF GOD  3 cr.  Comparison of several models for understanding God and God’s relations to the world. Personal models (Parent, Friend); the Soul‑Body model; Traditional models (Monarch, Being Itself); Process models (Cosmic Lover, Creator‑Redeemer‑Liberator); God as Mystery.

532. SIN, GRACE AND WHOLENESS 3 cr.  The human being understood in relation to God and in conflict with evil, as seen in the Bible and in the works of Paul, Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, Karl Rahner, and contemporary liberation and feminist theologians.

533. METAPHYSICS AND THEOLOGY 3 cr.  Examination of the ideas of several modern philosophers whose thought has been utilized by important theologians.  Among the philosophers to be read are Whitehead, Heidegger, and Hartshorne.  Among the theologians are Rahner, Ogden, and Griffin.

534. CHRISTOLOGY  3 cr.  The person and work of Jesus Christ according to the scriptures, historical theology, and contemporary theology.

535. THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH  3 cr.  Origin, nature, and mission of the Church in light of its evolution from the preaching and mission of Jesus and his disciples, through its developing history, to its current self‑understanding since Vatican II.

538. SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY  3 cr.  Focus on sacramental theology and PRAXIS with particular attention to symbol, liturgical celebration, and pastoral issues which have emerged in the historical and theological development of sacraments in the Christian tradition.

539. SPECIAL TOPICS IN SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY  1‑3 cr.  Selected problems or authors in systematic theology. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered.

554. ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY 3 cr.  An elaboration of the mystical/Sufi tradition of Islam and the emergence of Islamic spirituality.  Detailed study of the Qur’anic verses and paradigms from the sayings of the Prophet that constitute the main sources for the spiritual dimensions of Islam.

559. SPECIAL TOPICS IN ASIAN RELIGIONS  3 cr.  Focus on different topics in Buddhist, Hindu, Chinese, and Japanese religions.  Approaches include the study of social and political history, philosophy, ethics, and ritual.

562. CHRISTIAN SOCIAL JUSTICE  3 cr.  Examination of Catholic and Protestant social teachings which contribute to a social ethic.  Special focus on political, economic, and cultural problems, including war and peace, poverty, and prejudice.

569. SPECIAL TOPICS IN RELIGIOUS ETHICS  1‑3 cr.  Selected issues or authors in the history of Christian ethics. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered.

573. CLASSICS IN SPIRITUALITY 3 cr.  Selected readings from the works of religious leaders with attention to historical and cultural background, theological and psychological insights, and practical application. Authors to be considered : Ignatius Loyola, Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton.

580. PASTORAL COUNSELING  3 cr.  Theory and practice of pastoral counseling. Emphasis  on specific approaches to intervention that match the needs, populations, and contexts in which the pastoral counselor functions. Offered in conjunction with HU 580.

585. TUOHY CHAIR  3 cr.  Specific content will be announced; see the most recent Undergraduate Bulletin or the Tuohy website (www.jcu.edu/tuohy) for further information.

592. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH  1‑3 cr.  Directed research on a topic selected by the student, in consultation with a Religious Studies faculty member who will supervise the project, and culminating in one or more papers, the precise parameters of which are negotiated with the supervising faculty member and then detailed in the Independent Study Contract.  The RL 592 proposal form may be obtained from the department secretary or from the JCU website at http://www.jcu.edu/bible/592/Contract.htm. Registration for RL 592 is contingent upon the approval of the supervising faculty member, the chair of the department, and the Dean of The Graduate School; such approval should be obtained no later than three weeks prior to the semester in which the student wishes to enroll in the course.

599. MASTER’S THESIS  6 cr. upon approval.