Theology Department

This course leads the students toward a deeper understanding of the Bible and the history of our salvation presented within it. The students learn to navigate the Bible and use basic exegetical skills. They examine the relationship among Revelation, Inspiration, and vocation. They learn why salvation history is necessary. They then come to know the people of salvation history: the early leaders of Israel, the judges and kings, and the prophets. They come to understand that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of salvation history and of the Israelites’ covenant relationship with God.

 

Prerequisite: None - A semester course open to freshmen. Required for graduation.

This course leads the students toward a deeper understanding of the history of the Church from the time of Christ to the twenty-first century. It includes the origins of the Church, the Age of the Church Fathers, the development of core doctrines of faith, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the spread of the Gospel to the New World, the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution, and the growth of the Church in the United States. The first semester begins with select topics in recent Church History, including Vatican II and Lumen Gentium (The Constitution on the Church). It covers the early church, doctrinal developments, and the early middle ages. The second semester covers key events in the second millennium. It especially focuses on the ways that the Church shaped and was influenced by the development of Western Civilization. This includes the development of the universities from monasteries and cathedral schools and the influence of great Catholic thinkers on the development of science and modern philosophies. We study the development of religious orders, the Great Schism, the Protestant Reformation, and relate these to current times. We study the Church’s role in the World Wars, as well as the introduction of Catholic Social Teaching, particularly Rerum Novarum (Pope Leo XIII’s response to both socialism and capitalist abuses at the time of the Industrial Revolution). We also look at examples of the Church’s development around the world.

 

Prerequisite: None - A semester course open to sophomores. Required for graduation.

This course will present the moral teaching of the Church with an emphasis on the dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God. Reflecting on the truth that we are all made for communion with God, with each other, and with creation, the students will learn how living a moral life satisfies our deepest desires and leads
to our ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

 

Prerequisite: None - A semester course open to juniors. Required for graduation.

This course leads students toward a deeper understanding of the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. The course starts by examining the foundations of Catholic social teaching in Scripture, Tradition and the Principles of
Catholic Social Teaching. Students then explore specific current social issues, such as racism and bias, immigration, poverty and hunger, economic justice, and environmental justice. Throughout the course, students are called to reflect on Christ’s call to live justly and confront sinful social structures using the "two feet of love in action", charity and justice.

 

Prerequisite: None - A semester course open to seniors. Required for graduation.

The rich spiritual heritage is explored through the writings of St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Pope John Paul II, and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Vocational guest speakers including priests, deacons, sisters, married couples, and single persons present a detailed study of the three Catholic vocations: Marriage, Holy Orders, and the single life.

 

Prerequisite: None - A semester course open to seniors. Required for graduation.