Theology (THEO)

Designed as a student's first theology course, it introduces the ways in which the study of theology and its sources can be applied in a questioning search for deeper understanding in the pursuit of truth and social justice. In so doing, the course addresses the question: How can a catholic perspective deepen one's understanding of what it means to create a more just society? By engaging in this question, students will expand awareness of their own beliefs and those of others about faith perspectives in relation to contemporary issues of justice throughout the world. They will also generate collaborative problem-solving skills for assessing theological responses for just action, according to the principle of the common good.

This course will discuss the development of how the community of Jesus' disciples has become the "Church" as we now know it. Students will read and discuss historical texts as well as works by contemporary theologians that discuss the identity and mission of the church. Special attention will be given to issues pertaining to sacraments and spirituality that are arising in the faith-experiences of Christian communities around the world.

While biblical texts reflect the realities of cultures long past, they regularly effect modern political conversations and policymaking. This course examines a two-way relationship between the Bible and political thought: how the Bible influences political ideologies, and how people's political ideologies shape their interpretations of the Bible. Students will develop skills in assessing and critiquing political and religious arguments: skills that are critical for academic engagement in any field of study.

Historical Theology is how we address contemporary theological and moral questions by drawing upon the sources and texts of the Theological Tradition, including Ambrose of Milan. We explore how answers are influenced by the social, cultural, historical, economic, ecological, and political context. We'll probe into the tonos sustaining the tension between faith and reason, grace and free will, God in Three Persons, Jesus the Christ, Mercy, Natural Law and Divine Law, meaning and purpose, and above all mercy.

We all die, so why do we interpret death & dying in different ways? Death is a universal part of life, but people understand and experience it in very different ways. This introductory course explores how individuals and societies interpret dying, death, and grief. Students will learn basic concepts in the study of death and dying and examine how medical systems, cultural beliefs, religions, and public policies shape end-of-life experiences. The course also compares diverse practices and attitudes across cultures and introduces major ethical questions related to end-of-life care.

We live in a world in which human achievements and prosperity are juxtaposed with extreme suffering and despair. Suffering is a practical, pastoral problem for all human beings, especially those in helping professions. Suffering is also a profound theological problem, as it continues to exist in spite of claims about Divine benevolence. This course examines the experiences of suffering, compassion and healing in light of Christian faith, spirituality and theology. Special attention is paid to topics such as healthcare as ministry, consideration of the difference between healing and cure, the concept of virtue, especially the virtue of compassion and the role it plays in helping us serve those who suffer.

This course explores theological, philosophical, and psychological understandings of forgiveness and reconciliation and the methods used in seeking reconciliation between individuals and groups. Students consider the role that forgiveness and reconciliation play in peacebuilding and nonviolence, and the applications of these concepts and methods through case studies.

This course provides the essential elements of Theological Ethics derived from Scripture, the catholic intellectual tradition, and the "Social Encyclicals." The course question is "What does it look like to "Love the Lord your God.and Love your Neighbor as Yourself" (Lk 10:27) in contemporary settings? Students are then coached as they explore how to apply those principles to their major course of study or to an area of particular interest to them. Models of applied ethics may include AI, Business, Disabilities, Ecology, Healthcare, Law/Politics, Professional, and Technology.

Examples from current movements in theologians of liberation including Latin American, Black, feminist, LGBTQ, post-colonial, and disability theologies. Focus on how contemporary theology grows out of and challenges the Christian theological tradition.

This course will consider the Christian religion from the perspective of races typically underrepresented in Christian theology. Also considers the history of racism and colonialism/imperialism in Christianity, especially in the U.S. context.

This class addresses the complex question of what our responses should be to environmental crises. Students will use experience, academic work, and course resources to understand ecological issues and theological ethics. With this grounding they will craft and apply their own environmental ethic to a real environmental issue of their choosing. Throughout this process, students are constantly asked to reflect on how our actions to save nature may inspire hope, meaning, and purpose in their lives. Indeed, they might find that saving nature also means that nature saves.

We live in a world where rapid technological development has changed the way humans live and relate to each other and their world. Technological innovation promises constant progress. At the same time, the commodification of everything, from water and land to attention and human creativity, leads to experiences of alienation from our bodies, our work, our communities, and the land we inhabit. How do we address this sense of alienation in the midst of human progress? In this course, students address the essential question: In a rapidly changing world driven by technology, how can we thrive?

When we face complex real-world problems, how can the big ideas from theology or philosophy help us think through what really matters? This course investigates how philosophical and theological traditions provide resources for addressing complex moral and social problems. Students engage primary texts and significant thinkers to examine how concepts such as justice and the common good shape ethical decision-making. Particular attention is given to distinguishing intuitive reactions from carefully articulated arguments and to assessing the strengths and limits of different frameworks. Students will gain practical tools for making sense of our complex world and your place in it.

Moral Reasoning begins with our own experiences. It is substantiated, corrected, enriched by examining theological vocabulary, sources and texts. These are then crafted into a Moral World View that gives compass to our moral decision making. Finally, that MWV is applied to the great and small moral questions we have in the course of our lives. We will review Scripture Natural Law, Virtues Ethics, and Ethics of Relationship. Our sources include Isaiah, Luke, St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Thomas Aquinas, and diverse contemporary moral theologians.

This course introduces students to the methods and content from systematic theology, the division of theology that has to do with the central teachings of Christianity and their significance for Christian life. In doing so, it provides students with tools to engage with the perennial question: What is Faith? Students explore central teachings of Christianity, how they have developed, and how they are being discussed today by diverse theological voices.

While the Bible's heroes offer valuable lessons, its villains are often overlooked as a source of effective instruction. In "Sacred Scoundrels," students will look at the worst actors of the Bible to approach such timeless questions as "what is (or is not) the good life?" and "how should I (or should I not) face life's challenges?" In addition to examining whom the biblical authors did not want its readers to be or become, this course will also examine how gender, cultural, and ethnic biases were projected onto some of the Old and New Testament's primary villains.

The Bible has its roots in colonized communities that proclaimed a god of liberation. Many of their sacred texts not only challenged injustices suffered by tyrannical rulers, both foreign and domestic, they also undermined political and religious values that imperialists used to legitimize their own authority. This course will explore how these subversive biblical writings challenge authoritarianism in the contexts of the ancient Israelites, the early Jesus movement, and in communities that have since received them.

This course is designed for the individual professor to offer a line if theological inquiry or for a student to pursue a topic of their own choosing, with instructor's input and approval. For example: Disabilities Ethics; Christologies for Our Time; What are Theologians saying about AI; "Deep Dive" into a theologian's thought, methodology or epistemology; study abroad with one of our professors; get placed in a pastoral setting and gain experience in practicing theology in religious ed., hospital or hospice care, or a non-profit. Requires a final paper and/or presentation.

This course prepares Theology Majors to research, write, and present publicly on a Theological question of their own choosing, with professor's approval. The first part of the semester is a critical examination of a particular source, text, or theme, selected by the instructor. Then students select a topic and a "2nd Reader" from the Theology Department who is qualified to advise them in their topical research. Student are trained to theological research, to write a professional paper in Theology, and skills in public speaking. The culmination of the seminar is a public presentation on their work followed by the submission of their final research paper.