Summer 2009 Course Descriptions

Biblical Studies Courses

THEO 60127 Pentateuch Syllabus (BS)
3 credits, Professor Dan Machiela
10:40-1:00 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
The Pentateuch, or Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), serves as the foundation of both the Jewish and Christian scriptural canons, and has accrued a rich history of interpretation in the synagogue, Church, and the modern Academy for over two millennia. In these books are found some of the most familiar, interesting, and challenging stories in all

Scripture, and the most formational for the identity of Jews, Christians, and Muslims: the creation account, the promises to Abraham and Sarah, and the Exodus from Egypt to name only a few. During this course, we will explore the many facets of these "Five Books of Moses": although our focus will be gaining familiarity with the primary texts themselves, we will also delve into the Ancient Near Eastern background of these books, and the many ways in which they have been read and received throughout their history. Other potential points of discussion will be current debates regarding the historicity

and scientific use of the Pentateuch, still much contested in North America, and the ongoing relevance of these books for communities of faith - especially the Roman Catholic Church - in the 21st century.

THEO 60151 Old Testament Prophets Syllabus (BS)
3 credits, Professor Anathea Portier-Young
2:00-4:20 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
The prophets of the Old Testament spoke to Israel of justice and holiness, revealing the will of God in times of crisis and times of plenty. This course will bring students into the historical world of Israel’s prophets, making their theological message come alive and

inviting it to speak into our present life. We will give close attention to the major prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as well as Hosea, Amos, Zechariah, and Daniel. We will ask the question, "What is a prophet?", and we will trace the shifts and transformations in biblical prophecy from its earliest beginnings to its latest manifestations.

THEO 60152 Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church Syllabus (BS)
3 credits, Professor Luke Timothy Johnson
8:10-10:30 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
Everyone agrees that the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is prophetic: Jesus announces God's vision for the world as one that challenges the conventional patterns of society. In the History of scholarship, however, the Acts of the Apostles --- Luke's second volume --- is often read as a betrayal of that prophetic vision. This course develops the thesis that Luke's vision for the church in Acts is just as prophetic and perhaps even more radical than his portrayal of Jesus. This course uses the interpretation of Luke-Acts as a way of addressing the church in the world today.

THEO 64105 "The Fifth Gospel": The Origins of Christianity in the Land of Israel Syllabus (BS, HC)
3 credits, Professor Greg Sterling
Variable times and days 6/8-6/19
The land of Israel is the birthplace for Christianity. Perceptions of the relationship between the land and Christian faith have ranged from benign neglect to a consideration of Israel as "the holy land." This course will explore these different perceptions of the land; however, we will concentrate on a scholarly approach that takes the importance of the land seriously for understanding the historical Jesus and the emergence of Christianity. The purpose of the course is to enable participants to recreate first century Palestine and situate the major events in the life of the historical Jesus and the earliest Christian communities within that world.

The course will be based at Tantur, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Israel. Instruction will include both classroom sessions and site visits. On most days we will have class in the morning and make excursions in the afternoon to the major sites in and around Jerusalem and Bethlehem. For example, we will consider whether the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the authentic site of Jesus' execution and burial and reflect on its role in the history of Christianity within the land. We plan to take three longer excursions: one to Masada, the Dead Sea, and Qumran; another to major sites in Galilee such as Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, and Sepphoris; and yet another to Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. The experience should transform your capacity to recreate the historical Jesus and your understanding of Christian origins.

Dates (again): June 8-19, 2009

Costs for the course:
1. Tuition (about $350 per credit hour; it will be a 3-credit course)

2. Travel (about $1,200 for a flight)

3. Room and board, including fees for field trips ($1,400)

Theology – Catechesis Studies Courses

THEO 60221. Catechesis: History and Theory Syllabus (HC, ST)
3 credits, Professor Gerard Baumbach
10:40–1:00 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
Catechesis aims “to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ” (General Directory for Catechesis 80, quoting Catechesi Tradendae 5; cf. National Directory for Catechesis, 19B). What is catechesis, and how does catechesis pursue this aim in contemporary parish life? What are some dimensions of catechesis as demonstrated during selected periods in the history of the church (e.g., influence of the baptismal catechumenate historically and today)? This course will enable students to explore catechesis from selected historical and contemporary perspectives, to gain awareness of developments in practice and in theoretical approaches, and to acquire and demonstrate a working familiarity with contemporary catechetical literature. Readings will include a variety of sources from antiquity to the present. Students will be encouraged to apply these sources to issues in parish catechetical leadership today.

THEO 60222. Christian Doctrine for Catechists (HC, ST) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor John Cavadini
8:10–10:30 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
This course is intended to serve as a resource for catechists and religious educators. It provides a basic theological introduction to the material represented in Pillars I and II of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: the Creed and the Sacraments. The course is specifically designed to cover this material in a way that will provide facility in teaching it in a variety of contexts. Readings will come not only from the Catechism, but from various primary sources, both traditional and contemporary illustrative of the theology that forms its background. The course will be especially useful for anyone wishing to acquire an understanding of the basic doctrines of the Catholic faith and of the theological integration of these doctrines

• The Catechism
• Augustine On Catechizing the Uninstructed (De Catechizandis Rudibus) New City Press
  

History of Christianity Studies Courses

THEO 60205. Medieval Theology (HC, ST)
3 credits, Professor Joseph Wawrykow
2:00-4:20 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
This course offers an orientation to Christian theology in Western Europe in the high middle ages (from the 12th to the early 14th century). Through the study of selections from such influential theologians as Peter Lombard and Thomas Aquinas, Mechthild of Magdeburg and Gertrude of Helfta, students will gain familiarity with the principal kinds of theological work performed in the middle ages: scholastic, monastic, vernacular. A subsidiary concern is the dissemination of Christian religious ideals outside of theological circles. Requirements include daily reading and exegetical pieces; one short paper on an assigned text; and, a final exam.

THEO 60252. Theology After Darwin(HC, ST) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor J. Matthew Ashley
10:40-1:00 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
This course is a survey of some influential attempts by Christian theologians (both Protestant and Catholic -- primarily in the United States) to come to grips with the challenges raised by the Darwinian revolution, which began 150 years ago with the publication of The Origin of Species. Initially the challenge of Darwinism was felt primarily in “natural theology,” thus we begin there, with a brief consideration of the role of the so-called argument from design in nineteenth century Christian theology. Then we will consider some paradigmatic late nineteenth-century reactions to Darwin: Charles Hodge, B.B. Warfield, and John Zahm, C.S.C. From there we will study the largely negative mood of the early twentieth century, with particular attention to the Scopes Trial of 1925 and the rise of creationism in the ensuing decades. Finally, we will look at contemporary attempts to defend Christian theism from atheist critics such as Richard Dawkins, with attention to the work of Langdon Gilkey, John Haught, Elizabeth Johnson, and Denis Edwards.

THEO 60258. Mary (HC, ST, SS) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor Brian Daley
8:10-10:30 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
Mary is, in a sense, a marginal figure in the Christian life of faith and practice, since the Gospel that forms the Church is above all the news that Jesus, her Son, is Lord: raised from the dead, saving us from our sins. Yet from earliest Christian times, believers in Jesus have been centrally concerned with Mary's life, her role in the history of salvation as Mother of God, her holiness, her virginity and fidelity to God, her present share in the risen life of her Son. This course will consider some of the main texts and moments by which Christian beliefs about Mary and personal and liturgical devotion to Mary have developed, and will reflect on her central importance in the Christian life today. 

THEO 60262. Poverty and Theology
1 credit, Professor Gutierrez, Gustavo
10:40-1:00 MTWRF, 7/13-7/17
A few years before the Council Pope John XXIII spoke of a "Church of all and in particular a Church of the poor." The intuition was deepened during the time following the Council and was concretized in the now called preferential option for the poor. This option was ratified by Benedict XVI and the Conference of Latin American Bishops in Aparecida (2007). In this course we will examine the significance and scope of this perspective and study its biblical foundations.

Liturgical Studies Courses

THEO 60404. Eucharist Syllabus (LS)
3 credits, Professor Michael Driscoll
2:00–4:20 MTWRF 7/13–7/31
The church makes the Eucharist and the Eucharist makes the church. A biblical, historical, systematic, and liturgical treatment of the eucharistic liturgy with a special emphasis on pastoral considerations. Two brief reports and a final examination are required.

THEO 60414. Liturgical Year for the Pastoral Musician Syllabus (LS)
2 credits, Professor Donald LaSalle
8:10–10:30 MTWRF, 7/13–7/24
This course is an overview of Sunday and the major seasons of the year for liturgical musicians. It considers key principles of the liturgical year and applies a basic historical and theological understanding of each season to liturgical planning and the selection and evaluation of liturgical music repertoire.(SummerSong Program: Two-week course)

THEO 60416. Liturgical Theology (LS, ST) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor David Fagerberg
8:10-10:30 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
This course will detail how Christian theology is rooted in the liturgy’s lex orandi. We will begin by defining the method and scope of liturgical theology (especially using Schmemann, Kavanagh. and Taft). We will then apply this to catechetics, asceticism, ecclesiology, and spirituality. Looking at specific topics in liturgical theology and some of the influential authors in the liturgical movement of this century, the student will arrive at a framework for relating the liturgical life of the body of Christ with ministry that leads to and flows from it.

THEO 60418. Spirituality of the Religious Image (LS, ST, SS) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor Nathan Mitchell
2:00-4:20 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
This course explores the history and theology of the image in Christian art, past and present, as well as the role these images have played in the shaping of spirituality. In addition to reading primary texts (e.g., the work of John Damascene On the Veneration of Images), students will also study modern texts that try to interpret the significance of Christian icons and images (e.g., selections from the work of Hans Belting on Presence and Likeness; the work of Charles Barber on Byzantine iconography). Special attention will be paid to the way visual images have acted as incentives for discipleship ("imitatio Christi"), as well as to artists whose work has significantly altered our perception and practice of Christian faith and life (e.g., the painters Giotto and Carravagio; the anonymous painters and sculptors whose iconographic programs have shaped the spaces in which Christians celebrate the liturgy).

THEO 60419. Liturgical History Syllabus (LS)
3 credits, Professor Maxwell Johnson
10:40-1:00 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
Survey of liturgical history and sources with regard to both Eastern and Western rites. Fundamental liturgical sources including basic homiletic and catechetical documents of the patristic period. Basic introduction to the methodology of liturgical study.

THEO 60422. Liturgical Prayer Syllabus (LS)
3 credits, Professor Paul Bradshaw
8:10–10:30 MTWRF 6/22–7/10
A study of the theology and practice of liturgical prayer in the Christian tradition past and present.

THEO 60428. Topics in Liturgical Theology: Music and Ritual Syllabus (LS)
3 credits, Professor Judith Kubicki
8:10-10:30 MTWRF, 7/13-7/31
(Cross-listed as MUS 60122)
This course will explore the relationship between music and ritual in several
aspects. Theologies of liturgical music will be compared and contrasted using
official church documents, a variety of theological perspectives, and data from
pastoral practice. Through close reading and classroom discussion, students
will engage in critical analysis of theological and ecclesial writings
particularly those of the 20th and 21st centuries in order to understand
music’s role in worship.

THEO 60429. Liturgical Spirituality and the Quest for Justice: Living the Values of the Reign of God (LS) Syllabus
2 Credits, Professor Sandra Derby
8:10-10:30 MTWRF, 7/13-7/24
Well before the dawn of the Second Vatican Council, Virgil Michel suggested that the fruit of a renewed liturgy would be the emergence of a just society. This course will examine the implications of “full, conscious and active participation” on the social mission of the church, with issues such as inculturation, economics, globalization, the environment, and solidarity serving as conversation points. Through the study of selected papal and concilliar documents, liturgical and musical texts, and an exploration of some of the constitutive elements of the liturgy such as symbol and ritual action, students will be encouraged to reflect more deeply on what it means to “make of your lives a living worship” and on the implications of that in their ministries.(SummerSong Program: Two-week course)

Readings:
1. Hughes, Kathleen and Mark R Francis. Living No Longer for Ourselves. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1991.
2. Morrill, Bruce T. Anamnesis as Dangerous Memory: Political and Liturgical Theology in Dialogue. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2000.

Moral Theology Courses

THEO 60618. Theology of the Body Syllabus (MT)
3 credits, Professor Adrian Reimers
10:40-1:00 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
Pope John Paul II's “theology of the body,” presented in his weekly public audiences over the course of five years, constitutes a thoroughgoing effort to develop an integrated Christian anthropology based on the person as the image of God. John Paul II's finds in human sexuality an important key to the fundamental significance of the body as the person's way of being present in the world and to others. Besides examining the content and structure of John Paul II's thought, the course will relate these to his intellectual predecessors and to alternative conceptions.

The first half of the course will focus on key concepts, such as solitude, gift, communion, shame, and nuptial significance, in relation to human sexual being and behavior. The second half will focus on the application of these theological concepts to ethics and vocation (marriage and celibacy), including John Paul's reflections of the encyclical Humanae Vitae.

Course requirements include one test, one paper of 7 to 10 pages, and a final exam. Students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions.

Texts: John Paul II, Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, Pauline Books & Media, 2006, and Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem; also course packet of complementary readings.

THEO 60631. Medical Bioethics Syllabus (MT)
3 credits, Professor Charlie Camosy
2:00-4:20 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
Confusion reigns supreme when it comes to discussion of bioethics: whether in a hospital ethics committee, presidential debate, an academic journal, or over a pint in a pub. It is more often characterized by people talking past each other than about discussion of the same topic, to say nothing of actually making progress on a particular issue. For instance, three very different topics: the personhood of the fetus, the permissibility of ever killing the fetus, and public policy about the personhood or killing of the fetus, are often unhelpfully lumped into arguments over a single topic: abortion. This course attempts to deal with several classic topics in bioethics in a way that cuts through the confusion by dealing with the each of the three kinds of issues (moral status, killing/treatment/care, and public policy) systematically. The course will emphasize the Roman Catholic moral traditions, but will almost always be in conversation with secular traditions as well. Key points not only of disagreement, but, importantly, agreement will be emphasized in an attempt to at least get the issues straight and, perhaps, move the debate forward.

Systematic Theology Courses

THEO 60806. Ecclesiology Syllabus (ST)
3 credits, Professor Richard P. McBrien
2:00–4:20 MTWRF 6/22–7/10
An examination of the nature and mission of the Church, with special emphasis on the Second Vatican Council, its theological and doctrinal antecedents and post-conciliar developments.

THEO 60819. Christianity and World Religions (ST) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor Bradley Malkovsky
10:40-1:00 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
This course is designed to introduce you to the basic teachings and spiritualities of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. We will approach these religions both historically and theologically, seeking to determine where they converge and differ from Christianity on such perennial issues as death, meaning, the nature of the ultimate Mystery, the overcoming of suffering etc.That is to say, we will not only attempt to comprehend these religions according to their own self-understanding, but we will also endeavor to appraise their significance in relation to Christian faith, both in the challenge and enrichment they present.

We will also examine some traditional and contemporary Catholic and Protestant approaches to the truth claims of other religions. Our own search to know how the truth and experience of other faiths are related to Christian faith will be guided by the insights of important Christian contemplatives who have entered deeply into the spirituality of other traditions. By course end we ought to have a greater understanding of what is essential to Christian faith and practice as well as a greater appreciation of the spiritual paths of others. This course is especially recommended as a preparation for teaching high school and introductory university-level courses.

THEO 60846. Christology Syllabus (ST)
3 credits, Professor Donald Buggert
8:10-10:30 MTWRF 7/13-7/31
This course situates the significance of historical-critical Jesus-research for the Christologies of the New Testament. It continues with patristic and conciliar Christology as an affirmation of the New Testament Christ and a norm for subsequent Christological development. It then considers and evaluates the Christologies of Rahner, Pannenberg, Schoonenberg, Küng, Haight, and Pittenger. Throughout the course the themes of Christ and feminist theology and Christ as universal savior will be treated with specific reference to Jacques Dupuis and Peter Phan.

THEO 60847. Pastoral Theology
2 credits, Professor Janice Poorman
2:00–4:20 TR 7/13-7/31
(ECHO first-year participants only.) This course is designed to assist newly selected apprentice catechetical leaders within the ECHO/Faith Formation Leadership Program in their preparation for lay ecclesial ministry. Participants learn fundamental pastoral/ministerial skills and processes involved in theological reflection, facilitation of growth in faith, pastoral counseling, parish administration, spiritual direction, and ministry to distinct groups by age and culture. Class sections include interactive lectures and small group work, as well as introductions to pastoral utilization of case study method, learning covenants, and formalized professional mentoring relationships. Class sessions also afford participants opportunities for in-class panel presentations on topics pertinent to catechetical leadership in the Roman Catholic Church.

THEO 60848. Theological Integration
2 credits, Professor Janice Poorman
10:40–1:00 MTWR 7/13-7/31
(ECHO second-year participants only.) This course represents a continuation of Theology 60847 and is designed to assist apprentice catechetical leaders in the ECHO/Faith Formation Leadership Program in their ongoing integration of theological studies and professional ministerial praxis. Having completed a full academic year of parish ministry, participants nurture their emerging ministerial identities and skills while utilizing class sessions for advanced work in theological reflection based on case study method and for seminar facilitation of conversation on theological topics pertinent to catechetical leadership in the Roman Catholic Church. In addition to deepened exploration of ministerial skills and processes emphasized during their first year in ECHO, participants engage in facilitated appropriation of leadership skills such as ministerial collaboration, mutual empowerment, delegation, community building, conflict resolution, volunteer management, parish needs assessment, and effective pastoral communication.

Relationship between Christology and Pneumatology in the Writings of Yves Congar, Karl Rahner and Jacques Dupuis, PUG, 1987.

THEO 60860. Theology of Prayer (ST, HC, SS) Syllabus
3 credits, Professor Lawrence Cunningham
8:10-10:30 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
This course will examine some classic texts on prayer (Origen's On Prayer; selected conferences of John Cassian; Augustine's "Letter to Proba") against the background of Michael Casey's, Towards God: The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer, and in conjunction with the fourth part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In lieu of examinations, each student will be expected to write short analytical and/or reflection papers on a regular basis. Students in the ECHO program and other teachers will be encouraged to develop a model lesson plan on prayer as part of their class experience.

THEO 60861. Buddhist and Christian Visions of the Contemplative Life (ST, SS)
Syllabus
3 credits, Professor Robert Gimello
2:00-4:20 MTWRF 6/22-7/10
A comparative study of the disciplines of meditation in Buddhism and contemplative prayer in Christianity, especially as practiced by those who are characterized as "mystics." Selected classics from the two traditions will be read and discussed againstthe background of contemporary theories of spirituality and mysticism.

THEO 60930. Young Adult Ministries
2 credits, Professor Janice Poorman
9:00-6:00 WH 8/5, 8/6
Also meets at 9:00-12:00 F 8/7
The Young Adult Ministries course serves as an introduction to the pastoral documents affording Roman Catholics a foundation from which to design programs and processes for ongoing faith formation, spiritual growth, and social interaction for young adults. Two renowned pastoral ministers from the Archdiocese of Chicago, Fr. John Cusick and Kate DeViries, will facilitate this pastoral workshop at Notre Dame for the first day, Thursday, August 2, and at Old St. Pat's in Chicago on August 3 and 4. Registered participants will be contacted with additional information about assigned materials and will be able to share rides to Chicago. Course is open to all Echo Program, MDiv, and MA students.

Intensive Course

THEO 60260. Intensive Course: John of the Cross/Teresa of Avila: Exploring Their Mystical Teaching Syllabus (ST, HC, SS)
4 credits, Professor Keith Egan
9:45–12:00 and 2:00–4:15 MTWRF 7/13–7/24
This course will explore the lives and teachings of these two Spanish mystics who have left an indelible mark on the spiritual and mystical consciousness of Christianity. Themes in this course will include a critical understanding as spiritual classics of the texts of these two saints and doctors of the church; an exploration of the texts of Teresa inasmuch as they reveal God’s presence in human life through the gifted story telling of this woman from Castile; an inquiry into John of the Cross’ poetry as the primary locus of his mystical teaching; John of the Cross and Teresa as a resources for ordinary and sacramental mysticism; the meaning of interpreting Teresa and John in the light of each other; the implications for prayer and a more contemplative church through the mystical doctrine of Teresa and John; an exploration of the teaching of Teresa and John for the relationship of hope and prayer; the search for an answer to the question of whether or not the bridal/erotic mysticism of these two Carmelites can still flourish in the sex-soaked culture of the third millennium; finally: what do Teresa and John have to offer in the search for better understanding of what mysticism means for humanity as a deepening of human consciousness and as a road to a fuller and more flourishing humanity?

(Two-week, four credit course, July 13–24, 2009

Comprehensive Review Course

THEO 68802. Comprehensive Review
1 credit, Prof. J. Matthew Ashley, Prof. Michael Driscoll, Prof. Randall Zachman
TBA MTWRF July 13-July 24, 2009
A review course open only to those taking comprehensive examinations in July. This course meets MWF in the first week and TR in the second. Monday is dedicated to finalizing comprehensive topics, Wednesday and Friday to the written portion of the exams. The second week, Tuesday and Thursday, focuses on the oral portion of the exams.


Dates for M.A. Theology Exams Summer 2009
M.A. Written Exams: Monday, July 27, 2009
M.A. Oral Exams: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 and Thursday, July 30, 2009
Echo M.A. Oral Exams: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 and Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Past Summer Course Descriptions

• Summer 2008 Course Descriptions
• Summer 2007 Course Descriptions