2012 Summer Session Course Descriptions
All Summer Session 2012 Information is subject to change. Please refer to InsideND for all course data.
Summer 2012 Course Descriptions
• Biblical Studies (BS)
• Catechesis Studies
• History of Christianity (HC)
• Liturgical Studies (LS)
• Moral Theology (MT)
• Systematic Theology (ST)
• Studies in Spirituality (SS)
• Comprehensive Review
All courses meet Monday through Friday
The syllabus for each course will be posted as they are received on the MA Theology web page. Students are responsible to read all required readings before arriving to campus in the summer.
Biblical Studies
THEO 60102. Introduction to the New Testament (BS)
3 credits, Candida Moss
3:15-5:55 pm; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
An intensive presentation of all the major areas of study pertinent for the understanding and study of the literature of the canonical New Testament in its historical, social and literary context, as well as an introduction to the various methodologies which have been applied to the study of the New Testament, including historical criticism, form criticism, redaction criticism, source criticism, textual criticism, canon criticism, narrative criticism and social science criticism. Modules on developments and trends in the history of New Testament research and on various developments in the discipline of New Testament theology from the Enlightenment to the 21st Century will also be included. The course will involve intensive reading and the writing of four short papers (4-5 pp.) during the semester, and will also include a midterm and final examination.
THEO 60117. Old Testament Theology (BS)
3 credits, Bradley Gregory
3:15-5:45 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
This course will offer entry into the complexities of the Hebrew Bible with attention to the historical, literary, and theological issues that confront a critical reading of it. The course will explore the tension between historical claims made in and for the Bible on the one hand, and the interpretive, ideological voices on the other hand that move from the historical to the canonical. Students will be expected to deal with specific biblical texts as well as a broad range of critical data.
Catechesis Studies
THEO 60221. Catechesis: History and Theory (HC,ST)
3 credits, Gerard Baumbach
12:20-3:00 pm; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
Catechesis aims “‘to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ’” (National Directory for Catechesis, 19B, quoting Catechesi Tradendae 5; cf. General Directory for Catechesis 80). What is catechesis and how does catechesis pursue this aim in contemporary parish life? What are some dimensions of the Church’s understanding of catechesis during selected periods in its history (e.g., influence of the baptismal catechumenate)? 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)
3 credits, John Cavadini
8:30-11:10 am; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
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.
THEO 60847. Pastoral Theology
2 credits, Jan Poorman
3:10-5:15 pm; TWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
(ECHO program 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
3 credits, Jan Poorman
12:30-3:00 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
(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.
History of Christianity Studies
THEO 60240. Contemplation and Action (HC,SS,ST)
3 credits, J. Matthew Ashley
3:15-5:45 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
What is the relationship between contemplative prayer and action on behalf of others? The tendency in the Christian tradition has been to see prayer as superior to action, since it is there that one experiences, however fleetingly, that union with God that is our ultimate beatitude and destiny. However, there have been innovative attempts in the history of Christian spirituality to break down overly rigid barriers between these two essential components of the Christian life. This course will look at a cross-section of views on this question. We begin with scriptural loci for considering the relationship between prayer and action, and then move to Greek thought, with the distinction between theoria and praxis. We then consider how this conceptual pair was taken over in the history of Christian spirituality in some classic understandings of the relationship between the vita contemplativa and the vita activa. We will focus in particular on patristic and medieval homilies on Martha and Mary (Lk 10: 38-42). Figures in this section include Augustine, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, and Meister Eckhart. In the next section of the course we consider the late-Medieval and Reformation spiritualities of Catherine of Siena, Ignatius of Loyola and John of the Cross. We conclude with three contemporary figures who have attempted to interrelate contemplation and action: Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Gustavo Gutiérrez.
THEO 60260. Teresa of Avila: Doctor of the Church (HC,ST,SS)
3 credits, Keith Egan
3:15-5:55 pm; MTWRF
June18-July 6, 2012
This course is an exploration of three classic texts from the Christian Mystical Tradition composed by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), saint and first woman doctor of the Church. These sessions take their lead from the conviction of Karl Rahner that mystics like Teresa offer a grounding for theological reflection. As a doctor of the church Teresa’s doctrine have a special significance for the whole church.
The primary concern of this exploration will be an understanding of what Teresa taught about prayer, mystical and otherwise. The course will also explore Teresa’s use of scripture, what she has to say about Christ, especially the humanity of Christ, and the Triune God, her contemplative ecclesiology, her understanding of the human person, and her debt and contribution to the Carmelite tradition.
Teresa and John of the Cross adopted the tradition of bridal mysticism which both prepares one for the mystical encounter and offers symbols and a language with which to express what transpires in this encounter. This course will reflect on whether Bridal Mysticism continues to have a role in Christian Mysticism. We shall also ask what contribution Teresa can make to the articulation of an ordinary, everyday, sacramental mysticism.
Teresa of Jesus has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of contemplative prayer, and her life and writings offer wisdom for the evolution of a more contemplative church in Christianity’s third millennium.
Studies in Spirituality
THEO 60286. Christian Spirituality: Early and Medieval (HC,SS)
3 credits, Michael Heintz & Shawn Colberg
12:20-3:00 pm, MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
This course will introduce students to the Christian spiritual tradition, that is, the ways that followers of Jesus have, in the course of history, sought to make sense out of what it means to be a disciple, what difference prayer makes, what defines the contours of a Christian life, how this is worked out within the life of the Church, and what holiness might look like. Through the reading of primary texts, some well-known, others more obscure, students will glimpse how these various questions were answered in particular moments, junctures, or contexts within the Christian theological tradition, c. 100 – 1500 AD.
THEO 60290. Love and Wisdom in Medieval Theology (HC, ST, SS)
3 credits, Joseph Wawrykow
12:20-3:00 pm; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
The high middle ages (the 12th century through the early 14th) witnessed great vitality and creativity in the doing of theology, and high medieval theological work has proven to be of continuing significance and interest. This course provides an advanced orientation to the high medieval theological achievement, by identifying the main kinds of medieval theological work, as well as their principal settings and genres, and by introducing some of the more renowned scholastic, monastic, and, lay spiritual theologians. To give focus to the course, special consideration will be given to the themes of love and wisdom, as these play out in discussions of Trinity, Christ, and the sacraments (not least, that of the Eucharist). Among the theologians who will figure prominently in the course are Bernard of Clairvaux, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, and Mechthild of Magdeburg.
Liturgical Studies
THEO 60417. Christian Initiation (LS)
3 credits, Maxwell Johnson
12:20-3:00 pm; MTWRF
June 18-July6, 2012
This course will trace the historical development of the liturgies and theological interpretations of Christian Initiation in East and West from the New Testament period to the modern period of ecumenical convergence. In light of this historical investigation some modern forms of these rites (e.g., RCIA, LBW, BCP, etc.) will be considered theologically and ecumenically with an eye toward pastoral appropriations and implications.
THEO 60420. Ritual Studies (LS)
3 credits, Kimberly Belcher
8:30-11:10 am; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
The pastoral liturgist is one who fosters critical praxis in the liturgical life of a local church. This course is designed to introduce students to ritual studies through a treatment of ritual, symbol, language, myth and story, time and space, music, and art. Students will discuss and employ a method for analysis of worship events.
THEO 60421. Liturgical Year (LS)
3 credits, Maxwell Johnson
12:30-3:00 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
An exploration of the origins, development and present significance of Sunday and Ordinary Time; Lent, Paschal Triduum and Easter Season; Advent, Christmas and Epiphany; feasts of Mary and the Saints. Special attention will be paid to comparing and contrasting the third typical edition of the Missal of Paul VI, which is the ordinary form of the Roman Rite, with the 1962 Missal, now recognized as the extraordinary form. Though academic, the course provides a highly desirable foundation for pastoral practice and spirituality. Required Reading: Adolf Adam, The Liturgical Year instead of Thomas Talley's, Origins of the Liturgical Year as the required reading. Other Requirements: Three reflection papers on required reading, each three pages in length, and a fifteen minute oral exam on selected class lectures at end of course.
THEO 60453. Catholic Sacraments (LS)
3 credits, David Fagerberg
8:30-11:00 am; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
"Lumen Gentium" says that in the Church, "the life of Christ is poured into the believers who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ who suffered and was glorified" (7). This course will look at the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church as the means whereby Christians are mystically united to the life of Christ. Although we will use a historical framework to organize our material, the main focus of attention will be on the theological dimensions of each sacrament. This will give us the opportunity both to examine particular questions that conditioned the development of current sacramental theology, and the content of each rite as it exists today. Some attention will be paid to the nature of sacramental symbol in general, but the course's primary focus is on the sacraments as liturgical rites by which Christian life is celebrated.
Moral Theology Courses
THEO 60609. Christian Ethics and Pastoral Practice (MT)
3 credits, Paulinus Odozor
12:30-3:00 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior has practical implications for the way believers construe the world and organize their lives. What are these implications for Christian life in some specific areas of life and what are the tensions that arise from the attempt of the Christian community to remain faithful to the teachings of the Lord Jesus, all the while trying to live a fully human life. This is at the core of our course. Therefore, in this course, we will (a) study the ethical stance of the Christian (Catholic) community on a number of issues as well as the pastoral challenges arising from the position of this community on these matters; (b) explore the ways the pastoral worker can help to translate effectively Church teaching and moral theology in these areas; (c) look at the moral demands that arise from the exercise of any pastoral ministry in the Church today.
THEO 60614. Catholic Social Teaching
3 credits, Todd Whitmore
3:15-5:55 pm; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
This course involves close reading of the official documents of Catholic social teaching from Rerum Novarum to Centesimus Annus. Emphasis is on intense seminar discussion. Students do a number of shorter analyses of the documents.
Systematic Theology Courses
THEO 60806. Ecclesiology (ST)
3 credits, Kristin Colberg
3:15-5:45 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
This course examines the development of the Church from both theological and historical perspectives. It seeks to assist students in constructing and refining critical principles of interpretation that apply directly to the mystery, mission, ministries and structure of the Church. Of central concern are the questions of how the Church has understood its mission at various points in its history and what developments have impacted this understanding. Strong emphasis is placed on the theological developments that have occurred before, during and after the Second Vatican Council as these periods saw critical development in the Church’s self-understanding.
THEO 60819. Christianity and World Religions (ST, SS)
3 credits, Bradley Malkovsky
8:30-11:10 am; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
This course is designed to introduce you to the basic teachings and spiritualties 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.
THEO 60848. Theological Integration
3 credits, Jan Poorman
12:30-3:00 pm; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
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)
3 credits, Lawrence Cunningham
8:30-11:10 am; MTWRF
June 18-July 6, 2012
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 60884. The Trinity and Christian Salvation (ST, HC)
3 credits, Khaled Anatolios
8:30-11:00 am; MTWRF
July 9-July 27, 2012
The doctrine of the Trinity represents the uniquely Christian conception of who God is and how God is related to the world. Recent theological reflection has recognized that an authentic appropriation of Christian faith must consider Trinitarian doctrine not merely as an exotic appendix to Christian confession but as the "summary of Christian faith" (Rahner). This course follows this approach by analyzing how the decisive early development of Trinitarian doctrine consisted of a comprehensive interpretation of the entirety of Christian existence, and especially involved a conception of Christian salvation as participation in God’s own life (deification). Since the Christian doctrine of God as Trinity received its normative expression through a complex process involving centuries of reflection and debate in the early centuries of the undivided Church, this course will mainly focus on this period. In the last part of the course, we will look at recent treatments by representative Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox theologians, in which Trinitarian doctrine is reflected upon in relation to diverse topics of modern interest: e.g.: human personhood and communion, feminist concerns, the nature of artistic expression, and inter-religious dialogue.
THEO 64208. Jerusalem, the Desert and Galilee: A Theological Inquiry
3 credits, Virgilio Elizondo
TBA; MTWRF
May 27-June10, 2012
This two-week course through the land of Jesus will seek to explore the theological themes of the gospel narratives informed by the socio-cultural and historical perspectives. The journey through the land organizes the theology, which is a reflection on the deeper meaning of the journey. In keeping with the tradition of the earliest followers of Jesus and of subsequent generations of Christians, by returning to the places of origins, we will seek a better understanding of the foundational words, persons, events and places mentioned in the gospels so as to probe their redemptive value for us today.
Comprehensive Review Course
THEO 68802. 01 Comprehensive Review
1 credit
Students sitting for the comprehensive exams this July 2012, should register for this summer; those students who will sit for the exams at a later date, may attend the course, but should not register for the course this summer.
Location: TBA
Time and Days: Week of July 9: MTWRF, Times TBA; Week of July 16: MT, Times TBA
Dates for M.A. Theology Exams Summer 2012
M.A. Written Exams: Monday, July 23, 2012
M.A. Oral Exams: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 and Thursday, July 26, 2012
Echo M.A. Oral Exams: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 and Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Questions?
If you have questions about our MA program, please contact Administrative Assistant for M.Div. Program and M.A. Program Betsy Karnes at 574-631-4256 or ekarnes@nd.edu.