Sub-Catalog of Undergraduate THL Course Descriptions
Spring 2016
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-001
THL 1000-H03
Fr. Francis Caponi, OSA
MWF 8:30 – 9:20 am
MWF 9:30 – 10:20 am
For 2,000 years, Christians have thought long and hard about all the truly big questions:
Does God exist? Does He speak to us? How does He want us to live? What does it take to
be happy? How should we interpret the Bible? Are science and religion in agreement or
opposition? Why do bad things happen to good people? What happens after death? Who
can be saved? This course examines the fundamentals of Christian belief and practice, with
particular emphasis on the “fullness of the faith” proclaimed by the Roman Catholic
Church. Through the exploration of primary texts, central ideas, and the historical
development of Christian theology, students will learn to think critically about the person
and mission, the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; the revelation of the Triune God;
the nature and interpretation of the Bible; the role of Mary and the saints in the life of a
believer; and the contours of sacramental worship and prayer, along with the moral life
which arises from them. Spirited class discussion, the development of a common
theological vocabulary, and disciplined reflection upon the relationship of Christian belief
and behavior with the arts and sciences, the issues of the day, and the students’ personal
experience, will be key elements in our exploration of the distinctively Christian
answers to the big questions.
Required Text • C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-002
Prof. Scott Grapin
MWF 8:30 – 9:20 am
The human word pervades our lives, impressing our eyes and ears through screens,
signs, music, and speech, manifesting our interior thoughts and feelings, and constituting
a fundamental way by which we make sense of personal experiences with faith, reason,
and culture. Thus we will first consider how we think who we are in the world before
exploring how faith and reason shapes Christian beliefs about God the Father, Jesus the
Son, and the creation of which we are all a part. These considerations lead us to questions
about the Holy Spirit, Christian spirituality, and what it means for Christians to be a
community called church. Finally, we turn to what many perceive to be the most pressing
moral and ethical dilemma of our time, attempting to discern a proper response to the
variously complicated issues we confront when God’s creation—our bodies, earth, air, and
water—voices and signals its distress. Together we’ll consider the role of the world’s
faithful in the great work of honoring the integrity of all God’s creation in our time and the
near future.
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Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-003
Dr. Timothy Brunk
MWF 9:30 – 10:20 am
As an integral part of the Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum, this foundational course
introduces students to the rich living tradition of Christianity: the sources, traditions,
practices, and major thinkers that have shaped Christianity’s response to the fundamental
human questions that underlie all religions and shape the human search for meaning.
With a particular focus on Roman Catholicism, students engage Christianity as a living
tradition of beliefs and practices that have developed over time in local and global cultural
and religious contexts and that, loyal to the living God to which they point, are ready to be
transformed again. Students also engage Christian truth-claims, themes, values, and
witness as resources for analyzing and critically evaluating contemporary cultural
challenges. In this course, students are equipped to appreciate the ongoing quest of
Christian faith seeking understanding as it enters into conversation with all human
knowledge and experience, including other faith traditions.
We read in the Mission Statement of Villanova University: “Inspired by the life and
teaching of Jesus Christ, the University is grounded in the wisdom of the Catholic
intellectual tradition and advances a deeper understanding of the relationship between
faith and reason.” From this mission, “Faith, Reason, and Culture” acquires its unique
significance in the curriculum of the University. Through the exploration of classic texts,
central ideas, and the historical development of Christian theology, students are equipped
for the practice of critical reflection on the person and work of Jesus Christ, the revelation
of the Triune God, the nature and interpretation of Scripture, and the contours of Christian
faith and morality. Throughout the course we will address the role of faith and reason in
cultures ranging from biblical times to modern times.
Books for this course will be available in the UShop in Kennedy Hall.
Required:
⋅ Donald Luck, Why Study Theology? (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999) ISBN 0827242425
⋅ Martin Albl, Reason, Faith, and Tradition (Winona, Minn.: Anselm Academic, 2015)
ISBN 9781599826325
⋅ NOTE: Do not purchase the 2009 edition of the Albl text. Make sure you check the
ISBN.
⋅ Joseph F. Kelly, History and Heresy: How Historical Forces Can Create Doctrinal Conflicts
(Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012) ISBN 9780814656952
⋅ Philip Van Linden, The Gospel According to Mark (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press,
1991) ISBN 0814613020
⋅ A Bible (preferably New Revised Standard Version). Since bibles are widely
available, I am not placing any bible orders through the bookstore.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-004
Dr. Kerry San Chirico
MWF 10:30 – 11:20 am
No religion hovers above culture. Rather, it is embodied by living, breathing human
beings in time and space, constituted by persons and societies of varying beliefs and
practices. Christianity is no different. This religious tradition (or traditions) developed in
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response to a first century Galilean Jewish teacher named Yeshua ben Yusef. He is also
known as Isa, Yesu Masih, Jesucristo, Tian chu, Jidu, Xristos, and Christ. From its
inception, Christianity has been a cross-cultural phenomenon, born from the encounter of
Judaism and Hellenism in a time before the inception of a genus called “religion.” Since
that time, Christianity has both encountered culture, been a bearer of culture, and has
itself been shaped by culture—leading to tremendous global diversity. And yet all the
while it has been animated by two root questions: “Who do you say that I am?” and
“What must I do to be saved?”. The answers to both questions necessitate the birth of
theology, or “faith seeking understanding.” While in this class we will certainly be “doing
theology,” we will employ other fields of learning in this course: anthropology, social
theory, comparative religion, philosophy, and history, ever conscious that with a subject
so vast and with questions so vital, no one methodology and no one interpretive lens is
itself adequate to the task. Finally, the method of instruction will vary. You can expect
lectures, textual exegesis, film, case studies, and discussion—lots of discussion.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-005
THL 1000-006
Prof. Joanna Scholz
MWF 10:30 – 11:20 am
MWF 11:30 – 12:20 pm
Life is a mystery. It is a challenge to understand ourselves, our beliefs, our
relationships, our world. This course invites and challenges students to do theology, that
is, to think critically and reflect on the ultimate mystery, the mystery of God who is
revealed through the Word in Scripture, and through the Word-made-flesh in the person
of Jesus Christ. Throughout our study of the Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Testament
we will explore key themes such as God as Creator, and the human person as creature
made in the image of the one good God who loves us. We will reflect on the topic of
faith, the realities of grace and sin. We will focus on the theme of redemption through the
saving power of Jesus, his cross and resurrection. We will explore the concept of the
Paschal Mystery which gives us meaning and hope for the future. We will discuss the
theme of discipleship in each of the four gospels and reflect on the call of each person to
follow Christ in a unique way. In addition to scripture study we will read primary texts by
theologians of the early Church, with focus on the development of Christian Doctrine. We
will also discuss the branches of theology, giving students the opportunity to consider
areas of future study. Course requirements: Active participation in all class sessions,
which includes evidence of having completed the assigned readings, a series of short
written assignments, three tests and a final examination.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-H01
THL 1000-007
Prof. Gregory Grimes
MWF 10:30 – 11:20 am
MWF 11:30 – 12:20 pm
The focus of this course is on the relevance of the Christian message and the Catholic
tradition for confronting and dealing with the most pressing concerns of contemporary
culture. In short, how does this message and tradition equip people today for living a
more meaningful existence, oriented toward God, and for working toward a more
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peaceful and just society, as envisioned in the reign of God? We begin with a diagnosis of
the contemporary situation: how history impacts our preconceived understandings; how
market and cultural forces as well as technology impact our sense of self, how we think
and how we engage the world; how economic trends and practices, political and social
violence, ecological concerns, scientific naturalism and the resurgence of atheism,
challenge claims for meaning, truth and respectability of worldviews informed by rich
traditions, namely Christianity. With a properly historical examination of Biblical sources,
we will attempt a lively rendering of what Jesus meant by the reign of God, how he sought
to reorient people toward this vision of God’s intentions for humanity, and how this
message was demonstrated in his own life. Students will learn interpretive skills that help
to open a conversation between Jesus’s message and contemporary cultural concerns and
questions.
These same skills and fundamental understanding of Jesus’s message will be applied in
examining the role of the church in today’s world, as well as the issue of the relationship
between faith, reason and culture. Here we will examine the role of Christianity in culture
and civil society, as well as discuss key issues that challenge the church’s role in the world,
as well as how these challenges can be faced. Thus a more vivid and lively understanding
of the Gospels and early Christianity is sought with a view toward gaining insights as to
how a more relevant understanding of Christianity can be achieved in today’s world. And
further, how this understanding can lead to a better existence for particular persons and
the world as a whole.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-008
Dr. José Irizarry
MWF 11:30 – 12:20 pm
The historical dialogue between human reason and divine revelation has produced a
rich tradition of religious expressions and practices throughout time and across cultures.
This dialogue is grounded in the human need to understand the world he/she inhabits
and, by understanding, to find meaning in all life endeavors. Christian belief is at the
center of the meaning-making process as it generates the need for a more intelligible
world. Therefore, the dialogue that this course attempts to foster will reflect the dialogue
between faith that seeks understanding and the reasonability of faith. The African Church
Father, St. Augustine, referred to this dialogue when he pointed out that “there are some
things which we do not believe unless we understand them, and there are other things
which we do not understand unless we believe them.” (In Ps. CXVIII). This course will
engage students in the consideration of this dialogue through three major perspectives the
Church and Christian believers have utilized to address the relationship of faith and
reason; asserting the reasonability of Christian beliefs in Culture (apologetic task),
understanding Culture through the use of sources for Christian knowledge such as
Tradition and Sacred Texts (hermeneutical/interpretive task), and engaging the world as a
way of grasping the meaning of faith experientially (ethical and transformational task).
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-009
THL 1000-010
Dr. Michael McElwee
MWF 11:30 – 12:20 pm
MWF 12:30 – 1:20 pm
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The world culture is derived from cult, and so in the broadest sense we could say that
cultures are formed and shaped by faiths or worldviews. For this class we will look at
Christianity’s relation to culture – and suppose that the connector between faith and
culture is reason or philosophy. A class about faith, reason and culture has to examine
those three things in respect of what they are in themselves, and how they relate to each
other, either favorably or critically, and this we will do from a Christian perspective. John
Paul II wrote about faith and reason that they, “…are like two wings on which the human
spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” The critical term there is truth. In Christianity
the standard of truth is the person and reality of Christ, but truth is also a term that
implies reason and good philosophy and the reasoned effort to achieve it.
Faith refers to what is believed, why it is believed, and how that belief has been lived.
Therefore, we will look at that faith in its origins and how it has appeared in history and
developed in history. That exercise will show us, among other things, how Christianity
has impacted culture, and by analogy how it may do so today.
Paul said that our faith (worship) should be “reasoned” (Rom 12:1). Peter said we
should “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have”. The Church has a long tradition of using the best
reason or philosophy available to explain its faith to persons and cultures from ancient
Greece to modern China. This is always the challenge of Christianity.
We will seek in this class that reasoned faith, in dialogue with culture where those
connections can be made. That means examining everything from the central Christian
doctrines like the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Bible, the history and development of the
Church and theology, and the mutual influences between Christianity and culture from
the beginning. The goal is that at the end students will have a knowledge of the faith and
an understanding of the rich connections between faith and culture, and that students
could explain and apply these in their futures.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-011
THL 1000-014
Dr. Brett Grainger
MW 1:30 – 2:45 pm
MW 3:00 – 4:15 pm
This course is offers a critical introduction to the major theological ideas and practices
of the Christian tradition. Through the readings, discussions, and lectures, you will
become acquainted with the basic themes, figures, controversies, beliefs, and practices that
have come to characterize Christian communities of faith as they have developed through
conversation with and in reaction against a variety of cultures and periods. Among other
topics, we will explore the understanding of scripture, God, Jesus, creation, the human
condition, and the devotional life. Though our approach will be historical and critically
objective, we will also explore these topics in connection with your own experience of the
world. Classes will largely consist of seminar-style discussions, in which we will work
together to generate original theological readings of a diverse array of cultural works,
including poetry, music, art, and religious practices, as well as works of formal theological
reflection.
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Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-012
THL 1000-015
Dr. Edward Hastings
MW 1:30 – 2:45 pm
MW 3:00 – 4:15 pm
This course will examine what it is we believe as contemporary Christians. In the
character of St. Augustine and in the words of St. Anselm, we will approach our beliefs
with an attitude of “faith seeking understanding.” We will begin with our notion of God
and consider how this notion developed throughout history. The course will then consider
the sources and traditions of Christianity and reflect upon how our experiences and
actions have been influenced by these foundations.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-013
THL 1000-016
Dr. Bernard P. Prusak
MW 1:30 – 2:45 pm
MW 3:00 – 4:15 pm
The message of Christianity must be (and always has been) thought out within the
bounds of interpretative models that reflect and are linked to the horizon of human
experience. In that regard, these sections of the course will presuppose and be in dialogue
with the scientific understanding of an evolving universe, a process of some 13.8 billion
years. Intelligence or reason—as embodied in science and culture—engaged in a dialogue
with faith can mutually challenge and enrich our human creativity, freedom, self-mastery,
and solidarity. The course will focus on the Christian understanding of God, Creation as
an ongoing relationship, God's relation with humans, human freedom and "sin," the
problem of suffering, Jesus as God become fully human, and the community coming from
Jesus. It will provide an overview of contemporary biblical methodology, with a reading
of selected passages from the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-017
Dr. Christopher Barnett
MW 4:30 – 5:45 pm
Researchers at MIT recently hailed Jesus of Nazareth as the most influential person in
the history of the world, and Christianity stands as one of the major forces behind the
development of Western culture. At the same time, however, religious faith is increasingly
under attack, and some persons are claiming that atheism has won “the culture war.” How
can we make sense of such a situation? This course will aim to do so in three main ways.
First, under the rubric of “Culture,” it will survey the contemporary social and religious
landscape, focusing on the rise of atheism in modernity and on how Christians have
sought to address it. Second, with regard to “Reason,” it will explore what may be the
greatest question to confront the human mind: does God exist? Finally, with an eye to
“Faith,” it will examine the origin and nature of what Christians believe about God. The
upshot, it is hoped, will be a course that will not only equip students to better understand
the core teachings of Christianity, but also will help them to situate those teachings in the
context of humanity’s perpetual interest in, and questioning of, the possibility of
transcendence.
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Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-018
Dr. Mark Graham
MW 4:30 – 5:45 pm
This section uses Christian ethics as a port of entry to study the dynamic of faith,
reason, and culture. Attention will be given to sources for ethical decision making, the use
of Scripture, different types of Christian moral reasoning, and the meaning of using Jesus
as a model for the ethical life. Then, using the knowledge gained during the more
foundational segment of the course, we will undertake the applicative move by analyzing
several contemporary ethical issues, including, but not limited to, the modification of our
bodies via advanced technologies.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-019
Prof. Sheri San Chirico
TR 8:30 – 9:45 am
In this class, we will critically examine what we believe about God, the world, and
ourselves. Where do these beliefs come from and how have we come to them? We will
begin by tracing the development of (mostly) Christian traditions, highlighting
emblematic individuals throughout this history, learning with each to analyze their
broader theological, socio-political and cultural influences and interactions. We will then
analyze our individual spiritual family trees and influences, as well as our shared
theological and socio-cultural influences, attending to books, movies, music, and historical
events. Finally, we will consider how to move forward in our lives by intentionally
reasoning through our beliefs and practices, paying special attention to the ways in which
our own contexts have formed us. Having thus situated ourselves, we will seek to discern
productive ways to influence our own context, in dialogue with each other and with those
who have gone before.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-020
Dr. Jessica Murdoch
TR 11:30 – 12:45 pm
This course is an introduction to Christian theology. In this course we will examine the
central themes of Christian thought. Topics covered in this course will include: the
relationship between faith and reason, revelation, anthropology, the Trinity, Christology,
the sacraments, spirituality and morality.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-021
Dr. Kathleen Grimes
TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm
The Catholic tradition is both continuous and contextual; every generation of Christians
has wrestled with the task of remaining loyal to unchanging truths while living in an everchanging world. This course teaches you how to think with the tradition in order to live as
Christian disciples in the twenty-first century. This course explores the way in which
Christian thinkers have drawn upon the wisdom of the tradition and placed it in
conversation with contemporary currents of thought in order to face the challenges of their
day. Issues to be discussed include racism, gender, and sexuality.
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Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-022
THL 1000-024
Fr. Joseph Loya, O.S.A.
TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm
TR 2:30 – 3:45 pm
“Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Luther …. are not dead but living. They still speak and demand a
hearing as living voices”
Karl Barth
THL 1000 is not a “series of lessons” as much as it is a substantial, disciplined and
spirited exploration of landmarks in the historical development of thoughts about God,
Jesus, and the nature of shared life in a gathered community of committed believers.
Secondly, this course is structured to condition scholarly encounter with specific issues
such as the following: How can one speak of the existence of “one Church” when there are
so many different (and at times, competing) denominations? How can community
members claim membership in a “Holy Church” when so many members fall short of that
holiness? What is the relation between the Sacred Scriptures (plus subsequent
authoritative writings) and the Apostolic Tradition within which they were produced?
What are the prospects for mutual enrichment and edification in the dialogue between
Christians and those who do not identify with the Christian Tradition? Finally, what are
Christian perspectives on the ultimate destiny of us all?
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-023
THL 1000-026
Dr. Timothy Hanchin
TR 2:30 – 3:45 pm
TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm
Theology may be understood as “faith seeking understanding” (Anselm of Canterbury).
St. Augustine’s Confessions stands as an enduring contribution to the history of Christian
theology (and Western thought) because of the way that his story of passionate selfdiscovery resonates with the universal journey of humanity. “My heart is the place where
I am whoever I am” (10.3.4). Like Augustine, we are all people of restless pilgrim hearts.
This course examines the foundations of Christian faith in light of its sources, intelligibility
and practice. This ongoing quest for meaning takes place in conversation with cultures
past and present.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-025
Dr. Peter Spitaler
TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm
THL 1000 is one of the five foundational course of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core
Curriculum. It introduces you to the rich living tradition of Christianity: the sources,
traditions, practices, and major thinkers that have shaped Christianity’s response to the
fundamental human questions that underlie all religions and shape the human search for
meaning. With a particular focus on Roman Catholicism, you will engage Christianity as a
living tradition of beliefs and practices that have developed over time in local and global
cultural and religious contexts and that, loyal to the living God to which they point, are
ready to be transformed again. You also will engage Christian truth-claims, themes,
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values, and witness as resources for analyzing and critically evaluating contemporary
cultural challenges. In this course, you are equipped to appreciate the ongoing quest of
Christian faith seeking understanding as it enters into conversation with all human
knowledge and experience, including other faith traditions.
In this particular section of the course, you will use historical, biblical, theological, and
social science approaches to studying the relationship between theology and popular
culture. You will also examine contemporary North American culture with the goal of
developing ways to discern images of God, human nature, good and evil, salvation, and
life beyond death that often operate below the surface of the common cultural life in North
America.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-H02
THL 1000-100
Dr. Stefanie Knauss
TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm
Thursday 6:10 – 8:50 pm
Faith, reason and culture have often been pitched as opposites: Tertullian famously, and
polemically, asked: “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” In this course, we’ll
investigate different ways to imagine the relationship between faith, reason and culture.
You will be introduced to theology as the critical, reasonable and methodical reflection on
God and on what Christians believe. With a particular focus on Roman Catholicism, you
will engage Christianity as a living tradition of beliefs and practices that have developed
over time in local and global cultural and religious contexts and continue to be
transformed.
After a consideration of the basic terms that frame this course – faith, reason and culture
– and their relationship, we will engage with four basic human questions, the questions of
faith, self, community and meaning, and draw on sources from the Bible, theological
tradition and contemporary culture in order to discuss the continued relevance of
Christian approaches to these questions and their transformation in today’s culture.
Faith, Reason and Culture
THL 1000-DL1
Dr. Margaret Mell
THL 1000 is one of five foundation courses in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core
Curriculum. It introduces you to the rich living tradition of Christianity: sources,
traditions, practices, and major thinkers that have shaped Christianity’s response to the
fundamental human questions that underlie all religions and shape the human search for
meaning.
With a particular focus on Roman Catholicism, you will engage Christianity as a living
tradition of beliefs and practices that have developed over time — in diverse local and
global, cultural and religious contexts. These beliefs and practices, developed within
specific places and times, point toward the living God and are ready to be transformed
again and again in further times and places.
You also will engage Christian truth-claims, themes, values, and witness as resources
for analyzing and critically evaluating contemporary cultural challenges. In this course,
you are equipped to appreciate engage the ongoing quest of the Christian faith community
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as it seeks to understand and enter into conversation with all human knowledge and
experience, including other faith traditions.
In this particular section of the course, you will use historical, biblical, theological, and
social science approaches to studying the relationship between theology and popular
culture, which will include an examination of contemporary North American culture. The
goal of this section of the course is to develop ways of discerning images of God, human
nature, good and evil, salvation, and life beyond death that often operate below the
surface of the common cultural life in North America.
The Bible on the Big Screen
THL 2490-001
Dr. Ely Levine
TR 8:30 – 9:45 am
The Bible and the movie industry have a long history together. Almost since the
invention of the moving image, the Bible has been fodder for movie subject matter. Since
every retelling is by definition an interpretation, we will explore how the Bible is
represented on the screen, including Bible epics, recontextualizations of Bible stories, and
references to Bible texts in other movies. Bring your popcorn, sit back, and really study
the films as we piece together what Hollywood wants us to know about and to think about
the Bible.
The Gospel of Mark
THL 2490-H01
Dr. Paul Danove
TR 10:00 – 11:15 am
This course introduces the exegetical methods used to study the Gospel of Mark and
employs these methods to investigate the theological concerns of the author. The course
provides a verse-by-verse exegesis of the entire text of the Gospel and presents four
opportunities for students to engage in their own exegesis of the text. The format of the
course includes lectures, exegesis of assigned texts, discussion of class readings, and paper
discussions and presentations. The course has one required book for purchase (The
Catholic Study Bible). All other required readings appear on Blackboard or in texts on
reserve in Falvey Library.
Augustine: Then and Now
THL 2750-001
Fr. Allan Fitzgerald, OSA
MW 1:30 – 2:45 pm
This course will develop a conversation with Augustine on selected issues of the 21st
century, seeking to have present and past understandings of a Christian’s place in the
world challenge and hopefully cast new light on one another. Augustine was a changeagent in his own time; over the centuries people who have lived in times of significant
change have often turned to him, asking what they can learn from his experience. Many of
the movements of church renewal have taken their inspiration from Augustine.
That means that this course is not just about increasing the quantity of information about
our time or about Augustine’s time. It seeks rather to use available information to learn to
look beyond-the-obvious and to identify the perspectives that allow for and stimulate new
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questions and/or creative responses. An interactive environment will be an important
dimension of this course.
Specific areas of conversation that will be discussed will include [1] faith and culture:
opposition or cooperation?; [2] women and marriage: social bellweather?; [3] science and
religion/faith [see, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVX7ZwiaLc for one
example of how Augustine and Stephen Hawking might have talked to one another]; [4]
morality, sin and forgiveness: aren’t all to be saved?; [5] violence/coercion vs.
tolerance/respect; [6] humility and justice: virtues or not? At least one additional
question/issue will be drawn from student consensus.
There will be one writing assignment; it will begin with some present-day experience and
will ask for Augustine’s input, thus making connections between “now” and “then.”
Readings will be drawn from an array of articles about present-day experience and from
Augustine’s sermons and letters – all of which will be made available electronically.
Student responses to or reflections on course materials are to be posted to Blackboard so
that I can have regular interaction with each student.
Understanding Jesus
THL 3200-001
Dr. Bernard P. Prusak
MW 4:30 – 5:45 pm
Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am.” He did not proclaim or define
himself. Rather, he proclaimed the Kingdom or Reign of God—whom he called Abba. His
disciples would remember what he did and said. Then, in the light of his death and
resurrection, filled with the Spirit, they began to proclaim Jesus as Christ and Lord. All of that
came together in what was finally written, the four gospels.
The course will first focus on the deeds and words of Jesus, and then seek to
understand what led to his death, and how he shaped its meaning. It will analyze the
experience of Jesus' resurrection, and the way it led his disciples to understand his deeper
meaning, giving rise to various theologies and titles (Christ, Lord, Son of God, etc.). It will
study the process wherein Jesus' followers, remembering his way of living and dying, in
the light of the Easter event, expressed their deeper understanding of him, and were led to
the conclusion that in Jesus God shared our humanity.
It will next consider how the early councils, beginning with Nicaea, sought to preserve
both the unity and distinction of Jesus' divinity and humanity. Medieval perspectives on
the meaning of Jesus’ death will also be considered,
The course will finally give attention to issues in contemporary theology: Jesus'
knowledge/consciousness; his freedom and sinlessness; the relationship between creation
and incarnation; and the understanding of the cross as a Trinitarian event wherein God
shared in human suffering through the full humanity of Jesus. It will likewise reflect on
the liberating meaning of Jesus' life, death and resurrection within the process of history,
on Jesus relation to women, and on his significance in the encounter with other religions in
our pluralist world.
Requirements: reading of all assigned materials and participation in discussions; a midterm exam; two thematic essays (4-5 pages); and a final exam.
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Understanding Jesus
THL 3200-002
THL 3200-003
Dr. Jessica Murdoch
TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm
TR 10:00 – 11:15 am
This course will explore the history of Christian theological reflection on Jesus Christ.
We will discuss Christology from Scriptural, historical and contemporary perspectives.
First, we will trace the development of the biblical understanding of Christ. Then, we will
consider the central historical moments of the Church’s reflection upon the mystery of
Christ. Lastly, select modern Christological issues and questions will be addressed in the
course. The approach to this course will be both systematic and Thomistic.
Presence and Absence of God
THL 3550-001
Dr. Anthony Godzieba
TR 8:30 – 9:45 am
This course examines the Christian belief in God and its connection with everyday
human experience. Topics include the history of belief in God within Western culture, the
relationship between faith and rationality, major issues in atheism and theism, important
critiques of belief in God and the responses to those critiques, and the doctrine of God as
Trinity.
At first glance the content of this course seems simple: we examine the Christian claims
about God and about the presence of God to human persons and to the world. At a
deeper level, though, the issues are more complex. The usual meanings of the three
important elements of the previous sentence—God, human persons, and the world—have
been radically questioned over the last half-century or so. How should one describe or
define God, really? Can God be described or defined at all? Is there one true definition of
“being human”, and should there be only one definition? What constitutes “our world”
and whose experience counts when we describe it? Is faith in the presence of God a
liberating human response or rather an old-fashioned relic with no place in
contemporary Western culture? Even the most steadfast believer needs to realize that
these questions are being asked today by believers and non-believers alike, and that the
answers do indeed influence one’s image of God.
During the course we’ll thread our way through the complexity by exploring some of
the major aspects of the Christian tradition of thinking and speaking about God. We will
also look at more recent radical approaches to the God-question. What we want to show
is that a critical/questioning approach to belief in God is not only possible but necessary
for human beings. And we want to see that, even in the commodified, technologized, and
media-saturated context of today, it is still possible to be religious, to have and
understand “religious” experience, and to make a case for the redeeming, liberating, and
humanizing presence of God.
Faith in a Secular Age
THL 3790-001
Dr. Kevin Vander Schel
MWF 10:30 – 11:20 am
This course offers an inquiry into the shifting place of religious faith and practice in the
face of modern secularism. Throughout much of western society, religion has been
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displaced from its dominant position in public, social, and moral life. This changed
cultural situation raises a number of complex and pressing questions for contemporary
Christian belief. What distinguishes Christian faith from simple humanism? How can one
speak meaningfully of divine transcendence in the midst of a materialistic and
technologically-oriented culture? And what distinctive contribution can theology make in
promoting and upholding social justice?
Through targeted readings and spirited discussions, students will explore classic
critiques of religion and Christianity, the rise of contemporary forms of atheism, the
growing recognition of religious pluralism, and various responses of Christian and
Catholic thinkers to the exciting challenges of this rapidly shifting intellectual milieu. In
addition to key theological and religious texts, course discussions will consider examples
from literature, visual culture, music, and contemporary religious practice. Readings will
include selections by Marx, Freud, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Newman, Rahner, Adorno,
Schillebeeckx, Gutiérrez, Ruether, and Cone.
Facebook and Jesus
THL 3790-002
Dr. Ilia Delio, O.S.F.
TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm
If Jesus was alive today, would he Facebook his friends and disciples? Would he tweet
parables about the imminent kingdom of God? Social media platforms, like Facebook, are
changing the contours of friendship, community and personal identity. The cell phone has
become an extension of the human self, as the human community becomes increasingly
dependent on electronic devices for daily function. This course will explore the impact of
information technology on human personhood, community, religious ideals, and future
expectations in light of Christianity. We will look historically at the relationship between
technology and religion and follow this relationship into the 20th century, examining this
relationship through contemporary films such as Her, Transcendence and Gattaca. We will
study the rise of the cyborg and the cyborgization of human life, including the stages of
transhumanism that anticipate the singularity in the mid twenty-first century. Discussion
of the role of religion in light of information technology and the contribution of religion to
our technological age will frame the course.
Dynamic Catholicism
THL 3790-100
Prof. John Groch
Saturday 8:30 am to 12:00 noon
Part-time students only-March 5 to April 23
This course examines and explains fundamental Catholic beliefs and their underlying
meaning in terms of the mission and message of Jesus Christ. Students will consider the
dynamic historical evolution of basic church doctrines, the controversies and resolutions
that led to their formulation, and contemporary theological reflection on their practical
meaning in the lives of believers today. Major themes that will be explored include the
essential nature of religion, Revelation, the Incarnation, the meaning of Jesus’ death and
resurrection in the context of his mission, the church, its authority, Marian theology, the
sacraments, moral theology and Catholic social teachings. Through critical reflection and
informed discussion about these issues, students will be encouraged to recognize the value
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of the Catholic Christian tradition and its potential contribution to modern society.
Course activities include readings, weekly on-line discussion, one short reflection paper,
student presentations and a take-home final.
Introduction to Bioethics
THL 4200-100
Dr. Claudia Petruncio
Thursday 6:10 – 8:50 pm
This course is designed to give an introduction to biomedical ethics. From the process of
birth to death we are faced with new technologies and a stunning array of possible
choices. How do we respond as Catholic members of the body of Christ, physicians,
nurses and health care providers? By examining major frameworks of ethical analysis the
student will gain confidence in critically analyzing current issues of bioethics which
include informed consent, reproductive technologies, stem cell research, abortion, organ
donation, definition of death, physician assisted suicide and end of life decisions. Students
will become familiar with theories, terminology, and resources which are used in
examining bioethical questions. Critical analysis of emerging biomedical ethical
challenges will be encouraged. Many clinical examples found in the daily practice of
medicine will be discussed in class.
Global Poverty and Justice
THL 4250-001
THL 4250-002
Peace & Justice
Dr. Suzanne Toton
MW 3:00 – 4:15 pm
MW 4:30 – 5:45 pm
The methodology of this course is informed by Latin American Liberation Theology
which asks what difference does all our theologizing make in the life chances of the poor
and marginalized. Over the course of this semester, will examine the ethical responsibility
of Christians to end global poverty. We will draw on the critical analysis of contemporary
economists, political scientists, journalists and others to better grasp the scope,
dimensions, and root causes of global poverty; view that reality from the perspective of
the rich theological and ethical resources from the Christian tradition; learn about the
work of the U.S. Catholic church overseas relieving suffering and promoting integral
human development; and identify opportunities for effective engagement and advocacy.
Markets and Morality
THL 4320-001
THL 4320-002
Peace & Justice
Dr. Gerald Beyer
TR 2:30 – 3:45 pm
TR 4:00 – 5:15 pm
Do market economies promote or stifle human welfare, freedom, and the common
good? What does Christian discipleship require in the marketplace? This course will
consider these questions by utilizing sources in Christian ethics, Catholic social thought,
economics, and other disciplines. In addition to these broader issues, we will explore
specific topics such as globalization, consumerism, the nature and kinds of capitalism,
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socialist critiques of the market economy, poverty and its relationship to race and gender,
worker justice, economic rights and the impact of the economy on the environment.
The Christian Contemplative Tradition
THL 4550-001
Fr. Martin Laird, OSA
TR 10:00 – 11:15 am
Feelings of loneliness, fear, lack of self-knowledge and intimacy with the Sacred. These
afflictive thoughts, among others, prevent our discovery of inner peace, mental clarity, joy,
and love. The Christian contemplative tradition is concerned with developing those
interior skills (contemplation or meditation) that bring to silence the inner noise and
confusion in our heads and lead us to the discovery of interior calm, clarity, and love.
Christianity has a sophisticated tradition of cultivating interior stillness and peace that
leads to the silent depths of the heart. This interior stillness facilitates the deepening of
personal identity and ultimately the overcoming of the sense of alienation from God and
others. The course is both theoretical and practical.
(1) On the theoretical level there will be an interdisciplinary sampling of texts. We will
read ancient Christian authors (4th-14th centuries) who talk about the search for God by
first dealing with the sources of anxiety within--what we will come to call the world of
“mind-tripping.” In order to highlight the contemporary relevance of this ancient wisdom,
we shall look at contemporary authors on such topics as depression, eating disorders,
relationship junkies, the process of addiction. The purpose of the reading, writing, lecture
and discussion is to cultivate and value an integrated sense of what is involved in that
deep spiritual flourishing of what St. Paul might term our life “hidden with Christ in God
(Col 3: 3).”
(2) There is also a practical component. The first 13-15 minutes of each class meeting will be
devoted to contemplative practice itself, so that the student not only gains a theoretical
understanding of the ancient Christian practice of contemplation / meditation, but also
knows how to practice it in daily life. Moreover, each student is expected to devote at least
10 minutes each day outside of class to the practice of contemplation.
Sports and Spirituality
THL 4990-001
Dr. Edward Hastings
TR 1:00 – 2:15 pm
Fr. Thomas Keating states, "Everything in the universe is meant to be a reminder of
God's presence." This course would like to take Fr. Keating at his word and attempt to
look to the world of sports as a locus for discovering the presence of God in our midst.
Sports are a significant aspect of the American culture, extremely popular and always
revelatory. This course will explore and evaluate the various aspects of the sports
experience (participants, coaches, fans, officials) as vehicles to help us connect more
deeply with God.
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Contemporary Spirituality
THL 4990-002
Dr. Edward Hastings
TR 2:30 – 3:45 pm
This course will examine and explore several significant authors in contemporary
Christian spirituality. The writings of Thomas Merton, Evelyn Underhill, Richard Rohr
and Mary Oliver will be considered. We will allow their works and wisdom to guide us in
our spiritual journey.
Catholics and Cultures
THL 5000-001
Dr. Kerry San Chirico
TR 10:00 – 11:15 am
An examination of the ways in which Catholic beliefs and practices have both shaped
and been shaped by the encounter with various cultures and traditions over the last two
thousand years. Focused around case studies, encounters to be discussed this semester
include classical Greek, Old Saxon (German), Chinese, Central African, Haitian, Nahua
(Mexican), Northern Pokosí (Bolivian), Lakota Sioux, and Hindu Indian.
Theology and Film
THL 5410-100
Dr. Christopher Barnett
Tuesday 6:10 – 8:50 pm
Since its inception, cinema has been used as a means of both raising and answering
questions long-central to the Western intellectual tradition: Who or what is God? What are
the origins and ends of life? Why do we suffer and how should we respond to it? In
raising these sorts of issues, film has emerged as a distinctive interlocutor with religion in
general and with Christian theology in particular.
In recent decades, few if any filmmakers have addressed theological questions as much
as Terrence Malick. His first two films, Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978), were
hailed by critics as groundbreaking, particularly in their use of existentialist motifs,
voiceover, and naturalist cinematography. Then, after a mysterious twenty-year absence
from cinema, Malick released a trio of films that solidified his place as one of America’s
great auteurs—The Thin Red Line (1998), The New World (2005), and The Tree of Life (2011).
All three films received Oscar nominations, but The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life were
especially successful, garnering multiple awards and standing as perhaps the best
distillations of Malick’s intellectual interests and authorial style. Most recently, Malick has
furthered the unique aesthetic of The Tree of Life, which eschews linear plot structure and
even dialogue, in To the Wonder (2012) and in Knight of Cups (2015)—a move that, along
with Malick’s intensifying focus on explicitly Christian themes, has divided critics and
audiences alike.
The overarching aim of this course will be to investigate Malick’s films, paying
particular attention to the role that theology plays in them. This task will be carried out in
three main ways. First, there will be a general orientation to the nature of cinema and to its
historical development, which, perhaps surprisingly, first emerged from Christian
catechesis. Second, a number of Malick’s films themselves will be viewed and a range of
critical methods employed to tease out their philosophical and theological significance.
And, finally, direct scholarly attention will be paid to the issues raised in Malick’s oeuvre,
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with related readings in theological subjects such as natural theology, theodicy (“the
problem of evil”), and spirituality. Throughout, students will be encouraged to engage
Malick’s films in both oral and written form.
Religion, Art and Science
THL 5450-001
THL 5450-002
Dr. Michael McElwee
MWF 8:30 – 9:20am
MWF 9:30 – 10:20am
This course will examine religion, art, and science as aspects of persons and cultures.
The philosopher John Macmurray has argued that there are different dimensions of the
personal life, which would therefore also apply to society and culture. These dimensions
are science – as the mechanical or mathematical aspect of the personal; art – as the
emotional or organic aspect, and religion - as the truly rational or relational aspect of the
personal.
Therefore, in this course we will look at those three dimensions of life and culture from
the perspective of various thinkers – Macmurray from the philosophical side, Rene Girard
and Gil Bailie from the anthropology side, Hans urs Von Balthasar from the theological
side, or Stanley Jaki from the scientific side to name a few examples.
In short, we will study religion, art, and science as aspects of persons and cultures. We
will explore theology and ritual as they relate to societies, cultures or persons; and we will
examine the artistic, scientific and personal aspects of religion in the contemporary
situation.
Religion and Literature
THL 5800-001
Fr. Martin Laird, OSA
TR 11:30 – 12:45 pm
Christianity is not merely a collection of doctrine. Yet the standard approach to teaching
theology tends to focus on doctrines (which have their place). The purpose of this course is
to examine ways in which modern literature explores, develops, confirms and challenges
concerns central to Christianity. The advantage of approaching religion through literature
is that the focus remains firmly grounded in life as lived and without judgment. This
makes it easier to see the power, wisdom, and relevance of a Christian perspective on such
themes as:
(1) Dysfunctional dating and personal integrity.
(2) Career advancement at the cost of personal freedom.
(3) The power of love in the midst of crushing loss and pain.
(4) The role of doubt and struggle in a maturing relationship with God.
(5) The psychological roots of bigotry.
These and other questions are explored through such authors as Leo Tolstoy, J.D.
Salinger, Shusaku Endo, Viktor Frankl, and Flannery O'Connor.
Requirements: Class discussion plays a vital role (discussion questions provided);
keeping up with the reading is crucial (readings are assigned in manageable doses). Short
essays (5-6 pp.) on set topics. A final take-home essay.
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Landscapes of the Sacred: Nature Religion in America
THL 5820-001
Dr. Brett Grainger
TR 11:30 – 12:45 pm
The literary critic Raymond Williams has observed that “nature” is perhaps the most
complex word in the English language. And yet it is also true that few words are more
central to the development of American religions. This course explores the place of the
natural world in American religious history. Moving from the colonial period to the
present, we will survey beliefs and practices pertaining to the natural world in a range of
religious communities and movements, including Native American and African religions,
Puritanism, Roman Catholicism, evangelicalism, Neopaganism, and “New Age” practices
of energetic healing. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, we will also survey some
scholarly theories of sacred space and consider the impact of various theologies of nature
for ethics, paying special attention to the rise of modern environmentalism and the
perennial tension in Christianity between a call to contemplate the natural world for signs
divine presence (contemplatio mundi) and the fearful urge to flee from, escape, or transcend
nature (contemptus mundi). The main focus of our meetings will be in discussion of key
primary texts, including poetry, memoir, novels, art, films, and hymns. Among others, we
will read works by Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry
David Thoreau, Thomas Merton, and Annie Dillard.
Music and Religion in Global Perspective
THL 5999-001
Prof. Joseph Alpar
MWF 9:30 – 10:20 am
In this course we will study the relationship between music and religion from a global
perspective. Our main task will be to explore how music enables and enhances sacred
experiences in a variety of different ways across multiple religious faiths. By looking at the
music practices of many religious groups, past and present and around the globe, we will
try to uncover the fundamental role that music plays in people’s spiritual lives. Has
music’s purpose in religious experience changed and evolved across historical periods? Is
the music of the past relevant for the religious practices of today?
Each week we will discuss assigned readings, listen to many different styles of music,
and even sing some of the music we are studying. No prior musical experience is required
to take this course.
Practicing Beauty
THL 6000-001
Dr. Timothy Hanchin
TR 11:30 – 12:45 pm
In his novel The Idiot, Dostoevsky drops the enigmatic phrase: “Beauty will save the
world.” What might this mean? Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar contends that
the eclipse of beauty in the West leads to a world riddled with moral and aesthetic
relativism, the production of violence, and escalating ecological crisis. This course will
explore Christian practices of beauty, ancient and new, as prophetic resistance to
dominating consumeristic and technocratic tendencies of trans-Atlantic culture. In
particular, we will investigate the theology of the icon in the Eastern Orthodox tradition;
the liberative-aesthetic praxis of Latin American liberation theology; and the emergent
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ecological theology. These theologies of encounter illuminate the foundational importance
of Christian praxis for Christian theology. If beauty can help redeem the world in our time,
its existence will be affirmed as more than merely “in the eye of the beholder.”
Religion, Aliens, and Monsters
THL 6000-100
Dr. José Irizarry
Wednesday 6:10 – 8:50 pm
One of the most salient features of contemporary globalized culture is the opportunity
offered to people, either by vast migratory movements or by exposure to social media, to
encounter the promises and challenges of human diversity. This cultural phenomenon has
produced a crisis of identity that unsettles our ideas of the familiar and confront us with
the mystery of “others.” Religion plays a central role in the ways we respond to human
diversity as well as the evasion strategies we use to address the presence of the stranger
among us. In this course we will explore the role that “alien beings” and “monsters” have
played in religious tradition as it seeks to respond to the strangeness of the other and to
individual fears. We will also explore how the current fascination with the monstrous
(vampires, zombies, witches, terror, violence) in popular culture may reflect the
permanence and revitalization of that aspect of our religious imagination as we face issues
of immigration, cultural pluralism, and global competition and consumption.
Advanced Seminar
THL 6500-100
Dr. Mark Graham
Wednesday 6:10 – 8:50 pm
Open to Theology Majors and Minors only
This is the second part of a two course sequence limited to theology and religious
studies majors. In THL 6300, students embarked on a significant, semester long,
individualized research project, which allowed each student to achieve considerable
intellectual sophistication in his or her mastery of the designated research area. In THL
6500, students are expected to take the knowledge gained from the THL 6300 research
project and shift the focus to teaching one’s peers in the classroom. In consultation with
Professor Graham, each student will be expected to design and teach two or more class
sessions, in addition to creating a bibliography on effective teaching, developing teaching
criteria for the teaching demos, and interviewing a teacher on what makes for an effective
teaching.
Requirements: attendance at scheduled classes; regular consultation with Professor
Graham; fulfillment of designated teaching responsibilities; communication with other
students as needed; creation of a bibliography on effective teaching; developing evaluation
criteria for one’s teaching demos; and an interview with a teacher.
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