COURSE TITLE: History of Christianity from the Middle Ages to the Present
COURSE NUMBER: 3021.01
AREA OF THE CORE: Explorations: Historical Analysis and Perspectives
FLAGS: None
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: Tuesday/Thursday 11:20-12:50
INSTRUCTOR: Charlotte Radler, Ph.D.
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: This course traces central themes and developments within
Christian thought and practice from the Middle Ages to the present. It attends to theological, philosophical, historical,
gender, race, cultural, and political issues. With a special emphasis on Western Christianity, the course examines major
themes, which include: church and empire; power and authority; monasticism, asceticism, and the concept of sanctity;
the development of Christian theologies and tensions between heresy and orthodoxy; religious orders; mysticism;
reform and reformation; councils; feminist and liberation theologies. The objective of the course is to learn about the
diversity and complexity of the medieval, modern, and post-modern Christian theological traditions. The course
focuses on the analysis of primary texts composed by and about a diverse group of Christian women and men.
Teaching across disciplines, the course adopts a variety of methodologies, including, for example, theology, history,
philosophy, and women’s studies.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: By virtue of taking the History of Christianity from the Middle Ages to the
Present course, the students will:
• Students will identify central themes and developments in Christianity from the Middle Ages to the present.
• Students will know the chronological sequence and geographical framework appropriate to the subject
matter of this course.
• Students will be able to analyze primary sources of multiple varieties and distinguish them from scholarship
(secondary sources).
• Students will understand that historical knowledge emerges from debates over the interpretation of evidence.
• Students will learn to construct arguments about the past based on evidence and utilizing critical language
and terminology appropriate to the subject matters and disciplines of history and theology.
• Students will value the complex process by which the present emerged out of the past.
• The students will appreciate the richness and diversity of the Christian traditions.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Course Reader
Elizabeth Spearing, ed. Medieval Writings on Female Spirituality (London: Penguin Books, 2002)
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS:
Active class participation:
1 Presentation:
1 Midterm Examination:
2 Critical Response papers (3 pages each):
1 Final Examination:
10%
15%
25%
20%
30%
COURSE TITLE: History of Christianity Middle Ages Through the Present
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3021.1
TIMES/DAYS: TR 11:20am-12:50pm
INSTRUCTOR: Charlotte Radler
CORE AREA: EXP: Historical Analysis and Perspective
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: TBD
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: TBD
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: TBD
REQUIRED TEXTS:TBD
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS: TBD
COURSE TITLE: Judaism: Religion, History, and Culture
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3100.1
TIMES/DAYS: TR 1:00 - 2:30 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Gil Klein
CORE AREA: EXP: Historical Analysis & Perspective
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course will explore Judaism as a lens through which to think about the multiple and complex forces
that shaped the past. It will do so by investigating central aspects of Jewish history from ancient to modern
times. The course will focus on select texts and works of art, which mark significant moments in Jewish
thought and practice. By examining Jewish text and art, students will learn how Judaism developed
through negotiations with the traditions of the past as well as with the changing conditions of the present.
Through a critical analysis of sources such as Biblical passages, rabbinic dialogues, Kabbalistic teachings,
philosophical writings, synagogue paintings and sacred architecture, students will also learn to identify
different media and genres of Jewish creativity. As the course will demonstrate, each of these modes of
expression evolved in correspondence with non-Jewish cultures and inspired different understandings of
Judaism. Finally, by exploring notions such as origins, law, worship and nationhood, students will come to
see Judaism as an ongoing response to fundamental historical, religious and cultural questions.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will: 1. Know the chronological sequence and geographical framework appropriate to Jewish religion,
history and culture. 2. Be able to analyze primary sources of multiple varieties and distinguish them from
scholarship (secondary sources). 3. Understand that historical knowledge emerges from debates over the
interpretation of evidence. 4. Learn to construct arguments about the past based on evidence and utilizing critical
language appropriate to the subject matter and discipline of history. 5. Value the complex process by which the
present emerged out of the past. 6. Develop writing skills and the rhetorical ability to present critical work in class.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
1.) David Biale, ed., The Cultures of the Jews, vol. 1 – Mediterranean Origins (New York: Schocken Books,
2006).
2.) David Biale, ed., The Cultures of the Jews, vol. 2 – Diversities of Diaspora (New York: Schocken Books,
2006).
3.) Howard Schwartz, The tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism (Oxford and New York: Oxford University
Press, 2004).
4.) Recommended: Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford and New York:
Oxford University Press, 2014).
*Additional sources on MYLMU Connect.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Assignments in this course include: exams and quizzes; reading reports; oral presentations; field trips; and a
research paper.
COURSE TITLE: Eastern Christian Traditions
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3220.01 ( EURO-3998-01.201630)
TIMES/DAYS: TR 2:40-4:10 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Serhiy Hovorun
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
In this course, we will consider the spiritual practices of the Eastern Christianity, such as hesychasm and Jesus
prayer; will dive to the history and current genres of iconography, architecture, and church music; will study
hagiographic cases (lives of the Saints). We will also consider the elements of the Eastern systematic theology,
such as Trinitarian dogma, Christology, ecclesiology, anthropology, and ecotheology.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students should be able to:
• Outline the framework of the Eastern Christian doctrine regarding the Trinity and Incarnation
• Classify the genres and samples of the Eastern Christian art
• Compare patterns of Eastern Christian spirituality with the Western patterns
• Integrate the understanding of the Eastern Christianity to their knowledge of the Western Christian
traditions
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
The students are recommended to know the elements of the Catholic and other Western Christian traditions.
However, the students with no knowledge in theology or Christian traditions will be also able to follow the classes.
REQUIRED TEXTS
There is no a single textbook for the course. The students are supplied for each lecture a list of chapters and
articles on the topic of the lecture
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
The course consists of lectures and seminars. At the seminars, students orally present their brief written
reflections on the assigned reading. They will submit in the end of the course a research paper of approximately
10 pages, with references to the academic literature. There will be also an oral exam in the end.
COURSE TITLE: THE GREEK ORTHODOX TRADITION
COURSE NUMBER: THST 3221.1 (MDGK 3350, EURO 3221)
DAYS/TIMES: R 7:10 - 10:10 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Fr. John S. Bakas
CORE AREA: INT: Faith & Reason
FLAGGED:N/A
COURCE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS:
This course examines the unbroken dogmatic tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church, its liturgy and its
place in the religious life of the United States. The course approaches the study of the Greek Orthodox
Church, also known as the Orthodox Church or Byzantine Christianity, from the theological, historical,
cultural, and artistic perspectives. The students study the Greek Orthodox Tradition in the context of the
Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and the political and cultural changes that were taking place. The
students will discover the role played by historical processes and events at the beginning and during the
development of Orthodoxy.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The student will:
- study the establishment of the Church in the early days of Christianity and become familiar with the
early “diversities”- heresies and schisms – and examine the ultimate Schism of Christianity
- analyze & understand the dogma of the Greek Orthodox Church and the doctrines formulated by
the seven Ecumenical Councils
- be introduced to the Christological and Trinitarian issue and the Iconoclastic Crisis
- study the Sacraments and the theology of the Patristic Fathers.
- study the liturgy used in the Orthodox Christian faith & understand how liturgical music and
iconography are manifestations of every search for ultimate meaning
- visit Saint Sophia Cathedral to attend an Orthodox liturgy
- learn the meaning of the symbols used in the sacramental life of the Church and its iconography
- understand the symbolism and metaphorical conventions of ecclesiastical literary texts
- value the existential importance of ultimate questions
- value the meaning of koinonia as both Sacrament and Society
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: None
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Ware, Timothy, The Orthodox Church
Payton R. James, Light from the Christian East
Schmemann, Alexander, The Eucharist
Additional texts will be distributed by the professor during the semester
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS:
Regular attendance and participation in the class
Quizzes on all the required reading
Research paper on an assigned topic to be approved by the professor
Midterm and Final examination
TITLE: Jesus, Kingdom, Church
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3230.1
TIMES/DAYS: MW 9:40-11:10
INSTRUCTOR: Rev. Thomas P. Rausch, S.J.
CORE AREA: INT: Faith & Reason
FLAGGED: Information Literacy
1.
2.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This “Faith and Reason” course will focus on the
person of Jesus from two perspectives, first, we will ask the question, “What do we
know about Jesus,” and then, a consideration of how the story of Jesus is understood
today in terms of Christian faith? What do we understand by salvation, the kingdom
of God, the church? To contextualize salvation we will consider the horrific murder
of girls and young women in Juárez, Mexico. Flagged for information literacy.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•
•
•
•
•
•
3.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
•
•
•
•
4.
Critical recovery of the Jesus of history
Become familiar with various NT Christologies
Understanding salvation from a biblical and contemporary perspective
Introduction to the theology of the Church
A Jesus-centered vision versus secular imagination
How to do a bibliography
Robert P. Imbelli, Rekindling the Christic Imagination
Thomas P. Rausch, Who is Jesus? An Introduction to Christology
Vatican II, Dei Verbum (on line)
Some additional articles on blackboard
COURSE FORMAT: lecture/discussion. Class participation is expected and will count
towards one's final grade. Participation presumes presence; more than three absences or
consistent tardiness will impact one's final grade. There will be a number of non-graded
reflection papers, an in-class presentation on a topic of the student’s interest, and two
papers, one with an annotated bibliography, a midterm and a final exam.
COURSE TITLE: God and the Human Experience
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3236.01
TIMES/DAYS: MWF 3:00-4:00 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Elissa Cutter
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Using spiritual autobiographies, this course examines the modes of discourse, levels of reflection, and diverse
experiences of individuals in the search for God. It pursues two sets of interrelated questions about the human
experience of the divine. First, building on the foundational questions broached in the Theological Inquiry
(Foundations) courses, this course asks: How do individuals and communities articulate their experiences of love,
suffering, freedom, community, and death in their search for God? Second, using the lens of autobiography
theory, this course asks: How does our understanding of the autobiographical act inform, enrich, and
problematize the descriptions of human experiences of the divine expressed in spiritual autobiographies and
stories of conversion? Students will learn how to apply their analysis in response to these two questions to
specific case-studies, by analyzing either another spiritual autobiography or their own experience of communitybased learning.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Value the existential importance of ultimate questions raised by the human experience of God.
2. Understand the search for God as a culturally and historically embedded process.
3. Be able to analyze the meaning of theological ideas and religious experience in light of autobiography
theory.
4. Be able to compare different perspectives on religious, ecclesial, and spiritual traditions.
5. Assess critiques of religious symbols and modes of knowing, speaking, and being-in-the-world.
6. Apply basic approaches to the search for God to concrete case-studies.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND:
Junior standing
REQUIRED TEXTS
•
•
•
•
Saint Augustine, The Confessions
C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist
Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain: An Autobiography of Faith
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Attendance and class participation
Online discussion board
2 reflection papers
Midterm exam
Final community-based learning or autobiography analysis project
COURSE TITLE: God and the Human Experience
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3236.03
TIMES/DAYS: TR 11:20 am - 12:50 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Jonathan Rothchild
CORE AREA: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
Course Description:
Human experience of the Divine has been diverse, complex, and contested. This course examines the modes of
discourse, levels of reflection, and experiences of individuals and communities in the search for God. It pursues two
sets of interrelated questions about human experience of the Divine. First, building on the foundational questions
broached in the Theological Inquiry (Foundations) courses, this course asks: How do individuals and communities
articulate their experiences of love, suffering, freedom, community, and death in their search for God? Second,
undertaking interdisciplinary, comparative, and methodological lenses, the course asks: In what ways do modes of
thinking or experiences in the world inform, enrich, and problematize theological and religious symbols used to
depict the Divine and human experience of it? The course examines basic theological themes in Systematic
theology (e.g., anthropology—what does it mean to be human as created by the Divine?); ecclesiology—what does
it mean to be a church or a religious community?), the theological and religious symbols used to express those
themes, and their ethical, political, and cultural implications. The course also engages critical voices of theological
and religious symbols such as critiques from feminist and liberationist perspectives. After addressing basic
questions about theological symbols and religious experiences and comparing different methodological approaches
to them, the course considers case-studies involving violence against women, religion and science, and other issues.
Student Learning Outcomes:
-Value the existential importance of ultimate questions raised by the human experience of God;
-Understand the search for God as a culturally and historically embedded process;
-Be able to analyze the meaning of theological ideas and religious institutions in light of one or more
disciplines that inform, explicate or challenge these ideas;
-Be able to compare different perspectives on religious, ecclesial, and spiritual traditions;
-Differentiate and analyze critically the major approaches to mercy and punishment through the lenses of seminal
voices within theology and political theory;
-Understand different methods within Systematic Theology;
-Assess critiques of religious symbols and modes of knowing, speaking, and being-in-the-world;
-Apply basic approaches to the search for God to concrete case-studies.
Prerequisites/Recommended Background: Junior standing
Required Texts/References:
-Lieven Boeve, ed., Questioning the Human: Toward a Theological Anthropology for the 21st Century.
-Lisa Sowle Cahill, Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics.
-Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Suffering and Salvation in Ciudad Juárez.
-Stephen Pope, Human Evolution and Christian Ethics.
Other required texts will be available on MYLMU Connect.
Coursework/expectations:
-Attendance/Participation
-Analysis Papers
-Midterm Exam
-Final Research Paper
COURSE TITLE: God and the Human Experience
COURSE NUMBER: THST 3236.4
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: MWF 1:50-2:50
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. William J. Shaules
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Using the Hebrew and Christian scriptures as a point of reference, this course examines experiences of
individuals and communities in the search for God. It involves two related questions that seek deeper
understanding of the human experience of the Divine. First, building on the foundational questions broached in
Theological Inquiry courses, this course asks: How do communities articulate their experiences of divine
absence, divine presence, life and death in their search for God? Second, the course asks: How have different
interpretive methodologies informed, enriched, and even problematized the theological language and religious
symbols used to depict the Divine?
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Throughout the course students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following through outside research
and critical engagement of the materials presented:
-the question of ultimate meaning within human existence as linked to human expressions of the Divine
-symbols used to express the Divine governed by particular ideologies which reveal culturally and historically
embedded factors within the development of religious expressions
-various interpretive methodologies governed by disciplines both within and outside of Theology
-different expressions of the Divine seen through different religious perspectives within the biblical text and seen
within a variety of ecclesial and spiritual traditions embraced by communities reading the text
-the meaning of "imaginative traditioning" for ancient Israel, for early Christianity, and for modern “people of the
book”
-major themes embedded in the Hebrew and Christians scriptures that serve to articulate the quest for ultimate
meaning.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
New American Bible or New Revised Standard Bible
Boyle, Gregory., 2010. ISBN 978-1-4391-5315-4
Hussain, Amir. Oil and Water: Two Faiths: One God, ISBN 1-896836-82-8
Knight, Douglas and Levine, Amy-Jill. The Meaning of the Bible: What The Jewish Scriptures and Christian Old
Testament Can Teach Us, 2011. ISBN 978-0-06-112175-3
Kushner, Harold. When Bad Things Happen To Good People, 1981. ISBN 0805237739.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Attendance of all class sessions
2. Participation in class discussions
3. Completion of shorter assignments on assigned dates
4. Research project
5. Completion of a final exam
COURSE TITLE: God and the Human Experience
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3236.5
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: Thursdays 4:20-7:20
INSTRUCTOR: Juliette Marsh Williams, M.A., J.C.L.
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Human experience of the Divine has been diverse, complex, and contested. This course examines the
modes of discourse, levels of reflection, and experiences of individuals and communities in the search for
God. It pursues two sets of interrelated questions about human experience of the Divine. First, this course
asks: How do individuals and communities articulate their experiences of love, suffering, freedom,
community, and death in their search for God? Second, in what ways do psychology and philosophy
inform, enrich, and problematize theological and religious symbols used to depict the Divine and human
experience of it? The course examines basic theological themes in Systematic theology (e.g.,
anthropology--what does it mean to be human as created by the Divine?); ecclesiology--what does it
mean to be a church or a religious community?) the theological and religious symbols used to express
those themes, and their ethical, political, and cultural implications. After addressing these basic questions
about religious experiences, the course considers different expressions of the search for God within the
contexts of enslavement and liberation, war and peace and violence and criminal justice.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course will explore a number of ultimate questions employing methods of faith and reason, for
example, the way in which the ultimate meaning of human existence has been linked to the question of
the meaning of the Divine. We will consider how images of the Divine taken from Scripture and
tradition have been critically received by different groups, as well as employ a comparison of cultural
contributions to experiences of the Divine. Comparing, for example, the symbols used to express the
Divine by "dominant" groups (e.g., slaveholders) and the symbols used by "oppressed" and
"marginalized" groups (e.g., slaves) reveals culturally and historically embedded factors within the
development of religious symbols. In examining dimensions of
theological anthropology, the course addresses the meanings of human freedom, and assesses critiques of
religious symbols and modes of knowing, speaking, and being-in-the-world. Basic approaches to the
search for God will then be applied to concrete case-studies.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
One 100 level theology course
REQUIRED TEXTS
William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience
Helen LaKelly Hunt, Faith and Feminism
Fr. Greg Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart
Additional readings to be assigned by professor
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Course discussion (15%): Course discussion will be used to introduce all learning outcomes and
students will be asked throughout the semester to articulate their understanding of the learning outcomes.
2. Three shorter papers (5-7 pages) (15% each for 45% total)
3. A midterm exam (20%)
4. Research Paper or Project (20%): A final research paper that asks students to integrate content and
method and apply them to a concrete case-study. Other forms of expression are also permitted with
permission of the instructor. Each student will present their work during class.
COURSE TITLE: God and the Human Experience
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3236.6
TIMES/DAYS: MW 2:40-3:50 pm
INSTRUCTOR: T. Christopher Hoklotubbe
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Human experience of the Divine has been diverse, complex, and contested. This course examines the modes of
discourse, levels of reflection, and experiences of individuals and communities in the search for God. It pursues two
sets of interrelated questions about human experience of the Divine. First, building on the foundational questions
broached in the Theological Inquiry (Foundations) courses, this course asks: How do individuals and communities
articulate their experiences of love, suffering, freedom, community, and death in their search for God? Second,
undertaking interdisciplinary, comparative, and methodological lenses, the course asks: In what ways do experiences
in the world (e.g., disability, race, gender) inform, enrich, and problematize theological and religious symbols used to
depict the Divine and human experience of it? How do such experiences inform different understandings of what the
Divine demands of us? The course examines basic theological themes in Systematic theology (e.g., anthropology—
what does it mean to be human as created by the Divine?); ecclesiology—what does it mean to be a church or a
religious community?), the theological and religious symbols used to express those themes, and their ethical, political,
and cultural implications. The course also engages critical voices of theological and religious symbols such as critiques
from feminist and liberationist perspectives.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Value the existential importance of ultimate questions raised by the human experience of God (SLO # 1)
• Understand the search for God as a culturally and historically embedded process (SLO # 2)
• Be able to analyze the meaning of theological ideas and religious institutions in light of one or more disciplines
that inform, explain or challenge these ideas (SLO # 3)
• Be able to compare different perspectives on religious, ecclesial, and spiritual traditions (SLO # 4)
• Understand different methods within Systematic Theology (SLO # 5)
• Assess critiques of religious symbols and modes of knowing, speaking, and being-in-the-world (SLO # 6)
• Apply basic approaches to the search for God to concrete case-studies (SLO # 7)
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None.
REQUIRED TEXTS
•
•
•
Elizabeth A. Johnson, Quest for the Living God
Lisa Sowle Cahill, Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics
Greg Boyle, Tatoos on the Heart
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
• Weekly Discussion Forum
• Short Analysis Papers (x2)
• Final Paper Prospectus
• Final Research Paper
COURSE TITLE: Sex and the City of God
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3237.1
TIMES/DAYS: MWF 3:00-4:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Matthew J. Pereira
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: Writing
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: This course explores the construction of sexual and
gendered theories of the person and the body largely through a careful and analytical reading of
contemporary Western discourse. The analysis of sexuality, gender and embodied personhood is
undertaken by assessing a diverse range of primary and secondary sources within diverse Christian
traditions and seminal writings in religion, theory and contemporary culture. The students will become
familiar with modern theorists and the varied contemporary sub-disciplines germane in the study of
gender, sexuality, the body and personhood. This course is interdisciplinary in its approach. The
following methodological paradigms will be employed within this course: feminism, theological lenses,
socio-historical, psychoanalytic, gender theory, race and sociological perspectives. As a result of
active participation and the completion of this course, the student will acquire the ability to analyze and
critical evaluate a diverse range of social, political, theological and theoretical constructions of and
approaches to sexuality, sex, gender, identity, the body and personhood in the diverse iterations within
varied socio-historical locations.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Develop a critical understanding of the variegated constructions of gender, sexuality, the
body and personhood in Christianity and Western culture.
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze the diverse permutations and intersections of the
construction of gender, sexuality, the body and personhood within varied social and
cultural contexts in the Christian and Western culture.
• Evaluate contemporary theorists and methodological approaches related to the study of
sexuality, gender, body and personhood.
• Assess the perennial existential questions related to the construction of gender, the
nature of the body, sexuality, personhood and identity in an interdisciplinary approach.
• Develop their skills in critical reading, analytical writing and oral communication.
• Develop a more nuanced, critical, and refined approach to issues related to sexuality,
sex, gender and the body.
• Develop a critical appreciation of the varied and conflicting perspectives on sexuality, sex,
gender and the body in Western theological, philosophical and political discourse.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
One 100-level theology course
REQUIRED TEXTS
Michel Foucault, A History of Sexuality, Volume 1 (Vintage Books, 1990)
Judith Butler, Gender Trouble (Routledge, 2006)
C. Christ & J. Plaskow. Womanspirit Rising: Feminist Reader in Religion (HarperOne, 1992)
Additional Readings will be available on MYLMU|Connect
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS: Response Paper | Research Paper | Mid Term Exam | Final Exam
COURSE TITLE: Theology & Science
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3238.01
TIMES/DAYS: TR 4:20-7:20
INSTRUCTOR: Kumar
CORE AREA: INT: Faith & Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS Why are we here? What is the meaning of existence? How do
humans fit into the universe? Is religious experience contrary to scientific thought? These existential questions on
the nature of our human experience have been explored from competing perspectives by the two dynamic forces
of theology and science. The course investigates how scientific inquiry and spiritual faith might express
complementarity and achieve unity. Topics spanning quantum theory, health sciences, cosmology, ecology, and
cognitive neuroscience will be investigated via this integral approach from both theology and science. The course
surveys an array of issues, noted thinkers, theologians and scientists from both Eastern and Western religions.
The course will be seminar-based and class discussion will explore how theology and science simultaneously
clash, coexist and influence each other. Methods of instruction will be multidisciplinary combining various media,
lecture, sacred texts in translation, academic analysis, and class discussion of the assigned reading material.
Lectures and discussion will be supplemented with online videos, art, film, web-resources, and experiential
activity. Students will engage in analysis of the multidisciplinary course content through class discussion,
independent research, and group presentations.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Trace the historical, philosophical, and cultural factors that have led to the apparent divide between
science and religion.
2. Explore the relationship between science within the Judeo-Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist
traditions.
3. Engage in a critical and intellectual dialogue in the conflict, conversation, and convergence of
science and theology.
4. Articulate ways in which science and theology relate and provide examples of such relationships in
various fields, e.g. biology, cosmology, ecology, medicine, ethics, etc.
5. Comprehend general scientific claims and relate these to theology and various spiritual traditions.
6. Examine the role that science and theology currently interact and play in contemporary media and
st
politics in shaping socio-cultural perspectives and in 21 century contexts.
7. Cultivate analytic, writing, and research skills in the completion of individual research projects on a
topic pertaining to the course.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND Upper-division course. Although there is no specific
prerequisite, students should have some prior studies in science and/or religion.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Chopra & Mlodinow. War of the Worldviews: Science vs. Spirituality Center Point Pub 2012. (Available in
print and on Amazon Kindle)
Haught, John. Science and Faith: A New Introduction. Paulist Press 2013. (Available in print and on Amazon
Kindle)
Kumar, Jay. Brain, Body & Being: Five Secrets for Achieving Authentic Health & Happiness. Price World
Publishing 2014. (Available in print and on Amazon Kindle)
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Assignment/Hours per Semester
1. Class Room Instruction/35
2. Reading/45
3. Short Papers/Reading Quizzes/15
4. Research Papers/40
5. Presentations/Group projects/5
6. Studying for Exams/Quizzes/40
COURSE TITLE: Water, Word, & Wine
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3240.1
TIMES/DAYS: MW 8:00-9:30am
INSTRUCTOR: Marc Edward Reeves
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: Engaged Learning
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: TBD
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: TBD
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: TBD
REQUIRED TEXTS:TBD
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS: TBD
COURSE TITLE: Meeting Christ in Faith & Art
COURSE NUMBER: THST 3241.1
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: MWF 11:30-12:30 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Cecilia González-Andrieu, PhD.
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Revered and ridiculed, beloved and betrayed, executed and alive. Is Jesus a cultural icon, an overused symbol,
a historical person, a cosmic phenomenon? Why do people who proclaim him “Lord” disagree with each other
on so many things? This course is an introduction to humanity’s quest to understand Jesus Christ’s identity and
purpose. Our exploration will interlace a variety of creative works with theological texts in order to explore: Jesus
as a historical figure, his human/divine characteristics, his suffering and death, his relationship with God and the
questions surrounding his connection to humanity. In order to consider the insights provided by diverse
communities the course proceeds through the method of interpretation of theological aesthetics. We will look at a
wide range of human creativity as these aid us in exploring the tensions, popular devotions, and controversies in
the intriguing quest for Jesus Christ. The course includes close looks at specific creative works, field work with art
in L.A., and the development of each student’s capacity to both approach and produce creative works as
explorations of the many meanings and understandings of Jesus as Christ.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students successfully engaged in this course will: a) Know the major categories, issues and controversies of
Christology. b) Know and develop proficiency in engaging creative works through theological aesthetic
methodology. c) Be able to write well and present their findings orally. d) Be able to actively engage and reflect
upon the complex work of making art in multiple and diverse contexts. e) Extend their critical engagement with
theological questions through the production of their own works of art.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Recommended: An introductory level theological studies course and/or a minimum of one course in any of the
arts offered at the university (e.g. theater, cinema, visual arts, literature, or music) is recommended. The
completion of a basic course in Christian theology or Scripture is helpful.
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Johnson, Elizabeth A. Consider Jesus : Waves of Renewal in Christology. New York: Crossroad, 1990.
978-0824511616
2. Austin, Ron. In a New Light: Spirituality and the Media Arts, New City Press, 2007. 978-1565482876
3. Rausch, Thomas P. Who is Jesus? Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2003. 978-0814650783
4. Finaldi, Gabriele. The Image of Christ. London: National Gallery ; Distributed by Yale University Press,
2011. 978-1857092929
Selected primary readings in theology, art criticism, and theological aesthetics in an electronic reader.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Reading: All readings or viewings of art are to be done prior to the class meeting.
2. Participation: In class discussions and processes, elaboration and presentation of art projects and critical
evaluations of artworks and art experiences. One group project of research in the city.
3. Writing and presentations: Several short papers, in class creative projects and presentations, an interactive
midterm exam, and a final paper connected to the final art project.
4. Art: one final art project from any art discipline to accompany the final paper for exhibition, performance and
presentation.
COURSE TITLE: Psychology, Spirituality and Transformation
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3250.01
TIMES/DAYS:
TR 8:00-9:30 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Judy Yates Siker
CORE AREA:
INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Who Are You? Where Are You? Whose Are You? This course will explore these and other ultimate
questions of life via both biblical and non-biblical pathways. While the major lens will be Christian spirituality, we
will also observe how these themes occur and are dealt with in other faith traditions. The course is designed to
be both theoretical and experiential as we seek the nature of the meaning of theological ideas, the development
of spirituality and the ways in which various spiritual traditions can contribute in a complementary way to the
development of persons and societies. We will explore both the history of the study of spirituality and the
interdisciplinarity of the study of spirituality in recent years.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1.
2.
3.
4.
Student will be able to describe, define and discuss the value of the existential importance of ultimate
questions.
Student will understand the role spirituality and contemplation have played in the lives of a number of
Christian (and non-Christian) writers, past and present.
Student will be able to analyze and compare different perspectives on religious, ecclesial and spiritual
traditions as they relate to spirituality and transformation.
Student will develop an integrated understanding (historical, spiritual, psychological, experiential) of the
fundamental relationship between contemplation and action.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Lower level theology course recommended
REQUIRED TEXTS
Thomas Keating, The Human Condition: Contemplation and Transformation [ISBN: 0809138824]
Yung Suk Kim, A Transformative Reading of the Bible [ISBN: 1620322218]
Richard Rohr, Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation (ISBN: 978-1-61636-757-2]
Philip Sheldrake, Brief History of Spirituality (ISBN: 978-1-11847-235-4)
Additional readings will be posted on MyLMUConnect
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
In addition to weekly reading assignments and class participation, coursework includes four brief
quizzes, a midterm exam, a site visit, journaling, and a final paper.
COURSE TITLE: Psychology, Spirituality, and Transformation
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3250.2
TIMES/DAYS: TR 8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Charlene Jin Lee
CORE AREA: INT: Faith & Reason
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course is an exercise in observing the behaviors and desires of humans as they make meaning of their
experiences in the world. Exploring the complementary sources of Psychology and Christian Spirituality, we investigate
the phenomenological nature of identity formation and transformation through the terrain of common human experiences
such as pain and loss, forgiveness and healing, love and hope. Gleaning from an emerging interdisciplinary discourse
at the intersection of humanistic psychology, neuroscience, and religion, our point of departure is an inquiry of the
integrated self—an understanding of self that encompasses emotional, cognitive, physiological, and spiritual dimensions.
We will contextualize this inquiry by tracing the various stages of transformation of self in students’ autobiographical
narratives, in faith narratives of modern contemplatives, and in literary narratives that portray the complexity of human
experience. Moving from individual introspection to a communal vision of transformation, the course contends for the
inextricable link between self and social consciousness. We will consider how the “incomplete” self transforms towards
wholeness through mutuality with others and through practice of compassion.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
Discuss the primary concerns of Psychology and Spirituality, in their respective contemporary fields; and substantively
discuss the points of convergence between the fields.
Define/appropriately use basic psychological terms and concepts related to human growth and development;
define/appropriately use basic theological/religious terms and concepts associated with spirituality and transformation.
Critically reflect on one’s formative experiences and recognize the impact of multiple contexts that shape one’s
intrapersonal and interpersonal sensibilities.
Evince sensitivity in the face of contrasting viewpoints, recognizing that one’s reality and interpretations represent a
particular set of experiences and subsequent worldview.
Describe the elements of or one’s commitment to spiritual practice that authenticates the nature and role of the self in the
context of contemporary issues that challenge communal transformation and human flourishing.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Malcolm Jeeves, Warren Brown, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion (Templeton Science & Religion Series, 2009)
Robert Ellsberg, Modern Spiritual Masters: Writings of Contemplation and Compassion (Orbis, 2008)
Select one:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah (Anchor, 2014)
James Baldwin, Go Tell It On The Mountain (Mass Market, reprint 2015)
Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air (Random House, 2016)
Celeste Ng, Everything I Never Told You (Penguin Books, 2015)
Henri Nouwen, Adam: God’s Beloved (Orbis, 1997)
Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (Picador, 2006)
Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kitteridge (Random House, 2008)
Abraham Verghese, Cutting for Stone (Vintage Books, 2010)
Additional texts will be provided by the professor.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Active participation, discussion facilitation, reflection papers, mid-term exam, final presentation/paper.
Title: Ministry & Pastoral Leadership
Course Number: THST 3271 (Section 1 and Section 2)
Section Times/Days: MWF 1:50-2:50 and 3-4 pm
Instructor: Dr. Brett C. Hoover
Description: In this course, we will critically examine and practice using the different
disciplinary knowledge bases and different types of skills required for service and leadership in
Roman Catholic and other Christian faith traditions. The course will include some comparison
to traditions of ministry and leadership in other religious traditions, especially Judaism and
Islam, as well as to secular traditions of community service. Throughout this course, we will
study and discuss in depth the issues and questions raised by the practice of ministry/service,
including 1) the relationship between religious commitment and personal transformation, 2) the
relationship between faith community and justice, and 3) the meaning of the experience of
suffering. We begin the course with an examination of the context of service and faith today,
making use of theories and methodologies from the sociology of religion. Next students learn
pastoral theological tools to assist them in understanding this data from a Christian perspective.
Finally, students study and design different approaches to ministry that build upon what they
have studied and practiced thus far.
Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of this course, students will be able…
• Identify and analyze the ultimate questions (and related spiritual practices) present in
contexts in which people serve as ministers and leaders,
• Connect those questions and practices with related questions and practices raised within
Scripture and theological scholarship,
• Understand theories and methodologies in the sociology of religion relevant to ministry
and leadership,
• Use those theories and methodologies to analyze how the socio-economic and cultural
locations of communities shape their ultimate questions and spiritual practices,
• Identify and improve upon their own communication and leadership skills in response to
what they have learned,
• Understand basic theories of ministry and develop their own in response.
Textbooks: Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (New York: Picador, 2006); Edward Hahnenberg,
Theology for Ministry (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014); Richard Gula, Just Ministry
(New York: Paulist Press, 2010).
Course Work:
The course requires that students spend at least 20-25 hours either 1) serving a particular faith
community in some form of ministry or 2) working with a community service organization in
direct service of others. Other expectations for this class include written analysis of readings,
oral presentations on topics of ministry, exegetical analysis of Scripture, a contextual analysis
paper, and a research paper developing a theology of ministry.
COURSE TITLE: Hinduism, Jainism, Yoga
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3283.1
TIMES/DAYS: MW 9:40-11:10
INSTRUCTOR: Nirinjan Khalsa
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: Engaged Learning and Writing
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
In this course students will study the Hindu, Jain and Yogic traditions, with a special focus on the
history, theory, and practice of Jainism and its relationship with Hinduism and Yoga. Students
will become comfortable reading and discussing key concepts found in Hindu, Jain, and Yogic
primary texts such as the Rig Veda, Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, Tattvarthasutra and the Yoga
Sutras. Particular emphasis will be placed on the roles of meditative, yogic, and ascetic practices
in Jainism and how they affect human action (karma), how they lead towards an ethic of nonviolence (ahimsa), for the goal of liberation (moksa).
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Identify the beliefs and practices of major religious traditions.
2. Understand the richness and complexity of theological and religious traditions,
especially in light of contemporary issues and diverse voices.
3. Examine and evaluate critically the diverse ways in which religious beliefs and
practices change across time and space.
4. Integrate theological and religious questions and problems through the careful study of
a major theological or religious thinker or theme.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
No Pre-requisites required
REQUIRED TEXTS
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli & Charles Moore, A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy
Long, Jeffery D, Jainism: An Introduction
Chapple, Christopher Key, Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions
Chapple, Christopher Key, Yoga and The Luminous: Patanjali's Spiritual Path to Freedom
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
This 4-unit course should average a minimum of 12 hours of work a week and total 180 hours of work
for the semester (inclusive of class contact time). This course has a writing and engaged learning flag so
be prepared to engage with the course materials both inside and outside of the classroom while
demonstrating critical theological inquiry through oral, practical, and written assignments.
COURSE TITLE: Sikhism: Warrior Saints
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3284.1
TIMES/DAYS: MW 12:40-2:10pm
INSTRUCTOR: Nirinjan Khalsa
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: Engaged Learning and Writing
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Sikhism began in Northern India in 1469 with its founder Guru Nanak, a poet-saint who
expressed his mystical experiences through song. He saw the same divine light shining in
every being regardless of caste, creed or gender. His revolutionary teachings promoting
equality and social justice were continued by a succession of Gurus (enlightened teachers)
who seamlessly integrated saintly practices such as meditation and selfless service with those
of a warrior to defend against social and religious persecution, creating a community of
“Warrior Saints.” This course will cover the history, philosophy, and practice of Sikhism to
probe fundamental theological questions. The main focus of the course will be to highlight
central Sikh ideas through the reading of primary and secondary texts to ask how these
concepts contribute to the Sikh world-view and ethical outlook. This course will provide
engaged learning opportunities to attend Sikh services and perform seva (selfless service), an
important aspect of the Sikh tradition.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Identify the beliefs and practices of major religious traditions.
2. Understand the richness and complexity of theological and religious traditions,
especially in light of contemporary issues and diverse voices.
3. Examine and evaluate critically the diverse ways in which religious beliefs and
practices change across time and space.
4. Integrate theological and religious questions and problems through the careful study of
a major theological or religious thinker or theme.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
No Pre-requisites required
REQUIRED TEXTS
Shackle and Arvind Mandair, Christopher Teachings of the Sikh Gurus (TSG)
Mandair, Arvind-pal Singh Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
This 4-unit course should average a minimum of 12 hours of work a week and total 180 hours of work
for the semester (inclusive of class contact time). This course has a writing and engaged learning flag so
be prepared to engage with the course materials both inside and outside of the classroom while
demonstrating critical inquiry through oral, practical, and written assignments.
COURSE TITLE: Women in Religion
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3285.1
TIMES/DAYS: MW 14:20-15:50
INSTRUCTOR: Margaret Gower
CORE AREA: FND: Theological Inquiry
FLAGGED: Information Literacy, Oral Skills
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: TBD
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: TBD
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: TBD
REQUIRED TEXTS:TBD
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS: TBD
COURSE TITLE: Women and Religion
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3285-2
TIMES/DAYS: MW 2:20 to 3:50
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Mugdha Yeolekar
CORE AREA: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
In this course we explore the traditional identities, roles, and expectations of women and men as well as popular
beliefs and lived practices in both the divine and earthly realms, from the ancient period through the present day.
We will employ feminist theory and theology to assess how gendered practices are constructed in the modern
world as well as the concepts of gender, agency, liberation, oppression and subversion. Roughly the first half of
the course focuses on the history, typology, and forms of worship of Hindu goddesses, and the second half
emphasizes the interpretation of goddess worship and some of its contemporary socio-cultural contexts. We will
combine several types of resources in our course including textbooks, spiritual autobiographies of women,
audiovisual media and ethnographies about women and religion. Traditions to be studied include: Hinduism,
Jainism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and African religions.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
SLO1: Value the existential importance of ultimate questions: Students will read spiritual autobiographies and
portions from ethnographic works on women and religion from a variety of religious traditions.
SLO2: Understand the search for God as a culturally and historically embedded process.
SLO3: Be able to analyze the meaning of theological ideas and religious institutions in light of one or more
disciplines that inform, explicate or challenge these ideas.
SLO4: Be able to compare different perspectives on religious, ecclesial and spiritual traditions.
SLO5: Students will connect major religious beliefs and practices to the oppression and liberation of women in
religion and society.
SLO6: Students will appreciate the roles that women play in shaping and re-shaping their religious traditions.
SLO7: Employ feminist theory in analyzing religious beliefs and practices.
SLO8: Produce an annotated bibliography on a selected topic in the study of women and religion.
SLO9: Prepare, practice, and deliver an original oral presentation based on the annotated bibliography.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
Women and World Religions (Lucinda Joy Peach) 0130404446/9780130404442 2. Articles/book chapters posted
on the Blackboard.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Three Essays 60%
Annotated Bibliography 10%
Classroom Participation 10%
Oral Presentation 10%
COURSE TITLE: Christian Marriage & Sexuality
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3561.01
TIMES/DAYS: TR 2:40 – 4:10
INSTRUCTOR: Sheilah M. Jones, Ph.D.
CORE AREA: Ethics and Justice
FLAGGED: Writing
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: This course offers you the time, safe space,
intellectual resources, and support to discern your own moral norms and boundaries for sex and romantic
relationships. You will explore dominant Christian teachings including Catholic Social Teaching and Virtue
Ethics and compare them to exciting up-to-date insights on human sexuality from the physical and social
sciences. You will articulate your personal conclusions about what constitutes morally good sex as these
have been informed by our study as well as your own individual, familial and cultural experiences.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•
•
•
•
Analyze and evaluate the moral principles and norms of dominant Christian churches
regarding sex/uality and human relationships
Compare/contrast dominant Christian teachings on sexuality and marriage to current
knowledge on human sexuality from the physical and social sciences
Analyze and evaluate the impact of those Christian moral teachings on contemporary
American culture and social policy
Describe the role you want the dominant Christian moral teachings regarding
sex/uality to play in your behavior and relationships
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: None
REQUIRED TEXTS
•
•
•
•
Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love & Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships.
Schnarch, David. ISBN 978-393-33427-2.
Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on
America's College Campuses. Freitas, Donna. ISBN 978-0190221287
Sexual Virtue: An Approach to Contemporary Christian Ethics. McCarty, Richard W.
SUNY Press, 2015. ISBN 978-1-4384-5429-0
Required articles and Christian documents will be available on LMU Connect,
through the Hannon Library databases or free online as noted on the schedule of
topics and assignments.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS:
30% -- Six 5-page essays
20% -- Peer writing review assignments including meetings outside of class
25% -- Participation in class discussion and activities
25% -- Homework VoiceThread discussion boards and other assignments
COURSE TITLE: The Lord's Supper: Historical, Theological, Ethical Perspectives on the Eucharist
COURSE NUMBER: THST 3740 (Section 1 and Section 2)
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: TR 11:20 am-12:50pm or 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Nicholas Denysenko, Ph.D.
CORE: INT: Interdisciplinary Connect
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
The Eucharist is the most prominent liturgical celebration in Christianity. Most Christians of the world
experience Church by attending and engaging the liturgy of the Eucharist. This course will critically engage the
historical, theological, and ethical dimensions of the Eucharist. The course will begin with a comprehensive
overview of the history of the Eucharist, with examination of primary texts and treatises on the Eucharist in the
Catholic, Orthodox, and Reformed traditions. We will then explore Eucharistic theology by reading and
analyzing primary Eucharistic liturgical texts, especially the ancient and contemporary Eucharistic prayers, and
also by rigorously analyzing the liturgical ritual Eucharistic structures, including the lectionary and proclamation
of the Scriptures, the preparatory and offertory rites, the consecration, and the distribution and reception of
communion. The historical overview and ensuring theological exploration will focus on particular Eucharistic
issues that have implications for virtue and justice, power and privilege, and cultural conditions. These
emphases include the topics of sacrifice, covenant, the divine consecration of gifts and the tension between
divine presence and absence, the communion of saints and ecclesiology, and gift exchange/stewardship. We
will then examine the potential articulations of theological ethics from Eucharistic ecclesiology by exploring
theme such as community structure and equality, the preparation and distribution of food, and the definitions
of orders of people who have been prohibited from receiving the Eucharist in history. The course will include a
major written assignment that assesses the Eucharistic practices of particular Church communities (i.e.,
dioceses, parishes, or monastic communities) within the broader context of the community's native tradition of
Eucharistic history and theology.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will learn the fundamentals of reading and interpreting primary liturgical structures, texts, and contexts;
Students will learn the history of the celebration of the Eucharist in particular liturgical traditions and families;
Students will develop skills in researching and recording textual and non-textual liturgical data, and will practice
analyzing structures by consulting both texts and contexts.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
No theological background required.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Paul Bradshaw and Maxwell Johnson, The Eucharistic Liturgies
G. Cuming and R. Jasper, eds. Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed
Kevin Irwin, Models of the Eucharist.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Active Class participation
Short Reflection Paper based on Field Trip
Research paper
Final Exam
TITLE: World Religions and Ecology
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3780.1
TIME/DATE: MW 2:20 - 3:50 p.m.
INSTRUCTOR: Chris Chapple
CORE: N/A
FLAGGED: Writing, Engaged Learning
Course Description:
In this service learning course we will explore the responses to ecological degradation from a variety of
the world’s religious traditions. We will also engage in service projects that relate to actions being taken to correct
and improve the environment.
The course will begin with an overview of how the world’s religious traditions are responding to such
issues as global climate change, rising species extinctions, issues over access to clean water, and the effects of
chemicals within the environment. Service placement options include Tree People, Holy Nativity Church, the
Learning Garden at Venice High School, the various organizations devoted to the rehabilitation of the Ballona
Wetlands, Animal Acres, the LMU Office of Sustainability, the Surfrider Foundation, Sivananda Yoga Green
Project, Global Green USA, the Bay Restoration Committee, Tree People, Star Eco Station, Global Green, Holy
Nativity Church, solar and innovative automotive companies and others. The service placements will be arranged in
cooperation with the Center for Service and Action. Each student will be required to document between fifteen and
twenty hours of service with an organization, which must be pre-approved by the professor.
Students will be assigned in groups to view and discuss and write about a particular film with an ecological
theme. The readings for the class will draw from notable literature on service in the Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist
traditions. In addition to completing their service hours and keeping a journal about the experience, each student
will produce a ten to fifteen page paper at the end of the course, interpreting their service work in a theological light,
drawing from one of the religious cosmological / ethical systems we have studied: the New Story / Journey of the
University, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, or a tradition chosen by the student with the
professor’s permission.
Student Learning Outcomes:
This course will engage the students in the methodologies of learning about religion and ecology from a multi-faith
perspective. They will gain skills in field research, media literacy, group presentation, and effective writing. They
will engage directly with community organizations. By the end of the course, students will be able to articulate the
application of a religiously-inspired ecological ethic as well as write competently about their hands-on service
experience
Pre-requisites: Upper Division Status
Required Texts: Thomas Berry, Evening Thoughts; J. Matthew Sleeth, Serve God, Save the Planet; Douglas
Christie, Blue Sapphire of the Mind; Dwivedi and Chapple, In Praise of Mother Earth; David Abram, Becoming
Animal; Tucker & Williams, Buddhism and Ecology
Course Work Expectations:
Each student will be responsible for the completion of five assignments: a midterm and a final
examination; a service project journal with ten substantive entries; the film project five to seven page paper, and
a twelve to fifteen page paper.
COURSE TITLE: Ecologies of Religion: Humans, Animals, and Nature
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3998.1 (EVST 3998.1)
TIMES/DAYS: MW 8:00-9:30
INSTRUCTOR: Eric Daryl Meyer
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course begins from the presupposition that, even though ordinary conversation seldom puts the environment
(or, more accurately, “ecology”) and religion together, the two are intimately connected. While many factors
contribute to human-caused ecological degradation, at the root of many of them are modes of human selfunderstanding that divide humanity from the rest of the planet and then treat all earth’s creatures—animal,
vegetable, and mineral—as nothing more than “resources” for filling human needs and desires. Ecological
degradation, in other words, comes in large part from stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves. Every religious
tradition preserves among other things—an ongoing conversation about what human beings are and how human
beings fit into the world as a whole. Through colonialism and global capitalism, the Judeo-Christian accounts of
human life have become immensely influential in the world—and there are some who place responsibility for
ecological degradation on the shoulders of these traditions. Conversely, environmental writers and activists seem
to have a hard time avoiding religious (or quasi-religious) language in trying to persuade people to resist the tide of
ecological degradation in adequate ways. Terms like “conversion,” “repentance,” “discipline,” “unification,” “selfdenial,” and “transformation” are common. Where environmental writing doesn’t explicitly rely on a religious
framework, it often imports some mythology about human bonds to the natural world to do the work that a
religious framework might have accomplished.
This course examines enduring questions about the nature and purpose of human life with special attention to the
boundaries that divide humanity from animality, especially where those boundaries are drawn, maintained, or
resisted by religious beliefs or practices. The course examines these complex and contested boundaries in order to
reflect upon the ecological impact of religious belief/practice and conversely, the impact of an ecologically situated
understanding of human life upon religious belief and practice.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
(1) Students will gain experience critically analyzing the ecological implications of religious/quasi-religious
accounts of humanity and human uniqueness, including tracing the transformation of religious teachings and
practices across time and different cultural settings;
(2) Students will engage in interdisciplinary analysis of ecological issues drawing on natural sciences (e.g.
ethology), philosophy, and methods native to religious studies;
(3) Students will reflect on the connections between their own daily practices, the social/cultural inheritance of
religious teachings and practices, and the overarching ecological context that frames both;
(4) Students will grapple with the existential (and ecological!) weight of ultimate questions about human nature,
human purpose, and humanity’s role among fellow creatures.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
REQUIRED TEXTS
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS:
Two major papers
One multi-stage project
Final Exam
COURSE TITLE: Theology after Crisis (Facing Trauma, Facing God)
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3998.2
TIMES/DAYS: TR 9:40-11:10
INSTRUCTOR: Jina Kang
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
In the modern world, crisis and tragedy are reported with numbing regularity. But tragedy always raises significant
questions: who is responsible for what happened? Why did this happen at all? Who is responsible for ensuring
that it doesn’t happen again? These kinds of personal and existential questions are powerful doorways to
theological discussion in that trauma shapes theology and theology shapes the understanding of trauma.
Drawing on the theme of theodicy, this course examines the implications of assigning divine responsibility to
human affairs, especially as a possible cause and remedy for human trauma. This course surveys how trauma at
the international, communal, and personal levels of experience are explained through the lens of faith in biblical
traditions. Analysis of biblical traditions wills serve as a dialogue partner for approaching contemporary
experiences of trauma. Students are encouraged to examine the implications of attributing trauma to divine (in
)action and related human responsibility to avert and redress trauma.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Having successfully completed this course, students will: 1) acquire basic familiarity with contemporary theories
on trauma, 2) critically examine and evaluate theological models of attributing divine (in)action to trauma
represented in biblical traditions, 3) develop understanding of the search for God as a culturally and historically
embedded process, and 4) develop practice in comparing the implications of varied explanations for human
trauma in the ancient and contemporary contexts of experience.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Bible – New Revised Standard Version
2. Carr, David M. Holy Resilience: The Bible’s Traumatic Origins. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014.
3. Elie Wiesel. The Trial of God. New York: Schocken Books, 1979.
4. Additional readings provided on BrightSpace
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Class attendance and participation
2. Reading and reflection journal
3. Group presentations
4. Research papers
COURSE TITLE: The Sacred, Sinister, and Strange
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3998.03
TIMES/DAYS: TR 11:20AM-12:50PM
INSTRUCTOR: Tracy Tiemeier
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: Information Literacy; Oral Skills
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS: This course interrelates theology, philosophy, and critical theory
to examine the ways in which diverse religious and speculative sources from around the globe reflect on self,
other, good, evil, and the divine through stories of terrifying creatures, otherworldly visitors, tricksters, and
bloodthirsty deities. Portrayals of the alien, monstrous, and divine “Other” often function to map out, define,
control, engage, host and/or construct religious, racial, and gendered others. The class looks at how a number of
religious traditions and speculative sources use stories of strangers and monsters to negotiate unknown
territories of self, other, and divine in creative and sometimes problematic ways. It then discusses the implications
of those stories for an ethics of encounter and the subversive power of (inter)religion.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Value the existential importance of ultimate questions; Understand the
search for God as culturally and historically embedded process; Be able to analyze the meaning of theological
ideas and religious institutions, drawing on philosophy and critical theory to inform, explicate, or challenge these
ideas; Be able to compare different perspectives on religious, ecclesial, and spiritual traditions; Understand and
interrelate theology, philosophy, and critical theory; Examine diverse religious traditions and their sources;
Analyze horror and science fiction film, television, and literature; Assess the significance of the monstrous and
alien; Produce an annotated bibliography on a topic related to the course; Express and interpret ideas through
oral communication; Prepare, practice, and deliver an original oral presentation.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: Junior Standing
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Barker, Clive. The Scarlet Gospels. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2015.
2. Bear, Greg. City at the End of Time. New York: Del Rey, 2008.
3. Butler, Octavia. The Parable of the Sower. Updated ed. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2000
4. Durrani, Haris A. Technologies of the Self. Green Bay: Brain Mill Press, 2016.
5. Gaiman, Neil. American Gods: Author’s Preferred Text. 10th Ann. Rpnt. ed. New York: William Morrow, 2013.
6. Liu, Marjorie, and Sana Takeda. Monstress. Vol. 1. Berkeley: Image Comics, 2016.
7. Okorafor, Nnedi. Binti. New York: Tor.com, 2015.
8. Ohba, Tsugumi, and Takeshi Obata. Death Note. Vol. 1. Tranlated by Pookie Rolf. San Francisco: VIZ, 2005.
9. Oyeyemi, Helen. The Icarus Girl. New York: Anchor Books, 2006.
10. Russell, Mary Doria. The Sparrow. Reissue ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 1997.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Class Discussion (20%)
Annotation and Writing Exercises (30%)
Research Presentation Project (Annotated Bibliography, 20%; Preparation and Presentation, 20%)
Oral Exam (10%)
COURSE TITLE: Visioning the Troubles: Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland
COURSE NUMBER: THST 3998.4
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: TR 1:00-2:30 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. David A. Sánchez
CORE AREA: INT: Faith and Reason
FLAGGED: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS:
This course is designed to introduce students to that moment in history known as the
Troubles of Northern Ireland (ca. 1968-1998) through the lens of art, film, propaganda
pamphlets, and scholarly production. Students will be introduced to photographs
compiled from both Belfast and Derry that narrate the sectarian history of the Troubles
from both a Catholic (i.e. Republican) and Protestant (i.e. Loyalist) perspective as entrée
for deeper interrogation of the complex religio-political history of Northern Ireland.
Students will also view relevant films that attempt to narrate this complex history.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
This course is strategically constructed to challenge students to think about what it means
to be human in a context that at its very core was so inhumane. The primary learning
outcomes for this course are as follows: 1. Students will gain in-depth knowledge of the
epoch known as the Troubles; 2. Students will gain an understanding of the role religion
played in framing the war and contributing to the peace; and 3. Students will learn how to
assess and decipher artistic propaganda produced during the Troubles.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND:
None
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Ed Maloney: Voices From the Grave: Two Men’s War in Ireland
J. Brewer, D. Mitchell, G. Leavey: Ex-Combatants, Religion, and Peace in Northern
Ireland
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS:
Complete all assigned readings in a timely manner
Complete an annotated bibliography related to the course
Make contributions to class discussions in an informed and respectful manner
Successfully complete a midterm final exam
Successfully complete a final research paper (10-12 pages in length)
COURSE TITLE: African American Religious Experience
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 3998.7
TIMES/DAYS: TR 8:00-9:30am
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Kim R. Harris
CORE AREA: N/A
FLAGGED: N/A
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS :
This course will acquaint students with the history of African-American religious practices from before and
during slavery to the present. We will discuss the influences on these practices including African culture, the
culture of free and enslaved people in colonial and post-revolutionary America, anti-bellum, emancipation,
migration, the Civil Rights Movement and urban social issues and development. This course follows the struggles
and triumphs of African-Americans through various theological developments and contributions of selected
African-American religious leaders and intellectuals. We will explore the ways in which religious thought,
practices and experiences become critical modes of resistance and liberation when confronting oppressive
cultural, economic and socio-political structures.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical trajectory of African-American religious practices
- Articulate in clear manner the influences of specific intellectuals and religious leaders upon AfricanAmerican religious development
-Demonstrate an appreciation of African-American religious diversity
REREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND: n/a
REQUIRED TEXTS:
JAMES CONE, THE SPIRITUALS AND THE BLUES
A BLACK THEOLOGY OF LIBERATION (20TH OR 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
ALBERT RABOTEAU, SLAVE RELIGION
M. SHAWN COPELAND, UNCOMMON FAITHFULNESS: THE BLACK CATHOLIC EXPERIENCE
JAMES BALDWIN, GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
JAMES MELVIN WASHINGTON, CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD
STACEY FLOYD-THOMAS, BLACK CHURCH STUDIES: AN INTRODUCTION
ANNE MOODY, A COMING OF AGE IN MISSISSIPPI
STEPHANIE MITCHEM, INTRODUCING WOMANIST THEOLOGIES
JULIUS LESTER, ON BECOMING A JEW
AMIR HUSSAIN: MUSLIMS IN THE MAKING OF AMERICA
JAN WILLIS: DREAMING ME BLACK, BAPTIST, BUDDHIST
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS: One credit hour is defined as a minimum of three hours of work by an
average student per week for a 15-week semester, supervised by an instructor. This means that a 4-unit course
must average a minimum of 12 hours of work per week and a total of 180 hours of work per semester. Typically
it implies one hour of classroom instruction and three hours of out of class student work each week for each unit
of a course. A 4-unit course, thus, requires substantial work outside of class. Please be prepared to spend an
average of at least 9 hour every week on class-related learning activities. This includes reading, preparation for
class and exams, independent research, preparation and writing of drafts, and field trips and/or engaged learning
activities.