Spring 2010
Dear THST Graduate Students on the Westchester Campus,
It is time to consider the Spring 2010 course offerings (see below). Summer Session I and II classes will be added soon.
Please note that the “600” level courses are reserved for graduate students; you would need special permission by the professor, graduate director, and academic dean in order to enroll in the “400” level undergraduate courses. Continue to read the entire page, as it covers important information for all graduate students and will affect your financial aid, department grants, and registration.
We are releasing this schedule to you early so that you and your advisor can plan the remainder of your academic year accordingly (the schedule is not posted via the Registrar’s yet). Please check the Registrar’s Office via Graduate Theological Studies website for updates as we get closer to the registration date (website: http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theology/graduate click “Graduate Programs,” click “Current Student” scroll down to “Registration” and go from there).
Westchester students: please do not register for the “OFF SITE” courses that are reserved for the Diocese of Orange Cohort II.
Click here for more information on the registration process.
Spring 2010 Course descriptions
Level 600 Courses
Foundations of New Testament Theology (Orange)
Practicum in New Testament Theology (Orange)
Topics in the Gospels: John
Topics in Christian Spirituality
Introduction to Systematic Theology
Issues in the Contemporary Church
Foundations of Christian Moral Life
Foundation of Pastoral Theology
Pastoral Approaches to Religious Education
Eucharistic Theology
Women and Christianity
Level 400 Courses
Topics in the Gospels: John
Eucharistic Theology
Theology of Liberation
Hindu and Jaina Theology
Senior Integration Seminar
For the most updated information about class schedule (section days and times) please refer to the REAL TIME SCHEDULE OF CLASSES since the information on this page could have been modified.
COURSE TITLE: Topics in the Gospels: John
COURSE NUMBER: THST 435
SECTION/TIME/DAYS: 01: Thursday, 7:15-9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. William Shaules
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
On the basis of an historical-critical and narrative critical reading of the text, students will go through the Fourth Gospel studying its literary techniques, its various theological motifs, and ancient as well as more recent developments in its interpretation. In addition, Johannine polemics against “the Jews”, scholarly debate about a “sectarian” nature of the Fourth Gospel, and the roles of women in the gospel narrative will provide students the opportunity to discuss implications of John’s gospel for the diverse urban context in which we live.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Throughout the course students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following through the mid-term and
final exams:
1. The historical situation of Fourth Gospel
2. The historical development of the Fourth Gospel
3. Basic elements of a narrative-critical approach to reading the Fourth Gospel
4. Major Johannine Christological themes
5. The relationship between the Fourth Gospel and the Jewish Scriptures
6. John’s gospel in conversation with modern issues
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the Gospel of John. New York: Doubleday,
2003.
2. Schneiders, Sandra. Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. New York: Herder & Herder, 1999.
3. An NAB or NRSV Bible
4. Selected articles to be distributed during class
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Attendance of all class sessions
Participation in class discussions
Completion of six short tests throughout the semester
Submission of a semester paper 10-12 pages in length and presentation of research in class
Completion of a final exam
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COURSE TITLE: Eucharistic Theology
COURSE NUMBER: THST 435
SECTION/TIME/DAYS: 01: Wednesday, 7:15–9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Michon Matthieson
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COURSE TITLE: Theology of Liberation
COURSE NUMBER: THST 455
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Tuesday and Thursday 3:15-4:30 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. John Connolly
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPLE TOPICS
The purpose of this course is to critically investigate the contemporary theological movement known as the Theology of Liberation. Liberation Theology is an interdisciplinary approach to theology that reflects upon the praxis, the lived experience, of Christians in various cultural contexts. The topics to be covered include Latin American Liberation Theology, African American Liberation Theology and Latino/a (Hispanic) Liberation Theology. One central theme that binds all of these approaches together is the responsibility of Christians to work for the total liberation of the human person.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
To understand the content and method of liberation theology
To understand and appreciate the contextual and cultural nature of theological statements
To become aware of and responsive to the social implications of Christian Faith
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Theology undergraduate majors and minors only
REQUIRED TEXTS
Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation
Diana L. Hayes, And Still We Rise: Introduction to Black Liberation Theology
Virgil Elizondo, Galilean Journey: The Mexican American Promise
Plus several readings on ERES
COURSE WORK/ EXPECTATIONS
This course combines lectures with student participation through classroom reports and discussion sessions. The student work consists of participating in discussions, writing short papers, oral reports, a mid-semester examination, a community service project (15 hours), and a final research paper. Students are also expected to read all the assigned texts.
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COURSE TITLE: Hindu and Jaina Theology
COURSE NUMBER: THST 482
SECTION/TIME/DAY: 01: Monday 7:15-9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Christopher Key Chapple
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPLE TOPICS
In this course we will examine select primary sources of the Hindu and Jaina traditions. We will begin with the worlds’ most ancient extant religious text, the Rig Veda. We will then examine and discuss the theological successor to the Vedas, the Upanisads. The Upanisads contain a panoply of approaches to describing the human situation in relation to ultimate meaning and values. We will also study the Bhagavad Gita. We will then turn to a study of Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, a series of short statements that provides a manual for the development and application of spiritual disciplines, reflecting influences not only form the Vedas and Upanisads, but the Buddhist and Jaina traditions as well. In the last part of the course we will examine Jaina history and theology, particularly in light of its applications in the area of environmental ethics.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Students will be familiar with the geography, history, and key theological themes associated with the Hindu and Jaina traditions. They will also be skilled in text analysis and reflective writing.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Meditations through the Rig Veda, Antonio T. deNicolas
Karma and Creativity, Christopher Chapple
Hindu Scriptures, Dominic Goodall
Yoga and the Luminous, Christopher Key Chapple
Jainism: An Introduction, Jeffrey Long
Jainism and Ecology, Christopher Key Chapple
COURSE WORK/ EXPECTATIONS
Students will be expected to prepare several short response papers as well as one major paper, on either Hindu or Jaina theology, and final exam. The course will include lectures, discussion, videos, field trips, and student presentations.
Students will be asked to write a two page paper each week in response to questions posted on the ERES website for the course. There will be a final paper and a final exam at the end of the course. The course will include lectures, discussion, video, field trips, and student presentations/sharing of the weekly two page paper.
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COURSE TITLE: Senior Integration Seminar
COURSE NUMBER: THST 496
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Wednesday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Douglas Burton-Christie
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
From its inception Christianity has honored creation as a gift of the creator and a fundamental means through which believers come to know and live in God. The Christian doctrine of the Incarnation--the belief that God entered into human flesh through the person of Jesus--was understood from the earliest times to have not only personal but also cosmic significance: all matter, all of creation was sanctified through God’s gracious act of having taken on flesh. However, the Christian tradition has not always recognized creation as central to authentic belief and practice. Nor, in this time of deepening ecological crisis, is the commitment to honor the world and treat it with care a widely shared human value. In this moment of acute ecological crisis, the question of how the religious traditions of the world might retrieve their own felt sense of the world as sacred and thereby contribute to the healing of the earth has emerged with renewed force. In this capstone course, we will consider the particular contribution the Christian contemplative tradition can make to the retrieval Christianity’s commitment to the created world and to the larger project of renewing and healing creation. We will also consider the role that other traditions of contemplative practice—arising from non-Christian traditions, from art, literary and poetic discourse, and ecological literature—can make to the broad revival of contemplative practice that is emerging in contemporary culture. The development of a “contemplative ecology” in this context means considering how the retrieval of contemplative traditions of thought and practice—within Christianity and beyond--can help us cultivate a way of seeing and tending to the world that truly honors its sacred character.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. To develop a critical understanding and appreciation of the incarnational, sacramental character of Christian spirituality.
2. To cultivate an understanding of how contemplative spiritual traditions and practices—both those specific to Christianity and those arising from other traditions--can inform a renewed ethic of ecological responsibility
3. To learn how to think critically about the interdisciplinary relationship between ecology and spirituality and to integrate this thinking into a historically informed and comparative theological framework.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Denis Edwards, Ecology and the Heart of Faith (Orbis, 2006).
Philip Sheldrake, Spaces for the Sacred: Place, Memory and Identity (Hopkins, 2001).
Jean Giono, The Song of the World (Counterpoint, 2000).
Matsuo Basho, Narrow Road to the Interior (Shambala, 2006).
Mary Oliver, Thirst (Beacon: 2007).
Denise Levertov, The Life Around Us (New Directions, 1997).
Selected Xeroxed readings.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Bi-Weekly Reflection papers
2. Practicum Assignment
3. Personal Essay
4. Final Research Paper
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COURSE TITLE: Foundations of New Testament Theology (Orange Cohort)
COURSE NUMBER: THST 600
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Tuesday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jeffrey Siker
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
The course objective is to acquire a working knowledge of and appreciation for the literary, historical, social, and theological dimensions of the biblical writings and their worlds. The course also encourages students to make connections between the New Testament and contemporary issues. The content of the course includes reading of significant portions of the New Testament, as well as broad readings in contemporary study of the New Testament, historical methodology, and various critical and pastoral issues in contemporary interpretation.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1) Students will know the content of the writings of the New Testament and their various contexts.
2) Students will be able to engage in critical analysis of the New Testament writings.
3) Students will value a variety of interpretations of the New Testament writings and the role they play in contemporary theological and pastoral conversations.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
none
REQUIRED TEXTS
A modern translation of the Bible (NRSV, NAB, NIV, et al)
Aland, Synopsis of the Four Gospels (English Ed)
Dunn, Unity & Diversity in the New Testament
Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament
Schneiders, The Revelatory Text
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Regular reading & seminar participation/presentations
Two exegetical papers (one on the Gospels and one on Paul)
A midterm exam and a final paper or a final exam
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COURSE TITLE: Practicum in New Testament Theology (Orange Cohort)
COURSE NUMBER: THST 601
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Tuesday 7:15-9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Nancy Kobiyashi
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COURSE TITLE: Topics in the Gospels: John
COURSE NUMBER: THST 607
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Tuesday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. William Shaules
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
On the basis of an historical-critical and narrative critical reading of the text, students will go through the Fourth Gospel studying its literary techniques, its various theological motifs, and ancient as well as more recent developments in its interpretation. Students will also participate in a semester long exegetical project culminating in a presentation to other students and a written paper.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Throughout the course students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following through the mid-term and
final exams:
1. The historical situation of Fourth Gospel
2. The historical development of the Fourth Gospel
3. Basic elements of a narrative-critical approach to reading the Fourth Gospel
4. Major Johannine Christological themes
5. The relationship between the Fourth Gospel and the Jewish Scriptures
6. The basic components of scriptural exegesis
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the Gospel of John. New York: Doubleday,
2003.
2. Gorman, Michael. Elements of Biblical Exegesis. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2009.
3. Schneiders, Sandra. Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. New York: Herder & Herder, 1999.
4. An NAB or NRSV Bible
5. Selected articles to be distributed during class
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Attendance of all class sessions
Participation in class discussions
Completion of a midterm exam
Completion of an exegetical project including the presentation of research to the class
Completion of a final exam
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COURSE TITLE: Topics in Christian Spirituality
COURSE NUMBER: THST 624
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Tuesday 7:15-9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Douglas Burton-Christie
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
What does it mean to enter the desert? To dwell there, either by choice or necessity? To discover there an unexpected depth of soul and potential for life-altering transformation? The desert is a central image in the Christian spiritual imagination. As a locus of encounter with the holy, the desert has figured importantly from the time of the Hebrew peoples’ encounter with Yahweh at Sinai, to Jesus’ sojourn in the Judean wilderness, to the upwelling of early Christian monastic life in Egypt, and beyond. As a metaphor evoking the human longing for God, the image of the desert recurs throughout the Christian mystical tradition, in art and in comunities for whom the desert is the central image of the spiritual life. This course will examine the significance of the desert for Christian spirituality, employing an interdisciplinary approach to ask: what is at the root of the human longing to enter the desert? What happens when one opens oneself to the transformative power of the desert? Our work will focus on a critical exploration of Athanasius’s Life of Antony and the early Christian monastic movement as a whole as a way of considering what it is that drew women and men into the desert in the fourth century. Students will also be invited to examine the significance of the desert as it is expressed in Christian mystical texts, in art, in literature and poetry, and natural history writing. The work of the course will be concentrated around the question of what it might mean to retrieve the image of the desert as a central part of contemporary Christian spirtual life.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. To gain a clear sense of the historical, social, and religious origins and development of early Christian monasticism and of how the desert ideal developed and evolved in the history of Christian spirituality.
2. To consider how desert spirituality has been expressed in contemporary life and culture and how it might be retrieved for both personal and pastoral purposes.
3. To develop a critical understanding of Christian spirituality as a discipline and an ability to apply this understanding to the interpretation of contemporary and historical expressions of Christian spirituality.
4. To gain a practical understanding of contemplative practice, through select experiments in contemplative living.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
REQUIRED TEXTS
Benedicta Ward, ed. The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (Penguin, 2003).
Athanasius, The Life of Antony (Harper Collins, 2006).
Mary Austin, Land of Little Rain (Modern Library, 2003).
Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land (Oxford, 2006).
Paul Bowles, The Sheltering Sky (Harper Collins, 1949)
Selected Xeroxed readings.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Active class participation. 10%.
2. Four short papers. 60%.
3. A final paper. 30%.
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COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Systematic Theology
COURSE NUMBER: THST 630
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Monday 7:15-9:45PM; 02: Wednesday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course explores major themes in Christian systematic and constructive theology, such as: revelation and faith, human being, sin and grace, God, Christ, Holy Spirit, and the church. Attention is given to the historical development of major Christian doctrines, as well as their contemporary significance, particularly in light of philosophical, cultural, ecumenical, interreligious, and pastoral concerns.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Know the major methods and themes in systematic theology;
Be able to write, speak, and reflect theologically on systematic themes; and
Value Roman Catholic, ecumenical, and interreligious approaches to theology
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
Systematic Theology: Roman Catholic Perspectives (2 Volume Set), by Francis Schussler Fiorenza and John P. Galvin, eds. (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2000) ISBN: 6000118082/978-600011808
Constructive Theology: A Contemporary Approach to Classic Themes: A Project of The Workgroup On Constructive Christian Theology, by Serene Jones and Paul Lakeland, eds. (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2005) ISBN: 080063683X/978-0800636838
Ultimate Realities: A Volume in the Comparative Religious Ideas Project (The Comparative Religious Ideas Project, by Robert Cummings Neville, ed. (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2000) ISBN: 0791447766/ 978-0791447765
Comparative Religious Ideas Project, by Robert Cummings Neville, ed. (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2000) ISBN: 0791447766/ 978-0791447765
The Trinity and the Kingdom, by Jürgen Moltmann (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993) ISBN: 080062825X/978-0800628253
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Active participation and attendance
Weekly Analysis Papers
Final Research Paper
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COURSE TITLE: Issues in the Contemporary Church
COURSE NUMBER: THST 640
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Monday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Fr. Thomas Rausch
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
An exploration of various ecclesiological and theological issues in the contemporary Church: Ecclesiology of Vatican II, theologies of the church, divisions, authority and its exercise, ministry ordained and nonordained, sexuality, social justice, women in the Church, young adult Catholics, ecumenism, world religions, and the church of tomorrow.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
A critical appreciation of the contemporary Church and its life
Articulate the significance of ecclesiology for the contemporary Church, society, and culture
An appreciation of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and cooperation
Research and write intelligently on ecclesiological issues
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Graduate status
REQUIRED TEXTS
McCarthy, Timothy G. The Catholic Tradition: Before and After Vatican II Revised and
expanded edition (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1998).
Ratzinger, Joseph, Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today (Ignatius, 1996)
Rausch, Thomas P. Towards a Truly Catholic Church (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press,
2005)
WCC, Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (Geneva: WCC, 1982).
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
The course will be a seminar. It will involve lectures by the instructor, classroom analysis and discussion of the assigned readings, and a class presentation by each student of his or her research project. Each student's contribution to the seminar process will be an important factor in determining the final grade. Therefore, regular attendance and quality participation is important. There will be a midterm exam and a research paper.
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COURSE TITLE: Foundations of Christian Moral Life
COURSE NUMBER: THST 660
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Tuesday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jonathan Rothchild
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICSThis graduate course introduces students to the foundations of Christian theological ethics. We will examine the relationships between the sources, methods, articulations, insights and weaknesses, and resonances and conflicts of moral theology. Specifically, we concentrate on the interpenetration between Scriptural themes (e.g., creation, imago dei, sin, imitatio Christi, redemption), anthropological dimensions (e.g., freedom, responsibility, conscience, natural law, vulnerability), voices from tradition (e.g., Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Pope John Paul II), intellectual, theological, and socio-economic contexts (e.g., Protestant and Catholic Reformations, Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, movements of liberation, postmodernity), contemporary theological perspectives and debates, and practical moral questions (e.g., sexual ethics/marriage and family, biomedical ethics, economic justice, criminal justice, and environmental ethics). The objective is to analyze critically these intersections to understand the theoretical and practical dimensions of theological ethics.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The purpose of the course is to help students to:
Understand the Scriptural, historical, doctrinal, and experiential dimensions of Christian reflection in the moral life.
Examine and critically compare different methodological approaches within Christian theological ethics.
Engage in a careful analysis of the relationship between foundational frameworks of moral theology and contemporary normative problems.
Appreciate the normative implications of arguments and issues and to value their wider theological, ethical, pastoral, and social implications.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Graduate status.
REQUIRED TEXTS
-Lisa Sowle Cahill, Sex, Gender, and Christian Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
-John Finnis, Moral Absolutes: Tradition, Revision, and Truth. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1991.
-H. Richard Niebuhr, The Responsible Self. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1963.
-Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books, 1999.
- Dorothee Soelle, The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001.
-A Course Reader (To be purchased on the first day of class)
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Attendance/ Participation: 20%
Midterm Exam: 25%
Presentation: 15%
Research Paper: 40%
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COURSE TITLE: Foundations of Pastoral Theology
COURSE NUMBER: THST 670
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Wednesday 4:30–7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Michael Horan
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course will offer a foundation in pastoral theology by exploring the contemporary “lay ministry explosion” in Catholicism. The course will be grounded in the biblical, historical, and theological sources for constructing a theology of pastoral ministry appropriate to various settings, and through the course we will focus on the nature of pastoral theology as praxis. The relationship between pastoral theology and other branches of theology will be examined as we consider the theological issues beneath the practice of lay pastoral ministry today.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students who complete this course will be able:
To locate the place and narrate the function of pastoral theology in the larger theological matrix, that is, the theological discipline and its various subfields (biblical, historical, etc.);
To understand and articulate selected theological issues beneath the practice of lay ministry today, with special attention to the Catholic context for pastoral ministry as practiced in the United States;
To analyze these theological issues embedded in the official church documents and the writings of theologians;
To name and develop some elements needed to construct a theology of ministry that is faithful to the biblical and historical heritage of ministry, and adequate to the contemporary experience of lay and ordained ministers today;
To explain to peers and to the publics they serve select features of the relationship between theology and the pastoral life of the church, with special emphasis on the Catholic church.
To appreciate the symbiotic relationship between pastoral practice and theology/theory by considering the pastoral/ministerial nature of theology and the theological activity implicit in pastoral ministry and in the issues that practitioners face.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
THST 692 and THST 600 OR 603
REQUIRED TEXTS
Gula, Richard M. Ethics in Pastoral Ministry. New York: Paulist, 1996.
Hahnenberg, Edward P. Ministries: A Relational Approach. New York: Herder and Herder, 2003.
Pope, Stephen, Editor. Common Calling: The Laity and the Governance of the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2004.
Steinfels, Peter. A People Adrift. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2003.
Wilkes, Paul. Excellent Catholic Parishes. New York: Paulist, 2001
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
25% Active participation in Seminar discussion; this includes leadership for discussions, to be elaborated below.
50% The preparation of brief written analyses of the readings, usually in the form of responses to Focus Questions (unless otherwise stipulated). This includes 5 typewritten papers, and weekly handwritten preparation of questions.
25% Final Integrating Essay (Take home exam)
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COURSE TITLE: Pastoral Approaches to Religious Education
COURSE NUMBER: THST 676
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Wednesday 7:15-9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Fr. Michael Lee
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This seminar-lecture course provides a diagnostic overview of Religious Education of Catholic and Protestant adults and youth in the United States. Engaging analyses of the National Study of Youth and Religion (2001-2010), it considers the pastoral implications for Christians of all age groups, and then analyzes in-depth a case study of U.S. Hispanic teens and their families. The case study will be a model for an online, small-group, role-play activity to design a culturally-responsive approach to Religious Education for a local congregation.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to articulate in their own words the major findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion (2001-2010); to apply the data to all age groups in the U.S. Church, including Hispanic teens and their families; and to design a culturally-responsive approach to Religious Education for a local congregation.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Graduate standing.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Two copies each of textbook will be available at Reserve Desk in Hannon Library.
--Harris, Maria. Fashion Me a People: Curriculum in the Church. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989.
--Palmer, Parker. The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life [10th anniversary edition]. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.
--Pathways of Hope and Faith Among Hispanic Teens: Pastoral Reflections and Strategies Inspired by the National Study of Youth and Religion. Ken Johnson-Mondragon, editor. Stockton, CA: Instituto Fe y Vida, 2007.
--Smith, Christian with Melinda Denton. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. New York, Oxford UP, 2005.
--Smith, Christian and Patricia Snell. Souls in Transition: The Religious Lives of Young Adults in America. New York: Oxford UP, 2009.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Active participation in seminar discussions based on a close reading of assigned texts.
The course grade will be computed by weighted average as follows:
70% weekly 1-page essays, a role-play exercise (online), and in-class oral presentations
30% final synthesis paper & oral presentation
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COURSE TITLE: Eucharistic Theology
COURSE NUMBER: THST 698
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 01: Wednesday 7:15-9:45PM
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Michon Matthieson
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COURSE TITLE: Women and Christianity
COURSE NUMBER: THST 698
SECTION/TIMES/DAYS: 02: Monday 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Anna Harrison
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course examines the roles and experiences of women as they change through time in the history of Christianity, from its origins through the early modern period (c. 16th c.) Our focus is on the influence of women in the development of Christian spirituality. We will situate women’s religiosity within the context of institutional developments and broader changes in society. Throughout this course, we will study major themes and debates in scholarship on women’s and gender history. At the close of the semester, we will consider how a focus on women changes our understanding of the general narrative of western Christian religious history.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students who complete this course successfully will gain an understanding of the variety and complexity of women’s religious thought and practice in western Christian late antiquity, the Middle Ages, and early modern period. Students will learn how to write historically responsible analyses of religious texts significant to the history of pre-modern Christianity and to read carefully scholarly works on women and religious history. They will come to value learning about the religious ideas and experiences of people who lived in a world very different from their own.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Graduate students with a willingness to wonder and be perplexed!
REQUIRED TEXTS
Blackboard [BB]. Most primary and secondy texts for this class will be posted on Blackboard.
Caroline Walker Bynum, Holy Feast and Holy Fast
Gary Macy, The Secret History of Women’s Ordination
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Students are required to read carefully all assigned texts before class and to be prepared to contribute regularly and thoughtfully to class discussions. Attendance is required, and students’ in-class participation will be evaluated. More than one absence will lower the student’s grade. Students are responsible for handing in several short papers (at least 3 pages and not more than 4 pages) and giving a number of oral presentations. There is, furthermore, a final paper (at least 12 and not more than 15 pages).
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This page covers important information for students on the Westchester campus and will affect your financial aid, department grants and registration.
Please follow the 5 steps below.
1. Week of October 19th:
Attend a graduate advisement session (25 minutes) held at 3:30 pm in U Hall 3767. Sessions will be held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; choose your day. This will give you new information about courses, financial support and essential items for registration for Spring and Summer. Your advisor will expect that you have attended one of these sessions.
2. Between Now and November 9th:
You need to contact and meet with your Theological Studies faculty advisor. Use the appropriate Course Checklist for your program (on our website: http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theology/graduate click “Graduate Programs,” click “Current Student” scroll down to “Forms” for Course Checklist and Program Requirements Bulletin). Keep a copy and give your advisor a copy. This Course Checklist & Program Requirement page will be necessary and helpful for meetings with your advisor. We will announce our group advisement dates next week.
3. Registration is Scheduled to Begin on November 16th, 2009:
You should register for Fall courses online in the usual way. The Registrar has set advance registration to begin on November 16, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. [Note: Please check the Registrar's Office Website and/or Prowl, as they may change this date as we come closer to registration time. You will be unable to register before the Registrar's determined date.] You may obtain registration instructions via our website http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theology/graduate scroll down to “Registration,” click “Registration and Prowl Login Guide.”
4. By 3 PM on Friday October, 30th:
Send completed Theology Department Grant forms to Jennifer Scott by October 30. You are applying for both Spring and Summer grants (even though the Summer schedule is not available at the moment, you may indicate the number of units that you plan on registering in). Theology Department Grant forms 2009-2010 are available on our website http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theology/graduate (to find the form, click “Graduate Programs,” click “Current Student,” scroll down to “Scholarships & Financial Aid”). Make sure you indicate the number of units you plan to enroll in for both Spring and Summer semesters.
Note: The Department Grant form is the ONLY Financial Aid form that goes to Jennifer Scott; see below for further instructions:
5. Submit the following items below directly to Financial Aid Office. (NOT to THST Department)
UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENT: For ALL grants and financial aid, you MUST complete the following items:
(a) FAFSA application (apply online) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
(b) 2009-2010 Financial Aid Application form is posted on our website (scroll down to “Financial Aid” to find form) http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theology/graduate
Note: submit this form directly to the Graduate Financial Aid Office
Submit Spring 2010 Graduate Calculations of Charges Agreement worksheet directly to the Student Accounts Department by November 30 (Note: this is the financial clearance deadline for Spring only—not Summer).
You may find the Fall 2010 Graduate Calculations of Charges Agreement form via our website http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/theology/graduate (click “Graduate Programs,” click “Current Student” scroll down to “Scholarships & Financial Aid” click this icon, scroll down and click: “Student Accounts Department,” click “Download Forms & Brochures” or submit online by clicking “Online Calculation of Charges Agreement-Graduate”).
Students who have attended one advisement session, contacted their faculty advisor and who have completed the other steps above will be eligible first for department grant awards. Students who have not met with their advisor or followed the steps above will be awarded grants towards the end of January, based on the funding resources that remain.
University Scholarships (i.e. Catholic Teacher Ministry Fund & Religious Funds) will be posted to your Prowl account by the University [Graduate Financial Aid Office makes monies available according to their own schedule]. Department Grants will be posted to PROWL as well.
Please help us to serve you:
Registering on time matters to us; it helps us plan classes and respond to student needs. Timely application for funding sources also helps, as monies are limited.
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