Course Descriptions & Archive

SEMESTER: Fall 2024

COURSE TITLE: Foundations of New Testament Theology 

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION:   THST 6010.01  

TIMES/DAYS: W 7:20pm-9:50pm

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Emanuel

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This graduate level course engages New Testament texts and contexts. While a primary focus will be on situating New Testament writings in their own historical settings—a traditional starting point within the field of New Testament Studies—the course will also examine how New Testament sources have been analyzed in contexts beyond their own times. Throughout the class, students will discuss the theological foundations of the early Jesus movement; the construction of the New Testament canon; the development of New Testament Studies as an academic field; and the relationship among text, context, and interpretation. No prior knowledge is needed.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Our main objective is to gain familiarity with the historical and theological complexities of the New Testament. This includes: 1) understanding how New Testament texts are in conversation with the ancient Jewish-Greco-Roman world; 2) identifying and analyzing New Testament writers’ foundational theological questions, including especially how they make sense of Jesus as their Christ; 3) exploring how New Testament texts are in conversation with extra-canonical writings; 4) understanding how the New Testament was canonized; and 4) examining how New Testament writers grapple with human existence and potential human-divine interaction. Students will also learn to address the relationship among biblical text, context, and interpretation, both in antiquity and today.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

None

REQUIRED TEXTS

The Jewish Annotated New Testament (JANT), ed. Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler (2^nd edition; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017).

Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (7th edition; New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019).

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Oral Reading Responses                              

Check-In Quizzes

Talmud Project                

Final Essay with Presentation                        

SEMESTER: Fall 2024

COURSE TITLE: U.S. Latinx Theology

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6034

SECTION TIMES/DAYS: W 4:30-7:00 PM - Hybrid

INSTRUCTOR: Cecilia González-Andrieu, Ph.D.*

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This course examines the diverse origins and theological expressions of Latinx Christian communities in the U.S. with a special emphasis on the Catholic tradition.  The course develops and employs a Latinx theological methodology to travel from the question of “why do this?” (por qué?) to the final question of “toward what goal?” (hacia qué?).  Meant to problematize and contextualize the situation of Latinx Christianity in what is today the United States, the course aims to expose students to foundational theological developments in tandem with urgent contemporary questions.  Students are invited to inhabit the challenges posed by a Latinx focus by engaging in researching a local Latinx community in all its particularity and the complex communities that it represents and to develop original theological approaches to the challenges presented to the church and the nation by the many communities grouped under the terms Latinx, Latino/a or Hispanic.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The student will analyze and interpret primary foundational texts to contextualize the origins of U.S. Latinx theological reflection.

The student will critically examine a range of theological concepts arising out of Latinx religious practices and experiences and assess their contribution to Christian Theology.

The student will analyze and judge pertinent contemporary issues and socio-economic data.

The student will formulate and articulate strategies to meet the challenge posed to the church by the needs and gifts of the community through their own particular area of interest (pastoral ministry, ecumenism, ethics, liturgical practices, immigration, education, ecology, anti-racism, etc.)

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

This is a graduate course and may be taken at any point during the program.

REQUIRED TEXTS (Partial list)

Elizondo, Virgil, The Future is Mestizo: Life Where Cultures Meet, University Press of Colorado, 2000. González, Justo L. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. Nashville : Abingdon Press, 1990.

Pope Francis, Let us Dream: The Path to A Better Future, Simon & Schuster, 2020.

Matovina, Timothy, Cecilia González-Andrieu, Steven P. Rodríguez, and Jaime R. Vidal. ¡Presente! : U.S. Latino Catholics from Colonial Origins to the Present. Edited by Timothy Matovina and Gerald Eugene Poyo. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 2015.

Matovina, Timothy. Latino Catholicism: Transformation in America’s Largest Church. 1st ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011.

Select texts, and other sources will be provided on Brightspace.

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Engagement with all course readings evidenced in active participation in discussion board, written work and presentations. 

Comprehensive field research about a local community.

Reading: All readings are to be done prior to the class meeting.

Writing and presentations: Several short papers, discussion questions prepared every week, several class presentations and a final research paper.

* indica un/a profesor/a hispanoparlante y con permiso estudiantes pueden escribir su tarea en español. 

COURSE TITLE: Graduate Proseminar

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION:   THST 6090

TIMES/DAYS: Mondays, 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

INSTRUCTOR:  Layla A. Karst

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This course prepares students for graduate study in Theology. Christian theology is disciplined reasoning, thinking, and analysis, shown through reading, writing, and speaking, that pursues the questions raised by human beings as a result of their experience of and faith in the triune God.  Studying theology is neither catechesis (lifelong and life-wide formation in Christian faith) nor apologetics (defending Christian faith and its “rightness”). Doing theology means joining an ongoing historical dialogue, occasionally an argument, that Christians call tradition.  In doing so, theologians analyze how and why diverse Christians from the past and present have expressed their faith as they have, but also continuing to seek adequate ways to do so today. This course will also explore some of the foundations of religious studies, that is, the discipline that considers religious traditions irrespective of one’s personal faith commitments. The Pro-seminar course prepares students for further graduate study in Theological Studies by introducing some of the vocabulary, background knowledge, methodologies, and skills necessary for such study, with special attention on building skills for theological reading, research, and writing.  The seminar includes input and exercises that will expose students to the basic subfields of theology (including biblical studies, historical theology, ethics, systematic or constructive theology, spirituality, pastoral theology, liturgy, and comparative theology).

Class will meet on campus 6 times during the semester; all other weeks we will meet on Zoom.

 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to…

• Articulate what Christian theology is and demonstrate the foundational mechanics of theological study at the graduate level (critical reading and writing, attention to context, research, and citation);
• Understand the structure and content of theological arguments, offer reasoned analysis and critique of theological arguments, and begin to develop their own theological arguments;
• Define and use the disciplinary vocabulary of Christian theology and religious studies;
• Recognize and interpret how theological ideas, practices, and methodologies occur in response to the questions and challenges of different historical eras and different cultures. 
• Responsibly read the primary sources of theology, including biblical, historical, doctrinal, and theological texts, as well as other artifacts and expressions from daily Christian life (e.g., liturgical practice, popular religion, and art), learning to honor the original context for these sources but also to connect them to contemporary theological questions, practices, and commitments;
• Explore the variety of theological methodologies from different sub-disciplines of Christian theology and religious studies
• Understand expectations and conventions for academic discourse and writing, including proper citation
• Build skills for theological research, including library, archival, and observational methodologies

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

A willingness to pursue the questions and methods proper to theology, even when that pursuit feels new, uncomfortable, or even threatening to one’s preconceived ideas about theology, tradition, faith.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

• Gonzalez, Justo L. Essential Theological Terms.  Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 2005.
• Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. “They Say, I Say”: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 6^th New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2024.
• Johnson, Elizabeth A. Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God. New York, NY: Continuum, 2008.
• Rausch, Thomas. I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles Creed. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008.
• Yaghjian, Lucretia B. Writing Theology Well: A Rhetoric for Theological and Biblical Writers (New York: Continuum, 2006). 

SEMESTER: FALL 2024

COURSE TITLE: Comprehensive Exam Seminar

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6092.01

TIMES/DAYS: Wednesdays 7:20-9:50pm

INSTRUCTOR: Tiemeier

CORE AREA: N/A

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This is the required comprehensive exam seminar for all MA in Theology students. While drawing on students’ previous course work, the seminar also requires students to study additional sources that will help them integrate their theological education. The comprehensive exams are administered as a part of the course requirements, targeting the MA in Theology program learning outcomes (see student learning outcomes below). Assessment prompts will be given to students before the beginning of the semester so students can plan for the semester. This course has a hybrid format where some classes will meet on campus in person and other classes will meet online through Zoom.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

SLO 1: Perform biblical exegesis with attention to historical contexts, the history of interpretation, and contemporary theological developments; SLO 2: Engage in critical reflection on major theological themes, including the ability to articulate different perspectives and place them in dialogue, and the ability to engage such themes in real world contexts; SLO 3: Perform critical historical analysis, reading and interpreting primary sources of theology in their broader context; SLO 4: Situate contemporary theological developments in light of historical trajectories; SLO 5: Interpret the work of seminal thinkers in Christian ethics and analyze contemporary moral problems; SLO 6: Discern accurate and credible knowledge about diverse religious traditions and expressions; SLO 7: Engage the question of the theological significance of religious diversity; SLO 8: Articulate multiple methods in theological studies and apply them in appropriate scholarly ways and contexts; SLO 9: Engage critically with the Roman Catholic intellectual tradition, appreciating the internal diversity within Roman Catholic and wider Christian traditions, and articulating how an encounter with the Roman Catholic intellectual tradition enhances engagement with one’s own religious perspectives.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

36 units of course work completed.

Students with at least 30 units may petition the Graduate Curriculum Committee for permission to enroll.

REQUIRED TEXTS

[ALL TEXTS ARE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH THE LMU LIBRARY]

M. Shawn Copeland. Knowing Christ Crucified: The Witness of African American Religious Experience.

Gustavo Gutiérrez. On Job: God-talk and the Suffering of the Innocent.

Clara Sue Kidwell, Homer Noley, George E. “Tink” Tinker. A Native American Theology.

Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ. Religion and Faith in Africa: Confessions of an Animist.

Elizabeth A. Johnson. Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love.

Peter C. Phan. The Joy of Religious Pluralism: A Personal Journey.

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Bibliography Reading, Seminar Presentation, and Seminar Discussion (25%)

Bibliography Exam Assessing Outcomes 6-9 (25%)

Program Portfolio, Previous Paper Revisions for Outcomes 1-5, and Self-Assessment (25%)

Thesis Proposal Drafts (25%)

Brett Hoover* is offering this class as a tutorial. 

* indica un/a profesor/a hispanoparlante y con permiso estudiantes pueden escribir su tarea en español. 

SEMESTER: FALL 2024

COURSE TITLE: Bernard of Clairvaux

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: SS 42548 THST 6998

TIMES/DAYS: 42548 THST 6998

INSTRUCTOR: Harrison                       

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS

This is a course on the life and thought of Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153). Among the most influential people in twelfth-century western Europe, Bernard was involved in many of the most important ecclesiastical disputes of his time, played a major role in contemporary monastic life, challenged dominant intellectual players (e.g., Abelard) and thought associated with scholasticism (e.g., the place of reason and love in religious thought) and introduced spiritual themes and practices (imitation of Christ, devotion to the humanity of Mary and Jesus, including meditation on the infant Jesus and crucified Christ) that characterized the Middle Ages and have come to be associated with modern Catholic thought and practice, and he exercised enormous influence the spirituality and mysticism (esp. bridal mysticism) of the later Middle Ages. Part one of this class is an introduction to Bernard’s life in the context of twelfth-century Cistercian monasticism, which he helped to shape, and to his major writings. Part two focuses on his treatise On Loving God, with a focus on Bernard’s understanding of love and spiritual development.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who complete this class successfully will learn to read complex religious texts from the distant past and to write intelligently about the spirituality of the Western Christian Middle Ages, including on themes that have shaped modern Christianity.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

Students should be prepared to work hard!

REQUIRED TEXTS

Students will purchase a course reader and Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works, tr. G. R. Evans (New York: Paulist Press, 1987).

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS

Students will write short papers (approximately 3-5pp) almost every week. They will complete a final, longer paper (about 10pp) that will focus on a close reading of one of Bernard’s texts and take up a question about a topic of central importance to Bernard.

COURSE TITLE: Theory and Practice of Spiritual Direction

COURSE NUMBER/SECTION:   THST 6051

TIMES/DAYS: Tuesdays 7:20-9:50pm (hybrid)

INSTRUCTOR: Wil Hernandez

COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course seeks to further the student’s understanding of spiritual direction as a form of pastoral care and as a helping relationship. Among the topics to be considered are: various forms of spiritual guidance within the Christian tradition, the distinctive nature of spiritual direction, the qualities and skills required to be an effective spiritual director, and the role of spiritual direction in facilitating spiritual growth and development. Utilizing the vast enterprise of soul care as a backdrop (with Henri Nouwen as a model), this introductory course focuses on the more contemporary art and ministry of spiritual direction with emphases on its primary thrust, distinctive approach, and companioning dynamics. The course advocates a decidedly contemplative-evocative stance and skills.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: (1) Inventory their current spiritual journey reality via the use of the Grand Examen tool as starting point for understanding the inward/outward focus of soul care; (2) Acquaint themselves with the broad spectrum of spiritual companionship approaches and gain a high appreciation of the distinctiveness of the ministry of spiritual direction as the crown jewel of the entire soul care enterprise; (3) Engage in a reflective preliminary evaluation of their own suitability either as a potential receiver or giver of spiritual direction or both by carefully examining the characteristic roles/traits of a spiritual director and directee; and (4) Synthesize and integrate their understanding of the theory and practice of spiritual direction and articulate them both philosophically and methodologically with corresponding personal appropriation and practical application to their own respective context and setting.

PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None.

REQUIRED TEXTS (Subject to Change)
William A. Barry & William J. Connolly, The Practice of Spiritual Direction. Revised and Updated (New York, NY: HarperOne, 1982, 2009).
Sue Pickering, Spiritual Direction (London, UK: Canterbury Press Norwich, 2008, 2011).
Thomas H. Green, S.J., The Friend of the Bridegroom: Spiritual Direction and the Encounter with Christ (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2000.
Wil Hernandez, Henri Nouwen and Soul Care: A Ministry of Integration (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2008). 
Teresa Blythe, Spiritual Direction 101: The Basics of Spiritual Guidance. (Berkeley, CA: Apocryphile Press, 2018). 

COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
This is a hybrid class by design (combination of face-to-face and virtual sessions via Zoom). There will be a mixture of class presentations (both on-ground and online via videos), offline/online praxis exercises (both role-plays and real-plays), and class discussions/interactions. Requirements include short reflection essays, an interactive book analysis/response and a Focused Integration Paper.