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COURSE TITLE: THST 6010-01
COURSE NUMBER: 41503
SECTION TIMES/DAYS/LOCATION: T 7:20 – 10:10 PM ONLINE
INSTRUCTOR: Roy Fisher
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course is designed to develop exegetical and theological interpretive skills for students at the graduate level
of study. Students will study the literature of the New Testament with an emphasis on the following elements:
The specific historical contexts of NT texts
The literary dynamics of NT texts
Theological claims that these writings make
The relationship to one another as canonical literature
The relationship with the Old Testament
The contemporary reader as a participant in meaning-making
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Throughout the course students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The basic content of required New Testament readings
The historical circumstances of the communities addressed by New Testament writers
Major New Testament theological themes
Major New Testament literary techniques
Non canonical Jewish and Christian literature
The relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament
The diversity of scholarly interpretations of the New Testament, from the Patristic era to today
The diversity of religious beliefs and practices in first-century C.E. Greco-Roman and Jewish traditions
Skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, academic research, and Theological reflection.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 6th edition. 978-0-19-020382-5
Gorman, Michael. Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers. 978-0-8010-4640-7. Ebook http://linus.lmu.edu/record=b4109204~S2
Powell, Mark Allen. What Is Narrative Criticism. 0-8006-0473-3
Schüssler Fiorenza, Elizabeth. Wisdom Ways: Introducing Feminist Biblical Interpretation. 1-57075-383-0
Ebook http://linus.lmu.edu/record=b4109204~S2
New American Bible or New Revised Standard Version Bible
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Attendance of all class sessions
Participation in class discussions
Completion of shorter assignments on assigned dates
Completion of a final scriptural-critically informed theological reflection
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COURSE TITLE: Medieval Theology
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: 6023
TIMES/DAYS: T 4:30-7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Anna Harrison
CORE AREA:
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course examines select topics in medieval religious thought and practice, from the eleventh through the fourteenth century. Our study is comprised of six units: ways of living and institutional containers; God; Mary and the saints; the afterlife; rituals; gothic art and architecture. We proceed through a close reading of medieval texts, written by women and men, in a variety of genres, including commentaries on scripture, formal theological treatises, prayers, miracle collections, and visionary literature. We will situate our study in the larger context of medieval religious attitudes and devotional practices.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
REQUIRED TEXTS
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COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Systematic Theology COURSE NUMBER: THST 6030.01
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: M 4:30-7:00 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Cecilia González-Andrieu, PhD.
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course introduces the concept of thinking “architecturally” or “constructively” about the very foundations that make up the Christian faith. The course readings interlace key doctrines and thinkers, with contemporary critical approaches and a global perspective. Areas covered include a historical overview of the development, figures and controversies surrounding principal doctrines and familiarity with key theological terms and methods. The course will also encourage the critical working out of the proposals of some of the major Christian doctrines as these are placed in dialogue with the theological perspective of Liberation Theologies.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Familiarity with the constructive character of theological thought as it develops within diverse human
- Development of skills to interlace questions of doctrine with their particular context, expressions, applications and relevance to contemporary ministry, scholarship and
- Practice and growth in critical reading, skillful writing, constructive conversation and
- Application of in-depth engagement with theological thought to a question arising out of the student’s chosen area of specialty, community of ministry, or global
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
This is a graduate course which may be taken at any point during the program
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Systematic Theology: Roman Catholic Perspectives. Francis Schussler Fiorenza and John P. Galvin, editors. 2nd
edition, Fortress Press, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0800662912 (704 pages)
Systematic Theology: Perspectives from Liberation Theology. Jon Sobrino and Ignacio Ellacuria, editors, Orbis Books, 1996. ISBN-13: 978-1570750687 (302 pages)
Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race and Being, M. Shawn Copeland, Fortress Press, 2009. ISBN-13: 978- 0800662745
Articles and other additional materials as assigned.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Engagement with all course readings evidenced in active and informed participation in class discussions and oral presentations. Regular class attendance. Weekly short assignments, two short critical inquiry papers.
Oral presentations and leading of discussions.
Tiered development of a Final Research paper through the process of proposal, annotated bibliography, peer colloquium and critique.
Final Research Paper.
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COURSE TITLE: Liturgical Theology: History and Interpretation COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6040
TIMES/DAYS: M 7:15-9:45pm
INSTRUCTOR: Layla Karst
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
“Good liturgy leads us to the edge of chaos,
and out of that experience will come a theology different from any previous theology.”
-Urban Holmes, “Theology and Religious Renewal,” 1980
This course will engage the dynamic relationship between praying and believing that constitutes the field of liturgical theology. It will introduce students to key texts, themes, and issues in theological reflection on and from Christian liturgical practice. Students will learn to use historical, theological, and practical approaches to explore the rituals, symbols, texts, and performance of the Christian liturgy.
We will also engage the Christian liturgies as theological sources and practices through which the church does theology and consider how our liturgies shape, express, and even critique Christian theology and practice.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Through successfully completing this course, students will (1) gain a foundational theological vocabulary and familiarity in liturgical theology, (2) become acquainted with the theological methods and discourses that take liturgical practice as a source of Christian theology, (3) reflect both theologically and critically on lived liturgical practice, and (4) learn to articulate the dynamic relationship between praying and believing.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
San Gabriel Valley Cohort Only
REQUIRED TEXTS
*Teresa Berger. @Worship: Liturgical Practices in Digital Worlds. London: Routledge, 2018. Leonardo Boff, Sacraments of Life, Life of the Sacraments. Washington, DC: The Pastoral Press, 1987.
Marie-Louis Chauvet, The Sacraments: The Word of God at the Mercy of the Body.
Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2001.
*Maxwell Johnson. Praying and Believing in Early Christianity. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013.
*Aidan Kavanagh, On Liturgical Theology. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1984. Gordon Lathrop, Holy Things. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
*Ricky Manalo, The Liturgy of Life. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.
Additional readings will be available on Brightspace.
*These titles are available electronically via LMU’s Hannon Library.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Careful preparation of the course readings is expected. Writing assignments include short weekly responses, a book review, and three substantive papers which engage themes, methods, and practices in liturgical theology. One visit to a liturgy in which you are not serving as a liturgical minister is also required.
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COURSE TITLE: Practicum and Supervision in Spiritual Direction
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 688-1
TIMES/DAYS: Mondays 7:15-9:45 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Fr. Jim Clarke Ph.D.
CORE AREA:
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
The art of spiritual direction is best fostered through practice and reflection on that practice in a supervisory setting. This course will give students an opportunity to grow in spiritual direction skills, self-awareness, and interior freedom under the guidance of experienced directors.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Students will demonstrate their awareness of the dynamics of a spiritual direction session by writing and reflecting on a verbatim of each direction session.
- Students will demonstrate their ability to notice and articulate their own inner experience as they listen to the stories of others as spiritual directors.
- Students will identify what in their own personality structure and dynamics helps and/or hinders their effective functioning as spiritual directors.
- Students will demonstrate their knowledge of various spiritual disciplines and their understanding of how they can facilitate the spiritual development of others.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
THST 685 The Theory and Practice of Spiritual Direction
THST 687 Psychological Foundations of Spiritual Direction
REQUIRED TEXTS
Au, Wilkie and Cannon, Noreen, The Grateful Heart: Living the Christian Message, Paulist Press, 2011.
Buckley, Suzanne, Sacred is the Call: Formation and Transformation in Spiritual Direction Programs, The CrossRoad Pub. Co., 2005
Clarke, Jim. Soul Centered: Spirituality for People on the Go, Paulist Press, 2015
Conroy, Maureen, Looking Into the Well: Supervision of Spiritual Directors, Loyola Univ. Press. 1995
Reader
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
- Completion of all assigned readings on time and active participation in weekly classes (20% of grade).
- Ongoing spiritual direction sessions with two spiritual directees, spaced in two-week intervals.
- Completion of the “Contemplative Reflection Form” for each spiritual direction session (50% of grade)
- A psychospiritual autobiography that highlights one’s developmental history and its relevance to one’s practice as a spiritual director (10% of grade)
- A final reflection paper to be shared in class (20% of grade)
- No late assignments will be accepted.
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TERM: Spring 2020
COURSE TITLE: Foundations of Theological Ethics
COURSE NUMBER AND SECTION: THST 6060-01
SECTION TIME/DAYS: T 7:15-9:45
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Matthew Petrusek
Course Description:
This graduate-level seminar provides an in-depth examination of the central ideas and methodologies that constitute the field of “theological ethics.” The course will identify and evaluate how foundational thinkers in the history of theological ethics respond to the fundamental theological, ontological, anthropological, epistemological, and ethical questions that ground and motivate theological-ethical inquiry. Within this broad interpretive framework—which will include philosophical as well as religious texts—we will also examine and evaluate specific theological-ethical paradigms (e.g., natural law, virtue, agape/caritas, different forms of “sola scriptura,” imago dei, imitatio Christi, mysticism, liberation, etc.), the constitutive components of moral action (e.g., freedom, responsibility, rationality, desire, will, conscience, experience, vulnerability to individual and social sin, etc.), and relevant socio-economic contexts (e.g., persecution, the formation of the early Church, Protestant and Catholic Reformations, modernity, industrialization, post-modernity, globalization, poverty, war, etc.). The course will also ask students to take stands on normative theoretical questions (e.g., Which theological-ethical alternatives seem most justified and why?) and practical moral problems (e.g., How can theological-ethical inquiry help us address concrete economic, legal, political, biomedical, social, etc. issues?). Seeking to tie these strands together, the course’s overarching goal is to establish a conceptual framework for appreciating and evaluating the methodological and substantive unity-in-diversity and diversity-in-unity that constitutes the discipline of theological ethics.
Student Learning Outcomes:
-Establish a broad and sophisticated understanding of some key themes, ideas, and methodologies in the history of theological ethics.
-Appreciate the “dialectical” or “conversational” character of theological ethics by examining how different viewpoints often respond to each other in the form of preserving insights of competing views while seeking to redress their perceived shortcomings.
-Think critically about how theoretical theological-ethical reflection directly relates to various spheres of concrete action, including individual decision-making, the creation and implementation of social and political norms and laws, the role of the “church” both internally (including pastoral issues) and within a religiously-pluralistic society, etc.
-Examine the conditions for the possibility of moral action and how it relates to the human good.
-Explore the relationship between philosophy and theology in an ethical context.
Prerequisites: Graduate status
Required Texts:
-St. Thomas Aquinas. Introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas, ed. Anton C. Pegis. The Modern Library, 1948.
-Day, Dorothy. Loaves and Fishes: The Story of The Catholic Worker Movement. Orbis Books, 1997.
-Gustavo Gutiérrez. We Drink from Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People. Orbis, 2003.
-Martin Luther. Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, ed. John Dillenberger. Anchor Books, 1962.
-Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches that Changed the World, ed. James M. Washington. HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
-John Howard Yoder. The Royal Priesthood: Essays, Ecclesiological and Ecumenical, ed. Michael G. Cartwright. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994.
-Additional readings will be available through MYLMU Connect, including selections from Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, St. Augustine, John Calvin, the Radical Reformers, Papal Encyclicals, Reinhold
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COURSE TITLE: Theory and Practice of Pastoral Leadership
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6073
TIMES/DAYS: W 7:15-9:45pm
INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Sergio Lopez
CORE AREA:
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Contact Professor
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
REQUIRED TEXTS
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
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COURSE TITLE: Supervised Pastoral Field Education
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6078.1
TIMES/DAYS: M 4:30-7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Michael Horran
CORE AREA:
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Contact Professor
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
REQUIRED TEXTS
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
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Title: Pastoral Synthesis Seminar
Course Number: THST 6091-01
Section Times/Days: Thursdays 4:30-7 pm (irregular meeting pattern), UH 3226
Instructor: Dr. Brett C. Hoover
Description: This course supports pastoral theology students in the development and execution of their final capstone project, the pastoral synthesis project or PSP. Taken in the final year of study, in this course students review pastoral theological methodologies studied in earlier courses and use one of those methodologies 1) to carefully study a contemporary pastoral challenge or dilemma (inside or outside of church ministry), 2) to articulate theological foundations for a response to the challenge or dilemma, and 3) to develop a preliminary proposal for how one might address the challenge or dilemma. The theological analysis forms the largest section of the PSP, intended to demonstrate a comprehensive sense of the student’s theological knowledge bases and skills, including the responsible use of Scripture, systematic/constructive theology, and other theological subdisciplines. Students request a faculty director and work independently with that director to complete the PSP by the end of the semester.
Student learning outcomes:
Students will show that they know the basic contours of:
- Pastoral theology and its methodologies,
- Critical approaches to biblical theology and systematic theology,
- Other theological subdisciplines such as theological ethics or historical theology.
Students will be able to:
- Assess pastoral situations from a critical stance,
- Reflect on ministerial practice in a pluralistic society,
- Engage in biblical exegesis with attention both to historical contexts and contemporary pastoral contexts,
- Reflect critically on the praxis of faith, particularly within the Roman Catholic context,
- Discuss the main contours of either church history or of theological ethics, especially as they relate to ministerial practice,
- Integrate theological vision, critical understanding, and a faith attentive to justice.
Students will value:
- The significance of ecclesial community for pastoral practice,
- An integrated formation of the person for pastoral ministry,
- A pluralistic approach to pastoral ministry.
Pre-requisites: THST 6070 Foundations of Pastoral Theology, THST 6000 or 6010 (New or Old Testament), THST 6030 Introduction to Systematic Theology (may be concurrently enrolled).
Textbooks:
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students & Researchers, 8th ed.
Work expectations:
Expectations for this class include a PSP proposal, the articulation of a pastoral challenge, drafts of each of the four sections.
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COURSE TITLE: Research and Writing Seminar
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6093.1
TIMES/DAYS: W 7:15-9:45
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Matthew Petrusek
CORE AREA:
FLAGGED:
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
Contact Professor
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
REQUIRED TEXTS
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
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COURSE TITLE: THST 6998.03: The Human Person in Christian Theology
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6998.03
TIMES/DAYS: Tuesdays 4:30 – 7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Karen B. Enriquez
The Glory of God is the Human Being Fully Alive – St. Irenaeus
Course Description/Principal Topics
What does it mean to be human? In today’s world, this fundamental question continues to be asked with great urgency. The familiar Christian answer that “we are all created in the image and likeness of God” is constantly challenged by the reality that many today are treated as less than human, as well as developments in science and technology that blur the line between human and animal and make us change the way we think about our humanity given what technology makes possible.
In this course, we will look at the foundational understanding of what it means to be human person through a review of the Christian, with emphasis on the Catholic, tradition from the biblical witness to the historical tradition leading up to the 20th century and the turn to the subject. Then we will turn to an exploration of the questions for theological anthropology in the 21st century, such as the specificities of bodies and sexualities (an intersectional analysis of race, gender, class, (dis)ability in understanding what it means to be human), and the challenge of science and technology in understanding the relationship between human beings, animals and the earth in our quest for the flourishing of humanity and the rest of creation. Some key themes/topics that we will explore include (1) re-thinking the imago Dei (beyond reason and free will); (2) sin and grace and the human person; (3) dialogue with science and technology.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will gain an understanding of theological ideas, historical events, major figures that shaped the understanding of Christian theological anthropology.
- Students will be able to analyze the impact of developments from the sciences on contemporary Christian theological anthropological issues.
- Students will learn to use the technical vocabulary and sense of development of doctrinal positions to address contemporary issues of social, cultural, political and personal concerns.
- Students will learn to communicate, both orally and in writing, with greater clarity.
- Students will cultivate a sense of the richness and diversity of the Christian Tradition through an examination of the development of doctrines and practices in its engagement with the world.
Required Texts
- Patout Burns, ed., Theological Anthropology (Sources of Early Christian Thought). ISBN-13: ISBN-13: 978-0800614126
- Susan A. Ross, Anthropology (Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives). ISBN-13: 978-0-8146-5994-6
- Other readings will be posted on Brightspace.
Prerequisites/recommended background: Graduate status
Course Work/Expectations
- Class participation and 1-2 page weekly papers
- Oral presentations and leading class discussions
- Final 20-25 page research paper
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SPRING 2020
FOUNDATIONS OF THEOLOGICAL ETHICS: A COMPARATIVE RELIGIOUS ANALYSIS
BIOE 6600 01/THST 6998 01
UH 4511
M 7:15 – 9:45pm
DR. NICHOLAS R. BROWN
nbrown15@lmu.edu
tel: 310-338-1663
UH 4519
Office Hours: M: 7-7:30am, 10:20am-7pm; W/F: 7-7:30am, 10:20am – 1pm
THE COURSE
In a 2012 article entitled “In Defense of Irreligious Bioethics” published in The American Journal of Bioethics Timothy Murphy writes, “The task of bioethics can be understood, in a sense, as enlarging the prospect for society’s informed consent about its choices, by showing what various religious experiences, creeds and commitments mean in relation to other options. To enjoy the benefits that flow from adversarial engagement, the most valuable approach to religion is to repudiate in all its manifestations the idea that there is a transcendent reality to which the immanent world is beholden.” (8) Murphy’s negative appraisal of religion gives voice to a common if not a prevailing question within the field of bioethics, namely to what extent (if at all) is its project philosophically, conceptually and normatively compatible with the study and practice of religion? The purpose of this course is to engage this question further and sketch out some preliminary answers. Toward that end, it is structured as follows: In the first part of the course, we will take up a meta-ethical analysis of different approaches to religious ethical inquiry and identify what unique metaphysical and normative contributions they offer. As part of this analysis, we will also explore the different historical and intellectual forces that have suppressed religious perspectives within the evolution bioethics and relegated it to the periphery. Next, we will examine, compare, and contrast how bioethics is framed within the context of three different formative religious traditions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Lastly, we will survey how each of these traditions evaluates significant bioethical questions surrounding issues at the beginning of life, end of life, organ transplantation and genetic medicine.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course students should master the following competencies, as should be demonstrated in the in class article and précises presentations, class participation and discussion, and in the research paper:
- Systematic analysis of the nature of bioethics in Judaism, Christianity or Islam, (b) applied analysis, and (c) comparative analysis.
- The ability to critically reflect upon the nature of bioethics in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam and question representations of these religions in bioethical discussions in general and in bioethical literature in particular.
- The capability to succinctly and convincingly formulate arguments about applied bioethics in Judaism, Christianity or Islam.
- The capacity to critically compare and explain bioethical attitudes in different religions.
PREREQUISITES
Undergraduate degree
REQUIRED TEXTS
All assigned course texts are accessible via the course Brightspace page.
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SPRING 2020
COURSE TITLE: BIOETHICS AT THE BEGINNING OF LIFE
COURSE NUMBER: BIOE 6100 – THST 6800
SECTION TIME/DAYS: T 7:15 – 9:45 – UH 4511 (BIOETHICS CONFERENCE ROOM)
INSTRUCTOR: DR. ROBERTO DELL’ORO
OFFICE HOURS: TR 4-6
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The question of the beginning is central to our understanding of the human condition. To be born is to be given to be by a source we do not control, released into life by life itself, a miracle that escapes self-determination and control, while calling, at the same time, for responsibility and care. How do we articulate the difficult balance between reverence for life and stewardship for the conditions that make it more livable, indeed, more human? The course examines bioethical questions that concern the beginnings of life. Topics include the ethics of abortion and maternal fetal conflicts; ethical problems emerging in the field of assisted reproductive medicine -- from in vitro fertilization, to surrogate motherhood, gamete storage techniques, and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; stem cell research and cloning, together with more recent applications in the field of regenerative medicine; the ethical challenges posed by genetics, including gene therapy, gene editing, and human enhancement.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Engage in the critical analysis of bioethical questions at the beginning of life and articulate their theoretical and practical dimensions.
Appreciate the importance of dialogue between medicine/science, philosophy, and law on beginning of life issues.
Become familiar with the clinical context of medicine, and recognize the ethical challenges facing health care professionals and their patients today.
PREREQUISITES
Undergraduate degree. The course is for graduate students in bioethics. Graduate students from other programs can be admitted with permission of the instructor. The later might also grant exceptional permission to interested upper division undergraduates.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Alfonso Gomez-Lobo (with John Keown), Bioethics and the Human Goods: An Introduction to Natural Law Bioethics (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2015)
Ronald Dworkin, Life’s Dominion: An Argument about Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom (New York: Vintage Books, 1994)
Cathleen Kaveny, Law’s Virtues: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American Society (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2012)
Albert R. Jonsen, The Birth of Bioethics (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998)
Jessica Pierce and George Randels, Contemporary Bioethics: A Reader with Cases (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010)
Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress, Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 7th edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013)
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
This graduate course is a combination of lectures and student participation. Students are invited to come to class having done all the readings assigned for the day. There will be no exams in this class, only essays to be submitted on time. Additional assignments include a précis preparation with the professor, aiming at a major research paper, an in-class presentation of the precis, and a research paper at the end of the class.