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SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: History of Christian Spirituality
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6022
TIMES/DAYS: Th 4:30-7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Austin Foley Holmes
CORE/ELECTIVE: Elective
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
A study of major figures and texts in Christian spirituality (ca. 100—1300 CE). In Christian thought, the term “spirituality” is now used to denote those ideas, doctrines, practices, and habits which pertain to the human person’s perception of and relation to the divine—meaning, ultimately, the God who is Trinity (but as we will see, there are many names for this “One who is beyond all names”). We will consider a variety of Christian spiritual cultures, such as urban Asceticism and desert Monasticism, and literary genres, such as spiritual biography, mystical itinerary, hymnography and biblical commentary. In every case we shall locate particular figures or communities within their historical contexts, noting also their reception and reconfiguration of earlier traditions. Whereas some narratives of Christian spirituality minimize its history of conflict and controversy, this course will underscore such moments of rupture (e.g., the rise and fall of the second-century “new prophecy” movement, the persecution of “Origenist” spirituality in Egyptian monasteries, and so forth). We will also find that, for these premodern figures, there was no antagonism between the “academic” or intellectual and the “practical” dimensions of Christian spirituality. There were sharp disagreements, however, about the extent to which Christian spirituality could absorb elements of other religious or philosophical traditions, for example, the Stoic ideal of apatheia or the Neoplatonic doctrine of the soul’s “divinization.” Topics to be addressed and articulated throughout the semester include: Prayer; the naming of God; kataphasis and apophasis; Asceticism; renunciation; Monasticism; the Spiritual Senses; Scripture; reading practices; visions; solitude vs. community; spiritual environments; the God-world relation; nonduality; spiritual exemplars; mimesis; purgation; illumination; mystical union; contemplation (theōria) and action (praxis).
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this course, students will: (1) Learn to recognize how developments in theological discourse (e.g. Christology) informed spiritual practices and, conversely, how spiritual practices could provoke development within theological discourse; (2) Develop skills for reading spiritual texts as sites of struggle and transformation which aimed, most basically, to imagine the self before God; (3) Trace conflicts and ruptures within the Christian tradition—not as peripheral disturbances, but as events that opened up unexpected routes for theological reflection and spiritual renewal, shaping and re-shaping the institutions of Christian culture; (4) Narrate the development of multiple trajectories in the history of Christian spirituality.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
No personal commitment to Christian spirituality is required or expected for the course, but students are welcome to engage with the primary source material in affective or contemplative modes in addition to the more analytic modes of historical-theological inquiry (familiar to those who have completed THST 6020 “Foundations of Historical Theology”).
REQUIRED TEXTS
Origen of Alexandria, Exhortation to Martyrdom and On Prayer.
Athanasius of Alexandria, Life of Antony.
Gregory of Nyssa, Life of Moses.
Bernard McGinn (ed.), Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism.COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
We will meet in person (7 times) and online (7 times). Weekly assignments include SLOW, close reading of primary sources with occasional primary source analysis / commentary papers. There will also be a final paper.
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SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Systematic Theology
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6030
TIMES/DAYS: M 7:20 – 9:50pm
INSTRUCTOR: Tracy Tiemeier
CORE/ELECTIVE: Core
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course explores major themes in Christian systematic 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
Students will:
1) Know the major methods and themes of systematic theology.
2) Be able to write and speak theologically on systematic themes.PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS (available electronically for free through the LMU library)
Schüssler Fiorenza, Francis, and John P. Galvin, eds. Systematic Theology: Roman
Catholic Perspectives. 2nd ed. Fortress Press, 2011.McGrath, Alister E., ed. The Christian Theology Reader. 25th anniversary 5th edition. Wiley Blackwell, 2017.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
1. Seminar Discussion (20%)
2. Midterm Exam (20%)
3. Final Exam (20%)
4. Class Presentation (20%)
5. Systematic Theology Paper (20%) -
SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Practicum and Supervision in Spiritual Direction
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6054
TIMES/DAYS: W 4:30 – 7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Fr. Thomas Carroll
CORE/ELECTIVE: Elective
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 spiritual directors.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
THST 6051
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SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Foundations in Pastoral Theology
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6070
TIMES/DAYS: T 7:20 – 9:50pm
INSTRUCTOR: Jennifer Owens-Jofré
CORE/ELECTIVE: Core (Pastoral Theology)
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course provides an overview of pastoral/practical theology in both academic and ecclesial spaces, introducing students to mainline Protestant and Catholic approaches to discourse in pastoral/practical theology. With special attention to Catholic pastoral/practical theology, students consider the relationship of pastoral/practical theology to other branches of theology, the practices and contexts that inform and affect ministry, how clergy and lay ecclesial ministers can collaborate in service of the People of God in the contemporary context of the United States, and matters of professional ministerial ethics.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students who have completed the course will be able to:
(1) identify and evaluate the issues at play in defining pastoral theology and practical theology among mainline Protestant and Catholic thinkers and practitioners;
(2) locate pastoral/practical theology alongside other branches of Catholic theology;
(3) examine contemporary issues related to the practice of ministry, especially as they relate to the diverse cultural contexts represented in the Catholic landscape of the United States;
(4) articulate a theology of ministry that engages with the sources of their respective traditions and considers their vocational calls within them.PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
Richard Gula, Just Ministry: Professional Ethics for Pastoral Ministers. New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2010.
Bonnie Miller-McLemore, Christian Theology in Practice: Discovering a Discipline. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 2012.
Claire E. Wolfteich, ed., Invitation to Practical Theology: Catholic Voices and Visions. New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014.
Additional materials posted on Brightspace.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Regular attendance and participation are expected. Course work includes weekly reading response papers, a case study, a series of three short papers that equip students to develop their own theology of ministry, as well as a series of three short papers that enable students to address a particular pastoral reality with a theological approach.
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SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Spiritual Formation for Pastoral Ministry
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6074
TIMES/DAYS: T 4:30 – 7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Douglas E. Christie
CORE/ELECTIVE: Core (Pastoral Theology)
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
In this course, we will consider what it means, in the context of Christian spiritual formation, to follow a path or embark upon an itinerary and how one’s commitment to this work can inform and deepen the work of pastoral ministry. The invitation to walk a path often points to a practice of simply putting one foot in front of the other: pilgrimage, the journey to a destination of great importance. But ‘walking a path’ can also refer to a way of life, a spiritual practice, and a way of understanding what it means to live deeply in relation to God, others and the world. We will consider how these ideas can help in the cultivation of a spiritually informed approach to pastoral ministry.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
+Students will gain an understanding of the historical development of Christian spiritual formation, including some of the key ways of conceiving of the idea of a “spiritual itinerary.”
+Students will gain an understanding of the varied prayer practices that have been central to the Christian spiritual tradition and how such practices inform interpersonal and social engagement and the work of pastoral ministry.
+Students will gain an understanding of how the practice of discernment can inform both personal and pastoral dimensions of decision making.
+Students will gain an understanding of the complex social reality underlying Christian spiritual formation, especially as it relates to matters of race, ethnicity and gender.PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS
Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land (Oxford).
Augustine, The Confessions (Modern Library).
Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love (Oxford).
Teresa of Avila, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 2 (ICS Publications).
Gustavo Gutierrez, We Drink From Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People (Orbis).
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Regular class participation
Discussion Posts on the Main Readings for the Course
A Personal Essay
A Mid-Term Essay
A Final Term Paper -
SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Pastoral Synthesis Seminar
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6091
TIMES/DAYS: W 7:20 – 9:50pm
INSTRUCTOR: Brett Hoover
CORE/ELECTIVE: Capstone (Pastoral Theology)
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
In this course in the final year of study, pastoral theology students develop and execute their final capstone projects, each designed so that students can reflect on what they have learned and accomplished across the MA in Pastoral Theology. Additionally, students use their acquired skills, expertise, and knowledge bases to address a pastoral challenge from their own ministerial context according to a pastoral theological methodology studied in earlier courses There are three capstone projects:
1. An Assessment Portfolio, a required but ungraded assignment in which students draw upon previous academic work to show how they have met program learning outcomes for the MA in Pastoral Theology, especially those pertaining to traditional theological (rather
than pastorally oriented) study.2. A Theology of Ministry Paper (TMP), which allows the student to present their own theology of ministry as informed by critical reflection on both ministry experience and theological theory about pastoral ministry. It is neither a research paper nor a reflection paper but a synthesis of both.
3. A Pastoral Synthesis Project (PSP) is a project in which students investigate a pastoral challenge from their own context in considerable depth, making use of pastoral/practical theology methodology and integrating pastoral inquiry with theological study and pastoral planning. Students request a faculty reader and work independently with the instructor and that reader, in order to complete the PSP by the end of the semester.
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SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Research and Writing Seminar
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6093
TIMES/DAYS: W 7:20 – 9:50pm
INSTRUCTOR: Nancy Pineda-Madrid
CORE/ELECTIVE: Core (Theology)
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This is the required research and writing seminar for MA in Theology students. It is the second course of a two course year-long sequence. The first course is the Comprehensive Exam Seminar.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, a successfully engaged student will . . .
(1) have acquired the skills needed to conceptualize and complete a larger research project
(2) be able to evaluate sources for quality and to employ sources both appreciatively and critically
(3) have learned how to use multiple drafts to write a larger research project
(4) have demonstrated clear, scholarly, and reflective writingPREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
THST 6092: Comprehensive Exam Seminar
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students & Researchers, 9th ed. (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2018) ISBN # 978-0-226-43057-7
[Highly Recommended]
- Lucretia B. Yaghjian, Writing Theology Well: A Rhetoric for Theological and Biblical Writers, 2nd ed. (New York: T&T Clark, 2015) ISBN # 978-0567499172
- Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2018) ISBN # 978-0-393-63167-8COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Active Participation in Check-in Writing Group (15%)
First Draft: 20 Pages/First Half (15%)
First Complete Draft (20%)
Second Complete Draft (0%)
Oral Project Presentation (15%)
Final Draft (35%) -
SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: History and Theology of the Eucharist
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6998-01
TIMES/DAYS: M 4:30 – 7:00pm
INSTRUCTOR: Layla Karst
CORE/ELECTIVE: Elective
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
This course will critically engage the historical, theological, and ethical dimensions of the
Eucharist from an Ecumenical perspective, with a particular emphasis on the Roman Catholic tradition. We will explore the development of the Christian Eucharist from the first century up to the present day, tracing the evolution of liturgical practice and the theological developments of real presence and eucharistic sacrifice. The course will conclude with a consideration of contemporary challenges in Eucharistic theology and practice.STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to...
1. situate contemporary developments in eucharistic theology and liturgical practice in light of their historical trajectories;
2. appreciate the theological and ritual diversity of eucharistic practice within the Christian
tradition;
3. critically examine and reflect on a theological issue or pastoral problem of their choice within the context of eucharistic theology and praxis.PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None
REQUIRED TEXTS (Subject to Change)
Bradshaw, Paul F and Maxwell E Johnson. The Eucharistic Liturgies: Their Evolution and
Interpretation. Liturgical Press, 2012.Francis, Mark R. Local Worship, Global Church: Popular Religion and the Liturgy. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2014.
Additional readings will be posted on Brightspace.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS
Students may opt to pursue one of two tracks in this course: In the mastery track, students to demonstrate mastery of the course material by developing two short papers (1500 words) over the course of the semester and a final presentation in which they apply their learning to a pastoral problem or challenge of their choice. In the research track, students deepen their engagement with the course material by developing an original research project in consultation with the professor. Students will submit a bibliography, outline, and final paper (3000 words), and make a short presentation on their research. Students on both tracks will be expected to submit weekly writing assignments.
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SEMESTER: Spring 2026
COURSE TITLE: Ecumenism: The Quest for Christian Unity
COURSE NUMBER/SECTION: THST 6998-02
TIMES/DAYS: Th 7:20 – 9:50pm
INSTRUCTOR: Cyril Hovorun
CORE/ELECTIVE: Elective
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS
The quest for Christian unity is as old as Christian disunity, which has challenged Christian communities since Apostolic times. We will begin our course by studying ecumenism before it was called that, during the first Christian millennium. Then, we will examine its decline during the Middle Ages and the era of confessionalism, followed by its resurrection in the twentieth century, often seen as ecumenical par excellence. We will
explore both the remarkable achievements and the challenges faced by the modern ecumenical movement, including the stagnation of its institutions, what is called ecumenical fatigue, and anti-ecumenism. We will conclude by reflecting on what ecumenism can become in the twenty-first century, including receptive ecumenism.STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Group 1: Remembering, understanding, and applying:
- sketching the timeline of major disruptions of Christian unity and explaining their
causes; - describing the milestones of the ecumenical movement;
Group 2: Analyzing and evaluating:
- assessing internal and external obstacles in the ecumenical movement;
Group 3: Creating:
- suggesting measures to overcome these obstacles;
- designing new models of ecumenism.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
Major or Minor in Theology is recommended
REQUIRED TEXTS
Kalaitzidēs, Pantelēs, Thomas Fitzgerald, Cyril Hovorun, Aikaterini Pekridou, Nikolaos Asproulis, D. Werner, and G. Liagre. Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism: Resources for Theological Education, Oxford: Regnum, 2013
- sketching the timeline of major disruptions of Christian unity and explaining their