2018-2019 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Theology

  
  • TH 100 - Christianity in the Czech Republic

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students explore aspects of Christianity while studying in Prague, Czech Republic. Does not fulfill theology core requirement.

     

  
  • TH 201 - Introduction to Theology

    (3.00 cr.)

    An introduction to the Jewish and Christian scriptures, the history of Christianity, and the way these texts and traditions challenge, and are challenged by, the contemporary world.
  
  • TH 202 - Theology and Catholic Autobiography

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Why have Catholics produced an astonishing number of autobiographies? Is it because of Augustine, often credited with creating the genre? Or is it because of the place of spiritual journey in Catholic tradition? Or is it because of a relationship between public conversation and private confession? To answer these questions, students explore the meaning of conversion, calling, and commitment, as well as the value and limits of autobiography as a method of theological reflection. IC
  
  • TH 203 - Catholic Church: Life and Thought

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A survey of the seminal events of the two-thousand-year history of the Catholic Church. Because the Church's history is so vast and complex, and its membership so various, key events are presented through the prism of the lives and thought of major figures. Generally, the persons selected are canonized saints or those proposed for canonization; whether pope or lay woman, each is acknowledged to have lived a Christ-like life, sometimes under the most trying circumstances. Without exception, the persons studied are integral to universal Catholicism and can accurately be called re-formers of the Church. Profoundly involved with the ideas, issues, movements, and crises of their time, they exerted an extraordinary influence on contemporaries, becoming in the process exemplars for future generations of Catholics. In this way, they shaped the course of Church history. Students assess carefully why the weight of their accomplishments is felt even to this day. IC
  
  • TH 206 - Liturgical Art and Architecture

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An exploration of theology expressed in Christian liturgical art, architecture, and worship space. Using an historical approach, the diverse forms, contexts, and world views that have shaped ritual, visual objects, and worship space from the early church to the present are investigated, each with the purpose of understanding the underlying theology of the worshipping community's understanding of the sacred, their relationship to God, and their relationship to each other. II/IM
  
  • TH 211 - Women in the Christian Tradition

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines the contributions of women to the Christian tradition, as wells as questions addressed by their presence through the use of primary texts and monographs. Writings include Augustine's letters to women and such topics as the role of widows in the early church and medieval reformers and abbesses. The modern era includes women evangelicals, questions raised by some contemporary feminists, and women and religion in America. Same course as CL 226 . IC/IG
  
  • TH 214 - Friends and Foes: Jews and Christians through the Ages

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The almost two-thousand-year relationship between Christianity and Judaism has often been characterized, at best, by fear and mistrust, and at worst, by violence and antagonism. Studies the relationship between Church and Synagogue from its beginnings in the first century to the current day. IC
  
  • TH 216 - Ignatius and the Jesuits: History and Spirituality

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A theological and historical investigation of the Society of Jesus, arguably the most influential order in the history of the Catholic Church. From the religious conversion of Saint Ignatius Loyola in Renaissance Spain to the state of the Jesuit order in contemporary America, this course endeavors to clarify and interpret the intellectual, spiritual, and pedagogical vision of Ignatius and his followers. The survey includes an examination of the Spiritual Exercises; a study of the evolution of the Society's structure and mission from the first Jesuits to the present; analyses of diverse Jesuit writings over the centuries; a survey of the dazzling triumphs and nefarious intrigues imputed to the Society, and an overview of sundry 'jesuitical' observations on issues facing Catholics at the end of the twentieth century. IC
  
  • TH 217 - The Reformations

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A theological and historical introduction to the history and ideas of the period of Reformation. This course covers the end of the fifteenth to the middle of the seventeenth century. Students consider key cultural and social changes, from the printing press to revolutions; leading thinkers, from Martin Luther to Ignatius of Loyola; important historical moments, from the Farmers Revolt to the Council of Trent; and the theology, both Protestant and Catholic, undergirding these events. This class utilizes primary texts weekly, supported by historical readings.
  
  • TH 218 - Sacred Journeys: The History and Theology of Christian Pilgrimage

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . From the Church's earliest days, pilgrims have taken lengthy, sometimes dangerous journeys to visit holy places-to walk where Jesus walked and to see where saints lived and died. The development of Christian pilgrimage, from its beginnings to the present day, is studied with emphasis on the theological concepts behind pilgrimage practices. Visits to local pilgrimage sites are included. IC
  
  • TH 220 - The Catholic Church in the United States

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . From the Colonial Era to the present. Examines the relationship between the Catholic Church and American culture. Special attention devoted to Catholic attitudes toward independence and the Revolutionary War; the trusteeship controversy; nativism; post-Civil War movements; American imperialism and neutrality prior to United States entrance into World War I; positions on foreign affairs, e.g., the Spanish Civil War, Fascism, and World War II; domestic background of the Second Vatican Council and ecumenism. IC/IU
  
  • TH 222 - The Kingdom of God

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The image of the Kingdom of God provided the focal point for the message and ministry of Jesus. It has also proved to be a decisive image for Christian theology, particularly in discussions about how the church should relate to secular powers. Begins by studying Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God as it is related in the gospels. It then looks at such figures as Augustine, Luther, and contemporary liberation theologians in order to see how this image of God's kingdom has and continues to inform Christian thought and practice.
  
  • TH 224 - The Gospels and the Earliest Churches

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores what we can discover about Jesus and the earliest Christian communities from the texts of the Gospels and other early Christian literature. Constantly examines how such knowledge is relevant to Christian life today. Same course as CL 224  IC
  
  • TH 225 - Biographical Tales of the Bible

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores stories of various individuals from the Old and New Testaments (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Ruth, Esther, Jesus, etc.); analyses structure, rhetorical features, and theological perspectives of the narratives; and inquires how the portrayal of these characters illuminate the shape of God's initiative in human history and the varieties of response. Same course as CL 225 . IC
  
  • TH 229 - Images of God in Scripture

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines the various images/titles given to God in the Old and New Testaments from an historical theological perspective. Some images/titles discussed are God the Father, God the Mother, the Divine Warrior, the Good Shepherd, the Storm God, Christ the King, the Lamb of God and God the Judge. Since our understanding of God is largely shaped by the image we have of Him, this course explores the influences these images/titles have had and continue to have on our approach to worship, on our concept of Church, and on our self understanding in relation to God. Same course as CL 229 .
  
  • TH 232 - Food, Hunger, and the Bible

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Investigates issues related to food and hunger in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament texts, the ways in which these biblical concepts inform a Christian theology and spirituality of food, and how these biblical concepts relate to modern ethical and social justice issues including: poverty, hunger, and food access; food production; ethical labor practices in agricultural and food industries; sustainability; ethical treatment of animals; community and hospitality, etc. Students investigate biblical principles and apply them to current issues—both local and global. IPJ
  
  • TH 242 - A History and Theology of Saints

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Addresses Christian sanctity as a topic that not only opens a view to central aspects of Catholic faith but also to Western history more generally. Content focuses on the medieval period (500-1500) when the cult of saints held a central position not only in religion but also in social, cultural, and even political life. Students also study the biblical and early Christian influence on the understanding of sanctity as well as the role of the saints in modern Western culture. IC
  
  • TH 243 - Heaven and Hell

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Are heaven and hell real or merely symbolic? What is the ultimate fulfillment of heaven, and how is it related to fulfillment here and now? What is the eternal loss and misery of hell, and how is it compatible with God's infinite mercy? Analyzes human destiny in light of our own task of character formation. Special attention paid to creation and original sin, the offer of salvation, the interplay of grace and freedom. Also treats Church teaching on purgatory, as well as theological speculations about "limbo." IC
  
  • TH 244 - Forgiveness and Reconciliation

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Forgiveness and reconciliation are central to a Christian understanding of God and to Christian life. Several different dimensions of forgiveness and reconciliation are explored, including how forgiveness of sin is related to Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection; and what forgiveness and reconciliation entail in liturgical and communal contexts. Some moral and political issues are also considered; e.g., the relationships between forgiveness and accountability and forgiveness and memory. Readings are drawn from both theological and nontheological sources. IC
  
  • TH 245 - Eucharist (The Mass) in Ordinary Time

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Studies the history of the Eucharist in Jesus and his Judaism, the logic of traditional controversies over the Eucharist (for example, arguments over "real presence"), and the way the Eucharist challenges (and is challenged by) modern men and women. Most importantly, it studies how the Eucharist can be a way of thinking about God's world through thinking about the ordinary times of our own lives. IC
  
  • TH 246 - Who is Jesus?

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores the identity of Jesus Christ, as expressed in Scripture, the doctrine and tradition of the Church, as well as in art and literature. Emphasizes the historical context of Jesus' life, the variety of ways in which the significance of that life has been articulated over the centuries, and the ways in which one might discern faithful from unfaithful articulations. Same course as CL 246 . IC
  
  • TH 247 - The Presence of God: Christian Mysticism, East and West

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An introduction to the Christian mystical tradition, from its roots in the first century to the present. The course examines biblical texts that have been significant sources of Christian mysticism, as well as the writings of important figures in the mystical tradition. IC
  
  • TH 249 - Christian Sacraments

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines various understandings of the nature of the Church and the sacraments, focusing particularly on the interrelationship between the two. Specific issues include the place of Israel and the Christian community in the teachings of Jesus and the early Church, the historical development of the practice and theology of the sacraments, the past and present controversies over the nature of both Church and sacraments. Special attention paid to the Roman Catholic tradition, but Protestant and Eastern Orthodox perspectives are also included. IC
  
  • TH 261 - Introduction to Judaism

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Evolution of Jewish belief and practice from Abraham to modern times; the historical relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
  
  • TH 262 - African American Religious Thought

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Americans of African descent have accumulated a variety of religious experiences and thought since the 1600s. This course places those experiences and thoughts in historical context and seeks to uncover their impact on and importance for theology, politics, society, literature, and the arts. Selected readings in Cone, Raboteau, Hurston, Thurman, and others. IAF/IU
  
  • TH 263 - The Catholic Church in the Czech Republic

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Students explore the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic through an understanding of the history of the Czech Republic in relation to religion. Of particular interest is the period under communism and the role of the underground church. The course ends by focusing on Catholicism in the contemporary Czech Republic. Taught as part of the Loyola summer program in Prague, Czech Republic. (Summer only)
  
  • TH 264 - Theology and Children's Literature

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores such tropes as the good life (and death), family, power, God, etc. The extent to which theological reflection and children's literature can mutually illuminate one another is also explored. Readings include works of fiction and theological sources. IC
  
  • TH 265 - World Christianity

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Christianity is a global phenomenon. There are far more Christians living outside of the United States than inside of it. Diverse forms of Christianity from around the world are presented. In addition, the impact of the immigration of Christians from other countries on U.S. churches is explored. IC/IL
  
  • TH 266 - Christian Theology and World Religions

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines both contemporary and historical theological issues concerning the relationships between Christianity and other religious traditions. This course generally includes a focus on at least one other religious tradition. IA/IC
  
  • TH 267 - The Holocaust and Jewish Law

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines the Holocaust in the context of the continued observance of Jewish law in the face of genocidal persecution. The course introduces students to the development, structure, and function of Jewish law, as well as looks at specific debates among Jews on how their law should be lived out during one of the darkest chapters in human history.
  
  • TH 268 - Either/Or: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Faith and Humanism Through Existential Literature

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Introduces students to the interrelated themes of faith and humanism in "existentialist" fiction and poetry, including authors such as Dostoevsky, Rilke, Hesse, Kierkegaard, and Tolstoy, by drawing on theological and philosophical traditions, texts, and resources. Students engage such questions as: How can and does one live the "authentic" and "good" life in the modern era? How does one resolve the apparent contradictions of a life grounded in faith in God that nonetheless participates in injustice? Can a dialogue between the disciplines of Philosophy and Theology provide resources for addressing these problems? Same course as PL 268 . LEC
  
  • TH 269 - Theology and Literature

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A study of major themes in Christian theology which juxtaposes works of modern fiction and poetry with theological writing. IC
  
  • TH 270 - Creation and Evolution

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Prepares students to appreciate what both the Judeo-Christian religion and the sciences say about the world in which we live. Includes an historical review of both the religion and scientific sides so students can situate contemporary views of nature and God. IC/IES
  
  • TH 272 - The Christian Imagination

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Is there a distinctively Christian imagination? What is the relation between faith and human creativity? Do, or should, Christians have a particular way of understanding artistic and literary expression? Students examine a broad range of commentary concerning "the Christian mind," including biblical and historical writings, novels, poetry, drama, psychology, mystical literature, and film.
  
  • TH 273 - Urban Health and Faith

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines the impact of religious traditions and faith communities on the understanding and management of urban health issues such as infectious diseases, health disparities, food access, addictions, and public safety.
  
  • TH 274 - Religion, Poverty, and American Health Care

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores the role of religions in American health care in the past and in the twenty-first century. This course focuses on social and communal foundations of health care through examination of social identity and its impact on delivery of care in a multicultural, cross-religious setting. Particular attention is paid to the changing roles of Catholic hospitals and non-profits in the context of limited resources and poverty. Students learn of innovative partnerships between religious groups and medical agencies in a way to provide culturally sensitive, sustainable health care in the rapidly changing twenty-first-century America. IU
  
  • TH 301 - Ethics: Theology and Ethics of Hospitality

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines theological sources and foundations for hospitality. Practices of hospitality such as monastic life, pilgrimages, and hospitals are contrasted with vices of inhospitality such as wrath, gluttony, and bribery. The class considers topics like individualism, friendship, and vulnerability that are applicable to issues like ethnocentricism, health care, and urban planning. IC
  
  • TH 303 - Ethics: Ancient, Modern, and Christian Approaches to Ethics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Studies the ways in which Christians of the first six centuries answered the question: How should one live? Pays particular attention to the themes which emerge in their answers to this question; e.g., the imitation of Christ, holiness, and the virtues. While some New Testament texts are included in the reading, the primary focus is on the writings of the Church Fathers. The last section of the course studies the writings of twentieth-century ethicists and some contemporary literature to see how these themes of holiness and virtue are developed in recent ethical reflection and discussion. IC
  
  • TH 304 - Ethics: Introduction to Christian Ethics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Introduces students to the Christian understanding of the moral life through a critical examination of some of the classical texts concerned with this issue. IC
  
  • TH 305 - Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An inquiry into the process of deliberate and voluntary moral decision, into the ways in which persons assume and assess responsibility for such decisions, and into the formation of conscience and character. Practical applications are made to questions of peace and violence, resources and poverty, marriage and sexuality, education, medicine and politics. Endeavors, through discussion, to share values, insights, and experience with a view to growth in freedom and responsibility.
  
  • TH 307 - Ethics: Marriage and Sexuality

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A Catholic theology of human sexuality and the marriage covenant including an analysis of such specific issues as pre- and extramarital sex, homosexuality, marital exclusivity and indissolubility, contraception, abortion, and responsible parenthood. IC
  
  • TH 308 - Ethics: Justice and the Church in the World

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . What does faith have to do with politics, economics and ethics in general? Can we say or do anything that will move forward the debates about abortion and sexuality, friendship and the shape of the political commonweal? In terms of theory, the course looks to Christian Scripture, philosophers and theologians to study what has come to be known as 'Catholic social teaching'. This theory is then applied to contemporary ethical questions. IC/IPJ
  
  • TH 310 - Ethics: Peace Ethics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Concentrates on the theological roots of religious efforts to contribute to peace between and within individuals, nations, and religions. The course surveys the three most important models for thinking about conflict (holy war, just war, and pacifism) in the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It also analyzes the contribution of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century, along with other contemporary peace initiatives and their theological backgrounds. IC/IPJ
  
  • TH 311 - Ethics: Spirituality and Social Ethics-Biblical and Theological Perspectives

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores ethical issues on both a theoretical and practical level. It begins with biblical and theological bases for thinking about human rights and human responsibilities toward God and neighbor. Contemporary, practical issues explored include how we acquire and distribute our wealth as individuals and as a society, as well as issues of diversity, privilege, poverty, racism, and the environment. Readings in black, liberation, and feminist/womanist theologies as well as Catholic social teaching comprise a significant portion of the study. IC
  
  • TH 312 - Christian Environmental Ethics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . How are human beings to value non-human creation? Possible answers are considered to this question by drawing on both Christian theological/ethical sources and contemporary environmental science. The focus is especially on: 1) how to construct an environmental ethic in light of the constant flux of nature; 2) the relationship between ecological justice and social justice; and 3) the relationship between the global economy and the biosphere. IES
  
  • TH 315 - Ethics: Catholic Social Thought in the United States

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . American Catholic social thought is a collection of diverse notions and proposals for making American society conform to principles of social justice, elucidated by scripture, tradition, and religious, social and economic experience. Attempts an historical understanding of trends and patterns in the Catholic encounter with social and economic developments in the United States such as emancipation, cosmopolitan conformism, immigration, temperance, industrialization, the labor movement, the New Deal, civil rights, the 'Social Gospel', women's rights, nuclear war, critiques of liberal capitalism.
  
  • TH 316 - Ethics: Catholic Spiritual Life in the United States

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Spirituality is understood in its functional connotation, as referring to the world of the American Catholic Church in its social, ethnographic, geographical, and even political and economic dimensions and ramifications as they related to formal ecclesiastical life, sacramental practice, ritual activity, contemporary theologies, popular piety-common and persistent beliefs and practices, the line where religion shadows off into superstitions, attitudes toward death, conceptions of hell and visions of the afterlife, parish life, and regional contrasts among different parts of America. Accents what it was like to be an ordinary Catholic in diverse places at various points in American history. IC/IU
  
  • TH 319 - Ethics: The Church and the Human Body

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An exploration of Catholicism's approaches to the human body from the earliest days of the Christian community to contemporary America. Identifies and evaluates the extensive theological and philosophical tradition that Catholicism has brought to matters such as birth control, abortion, celibacy, marriage, chastity, heterosexuality and homosexuality, and self-mortification. Also considers positions within the Church that challenge(d) official Catholic teaching. IC
  
  • TH 321 - Studies in the Protestant Reformation

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The aim of this course is to understand some of the developments, movements, and ideas in early modern Europe that fostered Protestant history, theology, and ethics. Primary figures include Luther, Erasmus, Calvin, and Zwingli along with radical, English, and Catholic reformers.
  
  • TH 322 - Christianity and Its Critics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Beginning with the earliest followers of Jesus, Christianity has responded to criticism from those outside the faith and from dissenters within. This course investigates historical, theological, political, sociocultural, and philosophical problems related to Christianity and asks students to evaluate ancient and modern critiques of Christianity and judge the adequacy of Christianity's response. IC
  
  • TH 325 - From Christopher Columbus to Global Catholicism

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The Catholic Church is arguably the first, if not the only, truly global culture. Students are introduced to the development of global Catholicism, beginning with the discovery of the New World in 1492. Topics include inter-religious dialogue, the spirituality of the missions, and the modern conflict between church and state. IC
  
  • TH 326 - Ignatius Loyola and the Spiritual Exercises

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A series of meditations on the life of Christ and God's grace in our daily lives, the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola are the foundation of Jesuit spirituality. This class is a close reading of the entire text in light of key theological concepts such as sin, grace, vocation, and redemption. IC
  
  • TH 327 - The Virgin Mary in Scripture and Tradition

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Devotion to Mary is an essential element of Catholicism. This course studies Marian devotion from the early Church to Pope John Paul II. Topics include Mary's divine motherhood, immaculate conception and assumption, and the (very controversial) doctrines of her role in salvation history as coredemtrix and mediatrix of grace. IC
  
  • TH 329 - Medieval Women Authors

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An exploration of the social setting and theologies of medieval women authors, including such figures as Catherine of Siena and Julian of Norwich. IC/IG/IM
  
  • TH 331 - Finding God in All Things: Spirituality and Prayer in the Christian Tradition

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . How do we find God? How does God find us? Introduces students to a wealth of prayerful practices, from the traditional to the innovative (e.g., "Jesuit breadmaking"). Classic and contemporary texts, media, and practical exercises. No prior experience in prayer or spiritual practice is presumed. IC
  
  • TH 335 - An Introduction to the Theology of Saint Augustine

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Studies the life and writings of the great fifth-century bishop and theologian, Augustine of Hippo. Topics include grace, free will, scripture, and the role of civil authority. Same course as CL 335 . IC/IM
  
  • TH 336 - Catholic Intellectual Life in the United States: Two Hundred Years of American Catholic Opinion

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The thoughts and opinions of John and Charles Carroll, John England, Orestes Bronson, Isaac Hecker, John Lancaster Spalding, John Courtney Murray, Thomas Merton and other American Catholic intellectuals on major questions affecting the country, the world, and the Church. A study of topics such as Enlightenment Christianity; separation of church and state; the principles behind lay/clerical controversies; Catholicism and Republicanism; the Age of Romanticism and the Return of the Medieval Ideal: Ultramontanism and Americanism; antidemocratic theories; American messianism; religious liberty, academic freedom, and the possibility of religious experience. IC/IU
  
  • TH 338 - The Theology of Thomas Aquinas

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Thomas Aquinas was a major medieval theologian who remains as controversial in the twentieth century as he was in the thirteenth century. Studies Aquinas' life and social context, his exegesis of Scripture, and selections from his major theological works. Focuses on how Aquinas might be a resource for responding to contemporary theological, philosophical, and political questions. IC/IM
  
  • TH 340 - Biblical Hebrew I

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An enriched beginning course emphasizing grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Intended for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Same course as CL 340 .
  
  • TH 341 - Biblical Hebrew II

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 340 . A continuation of TH 340 .
  
  • TH 342 - Biblical Hebrew III

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 340 , TH 341 . A continuation of TH 341 . Same course as CL 342 .
  
  • TH 343 - Biblical Hebrew IV

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 342 . A continuation of TH 342 . Same course as CL 343 .
  
  • TH 345 - Psalms

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Provides a close examination of the book of Psalms. Students focus on reading individual psalms with attention to historical context, cultic significance and genre, key images, and theological themes. Additional issues include the compilation and structure of the Psalter, the relationship between the psalms and other biblical traditions including the use of psalms in the New Testament, and the use and significance of the psalms in Judeo-Christian faith and worship.
  
  • TH 346 - Disputing the Bible

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines a selection of arguments from the first through the twentieth centuries about how to interpret the Bible. Same course as CL 346 . IC
  
  • TH 347 - Jesus and the Gospels

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Students examine a variety of issues surrounding the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospels of the New Testament and in other early Christian writings. Same course as CL 347 . IC
  
  • TH 350 - Prophets and Peacemakers

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) contains stories about prophets as well as texts attributed to these prophets. This course examines both. In addition, students study prophetic activity from a sociological/cross-cultural perspective, examine New Testament reinterpretations of prophetic texts, and explore the possibility of modern prophets and modern applications of ancient prophetic texts. IC/IPJ
  
  • TH 354 - Male and Female in the Kingdom of God: Contemporary Gender Perspectives on the Bible

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines the presentation of gender in the Bible, as well as contemporary readings of biblical texts informed by modern gender studies perspectives. While taking seriously the Church's claim to the Bible as scripture, students explore how the cultural milieu in which its texts were written has shaped them. Explores competing claims that the Bible is largely male-centered and used to support oppressive structures, or that it offers a life-giving message of liberation in spite of its cultural and historical background, in light of the complexities of communal practices and hermeneutical approaches. IC/IG
  
  • TH 355 - Saint Paul and His Writings

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores the writings and theology of Paul the apostle. Topics include selected readings from Paul's writings, study of Paul's life and times, and an engagement with secondary literature. Same course as CL 355 . IC
  
  • TH 356 - Genesis: Exploring the Bible's First Book

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Genesis: the first and most famous book of the Bible, containing its earthiest and its most famous stories. Sex, sibling rivalry, love and heartbreak, folklore, and folk magic-it is all there, even Joseph and his "amazing technicolor dreamcoat." The course takes students through Genesis slowly and carefully, along with history's memorable interpretations. Same course as CL 356 . IC
  
  • TH 360 - The Biblical Imagination: From Eden to the Apocalypse

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines biblical narratives, interpretations of those narratives from a range of historical periods and perspectives, and literary works that engage those narratives in various ways. Deepens students' knowledge of the Bible, and of theological inquiry and its methods. IC
  
  • TH 361 - Philosophical and Theological Metaphysics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores the history of and contemporary disputes over metaphysics in philosophy and theology. What is the nature and task of metaphysics?  Why do some philosophers and theologians think metaphysics is essential to doing good philosophy and theology? Why do others disagree?  What do these questions have to do with the rest of life, and God? Same course as PL 374 .
  
  • TH 362 - Hope, Death, and the End of the World

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . This seminar studies the partly overlapping and partly opposed claims about the endtime among Catholics and Protestants, Christians and Jews, members of other religions, and unbelievers. Will everyone be saved, or will some go to heaven and some to hell? What do Christians mean when they confess that Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead or that they look forward to the resurrection of the body and eternal life? Why have Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants disagreed over purgatory and prayers for the dead? What end does God intend for the world, and how can this end justify hope in a world so deeply wounded by our own indifference and despair, wars, and deaths? Traditional and contemporary books on these issues are read; students, as individuals and a group, develop their own answers to these questions as they learn the answers of others. IC
  
  • TH 363 - Sacraments and the Christian Life

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines how Christian worship, especially the sacramental worship of Catholics, shapes and is shaped by commitments regarding the ethical and political action of Christians. IC
  
  • TH 364 - God and Radical Evils

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Addresses the general question, "How does God deal with evil?" and primarily the more specific question, "How does the triune God of Jesus Christ deal with radical (non-trivial) evils?" The diverse and conflicting responses to such difficult questions bear, directly and indirectly, on how Christians and others should deal with radical evils in their lives and those of their neighbors. Students read responses in the Biblical and Christian tradition, as well as contemporary literary, philosophical, and theological responses. Students develop their own responses in conversation with these readings. Same course as CL 364 .
  
  • TH 365 - Theology and Art

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . What is beauty? What does it mean to be a beautiful person? Can there be an image of a beautiful God? What does the vision of the crucified Christ mean for our conceptions of what beauty is? These and other questions are examined through study of both written discussions of beauty and art and artistic objects in the Christian tradition. Texts include writings on beauty from Saint Augustine and medieval authors; writings from the iconoclastic controversy; writings concerning the Christian appropriation of non-Christian images; and John Paul II's Letter to Artists. Includes museum visits. IC/IM
  
  • TH 366 - Catholic Theology in Modernity

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . For the past two centuries Catholic theology had engaged in a debate over the relationship between traditional Catholic and specifically modern practices and teachings. The goal of this course is to study this debate, learning to assess the positions of its major participants. Readings center on the First and Second Vatican Councils, as well as the writings of significant Catholic theologians from the twentieth century. IC
  
  • TH 367 - Vatican II and the Postconciliar World

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was a meeting of Catholic bishops and theologians to reform and renew the Catholic Church, including the Church's relationship to the modern world, other Christians, and other religions. This course examines the Council's documents and their impact on Catholics and others today. IC
  
  • TH 368 - The Church

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . This course provides an introduction to ecclesiology, primarily from a Catholic perspective, by examining the different ways theology has studied and defined the community of faith. Specifically, the course outlines how the community of faith has understood and organized itself, beginning with the ministry of Jesus and ending with the contemporary Church, giving special attention to the impact of Vatican II. In addition, the Church's marks, its mission, and the theological implications of its more salient contemporary challenges are examined.
  
  • TH 369 - Faith and Reason

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An investigation of the ways faith has reasoned about itself in relation to challenges in the ancient, medieval, modern, and postmodern worlds. The course eventually focuses on select problems in contemporary theology such as the nature and tests of truth; theology and scientific reasoning; reasoning about Scripture and tradition; God's own reason or logos; the truth of traditional claims about creation, incarnation, resurrection, and so forth. IC
  
  • TH 370 - Liberation Theology: Roots, Branches, and Critiques

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Liberation theology emerged as one of the most important theological movements of the twentieth century. From its beginning, this movement has focused especially on explicating what it means to follow Jesus in a world marked by staggering poverty and structural injustice. Students examine the social and ecclesial contexts out of which liberation theology was born; consider closely several seminal liberationist texts; analyze various critiques of liberation theology; and consider the present and future of the movement. GT/IPJ
  
  • TH 371 - The Resurrection

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . The Resurrection of Christ is central to the message of the Gospel. But what does the Resurrection of Christ mean for us? How do Christians understand what God has done for the world in and through this pivotal moment in history? What type of claims does the Resurrection make on followers of Christ with regard to how they should live their lives? This course explores these questions through engagements with the biblical accounts of the Resurrection and the thought of some of the most noteworthy Catholic theologians of the contemporary era.
  
  • TH 381 - Faith and Film: The Apostle's Creed in the American Cinema

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Frank Capra, one of the truly great directors of cinema's first century, left us this testimony from the artist's viewpoint to the consequences of film's power: "Only the morally courageous are worthy of speaking to their fellow men for two hours in the dark. And only the artistically incorrupt will earn and keep the people's trust." The twofold purpose of this course is to analyze the meaning of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith and to explore the American cinema's capacity to convey those truths. IC/IF/IU
  
  • TH 382 - The Theology of Dante's Divine Comedy

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Dante's Divine Comedy is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary works in the Western canon. But it is also a remarkable contribution to Catholic theology. This course surveys the Comedy's theology by attending to Dante's understanding of the nature of humanity and human language, sin and salvation, the relationship between justice and politics, and the possibility of knowledge of God. Special attention is given to some of the classical and medieval sources of Dante's theology. IM
  
  • TH 383 - Encounters between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201  Discusses some of the most important theological topics in the encounters between adherents of the three "Abrahamic" religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with particular attention to how Jewish theology views the Christian and Islamic claims to Abrahamic parentage. Encounters examined include those in the Medieval and contemporary periods. Topics include dialogues and polemics about the nature and the properties of God; creation; the status and role of human beings; revelation and the Word of God; role and function of prophets; and the limits of human language about God.
  
  • TH 384 - Christianity and Islam

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Students explore the nature, shape, and prospects of dialogue between Christianity and Islam. IC
  
  • TH 385 - The Theological and the Religious in International Cinema

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Going beyond a narrow evaluation of the morality of films or the mere recognition of their explicit religious subject matter, this course considers specifically religious or theological issues raised in non-American cinema. It also explores the theological implications of some international films that do not deal explicitly with religious issues, events, or even symbols. Finally, recurring theological and religious references are investigated, such as cinematic analogues of both redemption and damnation and figures of Christ and Satan. IC/IF
  
  • TH 386 - Fundamental Questions of Morality

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . An analysis of contemporary, ethical theories with primary focus on a theory of basic human goods. Considers how norms for moral living are derived according to the principle of integral human fulfillment in those goods and discusses how that principle bears on issues of human life and sexuality. Also examines the relation of faith to morality, particularly the moral implications of hope for fulfillment in Christ. FO/IC/IFS
  
  • TH 387 - International Catholic Literature in the Twentieth Century

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . As the twentieth century comes to a close, perceptive readers of world literature are confronted with an amazing, some might even say bewildering, reality: a sizeable amount of this "secular" century's most significant and compelling literary works have been penned by confessing Catholic authors. Far from ignoring or even masking their beliefs, these writers go to great lengths to portray and dramatize them, frequently over or against the prevailing cultural and ethical theories, philosophies, and ideologies of the day. Stellar examples of such authors are Georges Bernanos, Paul Claudel, Shusaku Endo, Graham Greene, Flannery O'Connor, and Evelyn Waugh. Students examine outstanding literary attempts by these writers, and other less well-known Catholics, that deal with a wide variety of encounters between Catholic religious life and thought and contemporary culture. IC
  
  • TH 390 - What is Patience?

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . This course doubts if patience is only waiting, watching, and worrying about time going by. Rather, as the Greeks proposed, patience has many connotations, uses, and requirements. Starting with the biblical books of Job and James, students consider why patience is fundamental to the Western tradition. Adding on Cyprian, Shakespeare, and Churchill, students progress through a series of readings about the conditions and causes that make our pursuit of patience a sign post of industry, a symbol of resistance, and a contract with ourselves and society.
  
  • TH 392 - Globalization, Inculturation, and Justice

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Examines the various dimensions of globalization-political, economic, technological, and cultural-and the debate they have engendered. The main focus is on the cultural aspect and how that complicates our understanding of culture and the Christian project of inculturation. Christian ethical responses to the increasing inequality and injustice that globalization generates are also considered. Weekly reading and brief written papers required.
  
  • TH 395 - Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation: A Christian Theological Inquiry

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Explores the ways in which justice, peace, and the integrity of creation are interrelated, and examines the challenges that this poses for ethical action. Students examine the political ecology of the contemporary global context; explore sources of Christian revelation that can help to judge this context; and begin to consider how they might more fully commit their lives to social and environmental justice. IES/IPJ
  
  • TH 396 - Christianity and Global Justice

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Do we have an obligation to those who live beyond our borders? Are the needs of strangers a matter of justice or charity? What institutional form should our responses take? This course draws upon resources within the Christian ethical tradition to address these questions. Topics include humanitarian aid, military intervention, international criminal justice, development, and others. IPJ
  
  • TH 397 - Ethics after God

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Ethics can be "after God" in two senses-by proceeding as if God's nonexistence is irrelevant or by following, in obedience, after God. This seminar explores both of these approaches and their relation by examining topics of interest to both: what it means to live well; love, freedom, and identity; and the concepts of holiness, virtue, the sacred, the horrendous, and divine commands.
  
  • TH 398 - Euthanasia and the Problem of Suffering

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . How can a good, all-powerful God allow the innocent to suffer? Is it licit to end suffering by intentionally ending the life of the suffering person? This course addresses the age old problem of evil and suffering from the perspective of both Christianity and unbelief. The question of whether human suffering can be meaningful is considered by taking up the issue of euthanasia. The related issues of what constitutes "ordinary" (and thus morally required) and "extraordinary" (and thus not morally required) care is discussed in light of a consideration of whether human life is intrinsically valuable and inviolable no matter what its condition. IC
  
  • TH 399 - Contemporary Catholic Intellectual Life

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . A team-taught course exploring the wide spectrum of contemporary Catholic intellectual life, focusing on the areas of theology, philosophy, politics, and literature. Students seek to understand not only debates within those areas but also attempt to explore lines of continuity stretching across the different genres of thought. For instance, how are the debates in philosophy related to different approaches to literature? Or, how do different theological methods affect how one approaches politics? Examples of thinkers studied include Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Elizabeth Johnson, and David Tracy in theology; Edith Stein, Charles Taylor, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Jean-Luc Marion in philosophy; Dorothy Day, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Richard John Neuhaus in politics; as well as Shusaku Endo, Flannery O'Connor, Mary Gordon, and Graham Greene in literature. The intersection of all four disciplines in the writing of Pope John Paul II is also considered. IC
  
  • TH 400 - Senior Seminar

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prerequisite: TH 201 . Restricted to majors or minors. Senior theology majors are introduced to contemporary debates in various areas of theology.