TH 644 - Vatican II and the Postconciliar World

(3.00 cr.)

The Second Vatican Council is the central event in modern Roman Catholic life and thought. It has had enormous impact on Christian ecumenism, dialogue, and cooperation among religions. Our world is "postconciliar" ("after the Council") in at least two senses: some say we have yet to meet the challenges the Council left for subsequent generations, while others say that we no longer live in the same time as Vatican II. The central texts of Vatican II are read, along with crucial debates over the Council in the postconciliar world. Students learn to read conciliar texts intelligently, bring them to bear on contemporary theological arguments, and construct a vision of our theological postconciliar future.