YMA-Theological Studies

This course is the capstone course for candidates for the STB degree, designed to generate a written theological reflection in a collaborative setting. The finished reflection shall serve as a basis for the final oral exam for degree candidates.

The course on the Parables of Jesus involves an in-depth study of what is considered to be the authentic teaching of Jesus, teaching that is both novel and authoritative as it invites us to begin to see the wider horizon of God's perspective and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God on earth. Drawing on a wealth of biblical scholarship, this course is a comprehensive study of the parables that begins with a discussion of Jesus' teaching and the distinctive elements of parables and then moves to an in-depth study of the parables themselves. Throughout the course we will also discuss the meaning and significance of the parables for us today.

Study of the concepts and practices of the spiritual life of manastics, mendicants, and contemporary lay organizations in relationship to Christ and everyday life in the Church. Selected texts from the spiritual writings, with special emphasis on the role of the spirituality as a path to holiness in contemporary life for the laity and ordained ministry.

This course will study the Church's public worship and sacramental practice. Providing an introduction to liturgy and sacramental theology, the course will also survey the seven sacraments, looking at their historical, theological and ritual development. This course will place special emphasis on issues of ecclesiology and thelogical anthropology as they relate to Baptism and Eucharist.

There is much concern about evangelization and re-evangelization with its parallel concern about inculturation. A look at many of the recent Papal documents which speak to these issues along with the commentaries on these issues which various theologicans have written. A look at our history. How was the Gospel spread in times past? What are the concerns of the syncretism today? How can all hope for salvation?

Perhaps the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis produced an inestimable wealth of material. In his works of fiction in particular Lewis endeavored to explore the Christian mystery from the standpoint of allegory. C. S. Lewis and Christian Apologetics will examine the role allegory plays in the fiction works of C. S. Lewis examining such books as the "Narnian Chronicles", "Screwtape", "The Pilgrims Regress", "The Space Trilogy", and short stories such as "The Great Divorce" in addition to some of the works which influenced Lewis, such as George MacDonald's "Phantastes".

An introduction to the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, with special attention to the structure, method, and major themes of the "Summa theologiae".

A study of what is the Church’s mission and its why, who and where based upon the three major Catholic documents concerning mission of the last century (Vatican II’s Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church; Paul VI’s On Evangelization in the Modern World; and John Paul II’s On the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate). Investigation of the binding nature and purpose of Church ecumenism based upon Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism and John Paul II’s On Commitment to Ecumenism with a view to the guiding concept of communio in current ecumenical dialogue.

Seminar on the life and writing of one of the principal architects of Western Catholic thought and culture, with special emphasis on a close reading of The Confessions.

The theological thought of Pope John Paul II is wide ranging. This course will give a systematic survey to his thinking through the writings from his pontificate as well as his person works (Karol Wojtlya). The course will systematically explore the following topics: the Trinity, Jesus Christ, the Church, the Magisterium, Mary, Evangelization, the Priesthood, the Consecrated Life, Suffering, the Laity, the Family, the Status of Women, Economics, the human person, Ecumenical dialogue, as well as dialogue with world religions, and Eschatology.

The course offeres a close and thorough examination of marriage as it is present in the Bible. Various biblical passages in the Old and New Testaments that deal with marriage will be investigated. Marriage will be considered both as an instuitution and as metaphor. Practices and customs related to marriage such as match making, betrothal, irregular unions, endogamy and ideal marriage will also be explored.

Study of development of Christian iconography from 300 AD to today. Focus will be on earlier, rather than contemporary images. The course is organized thematically. The second part focuses on images of the Virgin Mary, symbols of virtue, and the iconography of architecture. While this course continues from "Iconography of Christian I, students are not required to have taken that course.

How does dogma develop? The course will study the ways in which the Church continuously discovers and liberates ancient reveled truth in new ways from the original Gospel. Beginning with John Henry Newman, the course traces the idea through the early 20th Century Modernist crisis, the Neo-Scholastic reaction, the historically-minded orthodoxy of Blondel, Rousselot, and de Lubac, to the pre-conciliar theology of Rahner, Schillebeeckx and Congar.

An in-depth exploration of the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture and received by the Church.

YMA 9379 (3 hours) This course will present the historical development of Catholic Moral Theology with emphasis on the development of the basic concepts of person, conscience, sin, freedom, and knowledge. The role of the Magisterium in moral decision making will be explored. Course approach includes illustration of concepts and principles by use of contemporary moral questions.

A systematic study of how the thoughts of six of the great theologians of the 20th century were tributaries of influence in the documents of Vatican II. Specifically, the course will investigate the theological contributions made to Vatican II by (1) Marie-Dominique Chenu with his thrology of the "signs of the times"; (2) Yves Congar with his ecclesiological and ecumenical theology; (3) Henri de Lubac with his theology of history; (4) Karl Rahner with his anthropocentric theology; (5) Edward Schillebeeckx with his sacramental theology; and (6) John Courtney Murray with his theology of religious freedom.

This class will explore the Dominican tradition of reflection on Christ's gift of himself. Through lecture and seminar discussion, the students will become familiar with the thought of Catherine of Siena and Thomas Aquinas, focusing on key passages from Catherine's Dialogues and Aquinas's Summa Theologiae. Separated by a century, these saints portray the same truths with very different but complementary theological styles. The class will involve both lecture and seminar discussion.