Center Semillero

This course supports students as they transition into the university environment in a fully online format. It develops essential academic skills such as time management, study strategies, digital literacy, professional communication, and basic research and documentation practices. Through a formative and pastoral lens, students learn to apply critical thinking to analyze problems, propose solutions, and strengthen autonomous learning habits that support both academic and spiritual growth.

In this course, students learn and practice effective writing strategies in Spanish for a variety of communicative purposes, including explanation, instruction, persuasion, investigation, evaluation, and problem solving. Emphasis is placed on clear and coherent writing in Spanish, the full writing process from planning to revision, and the responsible use of sources. The online format incorporates collaborative activities and digital tools that strengthen written communication in academic, pastoral, and community contexts.

This course introduces philosophical anthropology from the classical and Christian traditions, exploring fundamental aspects of human nature such as sensation, emotion, thought, will, habits, body, and soul. Students reflect on human dignity, freedom, and the unity of body and spirit. The online format supports dialogue and critical reflection, connecting philosophical understanding of the human person with pastoral mission and service in diverse communities.

A study of the historical context, literature, and theology of the Old Testament.

Examination of the New Testament writings, focusing on their historical context and theological themes.

The course offers a comprehensive exploration of key theological concepts and motifs found throughout the Bible. This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the major themes that unify the biblical narrative, encompassing both the Old and New Testaments.

Overview of key theological concepts and doctrines in Christianity. Starting from their Biblical principles, a study of Christian doctrines such as God, Christology, and the Holy Spirit.

This course is a survey of the whole history of the Christian church from its inception to the Reformation. The course will emphasize the most important biblical and theological themes that were crucial for Church’s History.

This is a course designed to explore the social teachings of the Catholic Church, which address contemporary social, economic, and political issues from a theological and ethical perspective. This course examines the principles and documents that form the basis of Catholic social thought, emphasizing its biblical foundation, their application to modern societal challenges and the promotion of human dignity, justice, and the common good.

The course explores the basic notions of Catholic Theological Foundations of Spirituality, Spiritual Practices, Mysticism and Contemplative Traditions, Spirituality and Daily Life, and Contemporary Spirituality and their respective biblical foundations.

The course is an in-depth study of the following notions: Human Dignity and the Image of God, the Fall and Its Consequences, Redemption of the Body, Celibacy and Marriage, Ethics and Sexual Morality, and the Eschatological Dimension of the body.

The course focuses on the biblical and pastoral principles, methods, and practices of teaching and nurturing the Catholic Christian faith within a community. This course is vital for those involved in religious education, pastoral ministry, and evangelization. It explores, the Catholic theological foundation of Catechesis, Pedagogy of Faith, Methods and Techniques, Curriculum Development, and Catechist Formation.

Techniques and practice in effective public communication, with an emphasis on sermons and presentations.

This is a foundational course that explores the rich tradition and theological underpinnings of Catholic liturgical practices. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the biblical nature, history, and elements of the liturgy, with a particular focus on the Mass, the sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours. Students will engage with biblical and liturgical texts, Church documents, and the theological and biblical principles that inform Catholic worship.

This is a foundational course designed to introduce students to the systematic study of society and social behavior. This course explores the structures, patterns, and processes that shape human interactions and social institutions. Through examining key concepts, theories, and research methods in sociology, students will gain a deeper understanding of how societies function, change, and influence individuals' lives.

The course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to explain and defend the Catholic faith effectively. This course covers biblical, theological, historical, and philosophical foundations of Catholicism, as well as practical techniques for engaging in apologetic discourse.

The course is in-depth study of the following notions: Theology of Media and Technology; Digital Platforms and Tools; Creating Digital Content; Digital Community Building; Digital Catholic Evangelism and Outreach; Pastoral Care in the Digital Age.

The course is designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and biblical theological foundation necessary for effective leadership within a pastoral context. This course covers a broad range of topics, from leadership theory and practice to pastoral care and administration.

This course examines the essential components of moral life and the process of ethical decision-making, including freedom, responsibility, conscience, values, and objective goods. Through case studies and online activities, students learn to apply ethical principles to concrete situations in personal, community, and pastoral contexts. The course incorporates the Catholic moral tradition and promotes ethical discernment as a foundation for Christian leadership.

This course introduces the fundamental processes of human behavior and the principles that guide scientific psychology. Topics include motivation, perception, cognition, human development, physiological processes, personality, social behavior, and abnormal psychology. The online modality encourages students to apply psychological concepts to real-life situations in pastoral accompaniment, community leadership, and multicultural ministry, fostering an integrated understanding of the human person.

The course of Biblical Hebrew will present an introduction to the basis of the Classical Hebrew used in the Masoretic text. This course is essential to learn the basic semantic notions of the Biblical vocabulary that has marked the spirituality and theology of the Old Testament. By the end of this course the students will be able to write and read Hebrew words and translate Biblical phrases.

The course of Biblical Greek will present an introduction to the basis of the Koiné Greek used in the New testament and some texts of the Septuagint. This course is essential to learn the basic semantic notions of the Biblical vocabulary that has marked the spirituality and theology of the New Testament and the Magisterial vocabulary used to define diverse dogmatic formulations in the catholic Church. By the end of this course the students will be able to write and read Greek words and translate Biblical phrases.

The course of exegetical methods will present an introduction and praxis of the most important exegetical techniques and approaches developed throughout the history of the Biblical Criticism. The knowledge and praxis of diverse exegetical methods will offer to the students’ multiple Biblical viewpoints to approach the canonical texts in order to discover its manifold levels of meanings.

The course of Hispanic hermeneutics is a very unique application of hermeneutics. The hermeneutical process surges as a result of the exegetical study of the texts that needs to be interpreted through the specific viewpoint of the “Hispanic reality in the United States.” This sociological situation illuminates the interpretation of the academic study of the Biblical texts and its message becomes relevant to the modern reality of the Latino/a immigrant or Hispanic minorities in the United States.

The course of Pentateuch will study the most important theological themes of the canonical books: i.e., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, and Deuteronomy: their literary problems, their authorship, their literary genres, their history of the redaction that explains the formation of the books, and the exegesis of the most important periscopes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The course of the Historical Books will study the most important theological themes of the canonical books: i.e., Joshua, Judges, 1-2Samuel, and 1-2 Kings: their literary problems, their authorship, their literary genres, their history of the redaction that explains the formation of the books, and the exegesis of the most important periscopes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The course of the Prophets of Israel will study the most important theological themes of the canonical books: i.e., Major and Minor Prophets: their literary problems, their authorship, their literary genres, their history of the redaction that explains the formation of the books, and the exegesis of the most important periscopes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The course entitled Poetic and Wisdom Writings will study the most important theological themes of the canonical books, their literary problems, their authorship, their literary genres, their history of the redaction that explains the formation of the books, and the exegesis of the most important periscopes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The Synoptic Gospels will be studied in this course and Acts of the Apostles with the different methods used by the Catholic Church for an understanding in the light of faith. This course explains the historical background, the narrative structures, the authorship of the canonical books, main theological contents and themes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The Pauline letters will be studied in this course in terms of their life settings, historical contexts and their Christian message through exegesis and pastoral hermeneutics pertinent to the current Latino/a reality. This course explains the historical background, the narrative structures, and the authorship of the canonical books, main theological contents and themes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The course of the Catholic Epistles will study the most important theological themes of the canonical letters: i.e., James, Jude, and 1-2 Peter: their literary problems, their authorship, their literary genres, their history of the redaction, and the exegesis of the most important periscopes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

The course of Johannine Literature will study the most important theological themes of the canonical letters: i.e., Gospel according to John, 1,2,3 John, and Revelation: their literary problems, their authorship, their literary genres, their history of the redaction, and the exegesis of the most important periscopes that marked the theology and spirituality of the Judeo-Christian traditions.

This course will introduce students to the theological field including the different types of religious thought and the way in which Catholic theology has different branches of study throughout history. Special emphasis will be given to the Latino/a theology in the United States. **COURSE IS TAUGHT IN SPANISH

This class will cover a systematic study of the ethical principles of Catholic moral doctrine and its daily application in the modern world in such a way that the person can live according to the will of God.

The four Gospels will be studied in this course with the different methods used by the Catholic Church for understanding them in the light of faith. This course explains the background, the structure, the main contents, and the major themes of each gospel.

This course will study of the Fathers of the Church. Doctrine and Christian beliefs will be studied as well as their apologetic defense against the attacks of the pagan religions.

In this subject a study of the history of the church from Its birth to the present time will be made, separating the moments and important changes throughout 1he centuries with Its main characters and events. Special attention will be given to the history of Hispanic Catholicism In the United States.

This course will cover the Pentateuch, the historical, sap1entlal, an Cl prophetic books. The different methods of study, literary styles, origin and 1heologlcal thought predominating in each of these books wlll be presented and elucidated according to the main theological needs of the Hispanic communities.

This course will study the central dogma of the Trinitarian nature of God and its main exponents. The mystery of Incarnation will be Intrinsically inter-related with Christology and the life of Jesus of Nazareth from his human and divine nature.

This course will present the basic foundations of the Catholic faith contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church as teachings, beliefs, practices, and prayers. Basic truth& and identifications of the Catholic faith will be studied within the framework of the Hispanic pastoral reality.

The Pauline letters will be studied in this course in terms of their life settings, historical contexts and their Christian message through an exegesis and a pastoral hermeneutics pertinent to the current Latino/a reality.

This course will cover missiology as the constant task of the Church to announce the gospel and an analysis of its philosophy, its theology, Its biblical bases, its historical guidelines, and its practices within the Hispanic Catholic community.

The study of the life of the Virgin Mary, its basis in Scripture, its dogmas and doctrines; Marian piety as an expression of faith of the different cultures, particularly of the Spanish-speaking community In the United States.

Study of the sacramental principle: relationship of the sacraments to Christ and the Church; and biblical, historical and doctrinal introduction to the seven sacraments, with special emphasis on their role in Christian life

ln this course we will study sacramental theology In.Its pastoral application and liturgical celebration in the context of the parish Hispanic community in the different periods of the Church. Its biblical foundations and the Catholic tradition will be included. The student will complete a service project within a parish In which knowledge gained in this course will be applied.

Selected topic of mutual interest to the faculty member and students.