Religious Studies (Grad)

Explores the power of religious symbolism and the history of the city from the time of Abraham to the present (some 3,700 years). The course also takes a quick glance at the geographical factors that have affected the city?s fate and concentrates on the reasons that Jews, Christians and Muslims call it the Holy City. Texts, ancient and modern, archeological, sociological and religious, will help us to understand the rootedness of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in "Jerusalem the Golden." Each student will choose a topic for an oral presentation and research paper. [ 3 credits ]

Presents contemporary approaches to religious social ethics in North America, for example, Christian realism, Christian pacifism, liberation theology, Catholic social thought, Jewish social ethics, and Islamic social ethics. Explores the diverse ways these approaches understand and evaluate issues related to war and peace and economic justice. [ 3 credits ]

Introduces the history of biblical interpretation and gives special emphasis to the intersection of Roman Catholic interpretation and modern critical scholarship. This course deepens familiarity with different kinds of biblical texts and the various ways of bringing out the meaning of those texts. [ 3 credits ]

This course surveys basic theological topics such as faith and revelation, Jesus and salvation, the triune God, church and sacraments, and sin and grace, with an emphasis on theological method. It attends to various contextual influences upon contemporary Catholic systematic theology, including historical consciousness, global suffering, and cultural and religious pluralism. [ 3 credits ]

This course explores Catholic identity within the framework of Roman Catholicism in the United States. It examines the historical formation of Catholic self-understanding in the context of American culture, from colonial times to the present, and considers present challenges to Catholic identity, including religious pluralism in the United States. [ 3 credits ]

This course examines Christian life through study of the historical and theological developments of communal worship and the nature and practice of spirituality. Topics include prayer, sacraments, spiritual practice and faith-based outreach examined through the lens of Roman Catholic history and tradition. [ 3 credits ]

This course explores contemporary social issues through the lens of Catholic social teaching. In addition to theological examination of issues related to justice and peace, the course will explore practical methods for introducing and deepening education for social justice in the classroom, the school, and the larger community. [ 3 credits ]

This course provides an introduction to contemporary theological ethics through an examination of basic approaches, including divine command ethics, natural law ethics, liberation ethics, and virtue ethics. It explores selected applied issues in sex and gender ethics, bioethics, economic ethics, and political ethics from both Roman Catholic and Protestant perspectives. [ 3 credits ]

Students examine perspectives of major religions on adulthood and the aging process. Camparative study is made of religious approaches to questions and problems such as the meaning of life and human morality, personal loss in old age, intergenerational responsibilities, and other life-issues in middle and late adulthood. Students explore how different religions enable men and women to live full lives. 3 credits.