Systematic Theology

What does it mean to be human in light of the mystery of Christ? As they examine the nature of human freedom through the traditional categories of creation, sin, grace and eschatology, students will be challenged to employ the riches of the Roman Catholic tradition in articulating the meaning and destiny of their own humanity.

Introduction to the classical and contemporary discussion of the interaction between human reason and religious faith in the Christian tradition, including arguments for and against the existence of God. Emphasis on the philosophical foundations of modern theologies.

Historical development of conflicts, especially over the theory of evolution, and the variety of positions presented today by theologians, scientists, and philosophers.

How the traditional idea of God was developed and why it no longer seems adequate to either religious or cultural experience. How Christian theology might imaginatively reformulate the idea of God in order to serve Christian faith and action more adequately.

Systematic reflection upon the doctrine of Christ in its biblical, classical, and contemporary historical perspectives. Students will gain insight into the Church's proclamation of Jesus as the Christ by examining the faith experiences of communities past and present in relation to their own experience of faith.

This course will explore the Catholic theological tradition, primarily as it finds expression in five novelists whose writing is influenced by that tradition.

An examination of elements of theological reflection in the Roman Catholic tradition, with emphasis on theological method and the development of doctrine. From the starting point of an experience of faith that is personal and communal, historical and eschatological, students will explore the interrelationships among such theological categories as Revelation, Scripture and Tradition, Grace, Christology, and Ecclesiology.

This course takes as its starting point the suffering of women amidst the reality of globalization. Feminist and Eco-feminist theologies in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and varied North American and European contexts will be examined in search of an inter-contextual Christology that both arises from and addresses the global suffering of women and the earth.

This course will explore the Catholic theological tradition primarily as it finds expression in recent Catholic writing. Some examples of subjects to be discussed include Jesus Christ, Revelation, the Fall of humanity, the problem of evil, the nature of sacraments and the implications of faith for personal relationships.