300
Upper-division theology electives are open only to juniors and seniors who have successfully completed both
THE 101 and
THE 205 (exceptions:
THE 347 and THEP 300).
This course traces the development of prophecy and the prophetic tradition in biblical and contemporary times. Selected prophetic texts focus on the character, personality, and mission of various prophets. Other topics include prophetic imagination, creativity, religious experience, justice, compassion, hope and the portrayal of God. Central to the course is the prophets' transformative vision for all times.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 402
This course explores the wisdom writings of ancient biblical and contemporary gurus to discover how wisdom is a gift received from God and daily life. The course invites personal and group reflection aimed at celebration of life and the exploration of contemporary situations in need of wise decision-making skills.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 404
As a first century missionary, theologian and letter writer, Paul of Tarsus (St. Paul) articulated many of Christianity's basic beliefs and presided over some of Christianity's earliest controversies. This course examines his letters as a way of gaining access to the concerns, the theology, and the growing pains of some of the very first Christians on record.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 407
Our most important information on Jesus comes from the Gospels. This course examines the theology and history contained in the gospels in order to gain an understanding of who Jesus was and how his message was received and developed by the early church. In alternating semesters, the course will focus on John, or on Matthew, Mark and Luke.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 412
During the first century of Christianity, the Roman Empire was a complex marketplace of ideas on sexual morality. This course explores the roots, the development and the legacy of early Christian theology on sexual practices and gender relations.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 415
This course explores questions and issues around gender in the biblical text and how these issues and questions relate to contemporary life. Content focuses on the cultural background of both men and women in the ancient world, and how various attitudes have influenced cultures, decisions, and worldviews down through the ages. Emphasis is on liberation and transformation.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 417
What does it mean to be holy? Who are the saints and sinners in the Bible? How does God relate to them? What is meant by the sacredness of all creation? This course explores such themes as the spirit, the heart, prayer, sacred space, etc. in the context of a biblical-based contemplative and mystical understanding of life.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 419
The ethical question, "who is the good person?", is founded on the premise that being a Christian makes one a certain type of person with certain values. This course offers a historical study of various philosophical and theological descriptions of the nature of the good person.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105, and
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 420
The injunction to "love our neighbor" is constitative of all Christian ethics. This however must always be embodied and understood within a historical context. Using the method of Agapic solidarity and drawing from a variety of disciplines, this course explores what living the love of neighbor means in a multicultural world.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105, and
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 421
Analysis of several contemporary Catholic ethicists, including Curran, O'Connell, Regan, and McCormick, who have influenced the development of Catholic ethics. A critical examination of natural law, human freedom, conscience, authority, and the moral and rational capacity.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 422
Contemporary American Christian thought on the nature of morality and society. An attempt to reveal the dynamics of faith that calls us to do justice. Special consideration given to the development of pacifism in American churches.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 423
This course is an introduction to the theological ethics of character as encountered in the Christian tradition. We will systematically consider the topic through a series of guided discussions about values, decisions, conscience, habits, virtues, and vices, the role of Christian narrative, and finally, an integrated theory and theology of Christian personal character. Readings will include selections from writings by Richard Gula, Paul J. Waddell, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, James Keenan, Stanley Hauerwas, James Gustafson, and the Gospel of Luke.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 424
The issues of justice from a Catholic perspective as they affect society locally, nationally, and internationally.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 425
Inquiry into the theological, philosophical, psychological, and social aspects of Christian marriage with specific emphasis on commitment and the bond of love. The moral problems of abortion, divorce, and homosexuality, special to the modern context, will be discussed.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205.
Cross Listed Courses
THE 426
This course explores the field of environmental ethics and its growing impact on the Christian theological-ethical tradition. The course will consider our current environmental situation, survey the history of environmental ethics, examine the positions of major contemporary eco-ethicists, and develop the theological foundations for a Christian environmental ethic.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 427
This course explores contemporary Christian theology and its response to environmental and ecological issues. It investigates the scope of our environmental crisis and the emerging insights by Christian theologians concerned about our global environment. Emphasis will be given to ecological issues in the Pacific Northwest, the theology of human existence, the nature of God and the future prospects for sustainability.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 428
Using ethical and theological sources from Christian/Catholic tradition the course addresses the moral dilemmas of abortion, reproductive technology, genetic technology, organ transplant and issues of death and dying, health care reform and global and intercultural issues around the world.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105, 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 429
Explores contemporary Christian and Jewish theological reflections on the Nazi genocide campaign to eliminate the Jews of Europe. Special emphasis on the documents of the churches until now, on the Austrian and German efforts to cope with this part of recent history, and on the relation of early anti-Judaism in Christian cultures to racism and anti-Semitism.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 433
Exploration of liturgy as Christian worship, considering ritual symbolism as "the language" (word and action) of worship, and worship as Christian faith in dialogue with God. A critical evaluation of contemporary liturgical reforms in ecumenical perspective.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105, and
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 435
Enrich an awareness of God's presence in the world through a theological and historical exploration of Christian spiritual practices such as lectio divina, meditation, and contemplation. Students will examine key concepts that inform these practices, such as discernment and gratitude, through active and self-reflective participation in spiritual practices.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 441
An exploration of Christian spirituality in terms of images of God, Christian anthropology, prayer, and social and ecological concerns. A critical and dialogical engagement with selected classical texts from the Christian tradition that suggest ways of being in right relationships with God, self, others and the natural world within the context of the 21st century.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 442
This 1 credit course is a formation requirement each semester for students in the Faith and Leadership House. Under the guidance of the Faith and Leadership Staff, the course engages diverse resources of the University and surrounding community to assist students in integrating the program pillars of Faith, Service, Prayer, Community, and Intellectual Life. (Restricted to members of the Faith and Leadership House.)
1
This course surveys issues of suffering and death from biblical, systematic, and ethical perspectives of Theology, as well as psycho-social, legal, and ethical perspectives of the health care profession, especially nursing. Focus is on exploring the human experience of loss and the many dimensions of grief employed in dealing with loss. (Nursing students only.)
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Judeo-Christian theologies of death and their impact on a contemporary religious understanding of death and bereavement. Particular attention given to pastoral liturgical research on the role of religion and religious ritual in the grieving process.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
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.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 450
Historical development of conflicts, especially over the theory of evolution, and the variety of positions presented today by theologians, scientists, and philosophers.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 453
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.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 454
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.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 455
This course will explore the Catholic theological tradition, primarily as it finds expression in five novelists whose writing is influenced by that tradition.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 456
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.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 457
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.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 458
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.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 459
The course traces Christianity’s meteoric development in the first millennium. It examines the break from Judaism, the formation of the Christian Bible, the age of martyrs, the theological golden period of the late Roman Empire, and the rise of the papacy and monasticism. Its tools are chronological tracking, historical vignettes, analysis of selected texts, and profiles of important figures.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 460
The course traces Christianity’s vigorous but fragmented growth in the second millennium. It studies the grandeur of the medieval cathedrals, the ideas of scholasticism and mysticism, the challenges of the Reformation, the rise of modernity, and the course of Christianity in America. Its tools are chronological tracking, historical vignettes, analysis of selected texts and profiles of important figures.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 461
Augustine of Hippo (d. 430) grounds the history of western theology, and still informs modern fields like psychology and linguistics. While situating him in Roman antiquity, the course studies his thought as an account of Christian faith seeking understanding. We will read in depth his classic, theologically profound conversion story, the Confessions, and study his thought on God, Scripture, and the grace of Christ.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 463
The course traces Christianity’s development, from its origins as an obscure Jewish sect, through acceptance and growth in the late Roman Empire and mature self-definition in the Middle Ages, to the challenges of fragmentation and renewal in the Reformation and the modern world. Its tools are chronological tracking, historical vignettes, analysis of selected texts, and profiles of important figures.
3
Prerequisites
THE 101 or
THE 105,
THE 205
Cross Listed Courses
THE 465
Christian tradition in the 21st century and post Vatican II; the modern Church in the liturgy, the ecumenical movement toward Christian unity, the social justice and evangelical mission of the Church in the secular and pluralistic world. (Salzburg only.)
3
Prerequisites
Salzburg only. Director of Studies Abroad approval required.