Course Descriptions

(TBA)

This introductory course will examine the foundations of Christian dogma. The course will explore divine revelation, the mystery of the Triune God, creation and anthropology, the person of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the nature and mission of the Church, the Church's eschatological dimension, and the Church's ethos as it encounters our civilization and relates its doctrinal beliefs to the world. Students will engage in the following:

• The basic themes of dogmatic theology from Trinity, creation, and the incarnation, to grace, sacraments, and the last things.
• The ranking and interrelationship among the various magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church, as well as the levels of solemnity among the dogmas and the doctrines within Eastern Orthodoxy.
• The nature of the papacy and its function within the Catholic communion and according to Eastern Orthodox theories.
• Infallibility and inerrancy as applied to Scripture, Church, and Fathers.
• The manner or methods available for solving theological puzzles.
• The nature of loci theologici or authoritative texts and teachers in relation to human reason and secular sciences.

(3 hours; 1 semester)

(Clarke)

This course will concentrate on the texts and doctrines of the pre-Nicene Fathers, from the death of the apostles to Nicaea I and its aftermath. This course will provide an overview of both the theological thought of the Fathers of the Church (patristics in the strict sense) and their life and writings (patrology). The rich ethnic and cultural diversity of early Christian thought will be highlighted through study of primary sources. Students will learn the following:

• Exegesis of primary texts from patristic authors representing a variety of themes, not to coincide with patristic readings in DT 100, 103, & 104.
• Modes of interpreting patristic authors for contemporary purposes and within their own historical context.
• A range of patristic concerns, from Biblical exegesis, hymnody, and liturgical compositions to dogmatic and moral treatises.
• Familiarity with representative Fathers of the Greek Church, or Latin authors who exercised an influence on the Eastern Church.

(2 hours, 1 semester)

(Muksuris)

This elective studies the concept of evil from the perspective of both an ontological force (demonology) and the voluntary rejection and absence of good. The understanding of evil from various ideologies and religions are explored, followed by a particular emphasis on the Judeo-Christian scriptural tradition and its extensive treatment by patristic writers throughout history. At the forefront of this detailed textual survey is the inescapable issue of theodicy and all the arguments associated with it. Following a historical study of how ancient indigenous cultures throughout the world dealt with the problem of evil and demonic spirits ritually, attention will be given to the Eastern Church's practice of baptismal exorcisms and their accompanying prayers within the manuscript tradition. In addition, isolated prayers of exorcism performed in individual cases of adults, together with their theology, will be examined. Finally, the course will briefly look at the Roman Catholic order of exorcists and unique cases of actual exorcisms performed in both the East and West, highlighting the meaning and ramifications of such an activity within the Christian life. The goals of the course are:

• to present, in a systematic and coherent fashion, a comprehensive history of the development of the notion of evil and demonology within various socio-religious contexts, especially in the Judeo-Christian milieu.
• to discern the relationship and interplay between evil as an ontological force and the voluntary rejection and absence of God.
• to explore how various cultures around the world understood and thus coped with the problem of evil through various religious rituals, and to determine how these rituals affect the "possessed" individual, his peers, and the general populace.
• to examine in depth the theological meaning behind pre-baptismal exorcisms through the careful probing of the prayers of exorcism in the Eastern Church's rite of baptism.
• to study isolated non-baptismal exorcism prayers from the Church's manuscript tradition, performed in individual cases of adults deemed "possessed" by evil spirits.
• to investigate actual, documented rites of exorcism performed in both the Eastern and Western Church, highlighting the meaning and implications of such an activity for the Christian community of the twenty-first century.

Prerequisite: LT 100

(3 hours; 1 semester)

(TBA)

This course continues to survey the foundational themes of the spiritual life in the Byzantine Tradition. Through readings, lectures, and class discussions, the themes of creation in the divine image and likeness, life in the Trinity, the nature of the human person, deification, asceticism, and growth in the spiritual life will be explored. Additional readings will enable students to develop the ability to explain the concepts and terminology of the tradition using the categories of contemporary culture. By the end of the semester, students should be able:

• To show the dependence of Byzantine spirituality (teachings and practices) on the Christological and Trinitarian dogmas of the Church;
• To articulate the major themes of Byzantine spiritual tradition;
• To explain the sacramental mysteries of the Church (Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, etc.) in relation to such dimensions of the spiritual life as purification, illumination, and union;
• To draw upon liturgical texts as sources for teaching the spiritual and ascetical elements of the Byzantine tradition.
• To outline the history and distinctive practices of Hesychasm and the Prayer of the Heart.

(2 hours; 2 semesters)

(TBA)

The purpose of this course is to introduce students studying theology to the fundamental basics of Hellenistic, or Biblical, Greek. The course offers an introduction to the Greek alphabet, grammar, and syntax of this ancient language, simultaneously exposing students to the morphology of New Testament Greek and its vocabulary, supplemented by liturgical texts. The expected outcomes for the students are:

• To develop adequate reading and writing skills in Biblical Greek.
• To identify the grammatical and syntactical structure of the given texts and comprehend their meaning.
• To attain sufficient knowledge to read and understand Greek liturgical texts, confidently and fluently, and to work intelligibly with original language texts and sources from the Bible and the Fathers.
• To cultivate a deeper appreciation and awareness of this important Classical language as an indispensable tool in the advanced study of patristic theology and liturgy.

(2 hours; 2 semesters)

(Matlak)

The Church in a pluralistic world marks the major focus of this course. The theology of revelation articulated in Dei verbum and the central theological themes of Apostolicam Actuositatem and Gaudium et Spes will structure discussion regarding the following themes: missiology, ecumenism, non-Christian religions, and the nature of theology, along with the importance of a sound notion of theological pluralism in the life of the Church. A central practical concern in this course will be to articulate the particular mission of the Eastern Catholic Churches in proclaiming the orthodox faith in the contemporary world.

• Primary documents of Vatican II: Dei Verbum, Gaudium et Spes, Apostolicam Actuositatem, Ad Gentes, Nostra Aetate, Dignitatis Humanae, Unitatis Redintegratio, Gravissimum Educationis, Inter Mirifica, Optatam Totius
• Understanding of the pre-Conciliar context concerning ecumenism and the communication of the truths of faith in the modern world (with particular attention given to the "modernist crisis" and its aftereffects)
• Contextualizing the relationship between the Church and the world in light of the theology of revelation and missiology
• Understanding of the teaching "no salvation outside the Church" in the context of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue
• Understanding of the nature of orthodox theological pluralism

(2 hours; 1 semester)

(TBA)

This course examines the basic elements of Catholic social and moral teaching as well as specific themes related to Catholic social teaching in dialogue with expressions of social teaching from other Eastern Churches. The historical and theological development of the Catholic tradition will be presented along with the pastoral dimensions of Catholic social doctrine for the Church today. By means of the readings, class discussions, and other coursework, at the end of the semester students will be able:

• To articulate, interconnect, and apply the following principles of Catholic social teaching: the dignity of the human person (esp. Dignitatis Humanae), the common good, the origin, purpose, and limits of civil authority, subsidiarity (beginning with the family), the relationship of Church and state, true and false notions of freedom, personal rights, especially the right to religious liberty, private property, and the universal destination of goods, the responsibilities of lay Catholics, and solidarity in community. The topic of retributive justice and the death penalty will also be addressed.
• To relate the Christian view of individual and communal perfection to secularism, naturalism, liberalism, and utopianism characteristic of modern thought.
• To give particular reflection to the social implications of the Christian familial order and to gain the tools necessary for critiquing contemporary anti-familial trends as being especially anti-human and contrary to social life.
• To compare and contrast the Roman Magisterium's social doctrine with the modern expressions of the Russian Orthodox Church (Bases of Social Concept), and the Patriarchate of Constantinople (the latter, especially in terms of ecological awareness).
• To articulate the common thread and the development of the Church's teaching on wealth from Scripture to the present.

(2 hours; 1 semester)

(Lozinskyy)

The course focuses not only on the basic content of the Pauline writings (Acts as well as 13 New Testaments letters attributed to the Apostle Paul) but also the skills required to read, interpret, discuss and critically assess these passages in a manner appropriate to intelligent people of faith. Students pay particular attention to Paul's unique perspective on the nature and person of the resurrected Jesus in order to enrich our understanding of Jesus in the early church as well as today. The course is intended to foster the students' development of a personal, loving relationship with God while at the same time providing a solid scriptural foundation for later pastoral ministry or academic study. Students in this course will develop the following skills:

• Reading Pauline literature spiritually and historically as well as critically.
• Understanding Pauline literature in its historical and theological context through an historical-critical lens as well as with the eyes of faith.
• Reading critically and writing about important issues in contemporary Eastern Christian Biblical study.
• Beginning to articulate the Catholic view of Pauline themes in the current context.

Prerequisite: SS 100

(3 hours; 1 semester)