Graduate Registration

APO 512-2 Catholic Apologetics Karlo Broussard
This course introduces the student to the art of fulfilling this biblical mandate to cogently and convincingly explain and defend Christian truth, and focuses on the “what” and “how” of apologetics to present a compelling defense of the Faith.

APO 512-3 Catholic Apologetics Karlo Broussard
This course introduces the student to the art of fulfilling this biblical mandate to cogently and convincingly explain and defend Christian truth, and focuses on the “what” and “how” of apologetics to present a compelling defense of the Faith.

APO 535-2 Moral Apologetics Karlo Broussard
The Church’s moral teachings, especially those related to life and sexuality, are constantly under attack so Catholics must be ready to provide a gracious and compelling defense of these doctrines. In the first part of this course we will learn how to defend the Church’s teachings on marriage and sexuality and how to refute objections to those teachings. In the second part of this course we will tackle life issues like abortion, euthanasia, and embryo research and learn how to provide a rational defense of the Church’s teachings on these issues.

APO/PAS 631-2 Social Media and the New Evangelization Jad Chlouk
This course explores the history, trends, and issues related to the Catholic Church and its use of media for social communications. Students discuss how the media is “social” and how this can be used to “introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the face of Christ” (Pope Benedict XVI, Message for 44th World Communications Day, 2010).

CLA 703-2 Canon Law and the Sacraments Philippe Yates
This course reviews the theological and philosophical foundation of Church Law and Sacraments and their practical application. It concentrates on the needs of the deacon, focusing on parish ministry. The course will emphasize the law of the Latin (Western) Church, but will recognize the laws of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and the need for Latin ministers to be sensitive to the rights of Eastern Catholics. The course will outline the theological underpinnings of the law and sacraments of the Church, their content and their practical application, “bearing in mind the health of souls, which in the Church must always be the supreme law.” (c. 1752).

DTH 512-2 Spiritual Life in the Classics Melissa Mitchell
This course provides a study of the great spiritual writers with an emphasis on how the beautiful images and concepts in such classics can help us grow in our own union with God, and in our love of those we encounter in friendship, family, work and mission.

DTH 645-2 Nature and Grace Joshua Madden
This course is designed to give the student a comprehensive view of the Catholic teaching on nature and grace, especially as presented by St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Matthias Scheeben. Topics to be covered include: the nature of the human person; the natural desire to see God; the biblical presentation of the mystery of divine grace; the mystery of predestination; Aquinas on law; the Council of Trent on the mystery of grace against the reformers; the modern controversies on the relation between nature and grace and the supernatural; etc.

DTH 760-2 Theology of the Church Matthew Vander Vennet
This course investigates the nature and characteristics of the Church, its attributes, its structures, its mission and its relation to the world, and the development of Catholic thought concerning ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

PAS 507-2 Contemporary Youth Culture William O’Leary
This course explores the culture of contemporary youth and its ramifications for catechesis. Students prepare to encounter the learner who is immersed in the secular, post-modern milieu. Families in contemporary culture, peer expectations, and the influence of media are addressed.

PAS 581-2 History and Foundations of Catechesis Edward Trendowski
This course will examine the roots and history of catechesis, starting from early foundations of faith formation in the Jewish tradition, exploring the teaching of the faith in the New Testament and early Church, and continuing through the modern era. Students will become acquainted with the foundational documents of catechesis and their application to religious education in parishes and schools. Offered online every other fall during the even years.

PAS 602-2 Fundamentals of Practical Theology Marianne Siegmund
Practical, or pastoral theology, is the “practical application of scientific theology to the care of souls in the sacred ministry” (John A. Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary). Unfortunately, in today’s world, the “unrestricted application of scientific methods to matters of faith appears to be sheer presumption, whereby man oversteps his limits and undermines his own foundations” (Joseph Ratzinger, The Nature and Mission of Theology, 8). Consequently, practical theology must first be grounded in theology itself. Firmly rooted in “scientific theology,” the course seeks to apply the doctrinal truths of the Faith to various pastoral situations confronting today’s minister. Since Sacred Scripture is to “inspire all pastoral work,” this course copiously invokes it (Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini #73).

PAS 621-2 Pastoral Care of Marriage and Family Fr. Gregory Lockwood
This course will explore marriage as a spousal covenant from the biblical and traditional perspectives and consider how to minister to families, using as a basic text John Paul II’s Magisterial Document, Familiaris consortio. Modern challenges to marriage will also be addressed.

PAS 785-2 Pastoral Issues Concerning Human Sexuality Edward Trendowski
This course addresses the meaning of human sexuality, education, and integration of emotion, sexual aberrations, relationship skills such as intra- and inter-personal skills, personal freedom skills, sexuality and spirituality, human sexuality and eschatology.

PHE/MTH 841-2 Catholic Social Teachings Joshua Madden
This course traces major themes in Catholic social teachings by using the U.S. Bishops’ document, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, and includes topics therein.

PHE 505-2 Narrative and the Moral Life Melissa Mitchell
This course examines the ethical influence of stories by focusing on philosophical analyses of narrative and moral life. Topics may include: the sources and limits of narratives’ moral power; their nature and structure; principles for the ethical evaluation of stories and their readers; and stories in Catholic spirituality.

PHE 610-2 Ethics Nathan Metzger
This course studies the principles of ethics from a Thomistic and phenomenological perspective, including criteria for making moral choices and a refutation of situation ethics, and addresses social justice, abortion, war and peace and sexual ethics.

PHE 610-3 Ethics Nathan Metzger
This course studies the principles of ethics from a Thomistic and phenomenological perspective including criteria for making moral choices and a refutation of situation ethics, and addresses social justice, abortion, war and peace and sexual ethics.

PHE 775-2 Political Philosophy Eric Manchester
This course seeks to introduce students to political philosophy by undertaking a critical historical study of the most influential works (ancient, medieval, and modern) of the Western tradition. Students will study and analyze the fundamental issues that have shaped the debate throughout the centuries, including the nature of justice, law and liberty, power and authority, political equality, human rights, and the relation of Church and the state.

PHH 605-2 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Timothy Smith
This course covers some of the most important figures and themes of Ancient & Medieval philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, the nature of man, education, the ultimate end of human activity, the meaning of life, God, Providence, and faith and reason.

PHH 605-3 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Andrew Parrish
This course covers some of the most important figures and themes of Ancient & Medieval philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, the nature of man, education, the ultimate end of human activity, the meaning of life, God, Providence, and faith and reason.

PHH 620-2 Modern & Contemporary Philosophy Randall Colton
This course is an historical introduction to the thought and texts of principal modern philosophers from Descartes to Hegel and of principal contemporary philosophers from Kierkegaard to the present.

PHH 650-2 Recent Catholic Philosophy Melissa Mitchell
This course introduces important Catholic philosophers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who responded to the cultural, scientific, philosophical, and theological ideas of the times and defended the philosophical underpinnings of the Catholic faith.

PHH 651-2 Aristotle John Finley
This course is an examination of Aristotle’s thought. Aristotle is an especially important figure in the Catholic philosophical tradition, given his prominence in the works of St. Thomas Aquinas. The course seeks to understand his philosophical positions and his way of doing philosophy. The main text is Aristotle’s On the Soul (De Anima), along with significant selections from Categories, Nicomachean Ethics, and Poetics.

PHH 781-2 Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas Andrew Parrish
This course covers Aquinas on medieval education, the rise of universities, faith and reason, Aristotelian thought, Aquinas on the world and man, man as a moral agent, the meaning of life, the ultimate end of human action, the difference between knowledge and faith; God.

PHS 621-2 Philosophy of Nature and Metaphysics Timothy Smith
This course explores the fundamental aspects of the natural world knowable to philosophy and science, including a discussion of the methodology and limits of the scientific and philosophical methods, along with the metaphysics of Aristotle; presuppositions of metaphysics, the subject matter of metaphysics, the scandal of generality, substance and essence, from finite to Infinite Being, the nature of existence, the names of God.

PHS 621-3 Philosophy of Nature and Metaphysics John Stefanczyk
This course explores the fundamental aspects of the natural world knowable to philosophy and science, including a discussion of the methodology and limits of the scientific and philosophical methods, along with the metaphysics of Aristotle; presuppositions of metaphysics, the subject matter of metaphysics, the scandal of generality, substance and essence, from finite to Infinite Being, the nature of existence, and the names of God.

PHS 660-2 Natural Theology Timothy Smith
This course examines arguments for the existence of God, His nature and relation to the world and man.

PHS 671-2 Aesthetics Michael Rubin
This course explores the various elements of Aesthetics in “Sacred Christian Art”, in comparison with secular Christian Arts of religious themes, and in comparison with Art in general. We learn the specifics of Christian theological, doctrinal, theosophical and philosophical thought foundations as they relate to Aesthetics in Sacred Arts and examine their evolution through the ages. (SAI 471)

DTH 731-2 One and Triune God Matthew Vander Vennet
This course is a doctrinal study of the nature and attributes of God as known by revelation and reason. The God we know and love is One and Three. Topics in this course address both the unity of God and the three-ness of God. The work of St. Thomas Aquinas is used to expose students to these truths to be believed and to form a foundation for further growth and study. This course is a prerequisite to DTH 751 Christology.

PHS 781-2 Thomistic Personalism: Knowledge and Love Sr. Mary Veronica Sabelli
The course seeks to demonstrate that personalism can be effectively grounded in the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. It presents Thomistic personalism as that which successfully addresses all the essential issues concerning the human person.

APO 535-2 Moral Apologetics Karlo Broussard
The Church’s moral teachings, especially those related to life and sexuality, are constantly under attack so Catholics must be ready to provide a gracious and compelling defense of these doctrines. In the first part of this course we will learn how to defend the Church’s teachings on marriage and sexuality and how to refute objections to those teachings. In the second part of this course we will tackle life issues like abortion, euthanasia, and embryo research and learn how to provide a rational defense of the Church’s teachings on these issues.

APO/PAS 631-2 Social Media and the New Evangelization Jad Chlouk
This course explores the history, trends, and issues related to the Catholic Church and its use of media for social communications. Students discuss how the media is “social” and how this can be used to “introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the face of Christ” (Pope Benedict XVI, Message for 44th World Communications Day, 2010).

BIE 639-2 Bioethics and the Law Benjamin Parks
This course introduces basic constitutional, statutory, and regulatory law related to bioethics. United States Supreme Court case law is a central component of the course. The course will examine the development of constitutional substantive due process, privacy, individual autonomy, and equal protection. The structure of American constitutional government, the separation of powers, the protection of individual liberties, and related political and philosophical foundations are examined.

BIE 750-2 Magisterial Teaching Related to Major Catholic Bioethics Issues Lucy Knouse
This course is a study of Magisterial and Church documents that provide the basis of many Catholic Church bioethics teachings. By taking this course, students will understand the continuity of Church teaching over time on matters of chastity, marriage, and respect for life as well as have an opportunity to synthesize their understanding for their own appreciation, for future study and for their work in evangelizing the culture.

BIE 796-2 Bioethics in the Post-Christian Culture Hermann Frieboes
This course examines the relationship between Catholic bioethics and secular culture.

CHH 635-2 Syriac Fathers of the Church Fr. Patrick Kassab
This course is an introduction to the Syriac Fathers of the Church, from the first century until the seventh. It provides an overview of the life and writings of four Syriac Fathers: Aphrahat the Persian Sage, Ephrem the Syriac, Jacob of Serugh, and Isaac the Syrian. In addition, this course analyzes the theological thought of each of these Fathers. The course will immerse learners in early Syriac theology in its context, taking into consideration the particularities of the Semitic method of expression. Throughout lessons, learners will discuss texts, allowing them to value the richness of this old tradition, and to identify its influence on Eastern, as well as Western liturgies, theology, spirituality, and sacred art.

CHH 881-2 Patristics John Joy
This course surveys selected writings from the principal Fathers of the Church. The focus is on the development of Catholic Doctrine from the Apostolic Fathers to St. Gregory the Great, with emphasis on the Trinitarian and Christological questions.

CLA 703-2 Canon Law and the Sacraments Philippe Yates
This course reviews the theological and philosophical foundation of Church Law and Sacraments and their practical application. It concentrates on the needs of the deacon, focusing on parish ministry. The course will emphasize the law of the Latin (Western) Church, but will recognize the laws of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and the need for Latin ministers to be sensitive to the rights of Eastern Catholics. The course will outline the theological underpinnings of the law and sacraments of the Church, their content and their practical application, “bearing in mind the health of souls, which in the Church must always be the supreme law.” (c. 1752).

DTH 512-2 Spiritual Life in the Classics Melissa Mitchell
This course provides a study of the great spiritual writers with an emphasis on how the beautiful images and concepts in such classics can help us grow in our own union with God, and in our love of those we encounter in friendship, family, work and mission.

DTH 600-2 Faith and Revelation Marianne Siegmund
This course will provide an exploration of the teachings of the Church on the mysteries of faith and revelation, through the study of related Magisterial documents and various writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Topics include: the meaning of Revelation; the relationship between Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium; the relationship between faith and reason; the necessity, character, and effects of grace; the object, act, and virtue of faith; sins against faith; and the nature and mission of theology.

DTH 600-3 Faith and Revelation Marianne Siegmund
This course will provide an exploration of the teachings of the Church on the mysteries of faith and revelation, through the study of related Magisterial documents and various writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Topics include: the meaning of Revelation; the relationship between Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium; the relationship between faith and reason; the necessity, character, and effects of grace; the object, act, and virtue of faith; sins against faith; and the nature and mission of theology.

DTH 641-2 First Things and End Times Edmund Lazzari
This course studies God as the Creator of all things and the relation of created things to Him. The four last things (death, judgment, heaven and hell) are related to Him as the fulfillment of man and nature, the end of His saving plan.

DTH 645-2 Nature and Grace Joshua Madden
This course is designed to give the student a comprehensive view of the Catholic teaching on nature and grace, especially as presented by St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Matthias Scheeben. Topics to be covered include: the nature of the human person; the natural desire to see God; the biblical presentation of the mystery of divine grace; the mystery of predestination; Aquinas on law; the Council of Trent on the mystery of grace against the reformers; the modern controversies on the relation between nature and grace and the supernatural; etc.

DTH 731-2 One and Triune God Matthew Vander Vennet
This course is a doctrinal study of the nature and attributes of God as known by revelation and reason. The God we know and love is One and Three. Topics in this course address both the unity of God and the three-ness of God. The work of St. Thomas Aquinas is used to expose students to these truths to be believed and to form a foundation for further growth and study. This course is a prerequisite to DTH 751 Christology.

DTH 751-2 Christology Fr. Yosyp Veresh
This course considers the person of Jesus Christ and the theology of the Incarnation, with particular attention to the development of Christological doctrine and to the theology of Thomas Aquinas. Students registering for Christology must have already completed DTH 731 One and Triune God.

DTH 760-2 Theology of the Church Matthew Vander Vennet
This course investigates the nature and characteristics of the Church, its attributes, its structures, its mission and its relation to the world, and the development of Catholic thought concerning ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

DTH 765-2 Mariology Fr. Gregory Lockwood
This course studies how Marian theology has developed in time. This historical approach to Marian Theology will be supplemented with careful study of Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange’s classical text on Mary, Mother of the Savior: And Our Interior Life.

DTH 800-2 The Seven Sacraments Fr. Thomas Crean
This course explores the concept and nature of “sacrament” in general and then each of the seven sacraments of the Church in particular (the fundamentals of each sacrament’s doctrine and theology, the rites for celebrating the sacraments, the historical development of each sacrament and current issues and debates surrounding the sacraments).

ENG 890-2 Summative Evaluation: Comprehensive Exam & Professional Paper (Theology) James Gentile
This course prepares M.A. Theology students to pass the oral-comprehensive exam in Dogmatic and Moral Theology during Final Exam Week and to write a ten-page professional paper in the student’s concentration. The professional paper will be written under the direction of an advisor the semester after passing the ENG 890 oral exam.

MTH 611-2 Fundamental Moral Theology I John O’Neill
This course presents fundamental moral principles from the perspective of the classical Catholic moral tradition especially as represented by Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II. Primary questions include the end of man, human acts, moral determinants, freedom, sin, moral responsibility, and conscience.

MTH 613-2 Cardinal Virtues John Joy
The cardinal virtues play a decisive role in the life of the human person and in the study of moral theology.This course follows St. Thomas Aquinas’ treatment of the cardinal virtues in his Summa Theologiae II-II with supplementary readings from the Thomist philosopher Josef Pieper. The virtue of Religion receives special treatment in connection with the virtue of Justice alongside the other cardinal virtues of Prudence, Fortitude, and Temperance.

MTH 614-2 Theological Virtues John O’Neill
This course leads students further in the area of Moral Theology by beginning to treat matters in detail, having already learned the more fundamental and universal principles of morals. The details of moral life treat actions in particular and are ordered according to the virtues. It will cover the three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, which are at the very heart and center of the Christian life.

PHE/MTH 680-2 Marriage & the Theology of the Body Lucy Knouse
This course approaches marriage from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering the biblical foundations for the Theology of the Body as expressed in the works of St. John Paul II, seeking to relate the Theology of the Body in the practical encounters of life, love and Marriage, and introduces Catholic sexual ethics using the work of John Paul II, and examines the significant philosophical thought of Karol Wojtyla on this topic in his Love and Responsibility and Theology of the Body.

PHE/MTH 841-2 Catholic Social Teachings Joshua Madden
This course traces major themes in Catholic social teachings by using the U.S. Bishops’ document, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions and includes topics therein.

PHS 607-2 Perennial Philosophy Matthew DuBroy
This is a foundational philosophy course for the graduate student of theology. While various philosophical concepts will be presented, the majority of the course material will point toward the application of philosophy to the theology of the Catholic Church. For the student who has some philosophical background, this course remains essential for understanding the terminology used in Catholic theology (e.g., cause, effect, form, matter, substance, accident, nature, essence, existence, relation, science, wisdom). Topics include why philosophy is necessary for theology, the history of philosophy, anthropology, ethics, logic, metaphysics and social philosophy.

PHS 607-3 Perennial Philosophy Matthew DuBroy
This is a foundational philosophy course for the graduate student of theology. While various philosophical concepts will be presented, the majority of the course material will point toward the application of philosophy to the theology of the Catholic Church. For the student who has some philosophical background, this course remains essential for understanding the terminology used in Catholic theology (e.g., cause, effect, form, matter, substance, accident, nature, essence, existence, relation, science, wisdom). Topics include why philosophy is necessary for theology, the history of philosophy, anthropology, ethics, logic, metaphysics and social philosophy.

SAI 510-2 Introduction to Sacred Music Marguerite Mullee
Throughout Church history, liturgical music has been a source of prayerful beauty and mysticism. By listening to sacred music, reading essays, and discussing and studying musical trends during different time periods, students will explore the historical and religious forces that have shaped Christian liturgical music in Western Europe and the United States.

SAS 602-2 The Soul of Theology John Joy
Sacred Scripture is the soul of theology. This course lays the foundation for the study of the Sacred Page by examining the most important concepts for a theological understanding of Scripture, by establishing firm principles for its interpretation, and by considering its use in the science of Theology. Central topics include divine revelation, tradition, magisterium, inspiration, inerrancy, literal and spiritual senses, development of the canon, texts and editions, and the use of Scripture in theology and in prayer (lectio divina).

SAS 602-3 The Soul of Theology John Solheid
Sacred Scripture is the soul of theology. This course lays the foundation for the study of the Sacred Page by examining the most important concepts for a theological understanding of Scripture, by establishing firm principles for its interpretation, and by considering its use in the science of Theology. Central topics include divine revelation, tradition, magisterium, inspiration, inerrancy, literal and spiritual senses, development of the canon, texts and editions, and the use of Scripture in theology and in prayer (lectio divina).

SAS 714-2 Wisdom Books Nathan Schmiedicke
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Old Testament wisdom books. Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to wisdom literature as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. Emphasis will be placed upon the relationship between “wisdom” and Torah, the practical instruction wisdom literature offers to those who seek God in the face of suffering and death, and Jesus Christ as the ultimate source, goal, and embodiment of the wisdom tradition.

SAS 715-2 Prophets Nathan Schmiedicke
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Old Testament prophetic books. Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to prophetic literature as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. Emphasis will be placed upon the nature of prophecy, the dramatic actions of the prophets, prophetic commentary on the meaning and fulfillment of the Law, and the eschatological dimension of prophecy which finds its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

SAS 716-2 Gospels Matthew Ramage
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to the gospels as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. The course will examine the Gospels as individual works while simultaneously highlighting their historical and theological unity, centered in their common proclamation of the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

SAS 716-3 Gospels Matthew Ramage
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to the gospels as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. The course will examine the Gospels as individual works while simultaneously highlighting their historical and theological unity, centered in their common proclamation of the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

SAS 718-2 St. Paul Leroy Huizenga
This course studies the life and mission of St. Paul. It will also examine the content, composition, structure, purpose, and historical background of the Pauline epistles (Romans, I-II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I-II Thessalonians, I-II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews). Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretations of St. Paul’s letters as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition.

SAS 720-2 Biblical Theology Joshua Madden
This course is designed to facilitate and reinforce the theological reading of Sacred Scripture, seeing the biblical text as a privileged witness to divine providence and the Christian mystery. This course serves to guide the student in understanding Sacra Scriptura as Sacra Doctrina. The student will be introduced to the nature and goals of biblical theology, and will be introduced to a number of essential topics related to the proper reading and interpretation of Scripture for the sake of sacra doctrina. Specific topics include, but are not limited to, the following: philosophy and exegesis; inspiration and inerrancy; the four senses of Scripture; reading biblical narrative and poetry; typology; death and the afterlife in Israel; the spousal nature of covenant; anthropomorphic language of the divine; patristic and medieval exegesis; etc.

GRK 501-2 Greek I Hannah Murphy
This course equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to make a confident start in reading the New Testament in Greek. It introduces the most relevant grammar and syntax, and 80% of all vocabulary used in the New Testament, in a step-by-step fashion. Using material drawn from the New Testament itself, students will have the opportunity to begin to use their knowledge of Greek to study the New Testament Scriptures in depth.

GRK 503-2 Greek Exegesis Paul Watkins
In this course, building on our first-year grammar of NT Greek, we will advance to the next level: learning how to use Greek to interpret NT texts. The first half of the course will take us to an intermediate-level proficiency with Greek grammar and syntax, continuing to build vocabulary and familiarizing us with more advanced concepts. In the second half of the course, we will walk step-by-step through the full process of exegesis, using our improved Greek skills to methodically draw out meaning from various passages from the book of Ephesians. As we do so, we will become acquainted with and gain experience utilizing the subdisciplines, tools and contemporary methodologies that enable serious exegetical work in the New Testament. Prerequisites: Greek I-II

HEB 501-2 Hebrew I Geoffrey Ludvik
This course is designed to introduce the students to the basics of biblical Hebrew. It is the first of three courses designed to give the student the skills necessary to read the Old Testament with pleasure and understanding. It will also provide the linguistic basis to pursue advanced scholarly work in Old Testament studies.

HEB 503-2 Hebrew Exegesis Geoffrey Ludvik
This course is an introduction to the methods and tools used in Old Testament exegesis. Students will use their mastery of biblical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary to develop the skills of critical interpretation as they now read the Old Testament more fluently and competently. Using a variety of Old Testament passages, and following the sound rules of interpretation, students will gain experience of working towards a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture. Prerequisites: Hebrew I-II

PHS 607-2 Perennial Philosophy Matthew DuBroy
This is a foundational philosophy course for the graduate student of theology. While various philosophical concepts will be presented, the majority of the course material will point toward the application of philosophy to the theology of the Catholic Church. For the student who has some philosophical background, this course remains essential for understanding the terminology used in Catholic theology (e.g., cause, effect, form, matter, substance, accident, nature, essence, existence, relation, science, wisdom). Topics include why philosophy is necessary for theology, the history of philosophy, anthropology, ethics, logic, metaphysics and social philosophy.

PHS 607-3 Perennial Philosophy Matthew DuBroy
This is a foundational philosophy course for the graduate student of theology. While various philosophical concepts will be presented, the majority of the course material will point toward the application of philosophy to the theology of the Catholic Church. For the student who has some philosophical background, this course remains essential for understanding the terminology used in Catholic theology (e.g., cause, effect, form, matter, substance, accident, nature, essence, existence, relation, science, wisdom). Topics include why philosophy is necessary for theology, the history of philosophy, anthropology, ethics, logic, metaphysics and social philosophy.

SAS 602-2 The Soul of Theology John Joy
Sacred Scripture is the soul of theology. This course lays the foundation for the study of the Sacred Page by examining the most important concepts for a theological understanding of Scripture, by establishing firm principles for its interpretation, and by considering its use in the science of Theology. Central topics include divine revelation, tradition, magisterium, inspiration, inerrancy, literal and spiritual senses, development of the canon, texts and editions, and the use of Scripture in theology and in prayer (lectio divina).

SAS 602-3 The Soul of Theology John Solheid
Sacred Scripture is the soul of theology. This course lays the foundation for the study of the Sacred Page by examining the most important concepts for a theological understanding of Scripture, by establishing firm principles for its interpretation, and by considering its use in the science of Theology. Central topics include divine revelation, tradition, magisterium, inspiration, inerrancy, literal and spiritual senses, development of the canon, texts and editions, and the use of Scripture in theology and in prayer (lectio divina).

SAS 712-2 Pentateuch Nathan Schmiedicke
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the books of the Pentateuch. Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to the Pentateuch as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. Emphasis will be placed upon the historical, theological, legal, and ceremonial aspects of the Pentateuch, as well as upon themes of creation, sin, and the redemption of Jesus Christ both promised and foreshadowed in the lives of the Patriarchs and in the precepts of the Law.

SAS 714-2 Wisdom Books Nathan Schmiedicke
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Old Testament wisdom books. Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to wisdom literature as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. Emphasis will be placed upon the relationship between “wisdom” and Torah, the practical instruction wisdom literature offers to those who seek God in the face of suffering and death, and Jesus Christ as the ultimate source, goal, and embodiment of the wisdom tradition.

SAS 715-2 Prophets Nathan Schmiedicke
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Old Testament prophetic books. Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to prophetic literature as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. Emphasis will be placed upon the nature of prophecy, the dramatic actions of the prophets, prophetic commentary on the meaning and fulfillment of the Law, and the eschatological dimension of prophecy which finds its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

SAS 716-2 Gospels Matthew Ramage
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to the gospels as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. The course will examine the Gospels as individual works while simultaneously highlighting their historical and theological unity, centered in their common proclamation of the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

SAS 716-3 Gospels Matthew Ramage
This course is a study of the content, background, purpose, composition, and structure of the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretive approaches to the gospels as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition. The course will examine the Gospels as individual works while simultaneously highlighting their historical and theological unity, centered in their common proclamation of the life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

SAS 718-2 St. Paul Leroy Huizenga
This course studies the life and mission of St. Paul. It will also examine the content, composition, structure, purpose, and historical background of the Pauline epistles (Romans, I-II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I-II Thessalonians, I-II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews). Students will be introduced to a variety of patristic, medieval, and contemporary interpretations of St. Paul’s letters as found in the rich Catholic spiritual and intellectual tradition.

SAS 720-2 Biblical Theology Joshua Madden
This course is designed to facilitate and reinforce the theological reading of Sacred Scripture, seeing the biblical text as a privileged witness to divine providence and the Christian mystery. This course serves to guide the student in understanding Sacra Scriptura as Sacra Doctrina. The student will be introduced to the nature and goals of biblical theology, and will be introduced to a number of essential topics related to the proper reading and interpretation of Scripture for the sake of sacra doctrina. Specific topics include, but are not limited to, the following: philosophy and exegesis; inspiration and inerrancy; the four senses of Scripture; reading biblical narrative and poetry; typology; death and the afterlife in Israel; the spousal nature of covenant; anthropomorphic language of the divine; patristic and medieval exegesis; etc.

APO 512-2 Catholic Apologetics Karlo Broussard
This course introduces the student to the art of fulfilling this biblical mandate to cogently and convincingly explain and defend Christian truth, and focuses on the “what” and “how” of apologetics to present a compelling defense of the Faith.

APO 512-3 Catholic Apologetics Karlo Broussard
This course introduces the student to the art of fulfilling this biblical mandate to cogently and convincingly explain and defend Christian truth, and focuses on the “what” and “how” of apologetics to present a compelling defense of the Faith.

APO 535-2 Moral Apologetics Karlo Broussard
The Church’s moral teachings, especially those related to life and sexuality, are constantly under attack so Catholics must be ready to provide a gracious and compelling defense of these doctrines. In the first part of this course we will learn how to defend the Church’s teachings on marriage and sexuality and how to refute objections to those teachings. In the second part of this course we will tackle life issues like abortion, euthanasia, and embryo research and learn how to provide a rational defense of the Church’s teachings on these issues.

CHH 635-2 Syriac Fathers of the Church Fr. Patrick Kassab
This course is an introduction to the Syriac Fathers of the Church, from the first century until the seventh. It provides an overview of the life and writings of four Syriac Fathers: Aphrahat the Persian Sage, Ephrem the Syriac, Jacob of Serugh, and Isaac the Syrian. In addition, this course analyzes the theological thought of each of these Fathers. The course will immerse learners in early Syriac theology in its context, taking into consideration the particularities of the Semitic method of expression. Throughout lessons, learners will discuss texts, allowing them to value the richness of this old tradition, and to identify its influence on Eastern, as well as Western liturgies, theology, spirituality, and sacred art.

CLA 703-2 Canon Law and the Sacraments Philippe Yates
This course reviews the theological and philosophical foundation of Church Law and Sacraments and their practical application. It concentrates on the needs of the deacon, focusing on parish ministry. The course will emphasize the law of the Latin (Western) Church, but will recognize the laws of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and the need for Latin ministers to be sensitive to the rights of Eastern Catholics. The course will outline the theological underpinnings of the law and sacraments of the Church, their content and their practical application, “bearing in mind the health of souls, which in the Church must always be the supreme law.” (c. 1752).

DTH 512-2 Spiritual Life in the Classics Melissa Mitchell
This course provides a study of the great spiritual writers with an emphasis on how the beautiful images and concepts in such classics can help us grow in our own union with God, and in our love of those we encounter in friendship, family, work and mission.

DTH 731-2 One and Triune God Matthew Vander Vennet
This course is a doctrinal study of the nature and attributes of God as known by revelation and reason. The God we know and love is One and Three. Topics in this course address both the unity of God and the three-ness of God. The work of St. Thomas Aquinas is used to expose students to these truths to be believed and to form a foundation for further growth and study. This course is a prerequisite to DTH 751 Christology.

DTH 751-2 Christology Fr. Yosyp Veresh
This course considers the person of Jesus Christ and the theology of the Incarnation, with particular attention to the development of Christological doctrine and to the theology of Thomas Aquinas. Students registering for Christology must have already completed DTH 731 One and Triune God.

DTH 760-2 Theology of the Church Matthew Vander Vennet
This course investigates the nature and characteristics of the Church, its attributes, its structures, its mission and its relation to the world, and the development of Catholic thought concerning ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

DTH 800-2 The Seven Sacraments Fr. Thomas Crean
This course explores the concept and nature of “sacrament” in general and then each of the seven sacraments of the Church in particular (the fundamentals of each sacrament’s doctrine and theology, the rites for celebrating the sacraments, the historical development of each sacrament and current issues and debates surrounding the sacraments).

MTH 611-2 Fundamental Moral Theology I John O’Neill
This course presents fundamental moral principles from the perspective of the classical Catholic moral tradition especially as represented by Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II. Primary questions include the end of man, human acts, moral determinants, freedom, sin, moral responsibility, and conscience.

PAS 581-2 History and Foundations of Catechesis Edward Trendowski
This course will examine the roots and history of catechesis, starting from early foundations of faith formation in the Jewish tradition, exploring the teaching of the faith in the New Testament and early Church, and continuing through the modern era. Students will become acquainted with the foundational documents of catechesis and their application to religious education in parishes and schools. Offered online every other fall during the even years.

PAS 602-2 Fundamentals of Practical Theology Marianne Siegmund
Practical, or pastoral theology is the “practical application of scientific theology to the care of souls in the sacred ministry” (John A. Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary). Unfortunately, in today’s world, the “unrestricted application of scientific methods to matters of faith appears to be sheer presumption, whereby man oversteps his limits and undermines his own foundations” (Joseph Ratzinger, The Nature and Mission of Theology, 8). Consequently, practical theology must first be grounded in theology itself. Firmly rooted in “scientific theology,” the course seeks to apply the doctrinal truths of the Faith to various pastoral situations confronting today’s minister. Since Sacred Scripture is to “inspire all pastoral work,” this course copiously invokes it (Benedict XVI Verbum Domini #73).

PAS 621-2 Pastoral Care of Marriage and Family Fr. Gregory Lockwood
This course will explore marriage as a spousal covenant from the biblical and traditional perspectives and consider how to minister to families, using as a basic text, John Paul II’s Magisterial Document, Familiaris consortio. Modern challenges to marriage will also be addressed.

PAS 785-2 Pastoral Issues Concerning Human Sexuality Edward Trendowski
This course addresses the meaning of human sexuality, education and integration of emotion, sexual aberrations, relationship skills such as intra- and inter-personal skills, personal freedom skills, sexuality and spirituality, human sexuality and eschatology.

PHS 607-2 Perennial Philosophy Matthew DuBroy
This is a foundational philosophy course for the graduate student of theology. While various philosophical concepts will be presented, the majority of the course material will point toward the application of philosophy to the theology of the Catholic Church. For the student who has some philosophical background, this course remains essential for understanding the terminology used in Catholic theology (e.g., cause, effect, form, matter, substance, accident, nature, essence, existence, relation, science, wisdom). Topics include why philosophy is necessary for theology, the history of philosophy, anthropology, ethics, logic, metaphysics and social philosophy.

PHS 607-3 Perennial Philosophy Matthew DuBroy
This is a foundational philosophy course for the graduate student of theology. While various philosophical concepts will be presented, the majority of the course material will point toward the application of philosophy to the theology of the Catholic Church. For the student who has some philosophical background, this course remains essential for understanding the terminology used in Catholic theology (e.g., cause, effect, form, matter, substance, accident, nature, essence, existence, relation, science, wisdom). Topics include why philosophy is necessary for theology, the history of philosophy, anthropology, ethics, logic, metaphysics and social philosophy.