Online Courses for the 2012 Fall Session

An introduction to the foundations of Catholic moral reasoning and its application to select contemporary issues. Among the topics to be studied are scripture, tradition, natural law, relationship between faith & morality, moral norms, virtue and vice, freedom, conscience and magisterium, etc. Readings, lectures, discussions, short written assignments, final exam.

This introductory course examines the history of Christianity from the Peace of Westphalia (1648) to the end of the twentieth century. As will be demonstrated throughout the course, the major catalyst for change has been, and continues to be, the constant tension between the inherently static nature of the historic Church and the forces of modernity. Throughout the course we will see how modern culture, which includes but is not limited to, contemporary politics, philosophy, literature, and painting, exercised an overwhelming influence on the development of eighteenth-century, nineteenth-century, and twentieth-century Christianity. Two short research summaries submitted online (40%), participation (20%), final exam submitted online (40%)

This course is designed as an introduction to the field of Christian ethics, not as a cerebral and academic discipline but as a lived, embodied Christian reality. It is designed with the intent of providing the student with a framework through which to understand what it means to live as the church within the complexities of the social, moral, and political world of the 21st century. The themes of drama, narrative, acting, and especially "improvisation" provide the conceptual lens through which we will engage various ethical complexities such as genetic-bio-ethical issues, sexuality, family and marriage, pacifism and war, or ecological ethics. This will be an online course with a written lecture format, weekly readings, student participation in weekly discussion questions, one minor assignment, and a final major paper.

An introduction to the Book of Psalms with an emphasis on its spirituality. The following topics to be considered: creation, Israelite history and institute of kingship, communal pilgrimage, sacred space and time, covenant and law, messianic expectations, exile and restoration, individual and corporate worship, and biblical ethics as reflected in the Hebrew Psalter. The class will be also familiarized with the conventions of Hebrew poetry, the use of psalms in Jewish and Christian liturgy, the history of Psalms interpretation (particular attention will be paid to the New Testament and Patristic hermeneutics), canon, structure, authorship, and dating. The objective of this course is to help students to develop exegetical skills and apply those to the study of individual Psalms. A complete reading of the Book of Psalms is mandatory. Instructional methods: lecture notes, assigned readings, online participation, assignments, final paper.

Participants in the course will investigate and evaluate significant perspectives on the learning process in order to understand the assumptions of various theories and to interpret these from a biblically- informed standpoint. They will review current research into child development and learning (e.g. brain research, cognitive processes, multiple intelligences, learning styles ) in seeking to develop a coherent understanding of the relationships between various learning theories, on the basis of a Christian view of the person and of the knowledge. An action research project will enable participants to test an approach to learning that is relevant to their educational responsibilities. The course employs and extensive Study Guide, three books plus book chapters and journal articles, with an online discussion forum and Skype/ telephone conferencing. Participation in the forum and a professionally-oriented research paper will provide the basis for evaluation. Study Guide to accompany texts and readings; online discussion forum; Skype/ telephone conferencing. Online forum participation (30%); Research paper (70%).