Previous Years' Course Catalogues

This course will examine how Christians and Christian traditions have understood and justified the first "mark of the Church", her unity. This will include an examination of the historical constraints on such understandings. Key writings from the early Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Western traditions(Catholic and Protestant), and ecumenical authors will be read.

This course explores key Eastern Christian texts in the area of liturgical and sacramental theology - from the fourth to twentieth century. We begin with the Eastern mystagogical catecheses (Cyril of Jerusalem, Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia) proceed through Byzantine patristic texts (Ps.-Dionysius, Maximus, Germanus, the Damascene, Symeon the New Theologican and Nicholas Cabasilas), then review Ukrainian scholastic texts (Mohyla and Dmitry Tuptalo) and conclude with a sampling of modem Russian and Greek Orthodox writings, including Bulgakov and Zizioulas. Two contemporary "bookends" for these classical formulations will be the seminal works of David W. Fagerberg and Jean Corbon. The latter two authors will help in the evaluation of how these texts speak to the search for meaning- both personal and communal - among contemporary seekers and believers.

This course explores key Eastern Christian texts in the area of liturgical and sacramental theology - from the fourth to twentieth century. We begin with the Eastern mystagogical catecheses (Cyril of Jerusalem, Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia) proceed through Byzantine patristic texts (Ps.-Dionysius, Maximus, Germanus, the Damascene, Symeon the New Theologican and Nicholas Cabasilas), then review Ukrainian scholastic texts (Mohyla and Dmitry Tuptalo) and conclude with a sampling of modem Russian and Greek Orthodox writings, including Bulgakov and Zizioulas. Two contemporary "bookends" for these classical formulations will be the seminal works of David W. Fagerberg and Jean Corbon. The latter two authors will help in the evaluation of how these texts speak to the search for meaning- both personal and communal - among contemporary seekers and believers.

This course explores key Eastern Christian texts in the area of liturgical and sacramental theology - from the fourth to twentieth century. We begin with the Eastern mystagogical catecheses (Cyril of Jerusalem, Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia) proceed through Byzantine patristic texts (Ps.-Dionysius, Maximus, Germanus, the Damascene, Symeon the New Theologican and Nicholas Cabasilas), then review Ukrainian scholastic texts (Mohyla and Dmitry Tuptalo) and conclude with a sampling of modem Russian and Greek Orthodox writings, including Bulgakov and Zizioulas. Two contemporary "bookends" for these classical formulations will be the seminal works of David W. Fagerberg and Jean Corbon. The latter two authors will help in the evaluation of how these texts speak to the search for meaning- both personal and communal - among contemporary seekers and believers.

The coruse will begin by a philisophical examination of the siciplines of hermeneutics and education separtely, and then bring them into relationship. The course will then moveto the principle that as all education is ultimately concerned with meaning and value, and why education is tehn a hermeneutical task. The course will offer students an opportunity to read across a number of texts, all divide accourding to themes as indicated above each set of readings. Students will be expected to be knowledgeable of these texts and be prepared to discuss them in class.

Students will study various aspects of Greco-Roman religions in the Hellenistic and Imperial periods with special emphasis on topics relevant to the study of first and second century Christ groups including voluntary religious associations, mystery religions, sacred laws, sacrifice, magic, healing and sacred manumission.

This course explores the distinctive contents, methods, and interests of traditional theological disciplines (biblical studies, church history, pastoral and systematic theology and ethics) as well as their interrelationships: What does each subdiscipline count as evidence?; How does it construct knowledge?; What cognate disciplines might extend its insights?; How does it engage the challenges, fears, and hope for the "globalized" world of the 21st century? Students will explore the task of theological research and writing through all its steps. Attention will be given to the use of scholarly research software and bibliographic tools, identification of appropriate methodology, and the value of interdisciplinarity. Lectures and seminars. Required of all MA students.

This course explores the distinctive contents, methods, and interests of traditional theological disciplines (biblical studies, church history, pastoral and systematic theology and ethics) as well as their interrelationships: What does each subdiscipline count as evidence?; How does it construct knowledge?; What cognate disciplines might extend its insights?; How does it engage the challenges, fears, and hope for the "globalized" world of the 21st century? Students will explore the task of theological research and writing through all its steps. Attention will be given to the use of scholarly research software and bibliographic tools, identification of appropriate methodology, and the value of interdisciplinarity.

Trends, key questions, and methods of research for advanced theological studies in biblical, historical, pastoral and systematic theology (including ethics). Bibliographic tools, electronic resources. Lectures and seminars. Required of all MA students. Readings, reaction papers, library/bibliographic assignment, short research paper.

This course explores the distinctive contents, methods, and  interests of traditional theological disciplines (biblical studies, church history, pastoral and systematic theology and ethics) as well as their interrelationships: What does each subdiscipline count as evidence?; How does it construct knowledge?; What cognate disciplines might extend its insights?; How does it engage the challenges, fears, and hope for the "globalized" world of the 21st century? Students will explore the task of theological research and writing through all its steps. Attention will be given to the use of scholarly research software and bibliographic tools, identification of appropriate methodology, and the value of interdisciplinarity. Lectures and seminars.  Required of all MA students.

This course explores the distinctive contents, methods, and interests of traditional theological disciplines (biblical studies, church history, pastoral and systematic theology and ethics) as well as their interrelationships: What does each subdiscipline count as evidence?; How does it construct knowledge?; What cognate disciplines might extend its insights?; How does it engage the challenges, fears, and hope for the "globalized" world of the 21st century? Students will explore the task of theological research and writing through all its steps. Attention will be given to the use of scholarly research software and bibliographic tools, identification of appropriate methodology, and the value of interdisciplinarity.

Christian thought and practice cannot be understood apart from Christian institutions. This course will consider a range of methodological and empirical matters related to Christianity's earliest institutional forms, and how such considerations are to be situated in relation to both theology and the social sciences. Special attention will be directed towards the Jewish origins of Christian institutions, especially the foundational role of the synagogue.