Previous Years' Course Catalogues

This is a seminar in practical exegesis of the Thomistic writings. We will review: questions of historiography and historical context; medieval theory of language, including the practices of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric; pedagogical practices of the university; Aquinas' use of philosophical tools for understanding (Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics); key principles of theological method according to Aquinas (science, contemplation, wisdom); kinds of writings and their responsible exegesis. The seminar meets for three hours a week, and relies heavily on in-class exercises. In addition to students preparing for the disciplined theological or historical study of Aquinas, this seminar will be of interest to any student seeking to develop those skills that assist in the understanding of the great ancient and medieval classics of theology.

This is a seminar in practical exegesis of the Thomistic writings. We will review: questions of historiography and historical context; medieval theory of language, including the practices of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric; pedagogical practices of the university; Aquinas' use of philosophical tools for understanding (Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics); key principles of theological method according to Aquinas (science, contemplation, wisdom); kinds of writings and their responsible exegesis. The seminar meets for three hours a week, and relies heavily on in-class exercises. In addition to students preparing for the disciplined theological or historical study of Aquinas, this seminar will be of interest to any student seeking to develop those skills that assist in the understanding of the great ancient and medieval classics of theology.

This is a seminar in practical exegesis of Thomas' commentary on the Gospel of John. We will review questions of historiography and historical context, as well as the medieval theory of language, including the practices of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric; The seminar meets for three hours a week, and relies heavily on in-class exercises. In addition to students preparing for the disciplined theological or historical study of Aquinas, this seminar will be of interest to any student seeking to develop those skills that assist in the understanding of the great ancient and medieval classics of theology.

A seminar course in which will be considered the following questions raised by Barth: 1) What is world history and how does the people of God see itself in it and live in it? 2) What is the nature of the Christian community’s knowledge of, solidarity with, and obligation to the world? 3) What is the content of the Christian community’s task? What are its limits, and what are the promises and the final promise given it? 4) What are the forms of the community’s ministry? 5) How does the community understand itself as situated in the threefold parousia of Christ? 6) What is the impact of Christ’s sending of the church on the individual Christian?

Karl Barth develops his christology in terms of Christ's priestly, kingly and prophetic work. As priest Christ justifies us; as king He sanctifies us; as prophet He calls us. In this seminar course its members will examine Barth's account of calling, its occurrence and its goal. Barth develops his understanding of calling in terms of witness. The course will attend to Barth's account of Jesus Christ as the true witness and follow this theme as Barth develops it in an exposition of the book of Job. The course will next examine how Barth explains how Christians are drawn into Christ's witness, themselves being constituted witnesses. The course will conclude with Barth's description of sin as falsehood, which arises from different sorts of denials of Christ's prophecy and is overcome only by God's judgment upon it. The readings in the course will be in Church Dogmatics IV/3.

Karl Barth develops his christology in terms of Christ's priestly, kingly and prophetic work. As priest Christ justifies us; as king He sanctifies us; as prophet He calls us. In this seminar course its members will examine Barth's account of calling, its occurrence and its goal. Barth develops his understanding of calling in terms of witness. The course will attend to Barth's account of Jesus Christ as the true witness and follow this theme as Barth develops it in an exposition of the book of Job. The course will next examine how Barth explains how Christians are drawn into Christ's witness, themselves being constituted witnesses. The course will conclude with Barth's description of sin as falsehood, which arises from different sorts of denials of Christ's prophecy and is overcome only by God's judgment upon it. The readings in the course will be in Church Dogmatics IV/3.

Karl Barth develops his christology in terms of Christ’s priestly, kingly and prophetic work. As priest Christ justifies us; as king He sanctifies us; as prophet He calls us. In this seminar course its members will examine Barth’s account of calling, its occurrence and its goal. Barth develops his understanding of calling in terms of witness. The course will attend to Barth’s account of Jesus Christ as the true witness and follow this theme as Barth develops it in an exposition of the book of Job. The course will next examine how Barth explains how Christians are drawn into Christ’s witness, themselves being constituted witnesses. The course will conclude with Barth’s description of sin as falsehood, which arises from different sorts of denials of Christ’s prophecy and is overcome only by God’s judgment upon it. The readings in the course will be in Church Dogmatics IV/3.

This course will examine Karl Barth's The Theology of John Calvin and various passages from the Church Dogmatics in wilich he discussed Calvin's theology. Barth's commentary on Calvin in relation to other Reformers Luther and Zwingli will be considered, as will Barth's understanding of Calvin's teaching on knowledge of God and the human, on the Church, on tile sacraments, Christian freedom, disputes, synods. The course will end with an exploration of Barth's writings on Calvin's correspondence with Jacopo sadoleto, on Calvin's biblical commentaries, and on Calvin's sermons.

Following the outline of Eberhard Busch`s book, The Great Passion, on Barth`s theology, questions will be raised for discussion about Barth`s treatment of the knowledge of God, Israel, God`s triunity, religion, creation, reconcilliation, ethics, church, time.

In this seminar students will read, present questions, and discuss Karl Barth's commentary in the Church Dogmatics on "The Holy Spirit and the Gathering...Upholding...[and] Sending of the Christian Community".

This course will examine the two sections Barth wrote for his planned volume of the Church Dogmatics IV/4 on Reconciliation Ethics; namely, "Baptism as the Foundation of the Christian Life" and "The Christian Life According to the Guidance of the Lord's Prayer". Topics examined will include: Ethics as a task of the Doctrine of Reconciliation, The Central Problem of Special Ethics, Spirit Baptism and Water Baptism, Divine Agency and Human Agency, Baptism in Church History, Invocation, The Known and Unknown God, The Precedence of the Word of God, The Struggle for Human Righteousness, The Revolt Against Disorder, The Lordless Powers, Fiat lustitia.

A seminar course in which "Church Dogmatics III/2" will be studied. The topics: the human in the cosmos; the human as an object of theological knowledge; the human as a creature of God, and as the covenant partner of God; the human as body and soul; the human in time. Weekly readings, class participation; an in-class presentation; an oral examination.