Course Catalogue 2024-2025

MTS Synthesis Paper

Building upon what is broadly understood as liberation discourses and theologies, this course explores the salient methodological features and topics of emerging decolonial thinking and discourses. We will study the various theoretical shifts as articulated by decolonial thinkers and examine how these complex theoretical currents signal a reconfiguration of inherited forms of knowledge, understanding of the world, ethical perspectives, constructions of morality, and the theological task. The focus of this course is to gain insight into the main ideas, specific methodologies, and key authors involved in the development and proliferation of these diverse theoretical currents, and their relevance for the task of theology and ministry.

Queer Theory challenges feminist theory's and gay and lesbian studies' focus on tolerance and inclusion with radical deconstructive critiques of the institutions and practices that produce gender and sexuality norms to begin with. Theologies in dialogue with queer theory thus presuppose the full inclusion of LGTBQ people in the life and leadership of churches - rather than argue for it- to articulate constructive theological projects out of queer practices. In this course, students engage foundational texts in queer/genderqueer Theologies to begin constructing their own theological positions in a context that disrupts binary understandings of gender and heteronormative views of sexuality. Doctrines of God, Christology and soteriology will be addressed, as will theological interpretations of marriage, family and kinship networks.

This course is a brief introduction to the foundations - and some of the riches - of spirituality in the Catholic Church. It examines the nature of virtue (acquired and infused) and the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. It also considers the distinguishing features of Catholic education (elementary and high school) in the contemporary cultural context. It then invites reflection on the spirituality and vocation of the Catholic educator in this era of a new evangelization.

This course is geared to enrolment in the Artists' Workshop of the Institute for Christian Studies' ART in Orvieto offerings in Orvieto, Italy. It aims to integrate, through the writing of a major paper, the practical experience gained in these arts workshops with the more theoretical knowledge obtained through academic courses in the area of art, religion and theology. Building upon the activities undertaken in the workshop (discussion, visual journals, presentation of work and feedback) as well as the arts project accomplished, the paper will serve as a summative statement of what the student learned. It should demonstrate the student's analytical and interpretive skills as it seeks to find the points of intersection between artistic practice and the life of faith.

This seminar is an introduction to Sharia, the Islamic ethical-legal tradition or, more precisely, Sharia’s interpretation (fiqh). Of primary concern are the methodologies of its derivation, including its core principles, such as the Qur?an, the Prophet’s tradition (Sunna), consensus (ijm??), and reasoning by analogy (qiyas). The course will also introduce students to the theory of the objectives of the law (maq??id al-shar??a) and legal maxims (al-qaw??id al-fiqhiyya al-kulliyya), which are important resources in contemporary Islamic ethical-legal reasoning. It will examine Sharia’s institutions, the historical development of its schools of thought (madh?hib), and the processes by which ethical-legal decisions are made. Students will also have the opportunity to examine its applications in case studies of contemporary significance, mainly in the areas of biomedical ethics and sexual ethics.

This course explores creativity and its theological significance, drawing from interdisciplinary sources to consider the imagination, creative process and the arts in relation to the life of faith and spiritual practice. Even though creativity is often associated with intentional artistic endeavours, the capacity to imagine, improvise, innovate, and make/construct is intrinsic to human life e.g., in daily routines and relationships, rituals, stories, spiritual identity, personal resilience, empathy, community building, and peace and justice building. By paying attention to various dimensions of creativity, human and divine, the course investigates the making and perceiving of beauty in the world as an orientation toward value and personal and communal transformation. It thus seeks move beyond cognitive and entrepreneur models of creativity as well as dichotomies of action vs. reflection in theology. Particular consideration is given to visual arts and music.

For most of Christian history the interpretation of the Bible was a pastoral activity. Drawing on basic notions of post-modern consideration of 'reader response', we will survey the pre-critical interpretation history of the Bible from a diachronic perspective as an unfolding process across history, and in key synchronic snapshots focusing on types of interpretation as specific moments in the history. How do interpretations reflect and repress the tensions, inner dynamics and problematics of the biblical texts to which they are a response? How are they responses to the needs of the community in specific places and times? We will examine theories of interpretation and also actual examples of interpretation from various periods. Broad topics will include: early Christian interpretation of texts from Leviticus and Ecclesiastes, hermeneutic approaches of Origen, Augustine, Luther and others, mediaeval readings of the book of Ruth, Luther and Calvin as archetypal Reformation readers of scripture, visual art as a form of biblical interpretation, the emergence of historical-critical models of reading, and the cantatas and Passions of J.S. Bach as instances of affective and intellective interpretation.

Orthodox Christian thought has always been deeply concerned with ethical-social issues of the daily encounter with life and culture, but grounds solutions to these issues in tradition, not 'progress'. This course will follow an opening overview of the dilemma of ethical decision-making with a set of problems which touch on personal self-recognition. Issues under discussion will include personal rights, identity, gender, disability, and bioethical and other life concerns.

Orthodox Christian thought has always been deeply concerned with ethical-social issues of the daily encounter with life and culture, but grounds solutions to these issues in tradition, not 'progress'. This course will follow an opening overview of the dilemma of ethical decision-making with a set of problems which touch on personal self-recognition. Issues under discussion will include personal rights, identity, gender, disability, and bioethical and other life concerns.

A study of human sexuality, love, marriage and select related issues in light of Catholic anthropology and the Catholic moral tradition.

A study of human sexuality, love, marriage and select related issues in light of Catholic anthropology and the Catholic moral tradition.