All Courses

THE 103 - The Christian Tradition (3 sem. hrs.)
This course is designed as a gateway to understanding the Christian tradition. It is intended for students with a limited background in theology or Church history. Students use a basic text and some primary sources to understand the historical and theological developments in the Jewish tradition; the advent, mission, and Passion of Christ; and the history of the Church from its origins to the present. Topics such as the Trinity, Christ, faith, grace, virtues, sacraments, and Christian relations with Judaism and Islam are addressed. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation. (May be taught concurrently with THE 501)

THE 202 - The Revelation of God (3 sem. hrs.)
This course covers the mystery of God (and/or gods) in various cultures with a view to the Christian proclamation and teaching about God. The development of thinking about God, including characteristics such as spirit, unity, simplicity, goodness, omnipresence, etc., as well as the rejection of God (atheism). The course culminates in a study of the Trinity or Tri-personal God. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation. (May be taught concurrently with THE 520)

THE 203 - Jesus, Son of God (3 sem. hrs.)
This course is a study of the person and mission of Jesus Christ. This course focuses on Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels, the early controversies and councils about the person and nature of Christ, as well as Christological developments in the Medieval, Reformation, and Modern eras, and especially after the Second Vatican Council. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation. (May be taught concurrently with THE 604)

THE 280 - Catholic Moral Principles (3 sem. hrs.)
This course presents the development of Christian moral principles with a focus on theological and cardinal virtues, as well as the morality of happiness. The application of the Catholic Church's moral teaching to everyday life and relationships is a central topic of discussion. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation.

THE 290 - Introduction to Canon Law (3 sem. hrs.)
This course is designed to introduce students to the role of law and its origin in the Roman Catholic Church including the general norms, canonical vocabulary, principles of interpretation, rights and obligations of the faithful, and structures of the universal Church, diocese and parish. Students will be introduced to select issues associated with the offices of governing, teaching and sanctifying together with an overview of sanctions. The course is also intended as a prerequisite to "Marriage in Canon Law."

THE 291 - Angels and Demons (3 sem. hrs.)
This course is a rigorous study of Catholic angelology and demonology. Lectures will be based on the the source materials of philosophy, the Bible, the Fathers, and the greater Scholastics. The purpose of this course is to grapple with nature and the activity of spiritual beings as far as possible based on the solid information available. A secondary purpose is to clear away the superstitions, silly notions, and dangerous practices that often plague any discussion of angels and demons. Some of the topics discussed will be the constitution of angelic spirits, angelic intellect and will, the angelic hierarchies, angelic and demonic activity, and the fall of the demons.

THE 300 - Theological Principles and Methods (3 sem. hrs.)
This course introduces students to the principles and methods used in theological inquiry and practice within the Christian tradition. Emphasis is on fundamental notions in theology, such as spirit, faith, nature, grace, history, sacrament, etc. The course studies vocabulary and concepts that facilitate contemporary theological discussion and development. Classes may be taught in an in class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation.

THE 343 - Sacraments and Liturgy (3 sem. hrs.)
This course explores the biblical foundations and the theological developments of Catholic worship and sacraments through an examination of the liturgical connections between the Jewish and Christian traditions, the development of the liturgy, and the foundations of sacramental life from the early Church to the present. In particular, the renewal of the Liturgy and Sacraments inaugurated by the Second Vatican Council is explored. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format.

THE 350 - Church History (3 sem. hrs.)
Church History traces the development of the early Christian community to the present. This course thematically addresses the divine origin of the Church and its historical pilgrimage as a community of disciples. Events in the New Testament, the Patristic era, the Middle Ages, the encounter with Islam, the schism between the East and West, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the modern world are explored. This course also discerns continuity and development in the Church by principally engaging primary source documents. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation. (May be taught concurrently with THE 550)

THE 351 - Patristic and Medieval Theology (3 sem. hrs.)
Themes, major figures, and developments in theology from the second to the fourteenth centuries are explored. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation. (May be taught concurrently with THE 551)

THE 360 - Old Testament (3 sem. hrs.)
A study of the theology, history, and literary forms of the Old Testament is offered. Students explore the historical background of the Jewish people, as well as biblical hermeneutics. This course traces God's revelation to the Jewish people. The course pays particular attention to the various covenants made between God and persons. Reading intensive. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation.

THE 370 - New Testament (3 sem. hrs.)
A study of the theology, history, and literary forms of the New Testament is offered. Students explore the historical background of the early Church, as well as biblical hermeneutics. They read and reflect upon the Gospels, Pauline Epistles, and other New Testament writings. Reading intensive. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation.

THE 380 - The Catholic Theological Tradition (3 sem. hrs.)
This course is designed to illuminate the major themes in the Catholic theological tradition from a historical/developmental perspective. Questions, terms, and concepts developed from the Church Fathers to the present are presented in order to show the change and continuity of the Catholic theological tradition. Classes may be taught in an in-class, hybrid, or online format. Some designated hybrid and online courses have set times that require virtual participation. (May be taught concurrently with THE 510)

THE 390 - Spiritual Theology (3 sem. hrs.)
This course will provide an in-depth introduction to Spiritual Theology, which can also be termed the Theology of the Interior Life or the Theology of Christian Perfection. The nature of Christian holiness will be treated especially as it involves the integral operation of the theological virtues, the moral virtues, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual Theology by Jordan Aumann, OP, will provide the principal material for the course.

THE 490 - Theology of the Body (3 sem hrs.)
In this course we will read and study the series of John Paul II teachings known as "The Theology of the Body." We will look at how his earlier works such as "Person and Act" and "Love and Responsibility" influenced this work. We will also look at practical applications of the work in the area of marriage and the family.

PHI 101 - Introduction to Philosophy (3 sem. hrs.)
An introduction to the discipline of philosophy, with special emphasis on the historical significance of the great philosophers and their connection to and influence on basic philosophical issues, questions, problems, terminology, and methodology.

PHI 206 - Introduction to Philosophy (3 sem. hrs.)
A study of the origin and development of Western and Eastern philosophy, including significant thinkers, schools of thought, and perennial themes that have shaped human culture across the millennia.

PHI 207 - Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking (3 sem. hrs.)
An introduction to formal logic and critical thinking skills. This course's focus is on the logic of language, deductive and analytical reasoning, rhetorical devices, fallacious reasoning, the rhetoric of deceit, inductive reasoning, inference, and the scientific method.

PHI 231 - Philosophy and Being (3 sem. hrs.)
This course is an introduction to principles and concepts that have been traditionally called metaphysics. Topics covered are the notion of being, becoming, ousia/substance, unity, form, matter, time, causality, and the divine. Application to theological-metaphysical themes may also be explored. (Same as THE 240).

PHI 240 - Philosophy of Human Nature (3 sem. hrs.)
A critical analysis of what it means to be human through a study of the various traditional and contemporary views concerning the nature of human beings.

PHI 250 - Epistemology: Belief, Knowledge, and Truth (3 sem. hrs.)
An introduction to the discipline of epistemology. Topics studied are the sources and kinds of human knowledge, the search for and criteria of certainty and truth, the processes of perception and conception, and religious belief. Thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Locke, Descartes, Kant, and Newman and traditions such as skepticism, nominalism, rationalism, and empiricism are also covered. (Same as THE 243)

PHI 306 - Philosophical Ethics (3 sem. hrs.)
A historical survey of the nature of ethics and the rational foundations of morality and human conduct. Major ethical theories and issues are examined with a view toward understanding their significance and impact on contemporary culture.

PHI 315 - The Dynamic of St. Thomas Aquinas (3 sem. hrs.)

Prerequisites: PHI 206, PHI 231, or PHI 250
Themes, principles, and developments in St. Thomas Aquinas's dynamic synthesis of philosophy and theology are explored through his various writings and in selected commentaries. (Same as THE 310).

LAT 103 - College Latin for Theology (3 sem. hrs.)
This is an introductory course intended for students with little or no knowledge of the language. Its aim is to present the essential forms, vocabulary, and syntax of classical and medieval Latin. The goal is to develop the basic ability to read Latin. Customs and cultural insights that are embedded in the language are also presented.