Course Descriptions
These descriptions are for both philosophy and theology courses that viogٷվ offers over several semesters. To select courses for enrollment in the current or subsequent semester, go to Current Courses, or the. All courses are designed to be offered for 3-semester units unless otherwise noted.
Please note that although all courses are listed only once, any given course may aptly fall under two or more categories at once (e.g., both philosophy and theology, both systematic and historical, etc.). A key to course field codes, course codes, and abbreviations are given below the course descriptions.
Additionally, please note that the professor listed with the course is the one who often teaches it, but this is subject to change per semester.
Philosophy
PH-1009
Philosophical Ethics — This course is an introduction to the philosophical study of ethics, focusing on key ethical questions (e.g., how we are to live, what we are permitted or obligated to do, etc.) and concepts (virtue, happiness, duty, obligation, the good, and so forth). Through a careful reading of great philosophical works in the Western tradition, important ethical theories will be presented within their historical context, including utilitarianism or consequentialism, deontological ethics, virtue theory, social contract theory, emotivism, and natural law. Class discussion will center on understanding and evaluating each of these ethical approaches, as well as their relevance to contemporary issues. Class format: lecture and discussion. Student evaluation will be based on class participation, weekly study questions, two short written essays, and a final exam. Intended audience: MA and M.Div. students. (Former title: General Ethics)
PH-1056
Philosophy of Nature — Through readings, class discussions and brief written assignments, the course will provide a philosophical account of the nature of change, including classical insights (Aristotle, Aquinas) and contemporary issues in cosmology, the methods of science and philosophy, the nature of causality, time and infinity.
PH-1065
Theory of Knowledge — This course is a survey of epistemology that brings together Classical philosophy approaches with Contemporary debates. We will study the nature of cognition, perception and rational knowledge, as well as the main epistemological problems that concern these sources. We will see how from these sources we can develop, justify and structure our knowledge and deal with questions about inference, truth, skepticism and certainty.
PH-1115
Aristotelian Logic — This course focuses on the fundamental principles and techniques of classical logic first articulated in Aristotle’s Organon and further developed by ancient, medieval, and modern thinkers. The course is loosely organized around the traditional distinction of the three operations of the mind: simple apprehension, judgment, and reasoning. The course will conclude with an examination of logical fallacies and a brief excursus into modern symbolic logic.
PH-2040
Philosophical Anthropology — Through readings, class discussions, and written assignments, students will learn the Aristotelian/Thomistic account of the nature of the human person, including the notions of life, the soul, the senses, intellect, will, knowledge and free choice. They will also learn how these notions apply to the contemporary philosophical issues of the unity of the human person, mind-brain questions, body-soul dualism, human conception, and biological evolution. Prerequisite: PH-1056, Philosophy of Nature
PH-2050
Metaphysics — This course presents a comprehensive introduction to Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysics. This is a hybrid course that combines online teaching and in-class meetings. It is recommended that students have some familiarity with Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy and have taken some basic introductory courses like Philosophy of Nature before taking this course.
PH-4012
Natural Law — This small class will examine the concept of natural law in Aquinas through its development in several contemporary authors (especially Jean Porter). In particular, it will address the following major issues: the natural law as a capacity for moral discernment, the fundamental principles through which such a capacity operates, and the moral norms that are their result; the relation of natural law to Christian revelation and to the acquired and infused virtues; the relation of reason to natural structure and inclination (“natural law” to “laws of nature”); the sources of moral obligation; and the relationship between natural law and human (or civil) law. Are the roots of natural law in reason or revelation or both? Is morality “underdetermined” by human nature? What role could and should natural law play in Christian ethics? Is there an unbridgeable gulf between the “is” and the “ought”? What are the principles that govern the determination of natural law in human law?
PH-4235
Human Nature and Political Philosophy — This course covers selections from Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Machiavelli, and others to explore the links between their philosophy of human nature and their political philosophy. Intended Audience: Phil MA students. Prerequisite: PH-2040 Philosophical Anthropology completed or concurrent, or equivalent.
PH-4443
The Phenomenology of Embodiment — Since the time of Descartes, modern philosophy has struggled to explain the relationship between the human mind and body, and more generally, between the material and the spiritual. Analytic Philosophy of Mind has proposed a number of possible solutions to the mind-body problem: substance dualism, property dualism, and various forms of materialism. But problems and paradoxes with these accounts have persisted, leading a number of philosophers and scientists to suggest that a new, more adequate understanding of both mind and body is needed. Meanwhile, promising insights into the human mind and body have arisen from disciplines and methods outside the Anglo-Analytic tradition: Embodied cognitive science and phenomenological analyses of embodied experience have provided a deepening appreciation of how the body shapes perception, cognition, self-identity, practical intentionality, and our relationships with others; Aristotelian-Thomistic Hylomorphism has also been rediscovered as a philosophical alternative to the standard post-Cartesian understanding of the body, allowing for a richer, more intimate integration of mental and bodily capacities. This course will examine these alternative approaches to embodiment in detail, using phenomenological methodology as a central touchstone. We will begin by briefly examining the Cartesian context of the terms of the mind-body problem, and the standard dualistic and monistic solutions which emerge from it. We will then turn to key texts from the phenomenological and Thomistic traditions, paired with investigations from embodied cognitive science, to explore alternative ways of thinking about both the mind and body, and to carefully analyze pervasive aspects of embodied experience: perception, affectivity and emotion, intersubjectivity, and self-identity. This course, an advanced seminar for MA and Ph.D. students, will include a review of foundational phenomenological concepts, as well as key principles of the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. Thus, while a certain familiarity with the history of philosophy on the part of the student is presumed, no prior coursework in phenomenology or Thomistic philosophy is required.
PH-4445
The Phenomenology of the Other — In its attentiveness to subjectivity and the methodological importance of the first-person perspective, phenomenology would seem to have neglected the essential role of intersubjectivity, the importance of the “we,” and the inescapable and irreducible role of other persons for self-identity and the disclosure of the world. Such an interpretation of phenomenology, however, fails to appreciate the actual work done by phenomenologists in relating self and other: Phenomenological analyses from Husserl to Marion have emphasized that only through the contribution of the other can a fully objective world, and even the constitution and identity of the self, be explained. In this course, we will examine key texts in the phenomenological tradition exploring intersubjectivity, empathy, and the encounter with the other. A careful reading of the writings of Max Scheler, Edith Stein, Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Emmanuel Levinas, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricoeur, and Jean-Luc Marion will give students a sense of the rich variety and manifold approaches to the topic of the other within the phenomenological tradition. This course, an advanced seminar for MA and Ph.D. students, will begin with a review of phenomenology and foundational phenomenological concepts before proceeding to the proper theme of the course. Thus, while a certain familiarity with the history of philosophy on the part of the student is presumed, no prior coursework in phenomenology is required.
PH-4709
Knowledge of Self & Other — It is commonplace to note an asymmetry between self-knowledge and knowledge of other persons. After all, a person’s knowledge of herself is immediate, whereas it is often believed that knowledge of other persons depends on various behavioral cues and inferential reasoning. But this asymmetry has raised a number of philosophical questions, including whether we can know if other minds exist in the first place. While solving this “problem of other minds” is important in its own right, recent work in philosophy of mind and developmental psychology has indicated that we not only have the ability to know that other minds exist, but, at least occasionally, to “mindread” –that is, to know what another person is thinking or feeling. Further, we often engage in acts of shared attention such that one’s own experience is interconnected with that of another person. How we understand these social cognitive abilities is intimately linked with our understanding of the nature and character of self-knowledge, and thus studying these issues together can be mutually enriching. In this course we will begin with an exploration of the nature and character of self-knowledge, followed by an examination of our social cognitive abilities. While most of our attention will focus on contemporary work in philosophy of mind and developmental
psychology, we will also examine related work from historical thinkers.
PH-4711
Mind and Brain — How can the mind, supposedly an immaterial entity, have any causal influence in the body which is material? As physicalism tries to present an exhaustive explanation of the world, and neuroscience progresses slowly mapping the brain, it seems that the way to find out who we are, what are we capable of, and how we should behave in the world, is contained in the three pounds of gray matter inside our skull. We will philosophically examine these assumptions and learn from the research carried by neuroscientists and from philosophical argumentation. Consequently, this course combines classic arguments from the Philosophy of Mind on the possibility of reducing the mind to the brain, with the information provided by the sciences that study the brain. We will study the main theories that try to account for the mind-body problem (dualism, behaviorism, identity theory, functionalism, eliminativism, anomalous monism, supervenience, biological naturalism). We will review the difficulties as well as the advantages that each one of these theories presents. We will turn to the History of Philosophy, more specifically to Aristotle, to present a non-dualist, non-reductionist model for the mind-body problem. We will also study intentionality and its relation to consciousness and to the unconscious. Lastly, we will briefly review two standard problems in the relation between mind and brain: Personal Identity and Free Will.
PH-4712
Person and Neuroscience — We understand ourselves as persons who have memories, emotions, capacity for decision, and moral, social, religious, and artistic attitudes. However, some interpretations of the neuroscientific evidence seem to suggest that our brains are responsible for most of these behaviors in a way that places us as spectators instead of actors of our personal life. At the same time, studies in neuroscience seem to provide evidence to support and scientifically illustrate many of our intuitions as persons who have agency and can destine themselves towards goals that are not given ahead of time. This course presents how philosophy can provide an interpretative framework for neuroscience, and how philosophers can gain knowledge about the human condition through neuroscientific research. The course addresses the following questions: What are the conceptual presuppositions in neuroscience that demand a philosophical analysis? How can neuroscience enrich our understanding of what a person is? How can philosophy help correct some of the conceptual mistakes that lie underneath some experimental presuppositions in neuroscience? Prerequisites: No previous background in neuroscience is required. A certain familiarity with the Aristotelian Thomistic tradition of philosophical anthropology would help, but it will also be provided. Theory of Knowledge or Anthropology are recommended courses.
PH-4720
Philosophy of Technology: From Heidegger to Neural Networks — Philosophy of Technology is an emerging new field and of special importance in the contemporary world: artificial intelligence and machine learning raise questions about the status of computers (are they conscious, intelligent persons?) and ethical questions around the dangers of algorithms in criminal justice, public surveillance and other fields. Algorithms fragment the social sphere, machines blend with human beings (cyborgs), promises are made by transhumanist theories and takeovers of a “singularity” predicted. This seminar will investigate the underlying philosophical assumptions with the help of philosophers like M. Heidegger, A. Turing, Hubert Dreyfus, Hans Jonas, Andrew Feenberg, Albert Borgmann, Val Dusek, Don Ihde, Sherry Turkle, Jaron Lanier, Peter-Paul Verbeek and others. The format of the class is a seminar; attendance and participation in the discussion are important. Research Paper. (MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD)
PH-4911
Personal Identity — This seminar addresses questions of personal identity within the tradition of Analytic Philosophy, as well as Personalism. While Analytic Philosophy tends to discuss personal identity as a matter of the individual by itself, Personalism emphasizes the relationality of the human person as inherent in his or her own identity. Identity criteria in both traditions will vary with regard to the importance of consciousness. Each tradition is in its own way skeptical about the notion of the “soul” as constitutive of a substantial unity and identity of the person. We will read and discuss texts from the Anglo-Saxon tradition and historical predecessors (Locke, Hume, Kant, B. Williams, D. Parfit and others), as well as from the continental personalist tradition (such as M. Scheler, Dietrich von Hildebrandt, Karol Wojtyła, John Crosby, Oliver O’Donovan). This seminar will engage invited outside speakers who are working in the field. Intended audience: Philosophy MA students and interested Ph.D. students.
PH-4TBD
Thomas on Social Ethics — This course will examine Thomas Aquinas's Commentary on Aristotle's Politics, his de Regno and scattered key texts where Thomas offers his teaching on governance. Students will learn his notion of civitas, of serfdom (servus or servitium), the naming of communities as perfect or imperfect, the meaning of the common good, the authority of natural law and of civil law over individuals and communities, and will explore Thomas's nuanced answer to the perennial question, "what form of government is best, monarchy, aristocracy or some mixed form?"
PHED-3500
Philosophical Anthropology for Pastoral Ministry — This seminar focuses on aspects of our human condition that emerge in faith formation, spiritual direction, and religious education. It intends to offer anthropological tools to teachers, faith leaders, and educators. The course explores personhood, human nature, personal identity, conscience, truth, rationality, knowledge and freedom, relationality in friendship, family, and society, the role of culture, technology, science, and art within human life. The goal is to facilitate in future religious educators an understanding of human persons and our contemporary worldview. Methodologically, the course uses philosophical argumentation and theological approaches. While we will consider different traditions, the seminar draws significantly from the personalist and Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy. The readings will include recent encyclicals alongside philosophical literature.
PHED-4000
Seminar on the Online Teaching of Philosophy — In this course, students will learn how to prepare and deliver philosophy lectures on topics that pertain to the main areas of philosophy, and with different target audiences. The student will explore bibliographic sources, pedagogic styles and online platforms for teaching. This course is recommended for those planning to teach philosophy, but also for educators and future parish leadership that wish to integrate philosophy into their theological and catechetical ministry.
PHHR-4100
Philosophy of Religion: India & West — The religions of East and West claim different experiences of an Ultimate Reality and with that, different conceptions of the Divine in their theologies. Between them, both claim varying answers to fundamental human questions, such as the problem of evil, sin and suffering, the nature of the human personhood and its destiny or purpose within the larger cosmological picture. Both East and West also employ philosophical concepts to argue for and against the existence and nature of God or the Transcendent, and of the soul, and understand with overlaps and differences the puzzles of divine action in the universe and history (e.g. via miracles, direct intervention, incarnation, and salvific telos), as well as questions of truth, theodicy and atonement. This seminar will be an in-depth comparative study of these philosophical theologies, with a focus on Judeo-Christian and India’s Dharma traditions.
PHRA-4310
Poetry & Creative Intuition — Students in this seminar course will examine the relationship between creative intuition (sometimes called connatural knowledge) and the fine arts, particularly poetry. Focusing on the work of Jacques Maritain, students will develop a scholastic understanding of how this kind of knowledge is engaged during the creative act. Using contemporary authors, students will then examine how poetry functions to bring humans towards a deeper (connatural) knowledge of transcendent aspects of key human experiences such as suffering, death, resurrection, and the environment. Intended audience: Advanced MA and doctoral students.
PHRA-4321
Philosophical Aesthetics I — Aesthetics has become a major field of philosophical investigation only since the 18th century, particularly since Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment. Nevertheless, this class will not neglect the earlier classical tradition with its metaphysical framework, and we will discuss what has gotten lost without it. Aesthetics explores the important question of value judgments in aesthetics. It also leads philosophy to investigate very concrete phenomena and problems such as the structure of the human mind and the concrete materials of art and music, as well as history and society in so far as they are reflected in art. This class will try to bridge the typical gap between abstract reflection and concrete phenomena in aesthetics. The first semester will focus on the philosophy of art and beauty in general; the following semester will explore the concrete fields of architecture, painting, music and literature. Intended audience: MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD.
PHRA-4322
Philosophical Aesthetics II — Aesthetics has become a major field of philosophical investigation since the 18th century, particularly since Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment. This class will, however, try to integrate these insights with older metaphysical traditions of talking about art and beauty. Aesthetics does not only explore the important question of value judgments in aesthetics. It also leads philosophy into the investigation of very concrete phenomena and problems: the structure of the human mind and the concrete materials of art and music, but also the society and its problems that are reflected therein. Nevertheless, philosophy and the arts find it difficult to talk to each other. This class will try to bridge the gap. The first part will focus on the philosophy of beauty in general. This second semester will explore the concrete fields of architecture, painting, music and literature. Intended audience: MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD. Prerequisite: Philosophical Aesthetics I
PHST-4020
Miracles — Miracles are a key topic of the philosophy of religion. Are they possible? And if yes, can we know that they have occurred? Answering these questions involves a range of philosophical and theological topics, such as: what is a law of nature? what is the nature of causality? It requires answering questions about probability, epistemology, metaphysics and historiography. The freedom of God and petitionary prayer, the possibility of revelation and its relation to reason – all these will have to play a role. Numerous philosophers and theologians have contributed to the debate, especially since D. Hume. We will engage selected texts of this ongoing conversation.
PHST-4112
Levinas — Emmanuel Levinas is, without a doubt, one of the most influential philosophical figures in continental philosophy in the last century. A student and translator of Edmund Husserl, Levinas’s early work had a decisive impact on the reception of phenomenology in France. In 1961, Levinas published his first magnum opus, Totalité et infiniti: essai sur l’extériorité [Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority], providing a singular new description and interpretation of the event of encountering another person, while simultaneously revolutionizing phenomenology. In 1974, Levinas publishes his second magnum opus, Autrement qu’être ou audelà de l’essence [Otherwise than Being or Beyond Essence], which reconceives his conception of the relation with other as radical responsibility (substitution) rather than exteriority. From the 1950s onward, Levinas also published a number of essays on Jewish thought and readings of the Talmud. This course, an advanced seminar for MA and Ph.D. students, will constitute a survey of the thought of Emmanuel Levinas and include detailed readings of his most important works. The course will begin with a review of phenomenology and foundational phenomenological concepts before proceeding to examine Levinas’s essays on Judaism and his two great masterworks: Totality and Infinity and Otherwise than Being. Thus, while a certain familiarity with the history of philosophy on the part of the student is presumed, no prior coursework in phenomenology is required.
PHST-4211
Aquinas on the Categories — Thomas Aquinas adopts Aristotle’s division of being into ten categories. This seminar will investigate Thomas’s appropriation of Aristotle’s categories, including his proposed derivations of them, and some of his applications of the categories to particular philosophical and theological questions, such as the Eucharist and the powers of the soul. Intended Audience: Philosophy MA students. Reading knowledge of Latin is recommended but not required.
PHST-4212
Aquinas and Person — This seminar will examine Thomas’s understanding of person. We will study passages throughout Thomas’s corpus to explore the metaphysical and theological issues that he addresses in the development of his account of person as he applies his account to human and Divine persons. Attention will be given to the influence of Aquinas’s sources, such as Boethius and Aristotle, on his notion of the human being and personhood. This is a seminar required for those students involved in the common Philosophy Project “Person and Consciousness.” Intended audience: MA students. Knowledge of Latin is recommended, as some of Thomas’s writings are not available in English translation.
PHST-4214
Aquinas & the Angels — Thomas Aquinas's primary title is the Angelic Doctor because he wrote so much about them. Angels were intellectual beings, created by God, without any material head or body. Save for God, they were beings superior to every being in the universe, including us. Using philosophy, Thomas opened a door for us to learn about their nature and their possible relation to us. He had much to say about their mental abilities. The Scriptures added to this, so we will do some brief readings from the Bible and the Koran. This course is designed for MA Philosophy or Theology students; other students with a philosophical background are welcome.
PHST-4220
Aquinas and Platonism — Thomas owes much to Platonic and Neo-Platonic sources. This seminar-style reading course will look at some of Thomas’s commentaries on Neo-Platonic works, including his commentary on ‘De Hebdomadibus’, and will make use of secondary literature to locate and examine Platonic themes in Thomas’s major works, including themes such as participation, and Divine Ideas. Reading knowledge of Latin is recommended; some texts are not available in translation. Intended audience: Phil. and Theol. MA students.
PHST-4377
Disputation I: Ancient / Islamic Sources — Disputation I and II is a two-semester course which covers selections from Plato, Aristotle, and selected Islamic and Christian authors. Faculty from both institutions will guide students through a careful exploration of disputation as it originated in the Greek school and flowed into both Islamic and Christian philosophy. Through analysis of both primary sources and critical commentaries, students will learn epistemological and metaphysical tools to study texts. In Disputation II, students will also explore the use of these tools for examining contemporary ethical topics. Intended Audience: Phil MA students; advanced Undergraduate students. Prerequisites: one course each in Ancient Philosophy and Logic.
PHST-4380
The Masters of Suspicion — Hermeneutic Strategies in Freud, Marx and Nietzsche. Freud, Marx and Nietzsche are three of the greatest critics of religion in general, and Christianity specifically. While all three of them hold religion to be false, their critique of it is not that of classic skepticism. They do not seek to show the weakness or uncertainty of classical theistic positions by presenting arguments for God’s non-existence. Rather, they are engaged in what Paul Ricoeur has characterized as the “hermeneutics of suspicion:'' Each of these thinkers attempts to uncover religious belief as serving a certain social, political, moral or psychological function, while simultaneously masking this function. The work of Freud, Marx and Nietzsche requires, then, more than a mere endorsement or refutation of their views, but an appreciation of their critique of religion as a set of hermeneutical strategies designed to uncover the ideological uses to which faith and religious practice are frequently put. In this course, we will examine the insights of these great “masters of suspicion” through a close reading of representative works. A careful analysis of their writings in their historical context will enable students to assess their evaluation of religion (particularly Christianity) and discern the key features and limitations of their hermeneutic approach. Although this course, an advanced seminar for MA and Ph.D. students, presumes a certain familiarity with the history of philosophy on the part of the student, no prior coursework on Freud, Marx, or Nietzsche is presumed.
PHST-4400
Philosophical Hermeneutics — This course offers an intensive systematic survey of theories of interpretation and hermeneutic traditions in philosophy through some of their best-known representatives: Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger, Gadamer, Derrida and Ricoeur. Key themes within hermeneutics will be explored, including the nature of meaning, the concept of the text, authoriality, the role of context, and the essential features of language. Theories of interpretation will be studied and evaluated both within their own historical context and in their relevance to contemporary issues of interpretation. Intended audience: MA (Phil. or Theol.) and PhD students.
PHST-4445
Heidegger’s Being and Time — It is no exaggeration to say that Heidegger’s Being and Time is one of the most important books of the twentieth century. Heidegger’s magnum opus shows the influence of many of the greatest minds of the Western world, synthesizing the thought of Aristotle, Augustine, Scotus, Eckhart, Luther, Kant and Neo-Kantianism, Kierkegaard, Dilthey, Husserl, and Scheler, among others. Despite being unfinished, its impact has been equally prolific, decisively shaping phenomenology, hermeneutics, existentialism, and poststructuralism, as well as contributing to metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of religion and theology, and the philosophy of language. This course constitutes a carefully guided reading of Heidegger’s Being and Time. As an advanced seminar for MA and Ph.D. students, it will begin with a review of phenomenology and foundational phenomenological concepts essential for understanding Heidegger and the key themes of Being and Time. Thus, while a certain familiarity with the history of philosophy on the part of the student is presumed, no prior coursework in phenomenology is required. The course will then continue with a reading of Heidegger’s important seminar course, Basic Problems of Phenomenology, considered by many to be a continuation of the project of Being and Time. The course will conclude with a brief look at one or two key texts from Heidegger’s later period, enabling students to see how Heidegger’s earlier phenomenological project of a fundamental ontology is developed and transformed over a number of decades.
PHST-4500
Thomas on Substance — Thomas Aquinas holds that substance is the most important of the Aristotelian categories. Matter/form, essence, material beings, angels and God can, in some way, be called substance. This course will examine Thomas’s account of substance and relevant metaphysical themes (e.g., essence/esse, analogy, subsistence, hypostasis, science, and definition) to argue for a consistent and coherent synthesis of Thomas’s account of substance across the sciences of logic, natural philosophy, and metaphysics. Reading knowledge of Latin strongly encouraged. Format: Seminar discussion/lecture. Prerequisite: some course in Thomistic Philosophy of Nature or Thomistic Metaphysics. Intended audience: MA, Ph.D./ThD.
PHST-4501
Thomas on Analogy — Thomas Aquinas makes use of analogical language in the predicamental order of being, and also when speaking about God. This seminar-style course will examine Thomas’s account of analogy, and its varied interpretations in the Thomistic tradition. Reading knowledge of Latin is recommended; some texts are not available in translation.
PHST-4600
Plato: Soul and Afterlife — This seminar course will investigate Plato’s account of soul, and its activity when separated from the body. We will also look at Plotinus and select Christian authors to assess the impact of Plato’s thoughts on his successors. Platonic dialogues will include Phaedo, Phaedrus, and selections from Republic. Students will be expected to read and assess books/articles on relevant topics by at least 12 recent scholars. Intended audience: Phil. and Theol. MA students.
PHCE-4720
Bioethics & Person — Technological innovation, and the development of new biomedical technology in particular, has in recent years been the source of some of the most complex and challenging ethical issues and questions. This seminar addresses these ethical questions and examines their relation to consciousness and personal identity. Using the resources of the Western philosophical tradition, especially the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, students will examine such issues as brain death and the end of life, the moral status of the unborn and persons in persistent vegetative states (PVS), the humane treatment of animals, the limits of genetic intervention and cloning, artificial enhancement and technological manipulation of the human body (transhumanism). This course, conducted in seminar format, is required for those students participating in the Philosophy Project on person, soul, and consciousness and is intended for MA and Ph.D. students.
PHST-4810
Do We Have Free Will? — It seems hardly possible to lead a meaningful life without assuming the freedom to choose and pursue goals and purposes. Nevertheless, throughout history, this assumption has been challenged, be it by Marxists, psychologists, or more recently, by neurophysiology. Almost all of these challenges to free will are rooted in forms of materialism. Other challenges, however, are religious in nature (predestination). Through the study of key texts, especially Thomas Aquinas, we will try to answer the question, how free will is best understood, and what grounds we have for assuming its existence. We will focus on Aquinas and the history of the problem, and conclude with the examination of contemporary insights in the light of this history. (MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD)
PHST-4811
Does God Exist? — More recently a kind of “evangelical new atheism” has gained momentum and wishes to present a challenge to all those who believe in God or have religion. In response, the case has been made that this atheism is its own kind of religion. In this seminar, however, we do not want to take on the current polemics (although we will not avoid them either), but rather take it as an occasion to revisit the rational resources that are available to people of faith. We will study arguments for and against the existence of God in their historical development and explore their argumentative force. (MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD)
PHCE-4820
Contemporary Virtue Ethics — After being eclipsed by deontological and utilitarian approaches to ethics, virtue theory has once again become one of the major normative ethical theories, thanks to a mid-twentieth century revival which included the work of such figures as Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, and Iris Murdoch, and continued by Martha Nussbaum, Alastair MacIntyre, Rosalind Hursthouse, and Linda Zagzebski. This course will examine the virtues as articulated in the writings of these and other key contemporary figures, as well as compare and contrast these accounts with classic expressions of virtue theory in the works of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and Mengzi. Intended audience: MA (Phil. or Theol.) and PhD students.
PHST-4TBD
Revelation — How do we understand the phenomenon and reality of Divine Revelation? How do we differentiate sacred texts that claim to reveal a divine, supernatural, or transcendent reality from ordinary literary works? This course uses the resources of philosophy—including phenomenology, the hermeneutical tradition, and contemporary analytic methodologies—to illuminate the very idea of revelation, its essential attributes, and its relation to various human capacities and experiences. Seminar format. Intended audience: MA, Ph.D., and advanced MDiv students.
PHHS-1050
History of Philosophy: Ancient — This course will present the history of Greek philosophy from pre-Socratics to Pseudo-Dionysius. The emphasis will be on Plato and Aristotle. Intended audience: MDiv, MA/MTS.
PHHS-1051
History of Philosophy: Medieval — This course will cover the development of Western philosophy in the medieval period (ca. 500-1400), including its roots in ancient Greek philosophy and the Christian tradition, the intellectual achievement of the high medieval period, and the nominalist critique of the 14th century. Attention will also be given to the reception of Islamic and Jewish learning by the medieval West. The course will include a sustained study of the thought of Boethius, Anselm of Canterbury, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, Bl. John Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham, as well Ibn-Sina, Ibn-Rushd, and Maimonides. Class format: lecture and discussion. Intended audience: MA and M.Div. students.
PHHS-2000
History of Philosophy: Modern — The class will give an overview of the development of Western philosophy from Descartes and Bacon to Schopenhauer. This will include Continental Rationalism, British Empiricism, Kant and German Idealism. (MDiv, MA/MTS, PhD/ThD)
PHHS-2001
Contemporary Philosophy — Lecture on late 19th and 20th-century philosophy: beginning with Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, we will treat pragmatism, phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, analytic philosophy, structuralism, postmodernism, deconstruction and leading criticism of the same. The lecture is designed to give an overview and is open to questions and discussion.
PHST 3100
Medieval Theories of Cognition — This course will explore prominent theories of cognition in the Middle Ages. Beginning with a brief introduction to the theories of Plato and Aristotle, we will progress through important developments in the early medieval period. However, the central focus of the course will be on theories of cognition in the High Middle Ages, with special attention given to the competing accounts of Thomas Aquinas and William of Ockham. We will then explore the legacy of each of these thinkers into the present day, evaluating their work in light of developments in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course will explore topics such as the mind’s relation to the world, the differences between human, angelic, and divine cognition, the function of cognitive powers, the nature of mental representation, and self-knowledge. Format: lecture/discussion. Intended audience: MAPh, MATh, PhD students.
HSPH-4410
Hellenistic & Roman Philosophy — Greek philosophy after Alexander the Great. Epicurean and Stoic alternatives. Middle and Neo-Platonism. Judaism, Christianity, and Hellenistic Philosophy.
PH-4211
Thomas Aquinas on Truth — Truth, like religion, culture, or morality, is a general term in constant use and seems to be part of the eternal furniture of the mind. Upon closer examination, what truth consists of is not so clear and the use of the word has changed over time. Contemporary spin and reshaping of meaning so as to fit an audience are as important as the truth of what is being said. We will examine the basis for truth in Thomas Aquinas, a thinker whose thought still shapes much of what is said today. We will undertake a careful and critical reading of Aquinas’ text in order to understand his meaning but also as a springboard for our own thought. Important locations for Thomas’s view of truth are in the Summa Theologica and the QD, De Vertate. Attention will be paid to authors with other views up to William of Ockham.
PHCE-4500
Aristotle’s Commentators — This seminar course will explore the developments in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Philosophy by investigating how key thinkers from these traditions offered commentary on Aristotle’s ethical writings as they formulated their own philosophical ideas. We will examine in particular the ethical works of these major figures and to place these theories into dialog with contemporary virtue ethics. The course serves as an advanced study in ethical theory and the three religious traditions. Students will be required to lead class discussions, design a class presentation, and complete a research paper.
PHCE-4825
St. Thomas on the Cardinal Virtues— This course will examine St. Thomas’s understanding of the cardinal virtues. It will explore the nature of moral habits and human agency, and then focus on those two virtues that constitute the perfection of the intellect and the will (rational appetite), namely, prudence and justice. We will closely examine how prudence and justice in St. Thomas’s account order judgments and actions across remarkably complex domains of ordinary life – counsel, gifts, law, loves, family and wider community. Thus the course will take up Thomas’s own “case studies” on obedience, liberality, truth-telling, and friendship.
PHHS-4011
Thomas on Nicomachean Ethics — What is happiness, is happiness the same for everyone and in every human community, can perfect happiness ever be acquired? These questions are asked in every generation. We will undertake a careful reading of Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Aristotle’s Ethics not merely to see his appreciation of Aristotle, but to examine Thomas’s understanding of moral good and evil of all human acts. Aristotle’s text and the Commentary are quite long so only selected texts will be analyzed. We will focus on happiness, the formation of virtue in Aristotle and Thomas and the need of friendship for human flourishing.
PHHS-4020
Plato — Reading and discussion of selected dialogues in English translation. Emphasis is on developing a strategy for reading the dialogues based on the contemporary assessment of their literary forms and their function within the Academy.
PHHS-4903
Patristics — In this lecture/discussion course students will explore the development of Christian theology over the first centuries of the history of the Church. After considering the contribution of the earlier apologists and Apostolic Fathers, we will introduce the major pre-Nicene Fathers: Origen, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement. In the second part of the semester, we will explore the Trinitarian and Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries, charting the emergence of Nicene and Chalcedonian orthodoxy through the writings of Athanasios, the Cappadocians, and Cyril of Alexandria. Particular attention will also be devoted to the development of liturgical and sacramental practice.
PHST-4364
Early Heidegger — In this seminar, we will study the early work of Martin Heidegger, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, with a special focus on his early magnum opus, Being and Time, considered one of the seminal texts of Western philosophy. We will explore Heidegger’s influences, background in Aristotelian and Christian thought, and place within the phenomenological tradition. This exploration will include selections from Heidegger's early lecture courses, as well as a few key selections from his later writings to get a sense of his overall development.
PHST-4812
God After the Death of God — In The Gay Science, Nietzsche famously declared (through his literary invention, “the madman”) the death (murder!) of God. This declaration has often been closely linked to the presumptive end of metaphysics. How ought people of faith, believers, respond to such pronouncements? What forms of faith and religious life are possible in a secularized world? This class will explore possible answers to these questions by looking at the writings of great religious thinkers of the last two centuries, including such literary and spiritual giants as St. John Henry Newman, Dostoyevsky, Kierkegaard, St. Therese of Lisieux, G.K. Chesterton, Gabriel Marcel, and Flannery O'Connor. Seminar format. Intended audience: MA, Ph.D., and advanced MDiv students.
PHST-4370
Theological Phenomenology — In his provocative essay, “Phenomenology and the Theological Turn,” Dominique Janicaud famously declared that contemporary French phenomenology had abandoned phenomenology for theology. While his conclusions may be disputed, what is certain is that within the last half century, phenomenologists in France have produced a variety of rich and fruitful writings reflecting on the nature and shape of religious experience. This course will explore the work of these French phenomenologists, including Derrida, Marion, Henry, Chretien, Lacoste, Falque, and Romano. This course presumes some familiarity with the phenomenological tradition. Recommended prerequisite: Contemporary Philosophy (PH 2001) or an equivalent introduction to contemporary philosophy or phenomenology. Seminar format. Intended audience: MA (Phil. or Theol.) and PhD students.
PHST-4TBD
Atheism, New and Old — In 2006, Richard Dawkins published The God Delusion. What was remarkable about this book was not its arguments, its use of science, or its militant (indeed, rather shrill) insistence on the superiority of atheism to any theistic position, but rather its enthusiastic reception and powerful impact on popular culture and thinking. This course takes a close look at the “New Atheism,” the work of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and their allies, along with a broad sampling of the “Old Atheists,” such as Freud, Marx, Nietzsche and Sartre. Though avowed opponents of religion in general and Christianity in particular, these thinkers can be seen as unwitting allies to a thoughtful articulation and living out of the Christian faith (and other forms of belief). Seminar format. Intended audience: MA, Ph.D., and MDiv students.
PHST-4TBD
From Dionysius to Derrida — Contemporary postmodern philosophers such as Derrida, Foucault, Levinas, and Deleuze have rekindled an interest in negative theology by comparing their own philosophies of difference and deconstruction to the linguistic strategies of apophatic theologians. Negative theology, that approach to God which focuses on saying what God is not, itself has a rich and varied history. This course will explore key figures in this theological tradition, including Plotinus, Proclus, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Pseudo-Dionysius, Maimonides, Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, and the author of the Cloud of Unknowing, as well as key themes such as God’s transcendence, divine mystery, analogical language, and the limitations of human knowledge. We will then turn to how this tradition has been appropriated and transformed by contemporary thinkers. Seminar format. Intended audience: MA, Ph.D., and advanced MDiv students.
Theology
BS-1560
Intro to Sacred Scripture — This course combines an overview of Scripture with an introduction to biblical exegesis and hermeneutics. The course briefly introduces students to each book of the Old and New Testaments, equips them with the tools for exegesis of individual passages of Scripture, and instructs them in guidelines for biblical interpretation within the Catholic tradition. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students.
OT-2098
Pentateuch and Histories — This course introduces students to both the Pentateuch and the Historical books of the Old Testament. Given the large sweep of material, the approach is strategic. Closer attention will be given to key passages in each set of books while familiarizing students with the state of critical scholarship regarding their historical context. Theological questions emerging from the canonical ordering of the material, and certain aspects of reception history in the Jewish and Christian traditions, will also be touched upon. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sacred Scripture or equivalent.
OT-2149
Prophets — This course introduces students to the history of Israelite prophecy and selected prophetic texts from the pre-exilic, exilic and post-exilic periods. Historical and literary critical approaches help appreciate the historical context of the prophetic writings and the literary art of the various prophetic idioms. Attention will also be given to the question of what constitutes prophecy at various stages of Israel's history, and its relationship to later concepts of prophecy within the Christian theological tradition. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sacred Scripture or equivalent.
OT-2600
Wisdom Literature — This class introduces students to the Wisdom writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. It will acquaint students with the historical context of their emergence and the theological questions which they elicit, especially with respect to the interaction between post-exilic Judaism and the ancient Near Eastern and Hellenistic traditions. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sacred Scripture or equivalent.
NTBS-2550
The Gospels — This course provides an introduction to the four canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The class focuses on close readings of each book, with attention given to how each author presents Christ theologically as the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures, literarily as the subject of ancient biography, and historically as a figure attested by eyewitnesses. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sacred Scripture or equivalent.
NT-2526
Pauline Literature — This course presents an overview of the fourteen epistles (including Hebrews) which comprise the traditional Pauline corpus. Along with close readings of each epistle, this course introduces students to the history of Pauline scholarship (including interpretation ranging from the early church to modern "old" and "new" perspectives), critical questions related to authorship and theology, and the place of Paul within Christian theology more broadly. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sacred Scripture or equivalent.
NT-2531
Acts, Catholic Epistles & Revelation — This course presents an overview of the Acts of the Apostles, the Catholic Epistles (James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude), and Revelation. The course focuses on close readings of each book/epistle, with attention given both to historical questions (authorship, dating, etc.) and to identifying each writing's distinctive contribution to Christian theology. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sacred Scripture or equivalent.
BS-3455
Christianity from Christ to Constantine — This course is an exploration into the writings of the early Church, using the primary sources of texts from key figures within the Church’s early centuries and Eusebius of Caesarea’s Ecclesiastical History. Following the story of a non-entity on Good Friday that converted the world’s greatest empire within three centuries, this course traces the continuation of the Christian movement from the Book of Acts up through the conversion of the Emperor in the fourth century, as it sought to embody, uphold and spread the gospel amidst persecutions and internal challenges to the faith. Employing a seminar format, this class will shed light on how the teachings of Scripture were understood and lived out among the earliest generations of Christians, the ways in which early Christianity corresponded and contrasted with the cultures, values and religions of the ancient world, and how studying these writings can help us better understand our own mission as heirs to the faith of these earliest believers. Intended audience: MDiv and MA/MTS students.
BSHS-4200
Josephus Seminar — There is no historical resource that sheds more light on the context of the New Testament and on Jewish interpretation of the Scriptures in Christ's time than the writings of Josephus. Nevertheless, modern historical interpreters surprisingly rank far behind our predecessors in actually reading Josephus's works, which in earlier periods were sometimes as popular as Scripture itself. This seminar makes good this deficiency by taking students through the complete texts of Josephus's Jewish War, Antiquities of the Jews, Autobiography, and Against Apion, introducing them to the untold treasures to be found in this first-century Jewish author. This class is for MDiv and MA/MTS students.
HS-1196
Church History I: 1st c. to 15th c. — History of the Church from the Apostolic Period until the end of the Middle Ages, focusing, in particular, on its transformation from a small Jewish sect into the international Church of the middle ages. Some attention will be paid to the development of doctrine, but more emphasis will be placed on piety and worship, dissent, missions, mysticism, ecclesiastical organization, and Church relations to secular government. The course will use a lecture/class discussion format.
HS-2196
Church History II: 15th c. to 21st c. — Church History, 1451-2020: a survey of the life and story of the Catholic Church from the fall of Constantinople to the pontificate of Pope Francis. While the intent is to trace the general trends and conditions that shaped the Catholic Church during 500 years, the opportunity is given to students to investigate more localized events and traditions, noting where movement has taken place to renew the Church and re-launch the Gospel mission. This is primarily a survey course. Format: Lectures, with some group work.
HS-2150
The Church in Late Antiquity, 200-700 — This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive historical overview of the Church in the Late Antique period. It will cover the period described in-depth while also providing overviews of the important historical themes and movements which characterized this period of transition, such as popular piety, asceticism, and art and architecture. This is principally a lecture-based course
HS-2443
Don Bosco’s Environment — The course examines the social, political, cultural and religious context in which St John Bosco (1815-1888), an innovative Christian educator and spiritual director, lived and worked. Don Bosco (as he is familiarly known) became so influential that his outreach to needy youth continues, not only in his native Italy but in 132 countries around the globe. The objective of this course: to make a synthesis, at least in its fundamental points, that will allow us to reflect on the figure of Don Bosco in his own context and then to ransom his image as it is held captive by the conditioning of his times, to bring his insights into the contemporary world. In this way, we can let his experiences speak to us as we attempt to deal with challenges that the Salesian family must confront today.
HS-4133
From 3 Popes to 2 Councils — After the disputed Papal election in 1378, the Church was uncertain who was truly the Pope, and a long schism followed. The division was healed by the efforts of a generation of canonists, theologians and secular politicians at the Church Councils of Constance and Basel. A spirit of collegial government was generated at the Councils that demanded that ecclesiastics and civil leaders respect all factions within society. This course will show currents of renewal, collegiality and reform in the Church that continued through the Catholic and Protestant Reformations and still find echoes today.
HSBS-4050
Patristic-Medieval Exegesis — This course will explore representative examples of biblical exegesis in the patristic and medieval eras. While the main focus of the course will be on the exegetical methods employed by patristic and medieval writers, we will consider these methods in relation to a range of issues, including: the relation between exegesis and the development of doctrine, the different senses of Scripture, and the interplay between the interpretation of Scripture and the devotional life of the Church. Lecture/discussion. Intended audience: MA/MTS and MDiv students.
HRRA-2050
Aboriginal Sacred Art & Music — The Aboriginal People of Australia possess the oldest continuous culture on the planet, more than 50,000 years old. This course will teach about the Dreaming and the Land and will celebrate the contemporary art of local aboriginal communities. Aboriginal art is intimately connected with stories arising from the Dreaming, so Aboriginal art cannot be well understood without understanding sacred land and the Dreaming Ancestors. While some representations occur across the Continent, “Dreaming sites,” are local and their influence is local and over particular peoples. This course will treat all aboriginal art, but, will focus on the Kimberley and the Northern Territory.
HRST-2083
Christian-Muslim Dialogue: Theory and Practice — This is a seminar course exploring important elements and critical issues of dialogue. The study will include an examination of theories supporting and challenging interreligious dialogue and the history of Christian-Muslim relations. There will be a special focus on the recent development of “” initiative begun in 2007, the Roman Catholic Church’s response to this project and the Building Bridges Seminars organized by the Anglican Church in 2002. Comparative theology methodology and interfaith pedagogies provide a foundation for these explorations. Throughout the semester scholars from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith traditions will join us as “dialogue partners” and we will visit their places of worship and gathering.
ST-1091
Theology: Nature & Method — This course (formerly titled “ST-1710 Theology: Method & Structure”) is an introduction to the nature, method, sources, and structure of theology, focusing on (but not limited to) the Roman Catholic tradition and the work of St. Thomas Aquinas in particular. Issues to be considered include the nature of theology, its method, the relationship between philosophy and theology, the theology of revelation, and the respective roles of scripture, tradition, magisterium, faith, and reason in theology. The course also introduces students to writing research papers in theology. Intended audience: MA, MDiv, and MTS students.
ST-2500
Patristic Theology: Christology and the Early Church Councils — This course surveys the main lines of Christological developments of the first millennia, beginning with the earliest Church Fathers, and showing how these developments culminate in the Christological debates of the early Church Councils from Nicaea to Constantinople III. Intended audience: MA, MTS, and MDiv students.
ST-2300
Trinity — Beginning with the scriptural understanding of the Trinity, the course will trace the development of the doctrine, especially in the theology of Thomas Aquinas, and then examine certain contemporary approaches to the doctrine against that background (Schleiermacher, Barth, Rahner, Moltmann, Boff, LaCugna). Intended audience: MA, MTS, and MDiv students.
ST-3067
Theology of Sacraments — This course will introduce students to systematic theological reflection on the sacraments in general and on each of the seven sacraments. While other traditions will be touched upon, the focus will be on the Roman Catholic tradition, especially as found in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas. In this tradition, it is believed that (1) the sacraments, being instituted by Christ and deriving their power from him, introduce us to his divine life, and that (2) these sacraments are celebrated by the Church, so that this life may be professed and shared. This course focuses primarily on the first of these two fundamental aspects of the sacraments, although the second (liturgical) aspect will be present in many ways. Intended Audience: MDiv or MA Theology students; other graduate students admitted with permission.
ST-3071
Sacraments: Eucharist & Orders — This course (formerly titled "ST-3069 Special Topics in Sacraments") will help students to deepen their systematic theological reflection on the sacraments in general and on each of the seven sacraments, with a particular focus on the sacraments of Eucharist and Holy Orders. The Roman Catholic tradition as exemplified in the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, with reference to its historical context, will provide the basis for reflection. Students completing the course will be able to explain, discuss, and apply the insights gained here for preaching, catechesis, liturgy, and further theological studies. Intended Audience: MDiv or MA Theology students; other graduate students admitted with permission. Prerequisite: An introductory course in sacramental theology.
ST-TBD
Christology — This course focuses on Aquinas’s Christological synthesis, especially his understanding of the hypostatic union in the framework of his metaphysics of “esse”. It begins with a brief reviewing of the Christological developments of the Early Church Fathers and the Early Church Councils, as a way of setting the scene for the Christology presented in Peter Lombard’ Sentences and St. Thomas’ reception and response to it. Finally, this course will briefly present later Christological developments while attempting to respond to them within the Thomistic framework. Intended audience: MA, MDiv, and MTS students.
ST-3128
Theological Anthropology — This course is an introduction to historical and contemporary issues in Christian anthropology, with an emphasis on the theology of Thomas Aquinas. It will consider (a) the human person created in the image of God, according to the states characterized by innocence, sin, law, grace, and glory; (b) historical justification & nature/grace controversies; and (c) hope & eschatology. Intended audience: MA, MTS, and MDiv students.
STPH-3095
The One Creator God — Classical and contemporary questions regarding the nature of God and creation will be addressed through the retrieval of the tradition of Thomas Aquinas. Existence and attributes of God, divine compassion and human suffering, the possibility and nature of God-talk, divine action and contemporary science, cosmology and creation. Intended audience: MA, MTS, MDiv, and PhD students.
STSP-3036
Ecclesiology: Foundations — This foundational course invites students to examine the Church in Scripture, the rising of the Christian community, and the progressive self-awareness of the early community as it responded to the call of the Gospel and the needs of the times (part one). The next step is to survey the “quest for ecclesiology” in the movement from the Reformation and the Council of Trent to the twentieth century and all that went into creating “a Vatican II mentality” (part two). The final step is to highlight Church in the contemporary world: Church as mystery, community sent to announce and celebrate salvation; Church that witnesses and serves (part three). The course ends by taking stock of the tasks confronting the Church today.
ST-2330
Angels & Demons — This course examines the theology of angels and demons in the Christian tradition, with a focus on the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas. It will include the history of doctrine, as well as systematic reflection on how angelology can shed light on our current theological conceptions of God, Christ, and humanity.
STHS-4037
Eschatology — In this course, we will examine systematic theological conceptions of final fulfillment in the Christian tradition, including conceptions of death, resurrection, judgment, heaven, hell, purgatory, the end and renewal of the world, apocalypse and apokatastasis. We will often make reference to the theology of Thomas Aquinas but will also consider the work of Joachim of Fiore, Bonaventure, Rahner, von Balthasar, Pannenberg, Moltmann, and others. The course will provide students with a means of evaluating the theological implications of various options in eschatology.
STHS-4041
Truth and Authority in the City of God — This seminar is a theology course with a strong historical context. It covers all twenty-two books of Augustine’s “great and arduous work,” the City of God, which stands as the longest work presenting a sustained argument to survive from Graeco-Roman antiquity. We trace the evolution and multiple uses of the two-cities theme, how it illuminates his social, moral, and political philosophy/theology, his understanding of spiritual conversion by which prodigals become pilgrims, and his approach to history and eschatology. Particular attention is given to Augustine’s assessment of the authority of the discourses (words, speeches, myths) of the gentiles, for he was the master of word-signs and performances. Theologia are the discourses about the divine, either on our part about the divine or on the part of the divine about creatures. The gentiles adapted theology to the stage, the civic order, and to the order of nature. Augustine ponders deeply the inefficacy of ancient wisdom and philosophical traditions to resist noble and ignoble lies about religion for the sake of political and cultural solidarity. He explores the crisis of human history once the revealed Word forms a people in truthful love. Intended audience: Advanced MA and Ph.D. students.
STHS-4041
Augustine Through His Sermons — This course will explore some of the major themes of Augustine’s thought as they are reflected in his extensive body of sermons: his account of Christ, the Trinity, the Church, grace, sin, and Scripture. While highlighting the interrelationship between the various aspects of Augustine's theology, this course will pay particular attention to the question of what it means to teach and preach Christian belief.
STHS-4141
20th & 21st c. Roman Catholic Theologies — This course is an introduction to currents in 20th-century and 21st-century Roman Catholic theology, including overviews of pre-conciliar neoscholasticism, the efforts labeled as “nouvelle theologie,” results from and reactions to Vatican-II, as well as more recent developments such as post-modern, personalistic, and analytic theologies, and recent Thomistic theology. A significant portion of the course content will be determined by the participants’ interests. Intended audience: Advanced MA Theology and Ph.D. students.
STPH-2209
God and Suffering — This course will explore classical and contemporary approaches to the problem of God and human suffering, including scriptural, theological, philosophical and literary sources.
STPH-2500
The Passion of the Western Mind — The first part of this seminar will center around a careful reading of Richard Tarnas' The Passion of the Western Mind, a one-volume narrative intellectual history of the West which stresses the discovery, loss, and recovery of the concept of form; the goal is for you to attain a broad, synthetic understanding of the western intellectual tradition from its origins in ancient Greece to the present, and for you to critically ponder Tarnas' theory of the religious, cultural, philosophical, and archetypal dynamics that have shaped this history. The second half will consist of an introduction to the thought of Charles Taylor, centered on major themes from his A Secular Age (and also from Sources of the Self); the goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the modern (“secular”) era that Tarnas introduces in Passion. Seminar, for MA and MDiv students.
STPH 4080
Augustine & Aquinas on the Self — Against the backdrop of contemporary discussions about identity and selfhood, this course will explore the themes of the self and self-knowledge in conversation with two of the most influential figures in the history of Western thought: Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas. Some of the issues we take under consideration will include: the nature of the soul and the human person, the relation of mind and body, and the character of reflexive knowledge. Lecture/discussion. Intended audience: MA/MTS and MDiv students.
STPH-4800
Secularism and Faith: Beliefs as more than Therapy — Charles Taylor’s acclaimed work, A Secular Age (2008), takes note of the de facto pluralism of beliefs before providing an intricate historical account of how secularism emerged as an option within the “social imagination” of the West. Among other things, he notes the rise of a robust “marketplace of ideas” which includes the tenants of secularism and many other ideas not available to the ancients, and the unique ways the contemporary “self” has become distanced (“buffered”) from this increasingly diverse variety of ideas impinging upon it, as well as from even those beliefs to which it subscribes and holds dear. These are positive developments, in Taylor’s esteem.
This course will explore some of the philosophical and theological implication of Taylor’s ‘buffered self’ using St Thomas’s writings on the virtue of religion and on the theological virtues—and a selection of readings about belief systems drawn from other thinkers such as Aristotle, Freud, Carl Jung, C.S. Lewis, Philip Reiff, and Alasdair MacIntyre. For example, does the sort of “buffering” which Taylor describes—the distancing of the self from its own beliefs—undermine how they function qua beliefs and
prevent them from delivering that which the self most desires and requires from them? For example, many the thinkers listed above have noted that the self has a deep psychological need to commit to something that transcends the individual and the moral need to believe that one’s beliefs are true in some sort of absolute way, and not