THE - Theology & Religious Studies

This course examines how Biblical texts and interpretations shape faiths, theologies, spiritualities, ethics, practices, identities, cultures, and social and political dynamics. It gives students tools to interpret and engage these ancient Jewish and Christian texts from the Mediterranean world in contemporary global contexts.

This course explores the prophetic tradition in biblical and contemporary times. Selected texts are read in the context of cultural and global realities to discover how culture shapes these texts and how these texts continue to shape cultures and world views. Topics include God, gender, power, justice, empire, ecology, hope, prophetic vision, and what it means to be prophetic today.

This course explores and critiques the wisdom writings of the Bible and other texts, and the cultures that shaped these texts. Focus is on the wisdom needed for wise decision-making practices for the work of justice and transformation of life in a globalized world. Attention is also given to two main wisdom themes: creation and the presence of the Divine in the midst of all life.

This course explores the theme of gender in the Bible, the cultures that shaped the texts, and how the biblical culture and stories continue to have an impact on life today as we struggle for gender justice in a globalized world. The course explores such topics as power, politics, kyriarchy, the intersectionality of gender discrimination with other forms of discrimination. Emphasis is on liberation, transformation, and ethical praxis.

Drawing from Christian/Catholic tradition and from other ethical perspectives, the course addresses the moral dilemmas of abortion, artificial reproductive technologies, genetic technology, organ transplants, physician-assisted suicide, and issues of death and dying with the end goal of forming students as intelligent and critical interlocutors of bio-ethical issues.

Environmental Justice addresses issues of climate crisis, water justice, environmental racism, human rights, earth solidarity, and earth rights, in a global/cosmic context, in the light of Catholic social teaching and the ecological ethics of Buddhism, Hinduism, and American Indians. Using the paradigm of vision, norm, and choice, the course addresses concrete issues of environmental justice as presented in selected case studies.

Sexual Ethics begins with a study of the historic evolution of sexual teachings to provide a context to current ethical debates on sexual issues. The course presents diverse perspectives on these issues for critical study, discourse, and discernment.

This course takes as a starting point gender violence as a phenomenon across cultures around the globe. With the main premise that gender violence is linked with gender inequity, it studies this inequity's roots in patriarchal traditions, cultural practices, and religious beliefs. It ends with the study of gender resistance through feminist theo-religious reconstruction and liberative activism.

Explores contemporary Christian and Jewish theological reflections on the Nazi genocide campaign to eliminate the Jews of Europe. Special emphasis on the documents of the churches until now, on the Austrian and German efforts to cope with this part of recent history, and on the relation of early anti-Judaism in Christian cultures to racism and anti-Semitism.

This course will explore the ways material reality affects how human beings relate to divinity. Students will learn about the ways place, time, sound, smell, gesture, food, art, and narrative affect spirituality. Special attention will be given to rituals of worship.

Exploration of liturgy as Christian worship, considering ritual symbolism as the "language" (word and action) of worship, and worship as Christian faith in dialogue with God. Includes a critical evaluation of contemporary liturgical reforms in ecumenical perspective.

This course will explore the connection between rituals of worship and the ethical behavior of the people who practice those rituals. As a form of language, rituals exert influence on how people understand themselves and how they behave toward others. This course will address topics such as ecology, gender, economics, race, culture, and technology.

This course is an exploration of the wisdom offered by various religious traditions for responding to a time of ecological crisis. In this course, students will examine the role of religious experience in making ethical decisions about creation-care, reflect upon their own response to ecological crisis, and design spiritual practices expressive of that response.

This course is an exploration of how individuals have reflected on their faith and expressed their relationship with God or to the sacred through the arts. Students in this course will explore this relationship through analysis and contemplative engagement of artistic work, as well as creation of their own art objects as spiritual practice. No creative expertise required.

This course takes a comparative approach to the theological inquiry probing fundamental religious questions in relation to African indigenous Religions and Christianity. We will look at the major beliefs and practices of African indigenous Religions and Christianity and their historical development using primary sources and focusing on how diverse religious approaches might be mutually illuminative.

This course will introduce students to the contemporary trends in theological anthropology. Notions of identity and relationality will be explored theologically, culturally, and philosophically. These will be linked to other social issues like ecology, poverty, racial and economic justice, feminism, grace, and suffering.

Historical development of conflicts, especially over the theory of evolution, and the variety of positions presented today by theologians, scientists, and philosophers.

This course introduces, explores, and evaluates queer Christian theologies. Examining sources and methods within this burgeoning theological sub-field, it traces developments of queer(ing) theologies—from early turns to Scripture/doctrine affirming same-sex relationships, to efforts revising theologies in light of queer lives—and considers key themes, future possibilities, and impacts on ecclesial and public contexts.

This course explores gender and sexuality as they intersect with religious communities, traditions, and practices, with a focus on Christianity. Placing religious and theological studies in conversation with women, gender, and sexuality studies, this course explores wisdom, limitations, and potential innovations within religious frameworks in relation to topics such as marriage, the Catholic sex abuse crisis, rape culture, and queer identities.

This course explores the theological ideas, debates, and practices of Christians living in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Byzantine era (325-1453 CE). It focuses primarily on theological texts, but also draws upon visual and material evidence to better understand a wide range of Byzantine beliefs and practices in their historical, geographical, and cultural contexts.

This course explores the role of race and ethnicity in ancient Christianity (100-500 CE). It focuses on the multiple ways that early Christians drew upon the concepts of ethnicity and race in the formation of Christian identity, and invites students to think about the role of race and ethnicity in the Christian tradition then and now.

This course investigates the role of violence in ancient Christianity (100-500 CE). It focuses on practices of social violence, especially addressing the interpretation of divinely-legitimized violence in Christianity’s sacred texts, the utilization of violence towards religious outsiders; and the employment of violence within Christian communities to discipline members and police sectarian boundaries.

This course explores the central theme of Christian hope and its role in shaping the political, cultural, economic, historical, ecological and relational experiences of humans in society.

This course will introduce students to both the historical and theological development of interreligious dialogue in the Roman Catholic Church’s tradition. Particular attention will be given to the meaning and purpose of interfaith encounters, identity, culture, memory, history, and politics. We will appropriate insights from theological, cultural, philosophical, and political voices from the global north and south.

Christian tradition in the 21st century and post Vatican II; the modern Church in the liturgy, the ecumenical movement toward Christian unity, the social justice and evangelical mission of the Church in the secular and pluralistic world. (Salzburg only.)

Guided inquiry for superior juniors and seniors who wish to pursue a particular subject area in Theology more intensely than course offerings permit. By special arrangement with members of the Theology faculty.

Special Offerings.

A required course for theology majors that explores advanced aspects of the discipline and practice of theology. Students will examine key topics and theological methods of analysis. The course will focus on writing in the discipline, critical reading of primary and secondary sources, and peer discussion. Theology majors only.

Credit arranged. Course is graded A-F.

Credit arranged. Course is graded A-F.

Credit arranged.

Credit arranged.

Research, study, or original work under the direction of a faculty mentor leading to a scholarly capstone document. Requires approval of capstone director, department chair, and the director of the Honors program, when appropriate. Grade will be IP until all requirements are fulfilled.