History

This lecture/discussion course is an historical survey of Christianity up to the 15th century. As surveys go, it's meant to offer students a broad view of Christian history. At the same time, certain topics in the course warrant closer examination, and so we strive for a balance between the general and the specific. As this is a course designed mainly (though not exclusively) for MDiv students, our emphasis is on pastoral developments in early and medieval Christianity. Appropriate to a course in history, ""Church to 1400"" is consciously multi-disciplinary, approaching major developments in Christianity from a variety of perspectives and historical sources. Written assignments include a textual analysis of one of the original sources on the syllabus and a non-textual analysis of some historical artifact (monumental, liturgical, artistic, etc.) from our period. Two brief quizzes chart student learning and in lieu of a final exam, course participants will complete a ""Pastoral Application Project"" designed to convey an historical presentation in a particular pastoral setting of the student's choice.

How can a theologian use an object as an independent resource? This course offers an introduction to the methods used for critically analyzing non-textual sources, like religious art, architecture, and material culture. It includes formal analysis, iconography, semiotics, socio-cultural interpretation, gender-based, post-colonial and reception- oriented approaches. Seminar/discussion. Active class participation, presentations, three critiques/papers. No previous knowledge of art history required. This course fulfills M.Div. requirements in Art and Religion. [12 max enrollment; auditors excluded]

This course offers in depth studies exploring how Jesuit theology of mission was formulated and developed starting with the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, being embodied in the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, and flowing out into Jesuit practices and policy in their missions during the 16th and 17th century. The core reading materials come from primary sources such as the Spiritual Exercises, the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius' correspondences and the first five Jesuit General's correspondences to Jesuits in Asia as well as commentaries and critiques from contemporary scholars. Format is seminar. Student participation in class through classroom seminar/ discussions, 1written short reflections (2 - 3 pages), a book review, and a final research project (~ 20 pages). [Experience with the Spiritual Exercises; reading Spanish is advantageous; Faculty Consent required; 10 max enrollment; auditors with Faculty permission].

This lecture/seminar course examines the nature of dissent, heresy and religious reform in the Latin Church between the 11th and 17th centuries. As such, the course spans a remarkable variety of what constituted Christian reform from the Gregorian movement which animated a stronger, more centralized ecclesiastical authority in Christendom to the Puritan movement which sought to undo nearly every aspect of the former. We will examine the religious impetus behind such movements as the Cathars, Cistercians, millenarian sects such as the Joachites, the rise of mendicancy, the beguines, Spiritual Franciscans, Conciliarism, Martin Luther, the Anabaptists, Catholic ""counter-reformers"" and the Puritans-the latter bridging the Old World and the New. We will further examine common elements among these reforming movements as well as divergences-not only theologically, but also with respect to social organization, political identity and economics. Course readings include original sources in translation as well as secondary literature. Students will participate in leading seminar discussions and will write short critical analyses of weekly readings and one major essay on a topic of their choice.

This course offers in depth studies of how Jesuit theology of mission was formulated and developed starting with the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, being embodied in the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, and flowing out into Jesuit practices and policy in their missions in Asia during the 16th and 17th century. The core reading materials come from primary sources such as the Spiritual Exercises, the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius' correspondences and the first five Jesuit General's correspondences to Jesuits in Asia as well as commentaries and critiques from contemporary scholars. Format is seminar. Student participation in class through classroom discussions, 3 written short reflections (2 - 3 pages), an annotated bibliography, and a final research project (15 - 20 pages). [Experience with the Spiritual Exercises; Reading Spanish is advantageous; PIN code requirement; 10 max enrollment; Auditors with Faculty permission].

This lecture/seminar course will explore the development of Christian theology over the first centuries, focusing primarily on the Greek Fathers. The class will cover the Trinitarian and Christological controversies of the early centuries while also considering the apologists of the earliest period, the development of sacramental theology, and the increasing centrality of the liturgy in spiritual practice. Particular attention will be given to the achievement of orthodoxy as a gradual phenomenon often following centuries of controversy. Students will also become familiar with different exegetical strategies, as well as with other topics such as ecclesiology and spirituality. This class is primarily for STL or doctoral students, though MDiv students may also attend. Students preparing for the priesthood or engaged in ministry will be encouraged to reflect on the implications for their pastoral work of the material studied. [Faculty Consent required]

This survey course will examine the history of the Christian Church from the Apostolic Age to today through a close reading of 50 objects, inspired by the BBC and British Museum's recent collaboration A History of the World in 100 Objects. Prompted by the increasing scholarly interest in the art and material culture(s) of religion across a number of academic disciplines (including religious studies, history, literature, and anthropology) a select corpus of monuments, spaces, sculptures, pictures, liturgical art, and other objects will serve as a framework for discussion. Students will be evaluated through final research papers on an original topic of their choice (70% of final grade), class participation (10% of final grade), and an oral presentation (20% of final grade). Intended audience: any interested graduate student.

Queen of Heaven, Immaculate Conception, Mother, Advocate, Star of the Sea: from the early Christian centuries to today, representations of the Virgin Mary have evolved and changed, and are as diverse as her many titles. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, this course will examine the making, meaning, and reception of Marian images within the various social, religious, and cultural milieus from which they emerged. We will consider Theotokos icons, Italian Renaissance imagery of the Virgin and Child, nineteenth-century portrayals of Mary as the Immaculate Conception, the miraculous Madonnas at Guadalupe and Czestochowa, and vernacular Marian shrines. The course will include film screenings, gallery trips, and a visit to a mission church. Students will be evaluated through final research papers on an original topic of their choice (70% of final grade), class participation (10% of final grade), and an oral presentation (20% of final grade). Final projects with creative art components encouraged.

This doctoral seminar course explores primary readings in the classical sources of Christian spirituality from the early, medieval, early modern, and modern periods, as well as secondary readings on the sources and on historical methodology. By the end of the course, students will have gained a more detailed knowledge of a select number of topics within the history of Christian spirituality, and should have developed the ability to handle historical material for research projects in the same field. Open to doctoral students in Christian Spirituality and related fields and to advanced Masters students with a strong background in the history of Christianity.

The purpose of the course is to provide an overview of the development of Trinitarian theology, from its gradual emergence in the early Christian period all the way to the present. The first sessions of the course will explore the Cappadocian contribution to the understanding of Trinity as well as Augustine's Trinitarian teaching and its reception. We will then explore the Scholastic and Palamite rendition of early Trinitarian theology and continue with a sample of modern and contemporary approaches, including feminist and contextual appropriations of the traditional teaching. The course will conclude with a discussion of interreligious approaches to Trinitarian theology, emphasizing the need to reinterpret the Trinitarian idiom in different cultural contexts. This lecture/seminar course is geared towards MDiv/MA/STL students, though doctoral students may also attend. Students will be required to submit a weekly reflection paper, give at least one presentation, and submit a final research paper (20/25 pages) or two shorter papers (10/12 pages each). [PIN code required; 20 max enrollment]

This lecture/discussion course is an historical survey of Christianity up from the early 15th century to the present. As surveys go, it's meant to offer students a broad view of Christian history. At the same time, certain topics in the course warrant closer examination, and so we strive for a balance between the general and the specific. As this is a course designed mainly (though not exclusively) for MDiv students, our emphasis is on pastoral developments in Reformation, Modern, and Post-Colonial Christianity. Appropriate to a course in history, ""Church: 1400 to Present"" is consciously multi-disciplinary, approaching major developments in Christianity from a variety of perspectives and historical sources. Written assignments include a textual analysis of one of the original sources on the syllabus and options for a single, longer essay (15 pp) or two shorter papers (6-7 pp) on topics of the student's choice. Two brief quizzes chart student learning.

This survey course will examine the history of the Christian Church from the Apostolic Age to today through a close reading of 50 objects, inspired by the BBC and British Museum's recent collaboration, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'. Prompted by the increasing scholarly interest in the art and material culture(s) of religion across a number of academic disciplines (including religious studies, history, literature, and anthropology) a select corpus of monuments, spaces, sculptures, pictures, liturgical art, and other objects will serve as a framework for discussion. Students will be evaluated through final research papers on an original topic of their choice (70% of final grade), class participation (10% of final grade), and an oral presentation (20% of final grade). Intended audience: any interested graduate student.

Geoffrey Chaucer famously wrote that ""folks long to go on pilgrimage."" Indeed, travelling over long distances to a sacred destination is an important ritual practice that has crossed cultures and time. Such journeys have inspired legends, folk-stories, and artistic representations from the early Christian centuries to today. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, this course surveys the relationship of art, material culture, and Christian pilgrimage practice through a close examination of major shrines and their dedications and decorations, paintings, pilgrimage badges and other souvenirs, films, and surrogate sites of pilgrimage such as maps, labyrinths, and manuscripts. We will address the theological underpinning of pilgrimage, as well as the conjunction of artistic practice and contemplative prayer as pilgrimage. Slide lecture format with in-class discussion and weekly reading assignments. Students will be evaluated through final research papers on an original topic of their choice (70% of final grade), class participation (10% of final grade), and an oral presentation (20% of final grade).