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BTI Consortium | Last Updated November 17, 2025 - 3:00PM
Boston College,
Clough School of Theology & Ministry
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMCE7004
The Moral Dimension of the Christian Life
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
SP26
This course provides a foundational and systematic overview of the basic components of Catholic moral theology. The content of the course is an exposition and analysis of topics traditionally treated under the heading of fundamental moral theology: moral character, moral freedom and its limits, the relationship of spirituality and morality, sin and conversion, conscience, the use of scripture in moral reasoning, natural law, the teaching authority of the church in moral matters, the development of moral norms, discernment and moral decision-making.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Scheid, Daniel P
W
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMCE8059
Social Justice and the Bible
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
SP26
This course builds on the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching found in the papal, Vatican, and conferences of bishops documentary history and brings the insights of Catholic social ethics and biblical studies to bear on the realities of social justice and human rights today. Attention will be given to primary source documents in the prophetic and wisdom literature traditions of scripture and the social encyclicals found in CST. The course (1) presents the concerns of justice making/justice breaking/justice doing in the primary literature of these traditions, (2) explores the social, economic, and educational conditions of those who are vulnerable or otherwise marginalized, and (3) considers how to realize the preferential option for those who are poor and/or otherwise vulnerable as the Gospel demand for justice.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Iozzio, Mary Jo
T
09:30AM-12:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; Prereq: One graduate level course in either fundamental moral theology (including CST) or Scripture
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMCE8149
Catholic Social Teaching and Ecology
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
SP26
This course provides an introduction to the development of Catholic social teaching on ecology. The first half focuses on Pope Francis landmark encyclical, Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, and its major themes. We will examine papal and episcopal teaching prior to LS as well as how LS has been interpreted by Bishops Conferences and selected theologians from across the world. The second half of the course will draw on the Jesuit textbook Healing Earth to apply CST to various issues in ecological ethics, e.g. biodiversity, energy, water, food, and climate change.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Scheid, Daniel P
R
03:30PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7218
Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
A study of the coherent theological vision and practical spiritual teachings of Ignatius of Loyola through his writings (e.g. Spiritual Exercises, Diary, and Testament). The course explores both the historical foundations for Ignatius's spiritual program and its subsequent interpretations by theologians and pastoral practitioners.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Mooney, Catherine
T
03:30PM-05:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7301
Tolkien: Catholicism, History, and Myth
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course will examine the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien (author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, among others) in primarily a historical framework, but also with attention to Tolkiens Catholic worldview. Tolkien was a scholar of medieval literature as well as a fantasy author. He intended his fictional Middle Earth to represent not only a new national myth-cycle for the English people, but also a particularly Catholic worldview, potentially counter to the landscape of industrialization and World War I. This course will examine these themes and present a narrative concerned with the middle ages, medievalisms, and early 20th-century Catholicism as refracted through Tolkiens lenses. It will also consider discussions of race in Tolkiens thought, linguistics, and various adaptations of his work as well as his relationship with C.S. Lewis and the other members of the Inklings (his writers group).
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Molvarec, Stephen Joseph, Society of Jesus
R
09:30AM-11:50AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC8066
Medieval Exegesis
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
The course provides an introduction to scriptural interpretation in the medieval Latin West through a consideration of a wide range of Christian exegetes, preachers, and theologians working between the fourth and fourteenth century C.E.--including Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, Bede, Alcuin of York, the twelfth-century schools of Laon and St. Victor, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, and Nicholas of Lyra--and a variety of 'exegetical' literary genres--including methodological treatises, commentaries, glosses, postillae, sermons, collationes, spiritual meditations, and theological summae. Noteworthy themes to be discussed include the fourfold sense, Scripture and the development of theology as a science, Christian Hebraism, and the Bible in the medieval universities. All primary sources will be read in English translation.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Harkins, Franklin T
F
09:00AM-12:00 Noon
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; prereq: a course in History of Christianity
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC8148
Stones, Bones, Spaces and Places: A History of Christianity�s Relationship with the Material World
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course will explore the relationship of Christians with the material world and with materiality particularly during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but with some contemporary discussion as well. Christians, on the one hand, have embraced materiality on account of the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus. On the other hand, some Christians have preferred to find a tension between the material and the spiritual. This course will explore those perspectives as well as the material culture of Christianity in its places, objects, relics, and thought. Students will encounter historical methodologies including the reconstruction of landscape and soundscape as well as theories of material culture.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Molvarec, Stephen Joseph, Society of Jesus
R
03:30PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; Previous Courses in Church History or History and (Permission of Instructor)
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMNT7043
1 Corinthians
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
SP26
A close reading of 1 Corinthians with attention to its historical and social setting, its rhetorical structure, and its theological and ecclesiological significance for our understanding of Paul's thought and practice, and the history of early Christianity. Thus the course will consist of a thorough survey of the structure, content, and key themes (e.g., Christology, ecclesiology, eschatology, ethics, resurrection, role of women) of Paul's epistle based primarily upon an exegetical analysis of the text with attention to current discussion in the scholarly literature.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Harkins, Angela Kim
W
04:00PM-06:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMOT7067
Introduction to the Old Testament
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
SP26
A literary, historical, and theological introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)�the Pentateuch, Deuteronomistic History, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. Key books will be read in their entirety: Genesis; Exodus; Deuteronomy (chs. 5-28 only); 1 and 2 Samuel; Psalms (selected); Ecclesiastes, Job; Isaiah; and Daniel, and others in selection.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Waters, Jaime L
MW
10:30AM-12:00 Noon
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMOT8142
The Deuterocanonical Books: Between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
SP26
This course is a survey of the seven deuterocanonical books in the Roman Catholic Old Testament. These books were transmitted in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) and bridge the time between the Hebrew Bible and the NT: 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, and Wisdom of Solomon. In addition to these seven books, this course will also examine aspects of the longer Greek versions of Esther and Daniel. The Deuterocanon contributes to later Christian understandings of God, martyrdom, communion of saints, angels, and resurrection. Prayers are also prominent in these books and appear alongside fasting and almsgivings.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Wills, Lawrence
M
02:00PM-04:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: One graduate level course in Old Testament or New Testament
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPS7078
Pastoral Care of the Family
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
SP26
This course presents specific topics that are important for effective and compassionate pastoral care of families today. We will examine challenging realities that may shape and/or disturb families and lead members to seek pastoral care, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, imprisonment of a family member, grief and loss, and family caregiver stress. We will consider the specific needs of families affected by injustices and harsh difficulties such as poverty and immigrant/refugee status. We will consider the specific roles and strategies of the pastoral caregiver and the faith community in helping families to negotiate challenges and create stability and well-being.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Kelley, Melissa M
F
09:00AM-12:00 Noon
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPS7279
Conflict Transformation
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
SP26
Conflict theory can enable constructive responses to situational disagreements and long-term relationship building. This course combines resources from secular conflict theory and Christian theology and ministry to foster transformation of micro (interpersonal), meso (communal), and macro (societal, international) level conflicts. Most texts reference the U.S. context, but other cultural perspectives are welcome. Assignments include regular short papers and a presentation. This is a discussion-based (not lecture-based) class; close reading is required.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
DuBois, Heather
W
04:00PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPS8122
Canon Law of the Sacraments
BTI Category
Semester
Church Polity/Canon Law
SP26
This course examines Book IV of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the sanctifying munus of the Church. It presents a canonical study of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, other Acts of Divine Worship, and Sacred Places and Times. Special emphasis is placed on the Sacrament of Marriage, not only on substantive norms (cann. 1055-1165) but also on Book VII as regards the Process for Declaration of Marriage Nullity. A comparison with selected norms of the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches will highlight some specificities of Sacramental Law of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Students who have not completed an introductory course in Canon Law are required (prior to the beginning of the course) to submit a preliminary essay to the instructor demonstrating basic knowledge and appropriation of the essential elements of the Code of Canon Law and insights from the work of Martin De Agar, Joseph T., A Handbook on Canon Law (Wilson & Lafleur, 2007).
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Ponzone, Andrea
W
04:00PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
One year of graduate level theology required; recommended, Introduction to Canon Law (TMPS8121), or equivalent.
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMRE7076
Education of Christians: Past, Present, and Future
BTI Category
Semester
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
SP26
The history of the church's educational ministry serves to enlighten its present pastoral praxis. Students in this course read original and classical documents as a treasury of wisdom for religious education and pastoral ministry. The course will closely parallel the history of theology, of the church, and of Western education.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Ganir, Phillip A, SJ
T
04:00PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMRE7161
Mission, Curriculum, and Pedagogy: Teaching High School Religion
BTI Category
Semester
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
SP26
This course is designed to assist students in developing religion curriculum for adolescents, particularly within the setting of Catholic secondary schools. It considers the place of religious instruction within the larger ambit of the Catholic school�s mission, including interaction with campus ministry and service learning. It attends to frameworks of faith development within adolescence. It includes the development of learning outcomes and assessment tools; pedagogy; curricular maps; units and lesson plans. Finally, it calls participants to be self-aware of the teacher�s role through the development of a pedagogic creed.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
O'Keefe, Theresa A
R
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMRE7264
Religious Education, Critical Pedagogy and Liberative Learning
BTI Category
Semester
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
SP26
This course provides familiarity with key concepts and thinkers of the critical pedagogy movement, exploring how they have informed theology and education, both religious and otherwise. The course highlights the contributions of Paulo Freire, considering the influence of Critical Theory and Christian spirituality on his educational scholarship and service. It builds from there to consider bell hooks engaged pedagogy, Antonia Darders decolonial pedagogy, and the work of Henry Giroux and Parker Palmer. Centered on in-class dialogue, the course culminates in student-driven projects exploring possible interventions and contributions that students can make in their own community-building contexts.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Keefe-Perry, Lincoln Birch
W
01:00PM-03:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7020
The Church
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
The ecclesial dimension of Christian faith is the focal point of this course. The course will locate the church within both a Trinitarian theology and a theological anthropology. Specific topics for exploration include the place of the church in the Creed, the sacramentality of the church, a theology of mission, and of structure and authority. The course will also explore current issues shaping the church's life and its place in the wider culture.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Guider, Margaret E
W
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7045
Grace
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
A historical and textual examination of how some Christian thinkers have described and conceptualized the experience of grace. After considering New Testament sources, the class will examine, through lecture and discussion, the following approaches: patristic (e.g. Irenaeus, Augustine, Pelagius), medieval (Aquinas), reformation (Luther, Calvin, Trent, John of the Cross), and modern (Congar, Rahner, Balthasar, Lonergan, liberation theology). Themes to be explored include sin, forgiveness, and healing; divine initiative and human freedom; sanctification; the relationship between nature and grace; social dimensions of grace; and theologies of the Spirit.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Doyle, Dominic F
F
10:00AM-12:00 Noon
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7151
Introduction to Patristic Theology
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course presents the methods and insights of patristic treatments on the topics of theology through a study of major figures and texts. After an overview of the culture and context of the early church, we will treat patristic reflection on: Scripture, faith and reason, Christ, Trinity, the church, liturgy, ethics, and prayer. Authors and literature include, but are not limited to: Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity, Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Hilary of Poitiers, Ambrose, Augustine, and John Chrysostom.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Dunkle, Brian P, SJ
MW
08:30AM-09:50AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7251
U.S. Latinx Theologies
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
In the United States, feminist and African-American/Black theologies have received much deserved recognition for their original contributions to the task of theological construction. However, it should be noted that right alongside these liberation and justice oriented theologies, even if with less publicity until recently, Latino and Latina theologians have been developing their own distinctive form of contextual and liberation theology written from the perspective of their lives in the United States. This course examines their theological expression, offering an overview of the historical development, main academic theologians, core themes and methods, and the promise and challenge of U.S. Latino(a) theology in the process. Besides offering students a solid introduction to U.S. Latinx theology, the course grants an opportunity to enhance one's cultural competence; to learn about the characteristics of the largest ethnic minority group in the United States (i.e. Latinos and Latinas); and to become more familiar with U.S. social history, the legacy of colonialism, and contemporary decolonial thinking.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Valentin, Benjamin
T
06:30PM-08:30PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
SYNC
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7319
Key Theological Movements of the 20th & 21st Centuries
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course offers a broad overview of Christian thought in the modern and contemporary era, with a focus on the Christian intellectual tradition in the Western world, on some of the most influential Christian theologies of the 20th and 21st centuries, and on the leading thinkers who helped to advance them. Among the academic theological movements to be explored are modern liberal theology, neo-orthodox theology and radical orthodoxy, transcendental Thomism in Catholicism, Vatican II Catholic theology, postcolonial and decolonial theology, process theology, and the theologies of the Cross, of hope, of justice and liberation, and of religious pluralism.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Valentin, Benjamin
R
03:30PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8041
Theological Anthropology and the Body
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
Issues of embodiment relating to theology, spirituality, and ministry form the substance of this course. We will probe understandings of the body found in the historical Christian tradition and draw insights regarding human bodiliness from contemporary theology, philosophy, psychology, and social theory. Finally, we will examine the role of the body in lived Christian faith with a particular emphasis on spirituality, education, and pastoral care.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Griffith, Colleen M
R
09:30AM-11:50AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: Foundations or Fundamental Theology
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8110
The Mystery of the Trinity
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
The course will offer the Scriptural sources, the dogmatic development and the works of contemporary theologians that have contributed to the Church's reflection on God, One and Triune, as revealed through the life and praxis of Jesus of Nazareth. This fundamental path will permit us to offer a systematic Trinitarian theology of God as Mystery of salvation and liberation of all.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Chong, Vicente, SJ
T
04:00PM-06:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: One course in Christology
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8564
Reconciliation in a World of Conflict
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
The twentieth century's legacy is marked by social conflict and war: more than 200 million people killed because of political repression, ethnic or religious wars. Enlisting a theological lens, this seminar examines the Christian resources and contribution to the problem of reconciliation. After examining the most important secular approaches to the problem of personal and social conflict, we will focus on the main Christian theologies of reconciliation, including the works of Robert Schreiter, Miroslav Volf, John de Gruchy, and Jon Sobrino. Their theologies will be examined through individual case studies of the Balkan region, South Africa, and El Salvador.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Valiente, Orfilio E
M
02:00PM-04:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: A course in theological foundations or fundamental theology
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMTM7175
The Church and Interreligious Dialogue
BTI Category
Semester
Interreligious Learning
SP26
Dialogue between religions has become one of the urgent yet intractable challenges of our time. In this course, we will focus on the engagement of the Catholic Church and Catholic theologians in interreligious dialogue. The first part of the course will deal with topical issues, such as the history of, and the theological foundations for dialogue, intermonastic dialogue, scriptural reasoning, etc. The second part will focus on the particular dialogues between Christianity and Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism, and Christianity and Buddhism
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Cornille, Catherine M
M
02:00PM-04:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMCE7034
Critical Ethical Issues
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
SP26
This course considers critical contemporary issues from Catholic, interdenominational, interfaith, international, and cross-cultural perspectives. Attention will be given to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (scripture, tradition, reason, and experience) and casuistry to ground a common approach in the examination and interrogation of the issues to be addressed. The principal ethical issues to be studied include: economic justice (access to health and human services), sexual ethics (just love, sexual identity, misogyny, pedophilia, and reproduction), respect life (abortion, euthanasia, hyper-incarceration and capital punishment), fanaticism and religious fundamentalism, environmental degradation and human ecology (natural disasters), and the toll of a perpetual state of war.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Iozzio, Mary Jo
W
01:00PM-03:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMCE8124
End of Life Ethics
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
SP26
The course endeavors to educate the student about the issues, perspectives, and methodologies in contemporary end of life ethics. Throughout the course the tradition of Catholic end of life ethics will be placed in dialogue with Protestant and secular positions and approaches in the field. The course begins with an exploration of the development of the Catholic end of life ethics tradition from Thomas Aquinas to the present day. Students then consider contemporary issues in end of life ethics, such as physician assisted suicide, the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration for permanently unconscious patients, the ethics of palliative care, and the provision of treatment for neonates suffering from terminal illness. This section of the course analyzes cases in clinical end of life ethics. The course also introduces students to how end of life ethics functions in hospital ethics committees.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Daly, Daniel J
F
01:00PM-04:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; Prereq: One course in moral theology at the graduate level
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7027
History of Western Christianity II: 850-1650
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
General survey of Western Christianity, with special emphasis on institutional, theological, pastoral and spiritual issues. Lays the foundation for understanding many features of the Church today. Topics include monasticism, establishment of the modern papacy, lay apostolic movements (e.g. beguines), religious orders (e.g., Franciscans, Jesuits), heresies, crusades, inquisitions, scholasticism, saints (e.g., Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola), popular devotions, women in church, mysticism, Protestant Reformation, church councils (e.g., Trent), overseas evangelization. Lectures, readings in primary sources, focused discussion.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Harkins, Franklin T
T
12:30PM-03:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7297
Women Theologians, Ministers, & Preachers in Christian History
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course surveys the contributions and impact that women have made within the Christian church as theologians, ministers, and preachers. Attention will be given to church and societal obstacles that have impeded womens contributions and to the varied strategies that women have employed to weaken, subvert, or overcome such obstacles. Primary sources (womens theological writings, sermons, and evidence of their ministries) will be complemented by contemporary scholarship illuminating a diverse selection of women from early Christianity until today.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Mooney, Catherine
W
10:00AM-12:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7321
The Desert Fathers and Mothers
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
An introduction to prominent figures and literary works of the desert tradition in early Christianity, focusing primarily on Egypt and Palestine. Their impact on the patrimony of Christian spirituality will be studied with regard to prayer, asceticism, discernment, spiritual combat, demonology, and the rise of cenobitic monasticism. Attention will be given as much to the ammas (mothers) as to the abbas (fathers); and questions regarding race and racism in the literature will be addressed.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Geger, Barton T, SJ
W
01:00PM-03:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC8130
Pilgrimage: History, Theology, and Actuality
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Pilgrimage is a phenomenon that has shaped Christianity from its inception to our days. The immense popularity of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, has generated numerous reflections in recent decades, as well as a flood of works, both popular and scholarly. Taking a large view, the course will explore the history and theology of the practice of pilgrimage, especially in its Christian dimension, but extend also to its actuality as a spiritual practice at the frontier of the institution (within and without), and linked to the narrative construction of the self. The scope of documents read will include historical documents, spiritual texts, Church documents, contemporary narratives and studies, as well as films.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Brouillette, Andre, SJ
R
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; prereq: One year of theological study
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMNT7023
Introduction to the New Testament
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
SP26
The New Testament is a collection of diverse writings that are central to Christian faith and life. This course will introduce students to the literary characteristics, historical context, and theological content of these writings and to the methods and approaches associated with the modern discipline of biblical studies.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Harkins, Angela Kim
ASYNC
ASYNC
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
ASYNC
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMNT7047
John: Gospel and Letters
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
SP26
This course will examine the Gospel of John with attention to its distinctive literary and theological aspects within its historical context. In spring 2016, topics that will be given special consideration include the relationship between the Johannine communities and the Jewish groups of their time, the understanding of discipleship in the Fourth Gospel, and the reception of this Gospel in the history of the Church.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Harkins, Angela Kim
TR
10:00AM-11:30AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMOT8098
Prophets
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
SP26
This course provides an historical, literary, and theological overview of prophets and prophetic books in the Old Testament. The course examines prophets in the Pentateuch and Former Prophets although the primary focus is on the Latter (Writing) Prophets. Special attention will be given to justice-related themes in prophetic literature, such as opposition to oppression, dignity of life, and care for creation.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Waters, Jaime L
T
12:30PM-03:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Graduate-level introductory OT course
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPS7006
Grief and Loss
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
SP26
Grief may be understood as the response to a significant loss. We will explore pastoral, theological, religious, and secular perspectives on grief and loss and seek to integrate these perspectives where appropriate. We'll consider important new research in thanatology and review traditional psychological theories of grief in light of contemporary critiques. We will explore the experience of grief in light of context and culture and consider which features may be universal. We will attend to often unrecognized dimensions of grief�disenfranchised grief and the grief born of injustice. We'll focus on how to respond pastorally to grieving individuals and communities.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Kelley, Melissa M
W
10:00AM-12:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPS7090
Ministry in a Diverse Church: Latino Perpectives and Beyond
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
SP26
Catholicism in the United States is presently shaped by rich cultural traditions that demand creative approaches to ministry in the midst of diversity. Nearly 45% of all Catholics in the country are Hispanic, 40% Euro-American, 4% Asian-American, 3.7% African-American, among others. Students in this course explore key questions and discuss ministerial strategies that will help them develop cultural competencies for effective ministry today. The course builds on the U.S. Latino/a Catholic experience as a case study while addressing core issues in ministry that affect everyone in the Church. Ecumenical and international perspectives are welcomed into this conversation.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Noriega, Brenda
ASYNC
ASYNC
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
ASYNC
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPS7311
Christian Sacred Music: Survey and Application
BTI Category
Semester
Preaching, Liturgy, & Ritual
SP26
This course explores the vast treasury of Christian sacred music.While the development of music in (Roman-Rite) liturgy anchors the historical survey, the course engages other sacred repertoire allied (and at times, overlapping) with liturgy.These include operas, symphonies, folk songs, soundtracks, and soundscapes.Moreover, through theological aesthetics and some performance practice, this course addresses issues relating to musics pastoral application: Is there a way out of bad church music? What repertoire can educators or preachers draw upon to inspire curriculum or animate homilies?How can music help people pray?To what extent might secular music be sacred?
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Ganir, Phillip A, SJ
R
03:30PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
None. However, for students who do not read music, they will need to acquire that ability earlier in the semester (in order to read music at the level of basic chant and the vocal score of a Bach chorale). The professor will provide.
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMPT7315
Mitigating Trauma
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
SP26
Traumatization occurs at the interrelated social, psychic, and physiological boundaries of life and death. This course offers an introduction to trauma healing and prevention for contexts of pastoral and spiritual care. It surveys approaches to trauma developed in peacebuilding, public health, and psychology, as well as the emerging subfield of trauma theology. Assignments include a book review, a presentation, and a research paper. This is a discussion-based (not lecture-based) class. Close reading is required.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
DuBois, Heather
R
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMRE7119
Religion and Higher Education
BTI Category
Semester
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
SP26
Faith, religion and spirituality have become topics of increasing interest for scholars and practitioners in higher education administration and student personnel development. This course explores the historical, sociological and cultural dynamics between religion and higher education. Topics include secularism, modernity, and challenges to the integration of faith and intellectual life. Additional topics include: religious pluralism; religion in secular higher education; legal issues surrounding religion and higher education; academic freedom; constitutional matters; modernism, post-modernism, post-secularism and the tensions and opportunities that these cultural/intellectual movements pose for religion and higher learning in a modern, democratic, pluralistic society.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
James, Michael
R
04:30-06:50 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
SYNC
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMRE7252
What Makes Education Catholic?
BTI Category
Semester
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
SP26
When a school presents itself to the world as offering Catholic education, it signals, at a minimum, that it is committed to educating from and for faith. It is to educate from deep spiritual convictions that are core to Catholicism and for a Transcendent as well as an immanent perspective on life, preparing students to live well into an Ultimate Horizon God as revealed in Jesus Christ. What does this ask of the curriculum of a Catholic school, of its faculty and administrators? We once took for granted our response to such questions, for example when 95% of faculty and staff were vowed religious and all students were decidedly Catholic. That era has passed, bringing new challenges and opportunities. Note, for example, the growing number of students from other or no faith tradition attending, likewise an often diverse faculty and staff, and many Catholic students who are more cultural than affiliated in their faith. This changed reality, coupled with the secular and postmodern culture of our time, offers new opportunity for a fresh address of what makes education Catholic.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Groome, Thomas
T
09:30AM-12:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMRE8147
Teaching Sexuality and Relationships
BTI Category
Semester
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
SP26
Learning to be in relationship with others, and understanding ones sexuality are central concerns of adolescents and emerging adults. The Christian tradition has substantial wisdom about both. However, few religious curricula are available to help people access that wisdom. This advanced religious education course focuses on the curriculum and instruction of sexual and relational education. Students will consider the learning needs of adolescents and young adults, attend to the teachings of the Christian tradition, and produce a pedagogically and theologically sound curriculum for educational or ministry settings. This is not an ethics course
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
O'Keefe, Theresa A
T
12:30PM-03:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7024
Christology
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course seeks to clarify what it means to confess that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, and why this is a significant claim. The course examines the New Testament, the early councils of the Church, the writings of early and medieval Christian theologians, the dogmatic teachings of the Church, and the contributions of contemporary theologians. Two main questions will be addressed: Who is Jesus? How does Jesus save us?
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Brouillette, Andre, SJ
W
01:00PM-03:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7091
Eucharistic Theology
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course will reflect on the theology of the Eucharist as it has developed throughout the history of the Church, and will seek a contemporary understanding of traditional doctrines in light of Vatican II and the reformed ritual for the Eucharistic liturgy.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Baldovin, John, Sj
MW
08:30AM-09:50AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7153
Theology and Literature
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
A study of major works of Christian literature as sources for theology. We study hymns and verse from the early church, including the Odes of Solomon, the works of Ephrem, and the hymns of Ambrose, before examining the literature of the Middle Ages, including selections from Dante�s Inferno, and the poets and playwrights of the Renaissance. We conclude with major Christian novelists of recent decades, including Flannery O�Connor and Marilynne Robinson. There will be discussion on issues of form and content in theology as well as special attention to literary approaches to Christian doctrine and mystery.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Dunkle, Brian P, SJ
M
10:00AM-12:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST7317
Philosophy for Theological Studies - Modern
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course has two aims: (1) to study some modern philosophical texts that have been important in the development of Christian theological reflection in modernity; and (2) to understand the relation betweenphilosophyandtheologyfrom the seventeenth to the twentieth century. This course is introductory and so presupposes minimal familiarity withphilosophy. It offers a survey of the philosophical tradition in the modern West as it impacts Christian theological reflection in significant and lasting ways. While the course does not aim to master any one thinker or theme, it will spend more time on the thought of two of the most influential modern philosophers: Kant and Hegel.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Doyle, Dominic F
W
10:00AM-12:00 Noon
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8017
Ecclesial Ministry
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course explores the theology, history, and spirituality of ministry in the church. The emphasis will be on the ecclesial foundations for ministry and the relationship between ministry and the mission of all the baptized. The course will examine current issues in the theology and practice of ministry as well as the implications of ministry for the faith and practice of the minister.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Guider, Margaret E
T
12:30PM-03:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: "The Church" and Permission of Instructor
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8065
Ellacuria, Sobrino, Romero
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
Oscar Romero, Ignacio Ellacur�a, and Jon Sobrino represent three leading figures in Latin American liberation theology. This seminar explores their converging theological projects, which outline a major trajectory in Catholic Theology since the Second Vatican Council. After exploring the historical and cultural context that shaped the work of these three men, we will engage on a close reading and critical evaluation of their work. Because they influence one another, we will particularly attend to those theological themes in which crosspollination has taken place: Christology, ecclesiology, soteriology and spirituality.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Valiente, Orfilio E
W
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: One course of systematic theology.
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8505
Seminar: Karl Rahner
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This advanced seminar will explore the methodology and central themes of Rahner�s theology principally through detailed analysis and discussion of key essays in Theological Investigations. Intended for students with basic familiarity with Rahner�s work. Essays will be chosen on the basis of the particular interests of the participants at the first meeting of the seminar.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Lennan, Richard J
W
01:00PM-03:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
Y
Notes
Prereq: Two courses in Systematic Theology
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMST8571
Theological Aesthetics
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
SP26
This course is a study of the mystery of God from the perspective ofaestheticsand art. In other words, we will try to understand Gods saving presence and action in our lives, in the world, and in history, based on the transcendental and liberating experience of art, and we will try to speak about God who has revealed Gods self in Christ using aesthetic categories. We will also explore different ways to establish a conversational relationship between theology and the arts.
Professor
Class Day
Class Time
Chong, Vicente, SJ
W
04:00PM-06:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites Req'd?
N
Notes
N
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