THEO7763

Forgiveness: Theological and Philosophical Issues

Ethics (all traditions)

This graduate course will examine theological and philosophical interpretations of forgiveness and related topics such as guilt, repentance, and accountability. We will focus on various accounts of what it means to forgive a wrongdoer, what it means to be forgiven, and how forgiveness is related to reconciliation. We will also examine whether and, if so, how forgiveness might pertain not only to interpersonal but also intrapersonal and collective wrongdoing. Special attention will be placed on the relation of forgiveness to the virtues of mercy and justice. Readings will include historical figures such as Thomas Aquinas, Joseph Butler, and Fredrich Nietzsche, contemporary philosophers Nicholas Wolterstorff, Martha Nussbaum, and Charles Griswold, and contemporary theologians Miroslav Volf, Anthony Bash, and James Alison. Course requirements: class participation, one seminar presentation, final paper. This is intended for advanced MA and PhD students.

HDS 2085

Moral Conflict

Ethics (all traditions)

Conflicts about abortion, climate change, economic inequality, gun regulation, LGBTQ+ rights, and other matters often occur when foundational values of different moral communities collide. This seminar provides an opportunity to examine conflicts implicating groups� deeply held values. Topics include the role these conflicts play in the formation and maintenance of moral communities; the role beliefs play in these conflicts; value pluralism and incommensurability; moral relativism; and possibilities for, and alternatives to, consensual resolution of value-laden conflict. We also will consider how these conflicts impinge upon and are processed within moral communities, including the hermeneutical challenges and opportunities value-laden conflicts present for religious communities. Readings will span multiple disciplines, including moral philosophy, theology, political theory, law, and the social sciences. Students will complete a final project developing course themes in relation to a conflict of their choice.

THEO8502

Mercy and Justice

Ethics (all traditions)

This course explores the meaning of mercy, particularly in its relationship to justice. It examines four major topics: (1) mercy in its relationship to retributive justice, focusing on mercy or clemency in the case of criminal sentencing, as well as broader questions of retribution for wrongdoing, such as whether there can or should be criteria for the exercise of mercy, whether mercy can be exercised unjustly, and the relationship of forgiveness to mercy; (2) mercy in its relationship to distributive justice, focusing on the corporal works of mercy and issues such as the relationship of justice and private charity; (3) mercy in its relationship to social justice, or the social face of mercy; and (4) divine justice and mercy, focusing on the way theologians have attempted to reconcile God's mercy and God's justice. Readings for the course will be interdisciplinary, including philosophical, theological, and legal materials.

STH TS858 A1

Dismantling White Privilege, Power, and Supremacy

Ethics (all traditions)

This course will explore issues of racial justice through various lenses: history of "whiteness" and white privilege; evidence of racism throughout the history of the United States as well as currently; biblical and theological grounding; understanding of differences between personal prejudice, multiculturalism, and institutional systems of racism; consideration of ways of dismantling white privilege and power in those personal, institutional, and organizational contexts. While the course will focus primarily on the United States and white privilege and power expressed against African-Americans, Latinos, Asian, and Native Americans, other national & global cultural expressions will also be included and explored.

STH TS877 A1

Restorative Justice

Ethics (all traditions)

A study of the fundamental principles and practices of restorative justice as applicable to church and society. The course explores the needs and roles of key stakeholders (victims, offenders, communities, justice systems), outlines the basic principles and values of restorative justice, introduces some of the primary models of practice, and identifies challenges to restorative justice and strategies to respond to them. The course is organized around the issue of crime and harm within a western legal context, but attention is given to applications in other contexts. Of particular interest is the contribution of traditional or indigenous approaches to justice as well as applications in post-conflict situations. 

TMTM7175

The Church and Interreligious Dialogue

Interreligious Learning

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

IP-612

Religious Leadership for Peaceful Change

Leadership Formation & Ministry Skills

How can religious leaders tackle injustice and be agents for peaceful, purposeful change at the community and societal level? We will hone perspectives and practices for leading adaptive change and for engaging in nonviolent processes for change in contemporary issues. We will explore the role that religious and community leaders can play in healing collective trauma (e.g., racism, war, community violence, etc.) and in facilitating peacemaking practices. We will learn from the participants' experiences and from some case examples on building leadership partnerships from the community up, where arts, media, education, "presencing practices" and ritual can serve as catalysts for community engagement and for social healing. This course will be a once-a-month intensive using an experience-based learning methodology. In addition to reading and discussion, students will meet with local religious leaders and organizations working for peaceful change.

CH-730-1

Resilience for Spiritual Leaders

Practical/Pastoral Theology

This course is designed for people of all spiritual/religious backgrounds who are providing spiritual and emotional support to others, leading faith communities, serving as chaplains, working on justice issues, or seeking additional self-care practices. This course about resilience teaches the participants about the characteristics of resilience, invites the participants to engage in reflective self-assessment, and provides the participants with tools and resources to enable them to develop strategies to help the people they serve in their contexts build resilience. The course includes lectures, individual reflection, independent reading, written reflection, resilience-building workshop exercises, and small-group discussion. It is only through learning to cultivate our own resilience that we can mindfully extend that invitation to others through our programs, teaching/preaching, conversations, and role modeling.

CH-730-2

Resilience for Spiritual Leaders ONLINE

Practical/Pastoral Theology

This course is designed for people of all spiritual/religious backgrounds who are providing spiritual and emotional support to others, leading faith communities, serving as chaplains, working on justice issues, or seeking additional self-care practices. This course about resilience teaches the participants about the characteristics of resilience, invites the participants to engage in reflective self-assessment, and provides the participants with tools and resources to enable them to develop strategies to help the people they serve in their contexts build resilience. The course includes lectures, individual reflection, independent reading, written reflection, resilience-building workshop exercises, and small-group discussion. It is only through learning to cultivate our own resilience that we can mindfully extend that invitation to others through our programs, teaching/preaching, conversations, and role modeling.

TMPT8132

Theology, Race, and Critical Race Theory

Practical/Pastoral Theology

A social construction at its core, the modern idea of race has been given power through the years. Accruing strength and mostly negative use over time it has cut across the private sphere and become a portentous social idea in the form of systemic racism, institutionalized within government, laws, medical science, religion, culture, and society. This course explores the historical foundations of race and racism, and ranges over different manifestations of institutional racism in the spheres of criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power, education, and religious and congregational life. It also looks into recent movements for racial justice in thought and practice, and considers ways in which theological ideas and church practices can be refocused to contribute to racial justice within the academy, ecclesial communities, and the larger landscape of society.

TMST8129

Theology, Violence and Nonviolence

Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)

This course will examine violence as a problem of deep religious and spiritual significance for Christianity, and the complex relationship between theological reflection, violence, and nonviolence, by exploring such questions as: Is Christianity inherently violent? What aspects of Christianity can exacerbate or mitigate violent acts? Does Christian soteriology sanction divine violence? Under which conditions does Christianity condone or condemn violence? We will enlist an interdisciplinary approach to answer these and other questions. The first part of the course will turn to history to explore current manifestations of violence and review contemporary classic texts in philosophy, psychology, theology, and politics on this difficult topic. We will also study the occurrence of human and divine violence and nonviolence in the Christian sources of revelation. The course will then examine different Christian theological traditions in connection to the just war theory, pacifism, and non-violence, all with the intention of identifying the most appropriate Christian responses to contemporary violence.

STH TT863

Theologies of Liberation

Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)

Liberation theology has been one of the most influential theological movements in contemporary Christian theology. This course surveys some of its main tenets, texts, and practices. We pay particular attention to the development of liberation theologies in light of the experience of oppressed communities and how these experiences shape their theological imagination. In addition to covering some of the pillar texts in the tradition, the course will investigate several developments in liberating theologies: womanism, mujerista theology, queer theology, postcolonial theologies, and ecotheologies.