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BTI Consortium | Last Updated November 14 - 9:00AM
Saint John's Seminary
School
Saint John's Seminary
MT500
Moral Theology for the Lay Apostalate
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
FA24
With St. Thomas Aquinas as our guide, and both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical on moral theology, Veritas Splendor, as foundational documents, this course invites its students to meditate upon who we are and what it means to be a human person created in love in the image of God. We will ponder, too, who God is and His revelation to us with respect to creation and who we are. Our moral life, our actions, fit, are situated, within the Truth of who God is and who He creates us to be. From the basic understanding of fundamental moral theology we will be prepared to engage with the moral life. Grace, Virtue, Freedom, Revelation, Conscience, and Authority will then be the themes and language and tools we discuss to shape our understanding and interiorization of the Good, and Holy, and Virtuous, and Happy Life. Classes are held at Saint John’s Seminary in Brighton, MA.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. A. Coleman
S
8:30-12:30pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
All in-person classes, alternating Saturdays 8:30am–12:30pm; Dates: Sept. 7, Sept. 21, Oct. 5, Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov. 16, Nov. 23, Dec. 14
School
Saint John's Seminary
OT500
Survey of the Old Testament
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA24
This course will provide a survey of significant texts, historical events and theological themes in the narrative, prophetic, and wisdom writings of the Old Testament. Additionally, students will be intro-duced to the principles of the Catholic biblical interpretation as articulated in the ecclesial documents Dei Verbum and The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Classes will be held at Saint John’s Seminary, 127 Lake Street, Brighton, MA.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. P. Grover
S
8:30-12:30 pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
All in-person classes, alternating Saturdays 8:30am–12:30pm; Dates: Sept. 7, Sept. 21, Oct. 5, Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov. 16, Nov. 23, Dec. 14
School
Saint John's Seminary
NT501
The Synoptic Gospels
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA24
The class will pursue a close exegetical analysis of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, with particular attention to the historical setting, style, and to the Gospels' portrayal of Jesus, discipleship, the law, and suffering. The course aims to develop the student's ability to integrate each of the evangelists' perspective meaningfully into preaching, teaching, and theological reflection. This goal will be pursued through a survey of the structure, content, and main themes of each Gospel, based primarily upon an exegetical and intra-textual analysis with attention to current discussion in the scholarly literature.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Achu
TR
9:00-10:15 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
NT618
NT Perspectives on Priesthood and the New Priest
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA24
This elective is a general survey of the topic of priesthood in the Old and New Testaments, from the perspective of the latter, i.e. the New Testament. Against the background of this survey, the course then focuses more specifically on the theme of Christ's priesthood as it is developed systematically in the Epistle to the Hebrews. A careful reading and exegesis of this New Testament text will be the major component of the course, but this will enable some reflections on how Christ's unique priesthood relates to our understanding of priestly ministry in the Church today. In the Catholic tradition at least, the Church's ordained ministers have for many centuries been referred to as priests. This designation and some associated concepts, especially that of sacrifice, have been challenged on biblical / theological grounds, often with explicit appeal to the text of Hebrews. We will have occasion to discuss some of the implications and fallout of this debate on both the theology and the practice of priestly ministry today. In its final sessions, the course looks at the Scriptural basis for the Catholic teaching on the priesthood of the faithful.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Maluf
R
2:45-4:45 pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
CH501
Church History I
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
FA24
This survey course aims to introduce students to the history of the Catholic Church from the first century through the fifteenth century. Through an examination of the historical narrative, including its key periods, movements, and figures, students will come to a deeper understanding of the history of the Catholic Church in the early and medieval periods.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Coughlin
MF
10:30-11:45 am (M), 9:00-10:15 am (F)
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
TH501
Fundaymental Theology
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
FA24
In this course we will reflect on sacred theology's defining task: deepening our comprehension of the Deposit of Divine Revelation. This will require that we explore Divine Revelation's nature and content, as well as how Christ has endowed His Church with the capacity to preserve and interpret this sacred deposit. We will also delve into how the believer comes to recognize and assent to Divine Revelation in the gift of faith, the role reason plays in paving the way for this gift, and the role reason plays in the life of faith. Accordingly, the course will introduce students to the discipline of apologetics as the demonstration of faith's rational suitability. It will also present the methodological and ecclesial dimensions of sacred theology's cogitatio fidei.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Agbaw-Ebai
TR
10:30-11:45 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
TH504
Theological Anthropology
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
FA24
This course treats Catholic belief regarding creation, the providence of God, the creation and fall of the angels, original sin and the consequences of the fall, the problem of evil, as well as the nature, origin, and destiny of the human person. In light of contemporary debates, this course will consider Catholic belief about grace, freedom, and the relationship of the natural and
super-natural orders. The course will also treat basic themes of eschatology. In addition to Scriptural and patristic sources, instruction will consider medieval and modern authors as well as the texts of the recent papal Magisterium.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Agbaw-Ebai
MW
9:00-10:15 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
ST501
An Introduction to the Sacred Liturgy
BTI Category
Semester
Preaching, Liturgy, & Ritual
FA24
This course provides the student with a systematic introduction to the Western liturgical patrimony of the Catholic Church. It examines the historical, theological, canonical, and pastoral realities which undergird the celebration of the liturgy. In the first part of the course, the student will come to understand the origins of the liturgy and its major eras of development and reform. In the second part, the principal liturgical books of the Roman Rite are examined in detail, since these are the texts which a candidate for Holy Orders will encounter most frequently in the work of ministry. In the third part, pastoral considerations for the contemporary celebration of the liturgy are discussed.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Stamm
WMF
11:00-11:50 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
MT502
Catholic Social Doctrine
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
FA24
This course provides a comprehensive overview of Catholic Social Doctrine. Relying on the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and the social encyclicals of the papal Magisterium, the course will treat Catholic belief regarding the proper ordering of economic and political life, Church-state relations, the protection of human life and promotion of the family, immigration, healthcare, care for our common home, and safeguarding peace. In light of contemporary discussions, instruction will prepare students to advance the social doctrine of the Church in the present context.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Nakkeeran
MW
9:00-10:15 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
MT609
War and Murder (M*)
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
FA24
Is it ever licit to kill any living thing? If so, in what cases and why? Are there cases where killing is always wrong? In this course we will examine the philosophy of killing. We will focus on five main topics: 1) the ethics of killing animals, 2) capital punishment, 3) suicide/assisted suicide, 4) abortion, and 5) just war theory. Arguments for and against each practice will be examined from a philosophical and also a theological perspective.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Skalko
T
2:45-4:45 pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
MM500
Canon Law
BTI Category
Semester
Church Polity/Canon Law
FA24
Canon law is the system of rules that govern Church order and discipline. This course will present an overview of the nature, history, and function of Church law, and will introduce students to the norms of the 1983 Code of Canon Law — primarily Book I (general norms), Book II (The People of God: Christian faithful, Church hierarchy, consecrated life ), Book III (the teaching office), Book IV (sacraments), and Book V (temporal goods). The objective of the course is to introduce basic structures and functions of the Church as addressed by the Code, and to familiarize students with those canonical norms helpful to their effective ministry in the Church. This course will follow a hybrid model of both in-person and online meetings using the Canvas learning platform. In-person classes will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Center in Newton, MA.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Prof. J. Shanklin
T
5:00-7:00pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
Hybrid
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
This course will follow a hybrid model of both in-person and online meetings using the Canvas learning platform. In-person classes will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Center in Newton, MA.
School
Saint John's Seminary
OT501
The Narrative Books of the Old Testatment: Genesis-Kings
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA24
This course involves a close study of the Narrative Books of the Old Testament (Genesis-2 Kings). The historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the books are presented, taking account of chronological sequence and canonical context. The course seeks to impart a solid critical and theological understanding of the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) and Former Prophets or Deuteronomistic History (Joshua-2 Kings) for prayer, preaching and catechesis. On completion, it is expected that the student will be equipped 1) to discuss the books with facility and 2) to appreciate the text from the perspectives of faith and reason. The student should develop a methodology for approaching the sacred text with a) humility and reverence (it is a Divine Word) and b) a critical/discerning eye (it is expressed in human words). Reason brings an awareness of historical background, sources, authorship, possible editing, literary forms, narrative approaches, etc. All aspects, however, are pursued within the greater vital context of divine inspiration, Sacred Tradition (including patristic and liturgical interpretation), and the life of the Church. The overarching aim is to discover what the Lord continues to communicate through the inspired text.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Briody
MWF
9:00-9:50 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
NT503
The Gospel According to John
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA24
This course studies the Gospel of John, beginning with an overview of its structure and contents, and continuing with detailed exegesis of many key passages. Special emphasis is placed on the work as a late, highly creative example of an already established genre, whose exemplars (i.e. the Synoptic Gospels) were well known to the author of the Fourth Gospel. Special theological emphases of John, attested also in the Johannine letters, will often appear as further, sometimes dramatized developments of insights already present in the earlier gospel tradition.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Grover, O.M.V.
TR
9:00-10:15 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
NT626
Paul: A Second Temple Jew
BTI Category
Semester
Scripture & Biblical Studies
FA24
Since the Holocaust, there have been several scholarly attempts to rediscover who Paul is and what he stood for in terms of his teachings about Judaism (and Christianity); Was he opposed to Judaism? Did he break away from Judaism? Was he a radical Jew? Was he an anomalous Jew? Or was he just a simple Jew, living his life and observing the Jewish Torah as he understood it? Questions like these led to the scholarly themes on the study of Paul commonly called: the anti-legalistic view of Paul, the new perspective on Paul (NPP), the apocalyptic view on Paul, the radical new perspective on Paul (aka Paul within Judaism), and/or the gift perspective on Paul.
In this course, as we try to understand who Paul is within his day and time, we shall explore these perspectives on Paul and how they shape the reading of Paul and his views in his letters to the various churches and the individuals to whom he wrote.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Achu
T
2:45-4:45 pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
LT401
Elementary Latin I
BTI Category
Semester
Languages
FA24
It is assumed that the student has had no formal instruction in Latin or has had only one or two years of high school Latin. The course will introduce students to Latin grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Professor
Class Day & Time
TBD
TR
1:15-2:30 pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
1.5
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
TH502
Christology
BTI Category
Semester
Systematic Theology & Philosophy (Western)
FA24
This course is an introduction to the basic elements in the study of the identity and saving work of Jesus Christ as developed throughout the Catholic Tradition with particular attention to the contribution of St. Thomas Aquinas. The course proceeds from an examination of the data of Revelation in both the Old and New Testaments, to a detailed study of the Christological formulas articulated by the Church through the Third Council of Constantinople (680-81), to a systematic treatment of topics rooted in the two natures and one Person of Jesus Christ, including the knowledge, holiness and mediation of Christ. The course concludes with an examination of the basic principles of soteriology.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Coughlin
WF
10:30-11:45 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
THMT613
Theology of the Body
BTI Category
Semester
Practical/Pastoral Theology
FA24
This course will engage students in a close reading of key texts by Pope Saint John Paul II: Love and Responsibility and, in particular, the theology of the body. It will examine the relationship between nature and person in the anti-Humanae Vitae worldview and indicate its roots in the thought of Bacon and Descartes before contrasting this Cartesian perspective with that of Paul VI in Humanae Vitae and John Paul II.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Franks
R
2:45-4:45 pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
MM502
Survey of Canon Law
BTI Category
Semester
Church Polity/Canon Law
FA24
An introduction to key terms and concepts in canon law through a textual analysis of several topics treated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law including ecclesial structures, the sacraments of initiation and healing, teaching authority, and penal law.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Ricci
W
9:00-11:40 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
MT505
Bioethics in the Catholic Tradition
BTI Category
Semester
Ethics (all traditions)
FA24
The field of science and technology is an ever-evolving and rapidly developing field that has given rise to countless new possibilities, particularly in the area of healthcare. Although such an enterprise seems enticing, these new developments, especially within the last century, have raised a number of moral questions. Just because something is technically possible does not necessarily mean that it should be done. This course will cover the fundamental principles of Catholic bioethics to see how the Church has consistently responded to bioethical questions from the perspective of both faith and reason. Students will utilize these principles to develop sound moral reasoning to respond to bioethical questions and issues with truth and charity.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Nakkeeran
TR
10:30-11:45 am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
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