This course includes a general theory of the sacraments based on the principles of Catholic sacramental realism and examines the major moments in the history of sacramental theology with the aim of achieving a measure of systematic understanding concerning what a sacrament is and what it does. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and other documents of faith, such as liturgical and conciliar texts, supply the principles for this theological inquiry, which also includes particular treatment of the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

This course will lead students to a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Triune God and of Jesus Christ, through a reflection upon Scripture, Tradition, and the contributions of key theologians. Additional topics in soteriology will be explored. Theologians covered will include St. Anselm, St. Thomas Aquinas, Luther, and Pope St. John Paul II. Using the theo-drama of Hans Urs von Balthasar, students will learn to enunciate the relation of mission and evangelization to Christology. All classes will meet in person at Saint John’s Seminary.

This course explores the primary ways in which divine grace acts upon human nature as a person experiences deepening union with God. Traversing the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways, the student will better understand the changing dynamics of prayer, asceticism, virtue, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the Christian life. Particular attention will be given to the works of Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross.

Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom. This course will provide an introduction to metaphysics, centering on Thomas’s achievement in enunciating the real distinction. It will also give an overview of modern Western philosophical critiques of metaphysics, focusing on Descartes, Kant, and Nietzsche. It will also examine Pope St. John Paul II’s contribution to the relation of faith and reason. An important goal of the course will be to equip students to research and write academic papers. This course is a hybrid course of alternating in-person classes held at Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton, MA, and online meetings using the Canvas learning platform.

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.

This Course explores the theological and pastoral roots of Synodality as a consequence of the process of reception and deepening of the Ecclesiology of the People of God in the Second Vatican Council. In this context, Pastoral conversion and Synodal conversion are key to understand today`s ecclesial proposal of an inverted pyramid that overcomes clericalism and leads to a new way of proceeding in the Church that starts from below, from the sensus fidei fidelium, and then upwards. From this perspective, we are entering in a new phase in the reception of the Council and a renewed ecclesiology, an event that involves the reform of structures and processes. This demands a conversion in the ecclesial mentality, a revision of lifestyles, practices of communal discernment, and structural reform. Therefore, the course will present synodality as a constitutive and constituent note of the Church that embraces a major reform.

Offered every year as a required doctoral level seminar for ThM, STL, STD students with a concentration in Spirituality, and open to PhD and advanced graduate students according to availability.

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.

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?

What is the Christian vision of humanity? This course examines key aspects of human life in the light of Christian revelation including: the human person as created in the image of God; finitude, suffering, and sin; forgiveness and sanctification; grace and nature; gender and sexuality; community; and Ignatian spirituality.

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.

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.

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.

This course has two aims: (1) critical study of philosophical texts that have been important in the development of Christian theological reflection; (2) investigate relations between philosophy and theology from the Classical epoch into the late 20th century. This course is designed especially for students of Theology, Ministry, and the joint MA program in philosophy and theology, but is open to all students.

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.

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.

This course examines the relationship between history and eschatology through the lens of the "Kingdom of God" that is central to Jesus' preaching. It proposes a hermeneutic that will take as point of departure the church´s eschatological statements. We will examine these statements within the framework of the human historical process and the pilgrimage of God's People towards the reign of God.

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.

A close reading and systematic examination of Aquinas' doctrine of God in the prima pars of the Summa theologiae. Concurrent readings from other parts of the Summa theologiae and from other texts of St. Thomas will also be used. In addition, modern interpretations and criticisms will accompany each week’s reading from Aquinas. This seminar is an advanced course intended primarily for students in doctoral, STL, and ThM programs, as well as senior M.Div. and MTS students preparing for further research.

An introduction to the theological corpus of Elizabeth Johnson, one of the foremost women's voices in theology today. The course will examine Johnson's writings, turning a keen eye turned toward the methodologies, source materials, and commitments apparent in her work. It will explore Johnson's expansive reading of the Christian tradition, as evident in her presentation of God, Christ, the human, and the world.

This seminar will unfold by first examining Johann Metz's early relationship and subsequent break with the theology of Karl Rahner. Next we will explore Metz's critical dialogue with the thinkers of the Frankfurt school and the manner in which this encounter led to the formulation of Metz's early political theology. We will then turn to Metz's mature political theology as a "theology after Auschwitz." Some of the themes to be considered include Metz's assertion of the need for "anamnestic rationality," his focus on "the theodicy question," his apocalyptic eschatology, and his articulation of a mystical-political spirituality.

What does it mean to “teach as Jesus taught,” especially in situations where human dignity is threatened and compromised by vulnerability, catastrophe, terror, uncertainty, and misery? Using the writings of Brazilian theorist Paulo Freire as a point of reference for theological inquiry and critical reflection, this course sets Freire’s insights in conversation with those of contemporary biblical scholars, theologians, educators and philosophers who believe “another world is possible.” The course examines the interconnectedness of love, hope, faith, freedom, wonder, dialogue and moral agency in promoting the Gospel of life and the culture of death.

This course is a study of the mystery of God from the perspective of aesthetics and art. In other words, we will try to understand God’s 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 God’s self in Christ – using aesthetic categories. We will also explore different ways to establish a conversational relationship between theology and the arts.

Much of our artistic heritage was commissioned to embellish places of worship and to deepen understanding of the ceremonies celebrated there. These works of art offer often-ignored insights into Christian sacraments that complements more traditional theological approaches. This course seeks to deepen our appreciation of Christian sacraments by acknowledging painting, sculpture and architecture as a locus theologicus. Both historical and thematic in approach, it explores sacramentality, incarnation, iconoclasm, typology as well as selected themes from sacramental theology. The course will include off-site visits.

This course will analyze the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth confessed by the Church as messiah dead for our sin and risen for our salvation (Romans 4: 25).The original event of the messianic time and of the Christian tradition will be analyzed in a decolonial perspective as a source of meaning for the survivors of all times.Drawing on trauma studies, social sciences and the phenomenology of vulnerability as a lens to inhabit the biblical texts on the empty tomb and the apparitions of the risen Crucified One, the course will propose a horizon of meaning and hope in the midst of the civilizational collapse of our time of systemic violence.

This seminar will explore diverse topics in a theology of grace from both an historical and systematic perspective. Specific consideration will be given to the salvific will of God and predestination, the distinction of nature and grace, the role of participation in justification, sanctification, and divinization, the relation of grace to distinct contexts and forms of life, and the liberating and social dimensions of grace in the coming Kingdom of God. Selected authors will range from Paul, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, Aquinas, Baez, and Molina to Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner,Hans Urs von Balthasar, Roger Haight, and Kathryn Tanner.

Critical investigation of the limits of human knowledge and the theoretical and practical demands for meaning attached to notions of God, providence, immortality, and other metaphysical conditions of human thriving, from Plato to modern philosophies of religion.

TBA

Recent developments across a variety of disciplines have led to deep and widespread interest in "political theology" -- a diverse range of approaches to interrogating, (re)imagining, and (de)constructing the intersection of politics, religion, and theology, present and past. Scholars have argued that dominant paradigms of sovereignty, the secular, modernity, and liberalism are themselves secularized, corrupted, or otherwise transformed versions of Jewish and Christian theology. Others contend that modern political practices and paradigms represent not the legacy of early modern secularization but the trail of an early modern reinjection of theology in political and social theory. Others still find in the practices of contemporary communities lived political theologies that subvert existing power structures and cast doubt on common conceptions of contemporary political life and possibilities. This course examines these competing developments, readings, and proposals; their interactions; and the contested histories, theories, and values that underwrite them. Considering political theology as both a historical and contemporary phenomenon and engaging a range of perspectives and figures, the course also considers relations and interactions between political theology and other approaches to questions of "religion and politics."

Recent developments across a variety of disciplines have led to deep and widespread interest in "political theology" -- a diverse range of approaches to interrogating, (re)imagining, and (de)constructing the intersection of politics, religion, and theology, present and past. Scholars have argued that dominant paradigms of sovereignty, the secular, modernity, and liberalism are themselves secularized, corrupted, or otherwise transformed versions of Jewish and Christian theology. Others contend that modern political practices and paradigms represent not the legacy of early modern secularization but the trail of an early modern reinjection of theology in political and social theory. Others still find in the practices of contemporary communities lived political theologies that subvert existing power structures and cast doubt on common conceptions of contemporary political life and possibilities. This course examines these competing developments, readings, and proposals; their interactions; and the contested histories, theories, and values that underwrite them. Considering political theology as both a historical and contemporary phenomenon and engaging a range of perspectives and figures, the course also considers relations and interactions between political theology and other approaches to questions of "religion and politics."

Thomas Aquinas is one of the most important figures in the history and development of Western philosophy and Christian theology. On nearly everything he writes about -- from virtue to the sacraments, metaphysics of identity to the incarnation, war to soteriology -- he has something interesting, important, and illuminating to say. And whether one agrees with his particular conclusions or not, it is difficult to engage his work without growing as a thinker and reader. This doctoral seminar constitutes an extended engagement with Thomas's thought, primarily through attention to his Summa theologiae. Engagement with secondary sources will be sparing so as to keep our focus on the text itself. We will be reading with an eye to understanding Thomas both on his own terms and as a resource for contemporary work in philosophy, theology, and religious studies. The course's focus this year is on Thomas's ethics (especially his conceptions of virtue, habit, and human action); the relations between his ethics and his overarching theological and intellectual project; and the ongoing philosophical and theological interest of these dimensions of his thought. The course is suitable both for advanced Aquinas students as well as those new to his thought.

Thomas Aquinas is one of the most important figures in the history and development of Western philosophy and Christian theology. On nearly everything he writes about -- from virtue to the sacraments, metaphysics of identity to the incarnation, war to soteriology -- he has something interesting, important, and illuminating to say. And whether one agrees with his particular conclusions or not, it is difficult to engage his work without growing as a thinker and reader. This doctoral seminar constitutes an extended engagement with Thomas's thought, primarily through attention to his Summa theologiae. Engagement with secondary sources will be sparing so as to keep our focus on the text itself. We will be reading with an eye to understanding Thomas both on his own terms and as a resource for contemporary work in philosophy, theology, and religious studies. The course's focus this year is on Thomas's ethics (especially his conceptions of virtue, habit, and human action); the relations between his ethics and his overarching theological and intellectual project; and the ongoing philosophical and theological interest of these dimensions of his thought. The course is suitable both for advanced Aquinas students as well as those new to his thought.

As one of the core courses in the theology sequence at BU School of Theology, this course introduces students to feminist and womanist approaches to the study of theology. It aims to provide students with a grounding in the major ideas and methodologies of feminist and womanist theologians. The first part of the course focuses on questions of method and provides students with grounding in the early history and development of feminist and womanist theologies. The second part focuses on important theoretical engagements that mark significant reassessments of notions of the body, sexuality, agency, and subjectivity within theological work. The third part highlights new trajectories and positions students' work within the ongoing conversation of feminist and womanist discourse. 

This course aims to bring the recent studies in the interdisciplinary study of trauma to bear on the field of theology. What unique challenges does the phenomenon of trauma pose to contemporary theology? The first part of the course explores recent studies in trauma, focusing on three areas of research: 1) neurobiology of trauma, 2) clinical/therapeutic studies, and 3) literary approaches to trauma. The second part of the course examines theological engagements with issues of radical suffering. The third part brings together the insights from the first two and focuses on the question of what it means to witness theologically to individual, societal, and global trauma. We will look at issues and contexts such as the criminal justice system, war, poverty, and racism. In this final part, students will be working towards constructive theological engagements with issues of trauma through interaction with a variety of mediums: art, literature, spiritual practices, and film. The course is not a counseling course. It aims to provide rich theological reflection around issues of suffering, violence, and trauma, both individual and global.

This course will be an in depth examination of the biblical, patristic, and modern understandings of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, with special focus on developments since the modern Pentecostal revival, and current attempts in constructive pneumatology.   Attention will be given to the relationship between the doctrines of the Holy Spirit and Trinitarian theology, and to the implications of this study for ministry in the church and personal spirituality.          

This course presents Barth’s life and theology through lectures, readings and discussions in order to gain a critical understanding of the main themes in his theology and their relevance for our own understanding of Christian faith and ministry.

A study of the person and work of Christ, predestination, conversion, justification, sanctification, and the work of the Holy Spirit; perseverance; the nature and mission of the church; sacraments; eschatology.

Spirituality represents the interface between ideas and life, between Christian theology and human existence. This course on Reformation Era Spirituality is at once Christological, eschatological, and experiential. Highlights the distinctive contributions of the reformers over against the background of medieval spirituality.

We map out the workplace, its challenges, opportunities, arenas, topics, and trends. Then we build a biblical theology of work in the perspective of Creation, Fall, Providence, Incarnation, Redemption, and Fulfillment. We identify the starting points, backgrounds, perceived callings, and desired goals of each member of our cohort.

Special attention given to various approaches to New Testament theology, the theological relationship between the testaments, inaugurated eschatology and related themes. May focus on the distinctive themes of various New Testament authors or on a specific author or theme. Prerequisite: GL502 and NT502.