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E-Tutorials
E-Tutorials are available at both the graduate and undergraduate level
Theology and Biblical Studies
- A Biblical Theology for Biotechnology
- Existentialism And Personal Responsibility
- Fundamental Christology
- God And The Individual In Jewish Thought
- Human Behavior And Moral Development
- The Humanity Of God In Modern Christian Thought
- The Modern Search For Personal Meaning
- Myth, Theology, and Pastoral Ministry
- Paleolithic Origins of Religious Consciousness
- Religious Humanism In Modern Thought
- Reverence And The Universal Principle Of Life
- The Sacrament of the Eucharist
- Science And Faith In Cosmic Perspective
- Theological Anthropology: Creation and Sin
- Theology of Grace
- The Theology of Karl Rahner
A Biblical Theology for Biotechnology
Faculty: Dr. Paul J. Kirbas (Profile)
Description: This course will consider a biblical ethic for nature itself, as well as the human manipulation of nature that is at the center of many aspects of current biotechnology. Building upon a core understanding of this biblical ethic, the course will invite participants to evaluate a chosen area of biotechnology by utilizing a tool that is offered by the course. While the first several sections of response papers should be focused on the core material, the final sections should reflect the student’s own choice of a particular biotechnological issue to be addressed.
Required Reading:
- Navigating Through A Stipulated Freedom, by Paul J. Kirbas
Existentialism and Personal Responsibility
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: The father of modern existentialism, Sartre is heralded as the philosopher of responsibility. He denies the existence of a guiding ethical principle outside of human experience and, therefore, every individual “is condemned to freedom.” His highly acclaimed book on human emotion is complimented by Morgan’s chapter which carefully explains Sartre’s system of thought which has so profoundly influenced western culture.
Readings:
- Existentialism and Human Emotions by Jean-Paul Sartre
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Chapter V: Jean-Paul Sartre and Human Possibility)
Fundamental Christology
Faculty: RP Jorge R. Colón, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies (Profile)
Description: A study of the Christological doctrine of the Church, beginning with Scriptural data, the theological reflection of the Fathers of the Church, the teaching of the Christological councils and a reflection on the mystery of Christ down to our own day. We will follow the different stages of heresies and Christological errors of the past. The student will know how to express the official doctrine of the Church.
Required Reading (Graduate Level):
- Gerald O’Collins. Christology: A Biblical, Historical and Systematic Study of Jesus. Oxford University Press, NY 1995.
- Longenecker, Richard N., editor. Contours of Christology in the New Testament. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan 2005.
- McDermott, Brian O. Word Become Flesh. Dimensions of Christology. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota 1993.
- Tucket, Christopher. Christology and the New Testament. Jesus and His Earliest Followers. Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky 2001.
- Chestnust, G. Images of Christ. An Introduction to Christology. Minneapolis: Seabury Press 1984.
- Of the latter four texts above, you may substitute one of them with another book in the bibliography (on the syllabus you receive following registration).
Required Reading (Undergraduate Level):
- Gerald O’Collins. Christology: A Biblical, Historical and Systematic Study of Jesus. Oxford University Press, NY 1995.
God and the Individual in Jewish Thought
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: Considered by Christian Theologians of the twentieth century as one of the most important spokespersons for the reality of God in the world, Heschel offers an explanation of the meaning and nature of the God-Person relationship as understood within the Jewish tradition. Heschel is the most quoted rabbi by Christian theologians today and Morgan’s chapter offers a summary of his overall system of theology and faith.
Readings:
- Man is Not Alone: A Philosophy of Religion by Abraham Joshua Heschel
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Chapter VIII: Abraham Joshua Heschel and Being Human)
Human Behavior and Moral Development
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: This E-Tutorial explores the relationship between human behavior and moral development as an evolving philosophical and historical question beginning with 19th and early 20th century thought and concluding with the late 20th and early 2lst century thinkers. The emphasis will be upon the natural history of moral behavior as explored through the work of leading thinkers over the past 150 years with special attention to theological implications.
Required Reading:
- NATURALLY GOOD: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John H. Morgan
- Select one classic text from three of the six selected thinkers from the bibliographies following each chapter.
The Humanity of God in Modern Christian Thought
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: The father of Christian Neo-Orthodoxy, Barth’s evangelical proclamation of the humanity of God is a welcome affirmation of the human condition and hopeful reconciliation with God and the world. Morgan’s essay is a synopsis of this system of thought in light of the secularization of the modern world.
Readings:
- The Humanity of God by Karl Barth
- From Freud to Frankl: Our Modern Search for Personal Meaning by John Morgan (Chapter VI: The Joyful Proclamation: Karl Barth)
The Modern Search for Personal Meaning
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: A medical psychiatrist and survivor of the Holocaust, Viktor Frankl is the creator of a counseling method called “logotherapy,” or “meaning therapy.” In contrast to Freud who concentrated on the deeply represented dark side of human personality, Frankl was extremely optimistic about healing the wounded person by concentrating on his “will to meaning” in a world in which the search for the purpose and direction of life was available to all who would seek it. His classic book is complimented by an introductory commentary on his system of thought in Morgan’s book.
Readings:
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Viktor Frankl and the Will to Meaning)
Myth, Theology, and Pastoral Ministry
Faculty: Timothy Allen, Ph.D. (GTF), John Macquarrie Fellow
Description: The Church as seen today in its ministerial functions relies too much on rational, scientific theologies for its explanations of pastoral phenomena. A specific example is the use of God-talk. Whereas many caregivers and theologians dismiss such language as theologically unsound, when examined in the categories of myth it can be seen to have a meaningful pastoral purpose. Myth helps explain the unexplainable and provides support in times when current "acceptable" theologies fail to adequately explain the event. This course demonstrates the importance and use of myth as a meaningful interpretive tool for pastoral ministry and theological explanations of religious phenomena.
Required readings:
- Eliade, Mircea (trans. by Willard R. Trask). Myth and Reality. New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1963.
- Allen, J. Timothy. A Theology of God-talk: The Language of the Heart. New York: Haworth Press, 2002.
Paleolithic Origins of Religious Consciousness
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: This study explores the origins of religious consciousness by means of a systematic analysis of the ritualized burial of the dead and cave art as evidenced in Paleolithic remains. It is suggested here that religion is a natural manifestation of emerging human consciousness demonstrated by empirical archeological artifacts as an integral component to cultural evolution. Religion and culture converge in the behavioral matrix of politics thereby demonstrating what it means to be human. The book argues that religion, culture, and politics are interlocking symbol systems embodied in human experience and their prehistoric origins can be traced from our earliest Paleolithic records of social behavior beginning with Neanderthal burial rituals and Cro-Magnon cave art. This study is an extension of the author's continuing work on the natural history of moral behavior and its relevance to secular humanism as a spiritual journey.
Readings:
- IN THE BEGINNING: Paleolithic Origins of Religious Consciousness by John H. Morgan
- BEING HUMAN: Perspectives on Meaning and Interpretation (Essays in Religion, Society, and Culture) by John H. Morgan
Religious Humanism In Modern Thought
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: Humanism is the strongest competitor of the Christian religion in the modern world and Sir Julian Huxley is the undisputed spokesperson for that system of thought. Just because a person is not religious, argues Huxley, does not mean they are not spiritual. Any religious person interested in coming to a deeper understanding of their own faith cannot do better than to confront the challenges offered by Huxley which are explained in careful detail in Morgan’s book which discusses religious humanism as a spiritual journey.
Readings:
- Evolutionary Humanism by Sir Julian Huxley
- In the Absence of God: Religious Humanism as Spiritual Journey by John Morgan
Reverence and the Universal Principle of Life
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: Pastor, professor, and musician turned jungle doctor, Albert Schweitzer is one of the most important figures of modern times. His call for a universal acknowledgment of the centrality of the “reverence for life” as the guiding principle of the universe and human behavior has long been considered the most poignant statement about the human condition. Morgan’s chapter offers a summary of his system of thought.
Readings:
- The Reverence for Life by Albert Schweitzer
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Chapter VII: Albert Schweitzer and the Reverence for Life)
The Sacrament of the Eucharist
Faculty: RP Jorge R. Colón, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies (Profile)
Description: To guide the student to the knowledge of the theological meaning of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. To examine the validity of theological reflection on the sacraments in the light of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
Required Readings (Graduate Level):
- James T. O'Connor. The Hidden Manna. A Theology of the Eucharist. Ignatius Press, San Francisco 2005. Second edition.
- Dimock, Giles. 101 Questions and Answers on The Eucharist. Paulist Press 2006.
- Driscoll, Jeremy. What Happens at Mass? Chicago LTP 2005.
- The encyclical Ecclesia de eucharistia of Pope John Paul II, 2003.
- The encyclical Mysterium Fidei of Pope Paul VI, 1965.
- The post-Synod apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, of Pope Benedict XVI, 2007.
Required Reading (Undergraduate Level):
- James T. O'Connor. The Hidden Manna. A Theology of the Eucharist. Ignatius Press, San Francisco 2005. Second edition.
Science and Faith in Cosmic Perspective
Faculty: Dr. John H. Morgan
Description: A priest and archaeologist, Teilhard de Chardin is considered today the most scientifically responsible spokesperson for the Christian faith in this century. Edward O. Wilson, the father of the concepts of sociobiology and consilience, is considered the most outstanding secular scientist today who has expressed an interest in dialogue with the religious community. Teilhard’s brief classic on the infusion of the reality of God in every molecule in the universe is further developed in Morgan’s chapter on Teilhard’s faith in the future of the world and humankind. Wilson’s little classic, The Creation, is a series of letter from a scientist to a Baptist minister. Both little classics summarize the options regarding the relationship between religion and science. Morgan’s two chapters constitute a brief summary of both their working theories about the world.
Readings:
- The Divine Milieu by Teilhard de Chardin
- The Creation by Edward O. Wilson
- From Freud to Frankl: Our Modern Search for Personal Meaning by John Morgan (Chapter VIII: Faith in the Future)
- Naturally Good: A Behavioral History of Moral Development by John Morgan (Chapter XI: E. O. Wilson)
Theological Anthropology: Creation and Sin
Faculty: RP Jorge R. Colón, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies (Profile)
Description: To guide the student to the knowledge of the theological meaning of fundamental Theological Anthropology regarding creation and sin. To research the biblical doctrines related to the doctrine of creation, sin in general, and original sin according to Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church, such as the biblical notion of creation, the fall, sin in the Old and New Testament, the origin of the universality of sin. To present a brief history of the doctrine of creation and original sin before St. Augustine and after him. The Protestant Reformation and Trent. To qualify the meaning of originating original sin and of originated original sin.
Required Readings (Graduate Level):
- Childs, Brian H., Waanders, David W., and Lapsley, James N. The Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Explorations in Theological Anthropology. Westminster John Knox Press; 1994.
- Pannenberg, W. Anthropology in Theological Perspective. T. and T. Clark Publishers 2004.
- Patout, J. Burns, translator and editor. Theological Anthropology (Sources of Early Christian Thought). Ausburg Fortress Publishers 1981.
- Sachs, John R. The Christian Vision of Humanity. Basic Christian Anthropology. Liturgical Press 1991.
- Von Balthasar, H. A Theological Anthropology. Sheed and Ward 1967.
Required Reading (Undergraduate Level):
- Sachs, John R. The Christian Vision of Humanity. Basic Christian Anthropology. Liturgical Press 1991.
Theology of Grace
Faculty: RP Jorge R. Colón, C.Ss.R., S.T.D., Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies (Profile)
Description: To help the student to know the ontological reality of grace. To research the controversies and doctrinal errors that have occurred in the history of dogma. To appreciate the lived experience of grace and of the filial relationship with God that springs from it. To see the supernatural order of human and temporal realities. To examine the present ecumenical dialogue on justification.
Required Readings (Graduate Level):
- Charles Journet, The Meaning of Grace. Scepter Publishers, Princeton, New Jersey 1960.
- Hardon, John, History and Theology of Grace. Sapientia Press, Ann Arbor MI, 2002
Required Reading (Undergraduate Level):
- Hardon, John, History and Theology of Grace. Sapientia Press, Ann Arbor MI, 2002
The Theology of Karl Rahner
Faculty: The Rev. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R., Th.D., S.T.D., D.Min. (Profile)
Description: This tutorial examines the thought of Jesuit theologian, Karl Rahner (1904-1984), one of the great Catholic thinkers of the 20th century. It will explore Rahner's spiritual, philosophical and theological roots, his theological investigations, conversations with his thought, Rahner's experience as a theologian, and the prospects of his theology for the future. The goal is to give the student the opportunity to read and reflect on some of the key themes of Rahner's thought.
Required Reading:
- The Cambridge Companion to Karl Rahner. Edited by Declan Marmion and Mary E. Hines.