Theology deserves to be called the highest wisdom, for everything is viewed in the light of the first cause.  -St. Thomas Aquinas

The Church is the guide Christ has established to explain His revelation, so all true theology must begin by examining what the Church teaches on the issue under consideration. Through Christian Doctrine (THE 200), students, by systematically studying the whole of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, acquire a solid foundation for pursuing theology. The Catechism introduces but does not exhaust the Church's teachings on most issues. Students are given the tools to explore magisterial teaching at a more advanced level in Magisterial Thought (THE 245), which gives familiarity with more specialized types of Church Documents. The Church decrees in canon law that students of theology are to "learn to penetrate ever more profoundly the mysteries of salvation, with St. Thomas as their teacher in a special way," so the teachings of St. Thomas are always given special weight, and his method is examined in Thomistic Thought (THE 271). Sacred Scripture has a special place within theology, for it is the word of God. The Church's teachings concerning the study of scripture are studied and applied while studying those books of the Bible that are most foundational for understanding the whole in Introduction to Biblical Literature (THE 210) and Biblical History (THE 310). With a strong foundation in the teachings of the Church and the Bible, students may proceed to study specific topics in theology in greater depth through the variety of elective courses offered in Theology at the Academy.

LAS/THE 107: Liturgy for the Laity. The Second Vatican Council teaches that “The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows.”  Unfortunately, as the present Pope observed while still a Cardinal, “Liturgical education today, of both priests and laity, is deficient to a deplorable extent” and the area of liturgy is “one of the clearest examples of the contrast between what the authentic text of Vatican II says and the way in which it has been understood and applied. (Second Vatican Council). This course will examine the liturgy while emphasizing how and why the laity should direct all their activity toward the liturgy as the “summit” of their lives, and how and why the liturgy may give power to all the ordinary activities of daily life. (3 Credits [includes the credit for chorus], Full-Year. Co-requisite or Pre-requisite: LAS 090: Chorus. Nicholson/Pelton.)

THE 200: Christian Doctrine. This course covers the Catechism of the Catholic Church, explained in the light of the Church’s perennial philosophy and theology, especially as embodied in the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. It begins with an overview of the meaning of Tradition and Revelation and the role of reason in interpreting both. The four sections of the Catechism—the Creed, the Sacraments, the Moral (Christian) life, and Prayer—will be examined in their entirety, with supplementary readings from St. Thomas Aquinas and others on selected topics. Throughout the course, practical application of what is learned, in prayer and in action, is emphasized. Through a series of short papers, this course also seeks to develop students’ writing skills. (6 Credits, Full-Year. Co-requisites: PHI 100 and PHI 200. Meenan.)

THE 207: Liturgical Theology. In addition to the requirements for Liturgy for the Laity, students will make a particular study of Church teaching concerning music for the liturgy. Special attention will be given to Church documents devoted to the subject.  (3 Credits, Full-Year. Nicholson.) [N.B. This course is required for the music concentration and after this year will next be offered in 2013-2014.]

THE/LIT 210: Introduction to Biblical Literature. “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” (St. Jerome, as quoted by the Second Vatican Council). Scripture, the inspired, inerrant Word of God, provides the very foundation for our Catholic faith. The Scripture courses at OLSWA do not seek to cursorily survey the entire Bible, but follow the method advised by Pope Leo XIII: “Take the students through the whole of a few books continuously and with a certain development . . . in such a way that the students may learn from the sample that is thus put before them to love and use the remainder of the sacred book during the whole of their lives.” In Introduction to Biblical Literature, students learn both how to read Scripture in the light of the Church’s interpretative authority and how to incorporate Scripture into the life of prayer more fruitfully, so that they might come to a fuller knowledge of Christ. Particular attention is paid to the relation between New and Old Testament books, for, as St. Augustine says, “the New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.” Both the Old Testament books from Genesis through Joshua, and the New Testament books of Matthew and Hebrews are studied with an emphasis on the formation of the New and Old Covenants. (3 Credits, Winter. Co-requisite: THE 200. Nicholson.)

LAS/THE 224: Introduction to New Testament Greek I.

See Languages, Arts and Social Sciences.

LAS/THE 226: Introduction to New Testament Greek II.

See Languages, Arts and Social Sciences.

HIS/THE 238: Modern Church History.

See History.

THE 240: Christian Marriage. In this one-semester course students will study Christian marriage and the family in both theological and practical dimensions, coming to a deep appreciation of the gift of marriage and pursuing sanctity in that state of life.  Founded on the truth of the human person and love, as enlightened by John Paul II’s theology of the body, the class will cover the nature, the graces, and the goods of the sacrament of marriage as well as present the student with historical and theological background of the Church’s teaching on marriage, focusing on the teachings of the last few pontificates. The second part of the course will cover the Christian family, a school of holiness. (3 Credits. Fall. Pre-requisite: THE 200: Christian Doctrine. Will be offered 2012-2013. Reilander.)

THE 245: Magisterial Thought. “Roma locuta, causa finita est.” (St. Augustine). The teaching of the Supreme Pontiff manifests the very mind of Christ. The goal of this course is to gain the ability to read a papal document intelligently, in the light of the Church’s Tradition and the historical setting and circumstances in which it was written. Thus, after the course is finished, the student will be capable of assimilating, on his own, new documents issued by the Church’s teaching authority, as well as being capable of locating and assimilating the Church’s teachings on any specialized subject which is important to the state of life to which he is called. This course surveys some of the key pronouncements, letters, and encyclicals of the popes of the 20th century, with a special emphasis on the rich teaching of John Paul II, and his call for a new evangelization. (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisite: THE 200: Christian Doctrine. Meenan.)

PHI/THE 270: Augustinian Thought. Most Catholics today are unaware that Augustine’s contribution to Western Christianity in unequalled by that of any other Church Father. After his death in 430, Augustine’s thought dominated Western intellectual culture for 1000 years, and even today remains a point of major focus in the Church. It is impossible to imagine the Catholic theological tradition apart from his contributions. Furthermore, Augustine has profoundly shaped the Western philosophical tradition, especially in the areas of Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics.   This class will explore the principal components of his thought, his intellectual development, the heresies he opposed, and his intellectual legacy. (3 Credits, Fall.  Pre-requisites: PHI 100: Fundamentals of Philosophy and HIS 101: History of Western Civilization. Kerr.)

THE/PHI 272: Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas. This course provides an introduction to the life and thought of the ‘Universal Doctor of the Church,’ St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as an overview of his most important work, the Summa Theologiae. It is oriented toward providing the student with a general appreciation of his principles, terminology, and method. It is intended to endow the student with an appreciation of the value of Thomas’ contribution both to the Faith and to the Western intellectual tradition as a whole. It is likewise intended to prepare one for more advanced study in Thomistic thought. We will focus on following the Summa’s procedure, charting as it does the process of ‘exit’ of all things from God to their ultimate ‘return’ to Him at the end of time. This will be accomplished through the reading of certain key passages of the work: in particular, we will read qq. 1-5 and 109-114 of the Ia IIae and supporting questions. Before embarking on this overview of the Summa, the necessary historical groundwork will be laid with an examination of the characteristics of Thomas’ philosophical and theological sources, his historical period, and his intellectual culture. Finally, the question of his legacy will be considered, of his continuing relevance to theological and philosophical discourse. In this light, special attention will be paid to the issue of the unity of faith and reason in Thomas. (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisite: PHI 200: Ethics. Kerr.)

THE 273: Fundamentals of Moral Theology. The truths that God has been revealed have been revealed not only to inform our minds but for the sake of transforming our lives.  All re-born in Baptism are called to enter the fullness of life in Glory.  This course studies the normal course of development of the life of grace that all are called to follow, and the inter-related topics of growth in communion with Our Lord, the unfolding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, increase in the theological and infused moral virtues, purification from vice and the effects of sin, growth in prayer, fruitfulness in the sacramental life, growth in devotion to Our Lady, and the goal to which all of these are ordered: the fullness of the life of grace. (3 Credits, Fall. Prerequisites THE 200: Christian Doctrine and PHI 200: Ethics; Exclusion: THE 373: Spiritual Theology. Nicholson.)

HIS/THE 310: Biblical History. This course builds upon the methods and knowledge acquired in Biblical Literature (THE/LIT 210). It rounds out the history of Ancient Israel with both an examination of the ‘history books’ from Judges through the Books of Acts and a reading of a selection of other biblical books viewed as primary historical sources. It focuses on the interpretive issues raised in the study of the Bible, in order to move toward a solid and faithful interpretation of the Bible, an understanding of the two Testaments that is faithful to the Church’s tradition and cognizant of modern research. (3 Credits. Fall. Pre-requisite: THE 210: Introduction to Biblical Literature. Kerr.)

THE/LAS 324: Intermediate New Testament Greek.

See Languages, Arts, and Social Sciences.

THE/LAS 326: Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. 

See Languages, Arts, and Social Sciences.

LAS/THE 327: Research into Koine Greek. Words in one language rarely correspond exactly with words in another language. This course will introduce students who are already able to read New Testament Greek to a variety of lexical and grammatical tools which will allow them to explore the meaning of the revealed text more deeply. (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisite: THE 324: Intermediate New Testament Greek or permission of the instructor. Nicholson.)

THE 331: Patristics. Christians have always held that the teaching of the Fathers is normative in matters of faith and morals. It is easy to point to variation within this body of literature, much harder to discover what is perennially true about Christian discipleship. We will examine how patristic teaching on a variety of issues develops over time while immersing ourselves in the world of the Fathers.  Emphasis will be placed on the reading of primary literature from both the eastern and western Fathers. (3 Credits, Winter.  Pre-requisites: THE 200: Christian Doctrine and HIS 101: History of Western Civilization. Kerr.) [NB:  This course is offered only in alternate years. After this year, it will next be offered 2013-2014.]

THE 339: Vatican II. Few, if any, events of the immediate past have had more obvious short-term impact than the Second Vatican Council. This course examines the sixteen documents of Vatican II while noting both the historical background and the subsequent effects of these documents. The different sorts of documents will be analyzed, and special attention will be paid to the pastoral situations that informed the explicitly pastoral documents. (3 Credits. Co-requisite: THE 271. Meenan. Next offered in 2012-2013.)  

THE 345: Christology. This course will examine the singular revelation of God that is the Incarnation. The course will delve into the Church’s meditation on Christ, including both developments in the Patristic Era and a systematic examination of Christological teaching as set out by St. Thomas. This approach is the ideal preparation for encountering contemporary thinking on Christ, which is surveyed in the final section of this course. (3 Credits.  Next offered 2012-2013. Pre-requisite: THE 200: Christian Doctrine. Kerr.)

THE 340: Sacraments.  “The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paraphrasing St. Thomas Aquinas). Building upon the foundational knowledge of the sacraments acquired in Christian Doctrine, this course will examine both the nature and effects of individual sacraments and the divine economy shared by all sacraments in greater depth. So as to appreciate the richness of the Church’s theological tradition and to trace the developments in sacramental theology, Biblical, patristic, scholastic, and contemporary materials will be drawn upon. (3 Credits, Co-requisite: THE 271. Meenan.  Not offered 2011-2012.)

THE 343: The Trinity. “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life”  (Catechism of the Catholic Church). This course allows students who have had the proper philosophical and theological preparation to explore the greatest mystery of revelation. Readings will be drawn from the doctors of the Church and magisterial documents. (3 Credits, Winter. Strongly recommended pre-requisite:  PHI 325: Metaphysics. Meenan. After this year, it will next be offered 2013-2014.]

THE 345: Christology. This course will examine the mystery of the Incarnation, and the union of two natures in the Person of Jesus Christ. Thus, the course will focus upon the esse of Christ, and how God could ‘become’ man. The course begins with an historical perspective, following the controversies surrounding this ‘question of Christ’ from Apostolic times, beginning with Gnosticism and Docetism, before examining the major heresies of the fourth to sixth centuries, namely Arianism, Nestorianism, Monophysitism, and Monothelitism, and how the Church responded to each of them. The course then turns to a systematic examination of how to understand the ‘hypostatic union’ in the Person of Christ, following primarily St. Thomas’ exposition as found in the Tertia Pars of the Summa Theologica, questions 1 to 26. Texts used will be the excerpts from the Fathers and the Councils, the Summa Theologica, and excerpts from secondary sources. (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisite: THE 200. Kerr. Next offered 2012-2013.)

THE 368: Apologetics. This course is about bringing to the Church’s call to evangelization and ecumenism a new level of intellectual competence. As such, it deals with some of the main issues that keep people from full Integration into the Body of Christ. This involves developing a true appreciation for the values, concerns and ideas of non-Catholics. Most of all, however, it involves true intellectual formation, for apologetics is nothing other than teaching how Christianity is the good for which the human heart longs.” (3 Credits. Pre-requisite: second-year standing. Kerr. Next offered in 2012-2013.)

THE 371: Consecrated Life. “The teaching and example of Christ provide the foundation for the evangelical counsels of chaste self-dedication to God, of poverty and of obedience …. They constitute a gift of God which the Church has received from her Lord and which by his grace she always safeguards” (Second Vatican Council). This course will examine the development and nature of consecrated life and its essential place in the Church. Contemporary teaching and practice in consecrated life will be placed in proper context through an in-depth study of the Church’s rich tradition of religious life as found in the writings of religious founders and Church doctors. (3 Credits. Pre-requisites: HIS 101 or HIS 131 and THE 200. Not offered 2011-2012.)

THE 373: Spiritual Theology. “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself…created man to share in his own blessed life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, opening line). Through the spiritual life, man begins to participate in the life of God even while on earth. This course seeks to examine systematically the principles of the spiritual life in the light of Catholic Tradition, thus giving students a perspective of what is entailed in the journey to perfection which they have a duty to complete and a knowledge of the means and activities involved in fulfilling their call to perfection. The students will be exposed to some of the great wealth of the Church through selected readings from the greatest Catholic spiritual writers. (3 Credits, Fall. Pre-requisite:  THE 200: Christine Doctrine and PHI: 200: Ethics. Exclusion: THE 273: Fundamentals of Moral Theology. Nicholson.)

THE 377: Theology of the Body. In this course, students enter into a thorough reading and analysis of Pope John Paul II’s unique theological presentation of Christian anthropology, which he has called the “theology of the body,” as set forth in his Wednesday audiences from 1979 to 1984. (3 Credits, Fall. Pre-requisite: THE 200: Christian Doctrine. Reilander.) [NB:  This course is offered only in alternate years. After this year, it will next be offered 2013-2014.]

THE 416: St. John. “The other Evangelists instruct us in their Gospels on the active life; but John in his Gospel instructs us also on the contemplative life.” St. Thomas places this observation by St. Augustine at the beginning of his prologue to his commentary on the Gospel of John, joining a long line of commentators stretching back to Clement of Alexandria who have marveled at the depth of the Gospel.  Guided in part by scholars of various ages, students will delve into the depths of John while applying the scriptural knowledge gained in THE 210 and THE 310.  (3 Credits, Winter. Pre-requisite: THE 310.  Nicholson.)