Ave Maria University

Course Offerings

THEO 501 Old Testament

The Old Testament is "an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture" that "retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation" (CCC, nos. 121, 129). Integrating the best methods and tools of modern biblical scholarship with the luminous principles of the Church's rich exegetical tradition and magisterial documents, this course respects both the ancient Israelite historical-theological context of these inspired texts and their prophetic function within the Christian canon. It will assist the student in making the reading of Scripture an integral part of the sapiential and contemplative study of theology that the M.A. program attempts to foster.

THEO 502 New Testament

The New Testament recounts the culmination of sacred history and of the "divine pedagogy" (CCC, no. 53) in the mysteria vitae Iesu and the founding of his Church. This course presents the New Testament writings as a diverse but unified theological witness to these "divinely revealed realities" (Dei Verbum, no. 11). It elucidates their literary character without compromising their historical reliability, and it reads them within the rich cultural matrix of Greco-Roman Judaism of the first century A.D. without losing sight of the fact that they belong to the Church for all ages. Above all, the course will attempt to foster a seamless integration of exegesis, theology, and contemplation.

THEO 509 Theological Latin I

This course provides an opportunity for motivated students with little or no prior study of Latin to move rapidly but thoroughly through the forms and grammatical principles of the language. It also provides a comprehensive review for students with two years of Latin at the high school level. It is recommended for undergraduate students who intend to major in Classics. Graduate students seeking a comprehensive and mature introduction or review of Latin enroll in LATN 509 that comprises all of the content of LATN 103 and an additional one-hour class per week devoted to the progressive study of early Christian Latin vocabulary and literature.

THEO 510 Theological Latin II

This course is a continuation of THEO 509. It completes the study of all major grammatical constructions and introduces the student to the reading of longer, continuous Latin texts from the classical period. It is designed for students intending to continue the study of Latin at an advanced level. LATN 510 for graduate students comprises the entire content of LATN 104 and an additional hour per week devoted to the reading and analysis of selections from ecclesiastical Latin writings from the patristic period to modern times.
Prerequisite: LATN 103/509.

THEO 513 Theological Greek I

This course equips the student with the basic grammatical rules and elementary vocabulary needed to read Classical, Biblical, and Patristic Greek texts, thereby providing the foundation for scholarly exegetical study of both the Bible and Greek Fathers of the Church.

THEO 514 Theological Greek II

This course deepens the student's training in the grammar and vocabulary of Classical, Biblical, and Patristic Greek. Further and more extensive readings in Greek philosophical and theological texts are provided. Prerequisite: THEO 513

THEO 519/619 Advanced Biblical Greek Readings

For students who have taken at least two semesters of Greek (biblical or classical), this course will involve the grammatical analysis and translation of relatively challenging texts from the Greek New Testament and the Septuagint. In order of priority, the course will focus on morphology, syntax, and vocabulary. Matters of textual criticism and of the relationship between grammar, exegesis, and theology will be dealt with in passing. The main goal of the course is to serve the graduate theology programs by enabling the student to read the Greek text of the New Testament and the Septuagint with greater facility.

THEO 522 Theology of Revelation

This course will study the doctrine of divine revelation, along with related topics such as the authority of Scripture and Tradition, inspiration, infallibility, development of doctrine, the role of theologians in the Church, the Magisterium, and so forth. We will also devote time to tracing the use of philosophical systems, terms, and relations in theology from the Fathers through the Scholastics and modern theologians, Catholic and Protestant.

THEO 523 The Triune God

Christians believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In confessing faith in the God who names himself as "I am," Christians affirm the unity and simplicity of God who is sheer Act and thereby radically transcends the finite and participated being of creatures. This course explores the mystery of divine unity and of the attributes of God in his unity, including his goodness, knowledge, and will. Throughout the course, we will study how human language, drawn from finite creatures, is able to name God by analogy, even while it is impossible for us to know God in his essence. We will trace the theological development of the concepts of procession, relation, and person that enable Christians to affirm, without contradiction, both divine Trinity and divine unity. After detailed analysis of the distinct relations in God and the personal properties of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will examine such topics as the doctrine of appropriation, the relationship of the divine processions to the divine creative act, and the relationship of the eternal processions to the temporal missions. In studying the Trinity as Creator and Redeemer, we will explore the mystery of our relation to God and to the distinct divine Persons.

THEO 524 Creation, Providence, and Sin

This course is a scientific investigation into the nature and interrelation of the doctrines of creation, providence, and sin in relation to the vocation of the human person and in the light of Christian revelation. Drawing on conciliar documents, classics of Christian thought, and the writings of John Paul II, special attention is given to the prominent role of the doctrine of creation within Catholic theology and its importance for Christian anthropology. The philosphical hermeneutics of the teaching of Vatican I regarding the natural knowability of the existence of God and the classical Christian metaphysics to which the Council fathers adverted; contemporary questions regarding this teaching; the nature and significance of our human dignity and freedom; the nature of and relationship among the intellect, will, and the passions; the significance of the body in a Christian framework in the light of the formal doctrinal hylemorphism of the Council of Vienne; the nature of the divine Providence; the nature of sin; and the deep theological questions regarding the interrelation of Providence, Predestination, freedom, and sin, are considered in this course.

THEO 525 Christ and Salvation

As St. John teaches in his Gospel, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth." The first half of the course explores the Church's confession of the Incarnate Word. We will undertake a detailed study of the early Christological heresies, focusing on the contributions of such figures as St. Athanasius, St. Cyril of Alexandria, and Pope Leo the Great, and examine in systematic fashion such points as the fittingness of the Incarnation, the doctrine of the hypostatic union, Christ's divine and human wills, Christ's knowledge, Christ's grace, and so forth. In the second half of the course, we will treat the salvific power of life, death, and Resurrection of the Incarnate Word. Employing the Catechism of the Catholic Church along with the insights of the great doctors of the Church and the best results of contemporary biblical exegesis, we will examine such topics as Christ's birth, teaching, miracles, Cross, death, Resurrection, Ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and Second Coming in judgment at the end of the world.

THEO 526 The Church

This course studies the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation established by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit in its apostolic governance, its sacred teachings, and its holy sacraments. Biblical, doctrinal, and theological foundations of ecclesiology will be studied in conciliar and papal teachings, as well as in the profound ecclesial theologies of patristic, medieval, and modern theologians. The Petrine ministry, hierarchical structure, consecrated life, and universal call to holiness are treated in the attributes, gifts, and tasks of the Church as the body of Christ called to the communion of saints in the eternal Kingdom of God. This great Catholic tradition will form the context for understanding the teachings of Vatican II on the Church, ecumenism, and religious liberty.

THEO 527 Liturgy and Sacraments

This course is an integrated examination of 1) the fundamental liturgies of the Catholic Church, especially the holy sacrifice of the Mass and the Divine Office, presented in their historical context and in contemporary practice, with attention to the question of how the liturgical worship of God contributes to personal and community holiness, and 2) the seven sacraments of the Church, with attention to the presence/place of Christ's priestly office in the sacramental economy of salvation.

THEO 551 Sources of Moral Theology

This course examines the nature of man's moral perfection as being made in God's image and called to communion with Him in eternal life. The course reflects upon central themes in Catholic moral theology such as the nature of human flourishing, natural law, the new law of the Gospel, the theological and moral virtues, and the achievement of true human freedom in Christ. Special attention is paid to the ways in which early Church Fathers such as Augustine brought the Scriptural foundations of Christian morality into fruitful dialogue with the moral and ethical teachings of classical philosophy.

THEO 552 Fundamental Moral Theology

Most contemporary Protestant and Catholic presentations of moral theology count Thomas Aquinas as a primary source. And yet the majority of these presentations lack the balance and comprehensiveness of Aquinas' synthesis precisely because they neglect vital aspects of it. To help students develop a sapiential vision of moral theology, this course provides an introduction to the account of the moral life and its relation to human flourishing presented in Aquinas' Summa Theologiae. The course also examines the work of a number of contemporary thinkers who turn to Aquinas for assistance in thinking about some of the most pressing moral questions of our own day.

THEO 553 Catholic Contemplative-Speculative Theology

Contemporary Catholic doctrinal and systematic theo-logians can only be understood within the context of the rich traditions of Catholic theoretical reflections on the Word of God. This seminar provides a historical-theoretical overview of Catholic contemplative-specula-tive theology, studying three major developments. The development of doctrinal theology from biblical theology occurred during the first millennium of Catholic intellectual life. A few writings from the patristic and monastic theologians introduce their reflections on the biblical Word of God as true, with their calls to contemplation and worship as informing the great Trinitarian and Christological speculative theologies and creeds (e.g., selections from Athanasius, Cassian, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, and Bernard). The second millennium witnessed the development of speculative-theoretical theology from doctrinal theology. Medieval theologians reflected on the intelligibility of the true Word of God requiring a deepening of contemplative wisdom into a profound intellectual conversion as the light of divine faith illumines human reason (e.g., Boethius, Anselm, John Damascene, Abelard, Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure). Finally, contemporary Catholic theologians are studied as they seek to integrate the first-millennial quest for wisdom and holiness with the second-millennial quest for science and scholarship (e.g., Hans Urs von Balthasar, Yves Congar, Henri de Lubac, Bernard Lonergan, John Henry Newman, Joseph Ratzinger, and Karol Wojtyla).

THEO 590 M.A. Colloquium

This course will meet weekly to introduce students to the great philosophical and theological writings of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Students and professors will contribute to the colloquium through a combination of presentations, discussions, and lectures. The colloquium is noncredit for M.A. students.

THEO 595 Special Topics

With the approval of the director of the graduate theology program, theological courses may be offered on special topics.

THEO 597 Directed Readings

With the approval of the director of the graduate theology program and the participating professor, students may register for a course of independent study in a particular area under the direction of a professor.

THEO 599 Thesis

Prepares and guides the student in the research and writing of the required M.A. thesis.

THEO 605 Scripture and the Mystery of Israel

Among the "divinely revealed realities" to which the Old Testament refers (DV, no. 11), the historical people of Israel itself constitutes a mysterium. By divine adoption, Israel possesses a corporate personhood and a unique identity and vocation, and according to the sensus spiritualis, they "signify" Christ and his Church. This course will undertake an in-depth study of key elements in the "divine pedagogy" by which God began to reveal himself and his plan of salvation in stages to Israel in preparation for the Incarnation (CCC, no. 53), including a selection of the following: Israel's sonship and God's Fatherhood, the sacramentality of the Holy Land, Israel's view(s) of the afterlife, sacrifice and prayer, Israel's view of history, Israel and the nations, the faithful remnant, and the "knowledge of God." The primary goal of the course is to equip the student to draw on the Old Testament as a vital theological source through an enhanced appreciation of its integral relation to the whole body of revealed truth. Dr. Vall

THEO 614 Isaiah 40-66

These chapters of Isaiah, which constitute one of the theological summits of the Old Testament and are quoted some forty times in the New Testament, will be studied within a realist and ecclesial hermeneutic that takes seriously a series of interrelated contexts-including ancient Near-Eastern history, Israel's theological and spiritual development, the canonical book of Isaiah, the Christian canon, the Church's tradition of theological exegesis, and the pluralistic milieu of contemporary biblical scholarship-and in such a way as to make a contribution to our program's goal of contemplative theology. Dr. Vall

THEO 616 The Gospel of John

The first-fruits of Scripture are the Gospels, and thee first-fruit of the Gospels of John, according Origen, one of the earliest commentators on John. This course familiarizes students with the Greek text of John and with a selection of the radically different readings it has received from Antiquity to the Modern Ages, esp. those of Heracleon the Gnostic, Origen, John Chrysostom, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Rudolf Bultmann, Rudolf Schnackenburg, and Jerome Neyrey. It gives special attention to the theological depths of the text and the development of these depths in the Church's Trinitarian faith as unfolded in the theological tradition. Dr. Waldstein

THEO 619 Patristic and Medieval Exegesis

Biblical scholars and theologians, appreciative of historical-critical methods of interpretation, also acknowledge the fundamental role of Scripture as integral to Catholic theology. This has caused a renewed interest in the patristic and medieval eras, when "sacred doctrine" and "Sacred Scripture" were interchangeable phrases and theology was concerned with the truth and intelligibility of the divine mysteries revealed in Sacred Scripture. This course will turn to patristic and medieval authors to learn from them the principles that underlie a theological reading of Scripture. This course is not a historical survey. We will not read the ancient authors as historically interesting-which, no doubt, they are-but as teachers who can speak to us today. Because of this, and due to time constraints, we will not pursue a brief acquaintance with a large number of authors but rather a more in-depth understanding of a few great masters. Particular attention will be given to the principles of interpretation either explicit or implicit in their work, but we will flesh out those principles with examples of their actual exegesis.
Drs. Waldstein and Scheck

THEO 621 The Praeambula Fidei and Catholic Theology

Can the existence of God be proven philosophically, has such a proof been successfully achieved, and what might be the theological value of such a proof? These questions and others like them are taken up in this course, which surveys proofs for the existence of God in the Catholic theological tradition before and after Vatican I's definition that "that God exists" can be known by natural reason. We explore David Hume's and Immanuel Kant's profoundly influential criticisms of the classical proofs. In this light we examine contemporary philosophical and theological efforts to retrieve, develop along new lines, or bury the classical proofs. Our focus will be on the viability and theological value of St. Thomas Aquinas's proofs in particular. More recent authors who may be examined include Jacques Maritain, Anthony Kenny, Ralph McInerny, Denys Turner, and Richard Dawkins.
Dr. Long

THEO 622 Eternity and Time in Augustine, Plotinus, Boethius, and Aquinas

This seminar explores how the wisdom and understanding of eternity and time in Augustine, Boethius, and Aquinas are philosophically and theologically relevant as corrections to contemporary historicism. The seminar will research how Plotinus has a very different understanding of eternity and time than Augustine, relating this to major differences in their respective philosophies due to the influence of faith and theology on Augustine. Finally, we will see how Boethius mediates Augustine's breakthrough to the Middle Ages and Aquinas. A reading knowledge of Greek and Latin is encouraged. Fr. Lamb

THEO 624 Scripture and Metaphysics

Focusing on the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, particularly his Summa Theologiae and his Commentary on the Gospel of St. John, we will explore the relationship of biblical revelation and metaphysical analysis in sacra doctrina. Before engaging Aquinas's thought, we will explore the relationship of Scripture and metaphysics in the Fathers and in modern philosophers who reverse the patristic approach. Authors may include Origen, Irenaeus, Augustine, John of Damascus, Spinoza, Hobbes, Hegel, and others. The course intends to mark out a path for constructive Thomistic theology. Dr. Levering

THEO 625 Body, Soul and christian Theology

John Paul II's Theology of the Body with its deeply reflected hermeneutics of the gift (TOB 13:2) unites parts of Theology that are seemingly distant from each other: Trinitarian theology, exegesis of the creation accounts, Christology, the doctrine of grace, sacramental theology, theological anthropology, the psychology of man and woman, the spirituality of married life, and sexual ethics. This course explores the inner unity of TOB and its roots in the theological tradition, especially Thomas Aquinas. It assesses TOB's relation to recent philosophers, especially Kant and Scheler. And it locates TOB in the context of key questions of Modernity: scientific and technological progress, and the mechanist account of life given by contemporary science. Dr. Waldstein

THEO 626 Foundations of Systematic Theology

Theocentric theological inquiry forms the foundation of systematic theology. This course develops that inquiry in the context of the challenges of certain theological and philosophical currents in modernity. Writings from Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche as well as from certain Protestant and Catholic theologians will be examined from a critical perspective. Writings from St. Thomas Aquinas, John Henry Cardinal Newman, Yves Congar, O.P., and especially Alasdair MacIntyre as well as others will be examined to elucidate the tradition of Catholic theological inquiry. Students will be able to enter fruitfully into the contemporary discussion about the foundations of systematic theology operating within a tradition. Prerequisite: THEO 522 Dr. Dauphinais

THEO 628 Theology and Post-Modernism

Most putatively postmodern thought is not post-modern but hyper-modern. Radicalizing the premises of early modern philosophy, it seeks to deconstruct any residual belief in reason's ability to know anything substantially true about the nature of man, the whole, and God. Catholic theology thus finds itself in a unique situation: it currently must defend both faith and reason from modern rationalism's degeneration into irrationalism. Drawing on the works of theologians such as Karl Rahner, Bernard Lonergan, John Milbank, Ernest Fortin, and Joseph Ratzinger, this course examines theology's response to this challenge. Special attention is paid to the ways in which a serious, dialectical encounter with both premodern classical and Christian thought allows us to appreciate the strengths and limitations of modern rationalism. Dr. Guerra

THEO 631 St. Augustine's De Trinitate

The purpose of this seminar is to study St. Augustine's De Trinitate as the apex of St. Augustine's work, setting out in detail his theological investigation of an immaterial image of the Trinity. Our study is primarily foundational, indicating how St. Augustine developed analogy as different from metaphor and how created knowing and loving as imago Dei demand the movement from our descriptive categories of God to the Triune God as revealed Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The influence of Augustine's work on subsequent trinitarian theology is also studied. A reading knowledge of Latin is strongly recommended. Fr. Lamb

THEO 632 The Triune God: Contemporary Discussions

This course aims at introducing students to contemporary discussions and debates regarding Trinitarian doctrine. Beginning with such authors as Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine, and Aquinas, the course then surveys central Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant contemporary accounts of Trinitarian doctrine, with a focus on Rahnerian, Balthasarian, and Thomistic perspectives. By reflecting critically on the strengths and weaknesses of each perspective, in light of the patristic and medieval heritage, the course will provide students with insight into the main fault lines of contemporary Trinitarian theology, which as would be expected extend to all areas of theology. Students will gain the resources to enter into the contemporary conversation in a fruitful manner. Prerequisite: THEO 523 or the equivalent. Dr. Levering

THEO 633 St. Augustine's De Civitate Dei

The main focus of this seminar will show how the political theology of St. Augustine draws on a proper understanding of the classical three ways of living to demonstrate the inadequacy of philosophy to deal with the injustice and evil in human history. Augustine shows the need of salvation in Christ Jesus and the wisdom of Christian faith, hope, and charity to redeem human society and history and justify the quest for intellectual and moral excellence. This seminar's approach to The City of God will be primarily a careful reading of the text. A reading knowledge of Latin is strongly recommended.
Fr. Lamb

THEO 634 Thomas Aquinas

This is an investigation of the central doctrines of the Angelic Doctor. Attention will be paid to the historical context of his thought, his use of scriptural, patristic, and philosophical sources, his contemplative theological approach, and the reception of his theology in the life of the Church. We will engage contemporary Catholic and Protestant programmatic readings of Aquinas. Dr. Levering

THEO 635 Metaphysics and Theology of Participation in Aquinas

This seminar will consist principally of a careful study of The Commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics by St. Thomas Aquinas and several key sections of his In Librum B. Dionysii De Divinis Nominibus Expositio. Metaphysical wisdom is needed to understand the basic categories and principles of being. God creates finite being and nature, and so being and nature are theonomic participations totally dependent on the Infinite Divine Esse-Intelligere-Amare. Such an acquired wisdom enables theology to seek a fruitful understanding of the revealed mysteries redeeming the created order and the graced participation in the Trinitarian life. A reading knowledge of Latin is required. Fr. Lamb

THEO 636 Aquinas on Salvation

This course will introduce students to Aquinas's theology of salvation as presented in the tertia pars of the Summa Theologiae. The course will focus in particular on Aquinas's theology of Christ's Cross and on his theology of the Eucharist. In addressing these topics, however, a wide range of questions from the tertia pars will be discussed. Topics to be treated include the Incarnation, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Old Law and New Law of grace, Israel and the Mystical Body, eschatology, the sacraments in general, the theology of sacrifice, charity and the Eucharist, transubstantiation, and the liturgy. Earlier theologians such as St. Anselm, Abelard, and St. Bernard will also be briefly discussed, along with relevant secondary literature on Aquinas's theology. Dr. Nutt

THEO 637 Nominalism and Voluntarism: The Eclipse of Theological Wisdom and Birth of Modern Dualisms

This seminar will begin with a clarification by contrast between key texts of Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus. It will then proceed to a study of important texts of William of Ockham, who articulated the foundations of nominalism and voluntarism, along with their spread and dominant influence on the reformers and philosophers responsible for modernity. This study will indicate the importance of a metaphysics of being and cognitional sapiential theory to overcome nominalist and voluntarist dualisms. Texts will be in Latin, German, and French as well as English. Fr. Lamb

THEO 639 The Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar

Among twentieth-century Catholic theologians, Balthasar is the only one to have produced a monumental fifteen-volume systematic theology. Balthasar structured his massive systematics around the three transcendentals of beauty, goodness, and truth. This seminar will explore how his tripartite work provides a historical transposition of the transcendentals in terms of the classical three ways of living. The Glory of the Lord, his theological aesthetics of beauty, corresponds with the productive-poetic way of living. Balthasar dwells on the many forms of creation and redemption that are objectively visible in the history of salvation to those with the eyes of faith. Theo-Drama transposes the practical way of living with its attention to the dramatic living out of the good in the theological and human virtues in the life of the Church. Finally, his Theo-Logic transposes the theoretical way of living with its sustained attention to truth, wisdom, and science. A reading knowledge of German is recommended. Frs. Fessio, S.J., and Lamb

THEO 640 Papacy and Episcopacy in the Church

Behind many recent popular and scholarly critiques of the exercise of ecclesial authority stands doubt about the theological and sociological-practical suitability of hier-archical ecclesial structures in the modern world. At the same time, the witness of John Paul II, the ecumenical movement, and the scholarly work of ressourcement with respect to the patristic heritage have led to increasing ecumenical appreciation for the ministry of bishops and the bishop of Rome. This course treats the question of how the Church is structured and why. We will begin by reading recent Church documents such as Lumen Gentium and Ut Unum Sint, along with classic texts in ecclesiology such as Pseudo-Dionysius's The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. We will then explore contemporary Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic critiques of ecclesial hierarchy, especially as organized in the Catholic Church, along with theological explanations of ecclesial hierarchy by John Henry Newman, Joseph Ratzinger, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and others. Prerequisite: THEO 526 or the equivalent. Dr. Levering

THEO 645 Metaphysics and Ethics: The Classical Tradition of Catholic Moral Theology

This course explores certain metaphysical foundations necessary for understanding the classical tradition of Catholic moral theology. Drawing on Aristotle's works, we will discuss such themes as the four causes, hylomorphism, and a unified teleology. Turning to Aquinas's theological development of these themes, we will explore human personhood in light of the doctrine of creation and its metaphysical implications. The last section of the course will treat eternal and natural law as well as man's creation in grace and man's twofold motion toward the final, supernatural, beatific end.
Dr. Long

THEO 646 Human Destiny, the Virtues, and the Moral Life

Guided by the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas in dialogue with contemporary treatments such as the Catechism and Veritatis Splendor, this course will take up basic elements of moral theology as set forth especially in the secunda pars of the Summa Theologiae. Among the themes discussed will be beatitude; the relationships between freedom, law, and grace; acquired and infused habitus; and the structure of human action. Dr. Long

THEO 647 The Object and Species of Moral Acts

This seminar considers the classical analysis of human moral action articulated by St. Thomas Aquinas in the prima secundae of the Summa theologiae in relation to the Church's moral magisterium, to the foundations of the natural law, and to certain contemporary accounts which tend to dissociate both the norms and the analysis of human action from natural teleology and eternal law. Dr. Long

THEO 654 Medieval Political Theology

In many ways, the Latin Middle Ages witnessed the high watermark of Christian theologico-political reflection. Whereas medieval Jewish and Islamic thinkers such as Maimonides and Farabi wrestled with the demands of an all-encompassing socio-political Law, Christian thinkers appealed to faith and reason to articulate the proper relationship of temporal and spiritual authorities within an unmistakably Christian civil order. This course examines how this question was addressed by such important thinkers as Thoma Aquinas, Dante Alighieri, Giles of Rome, John of Paris, and Marsilius of Padua.
Dr. Guerra

THEO 656 Natural Law: Ancient and Modern

Natural law theory has traditionally played an important role in the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. In its classical presentation, natural law theory articulates moral obligations that ground and limit human freedom and illuminates the naturally given ends that perfect human nature. Rejecting the allegedly utopian character of natural law theory, early modern philosophers formulated doctrines of natural and human rights that deliberately eschewed considerations of man's end or a summum bonum. This course examines the relation of premodern and modern accounts of the nature of morality and the ends of human freedom. Dr. Guerra

THEO 657 Foundations of Catholic Social Thought

As a transpolitical faith, Christianity calls human beings to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. Through the exmination of Patristic, Medieval, and modern writings, this course provides students with an introduction to the Cathoic Church's rich tradition of theological-political reflection. Dr. Guerra

THEO 661 Human Dignity and the Challenge of Modern Technology

Modern technology is something of mixed blessing. On the one hand, it has contributed to human beings' increased economic and material well-being and enabled us to live longer and healthier lives. On the other, it has brought forth technologies that threaten human life and human dignity in new and unprecedented ways. In our days, such threats increasingly take the form of powerful biotechnologies that hold out the possibility of altering the very face of our humanity. This course examines how Catholic theology can help us understand why such technologies must be subordinated to humanizing ends that reflect the true dignity of the human person. Dr. Guerra

THEO 690 Ph.D. Colloquium

THEO 695 Special Topics

With the approval of the director of the graduate theology program, courses may be offered on special topics.