Theology and Religious Studies

Development and composition of the New Testament; the historical, cultural, and religious environments out of which it arose; and the various theological perspectives found within it. Distribution: Engaging the Global Community. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Engage deeply with the narratives of Abraham across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, uncovering how these traditions interpret his legacy.

See how Jesus was perceived through time—from historical accounts to modern film portrayals—shaping cultural narratives along the way.

Critical analysis of apocalyptic and postapocalyptic literature and film, focusing on ancient Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian texts that claim to disclose a transcendent, future reality, as well as more recent novels, television series, and films that creatively modify that basic pattern. We will use various theoretical frameworks to analyze the ways in which literature and films portray intersecting systems of classification and correlate those systems with real or imagined social, economic, and political conditions.
Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent. Equivalent to TRS3199 with the same title (Spring 2024). Offered: Every other Spring.

Selected topics relating to the Bible and biblical archaeology. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered. May be repeated with a different topic. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Read and interpret key biblical texts from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, diving into diverse genres and understanding their cultural impacts throughout history.

Ethical framework, values, and perspectives conveyed by expression of the Christian Gospel articulated in the New Testament. Attention will be paid to both traditional and contemporary approaches to incorporating the Bible in moral methodology, including liberation theology, feminist ethics, post-colonial and cross-cultural perspectives. Does not satisfy the Jesuit Heritage TRS Core requirement. Restrictions: TRS Majors, TRS Minors, Graduate Students (MA or Certificate), or by permission from Department Chai

Investigates the rich religious history of Ohio and the Western Reserve, from the ancient mound-builders to the present day, as a window into American religious history writ large. Addresses broader theoretical concerns about the role of place in the religious lives of individuals and communities.

Examines the histories, traditions, and lived religious practices of select minority religious groups by exploring their interaction and exchanges with wider American culture (e.g., through architecture, commerce, food, law, and media). How do religious groups affect one another, and the larger culture, while maintaining their distinct identities? Explores the shifting contextual meaning labels such as minority/majority and marginal/central.

Spirituality, intellectual life, ministry, and political involvements of the Jesuits from their origins in the Renaissance to the present day as seen in a global and historical context.

Trace the rich tapestry of African-American religious practices, from roots in African traditions to their impact on community and social movements.

Religious people are not born but are made according to context-specific norms. An examination of the various processes of religious socialization by which religious identities are constructed, maintained, transformed, and sometimes discarded. Structured around contemporary case studies, and using theoretical frameworks from sociology, anthropology, and psychology to explore issues of identity and boundaries as they pertain to religious groups and people. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

A sociological inquiry into religious fervor in 20th and 21st-century America. Examines the histories and lived religious experiences of several “enthusiastic” religious movements, paying particular attention to the discrepancy between the appeal they exert over adherents, versus the fear and mistrust they often excite in society at large. Forms a Core Link with HS 2140 Spiritual Awakenings in Early America. Distribution: LINK. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent. Corequisite: HS 2140.

A case-based examination of lived experiences of Catholicism in the United States, from colonial times to the present day, exploring a variety of responses to the question of how to be Catholic in America. How have American Catholics negotiated their various identity claims in order to inhabit their Catholic identity in meaningful ways? Where have their identity claims merged, where have they come into conflict, and how have those conflicts and confluences shaped the experiences of American Catholics and the expression of an American Catholicism, if there is such a thing?Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Trace the papacy's evolution from Roman roots to modern democratic influences, spotlighting its power struggles against monarchs, revolutions, and global challenges.

Franciscan movement from its origins with Francis of Assisi to its contemporary manifestations. Historical and spiritual aspects of the Franciscan phenomenon and its import for the church today. Offered at the Center for Pastoral Leadership. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Examines significant factors that contributed to the development of early Christian myths, discourses, rituals, and social practices, as groups and agents within the movement selected, adopted, and modified cultural elements associated with Israel and Judea, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, and Rome, assembling those elements into new configurations to meet individual and group needs. Topics include Jewish apocalypticism and messianism, mystery religions, healing and exorcism, views of the afterlife, descents into the underworld, ascents to heaven, and magic. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

An overview of the development of Christmas, including: the various traditions that developed surrounding the Nativity (or birth) of Jesus; its evolution from the fourth through the sixth century and the ways in which it related (or not) to various Roman holidays; the battle for Christmas which occurred as the result of the Protestant Reformation; the modern iteration of Christmas as it expanded in the 19th century, and adapted to reflect various social pressures, from the temperance movement to public displays of extravagance. Additionally, we will examine the effect of calendars on the way in which we organize the year and our lives, as well as the complex relationship between the "religious" and the "secular." Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Lives and writings of prominent women who have shaped the Christian tradition from its earliest period. Emphasis on the women’s contributions in light of their historical contexts. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

The construction of the idea of evil, from the pre-biblical period up through modern times, examined through various theoretical approaches and applied to specific case studies (e.g., early Christian martyrdom, European witch hunts, Nazi Germany, the Satanic Panic). Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Europe between ca. 1350 and 1650 underwent major political, social, cultural, and religious upheaval. Innovations in the arts, learning, political theories, and religious beliefs altered the way many understood the communities in which they lived and what it meant to be human. This course will examine in particular major texts in the rise of Humanism, new ideals in art and architecture, changing patterns of politics and government, and the revolutionary changes in religion that swept Europe in the Early Modern period including the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reform movement. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

As Europeans landed on American shores, many arrived with an intent to convert Natives to Christianity. The approach and reception of this venture differed significantly by time and place, yielding a variety of religious experiences on both sides of the cultural frontier. Some Natives rejected the “black robes” in their midst, seeing them as dangerous sorcerers, while others borrowed selectively from Christian teaching. Some Natives would be upheld as model converts, such as Kateri Tekakwitha, the “Mohawk Saint.” But often the missionizing moved in the opposite direction with “white Indians” converting to Native beliefs. By comparing interactions such as the Pueblo and Franciscan encounters in the Southwest, Huron and Jesuit relations in Quebec, and the Wampanoag and Puritan clashes in New England, we will analyze the religious dimensions of human experience within the borderlands of early North America. Offered: Every other Fall. Prerequisite: EN1250 or equivalent.

Discover how religion and law intertwine in the U.S., exploring historical meanings of 'religious freedom' and its legal implications.

Examine the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. alongside contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter, exploring justice, peace, and the power of theology in activism.

Selected topics relating to religious history and culture. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered. May be repeated with a different topic. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Exploration of several models for understanding God and God’s relations to the world.

Introduction to theological anthropology, the study of the human being in relation to God and in conflict with evil.

Investigates the many ways Christians have understood the person and work of Jesus. Includes the different portrayals of Jesus found in the Gospels and their historical reliability; the development of doctrine and its contemporary relevance; and recent attempts to faithfully reimagine the central figure of Christian faith.

Examines the theological significance of saints in the Roman Catholic tradition. Topics include the origins of the cult of the saints, changing models of sanctity, ritual and devotional practices, the process and politics of canonization, and the implications of the veneration of saints for a theological treatment of God, the church, and the human person.

Explores some of the major expressions of spirituality, mysticism, and prayer in the Christian tradition, and how key figures from this history are understood in our contemporary context.

Overview of Roman Catholic theology, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as a look at various themes and issues since the Second Vatican Council that find their roots and explanation in the Catechism. Emphasis on scripture, grace, sacraments, sin, redemption, the role of Jesus, the Church Magisterium, ethical norms, and morality. Offered at the Center for Pastoral Leadership. Students who are not in the Borromeo Seminary Institute Program should contact the TRS Chair for permission to register.

Studies the principal developments in theological reflection on the meaning and significance of Jesus Christ in the New Testament and in later church tradition; consideration of how contemporary Christology is both affected by and responds to crucial concerns of today’s culture. This course is cross-listed with a graduate seminar (TRS 5320) and is intended for highly motivated undergraduate students. Prerequisite: EN125 or EN1250 or equivalent.

Surveys the origin, nature, and mission of the church in light of its evolution from the preaching and mission of Jesus and his disciples, through its developing history, to its current self-understanding since Vatican II. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Explores the church as “sacrament of salvation” through an examination of the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), the sacraments of healing (Penance, Anointing of the Sick), and sacraments at the service of communion (Matrimony, Holy Orders). Topics include images, models, and marks of the church, as well as the historical, liturgical, and theological development of the seven sacraments. This course is cross-listed with a graduate seminar (TRS 5340) and is intended for highly motivated undergraduate students. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Examines the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) as a historical, sociological, and theological event. Explores what happened at Vatican II, in particular its causes and effects in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Introduces students to the sixteen documents of the Second Vatican Council. The four “constitutions” of the council (On the Church, The Church in the Modern World, On the Sacred Liturgy, and On Divine Revelation) will be examined in some detail. An introduction and overview will also be given to the nine “decrees” and the three “declarations.” Prerequisite: EN1250 or equivalent.

Study of the life and writings of Ignatius Loyola and the spirituality that emerged from his religious experience, the dissemination of Ignatian spirituality through the creation of the Jesuit order, the mission and ministry of the first Jesuits, the development of Ignatian spirituality, and its contemporary relevance. Involves experiential learning. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Introduction to pedagogy for theological educators. Topics include the nature and goals of theological education, the vocation of the theology teacher, the sociological research relevant to religious education, the developmental needs of adolescents and young adults, diversity in the classroom, and concrete pedagogical strategies. Special attention given to practical implementation of the learning goals of the U.S. Catholic Bishops High School Curriculum Framework. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Explores the historical controversies and contemporary conversations surrounding the relationship between religious belief and modern science, with particular attention to evolution and ecology. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Selected topics relating to Catholic Theology. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered. May be repeated with a different topic. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Engage with contemporary theological methodologies while reflecting on your own beliefs and contexts, enriching your understanding of faith.

Trace the evolution of Chinese religious thought through Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, revealing their cultural and philosophical legacies.

Ancient Shinto beliefs; importation and modification of Korean and Chinese cultures and religions up to the modern era. Emergence of the Japanese empire in the seventh century CE, and the developments of Tendai, Kegon, Zen, and Shingon beliefs and practices.

Inspired by the Pope’s call to care for our common home and the urgent need to transform the way we as individuals and collectives inhabit our world, these linked classes will expose our students both to powerful representations of the environment in world literature and the ethical imperatives guiding human interactions with nature that inform the world’s major religious traditions. This part of the linked pair will focus on an overview of how major world religions have approached the environmental crisis and have and are attempting to reconcile religion and environmental issues. Religions covered include: Judaism, Protestant and Catholic Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Special emphasis will be given to contemporary theological and philosophical understandings of the relationship between religion and the environment. Distribution: LINK. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent. Corequisite: EN 2630.

Surveys the broad outlines of Messianism throughout Jewish history and how it changed shape and form, interacted with other belief structures, became secularized and re-enchanted again. Examines its place in modern politics (especially Zionism) and how these developments affect contemporary politics and theology. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

A study of the Holocaust with special attention to its significance for Jewish-Christian dialogue, including an analysis of accounts of Holocaust survivors and the reaction of theologians to the Nazi attempt to destroy the Jewish people. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Explores the legal and narrative sections from Talmudic tractate Kiddushin utilizing a wide variety of reading strategies (e.g., legal, text-and form-critical methods, Feminist criticism, and Queer theory). Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Focuses upon the development of the general idea of and particular formulations of “prayer” in Rabbinic Judaism as a way of understanding how and why Jews pray, how Jewish prayer is both similar to and yet different from Christian prayer, and therefore serves as an introduction to the academic study of not only “prayer” but “religion” itself. Offered: Every other Fall. Prerequisite: EN125 or EN1250 or equivalent.

Examine the roots and contemporary impact of Zionism on Jews and Palestinians, focusing on its significance in the current Israel/Palestine context post-2023.

Study the rich history of Islam in America, focusing on the diverse experiences of Muslims and their impact on society.

Study Islamic perspectives on environmental challenges and discover contemporary activism aimed at protecting our planet.

An elaboration of the mystical/Sufi tradition of Islam and the emergence of Islamic spirituality. Detailed study of the Qur'anic verses and paradigms from the sayings of the Prophet that constitute the main sources for the spiritual dimensions of Islam, as well as an examination of the writings of historical and contemporary Muslim mystical figures. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Offers an in-depth exploration of the Qur’an, focusing on its origins, structure, content, and eloquence, while examining the development of its textual tradition. Students will also engage with classical and contemporary methods of exegesis (tafsir), analyzing major themes such as monotheism, prophecy, eschatology, justice, and prayer. The course also investigates the Qur'an's interactions with other Abrahamic scriptures, fostering an understanding of its interfaith dimensions and its role in shaping Islamic and global thought. Through a blend of critical analysis and reflective study, students will gain a nuanced appreciation of the Qur'an’s enduring significance in both religious and cultural contexts. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Examine women's roles in Islamic societies through historical, theological, and cultural lenses. Challenge narratives while exploring gender dynamics and feminist interpretations of faith.

Explores the religion, art, and politics on the international trade routes of East, Central, and South Asia, from the second through the twentieth centuries. Representative examples are presented chronologically and carefully situated within their political and religious contexts. Interdisciplinary methodology includes consideration of histories, religions, arts, and politics of the times. Distribution: Engaging the Global Community. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Examines pilgrimage as a unifying theme in the study of world religions and as a key component of religious life. Treats the unity of spirit, mind, and body in pilgrimage as an expression of the inseparability of individuals and larger religious communities; uses it as a point of departure to investigate symbols, rituals, myths, laws, doctrines, faiths, and visions manifested in world religions. Distribution: Engaging the Global Community. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Examines the relationship between religion and secularism through historical, theoretical, and contemporary lenses. Students will engage with foundational texts, critical theory, and case studies from around the globe. Course covers a range of interdisciplinary topics, such as the historical formation of the key ideas of secularism and its colonial entanglements, gender and religious freedom, the resurgence of religion in the public sphere, and pressing global challenges. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Selected topics relating to the history, culture, faith, and practice of non-Christian religions. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered. May be repeated with a different topic. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Engage with Catholic moral theology by exploring conscience, sin, and the Church's role in current ethical debates on sexuality, healthcare, and social justice.

Apply Catholic Social Teaching to real business scenarios, analyzing decisions through a moral lens to drive ethical practices and positive change in the corporate world.

Analyze global and local ethical dilemmas through various theological frameworks, learning how cultural interactions can promote or obstruct justice.

Considers several models and contextual issues of fundamental Christian ethics in various parts of the world in order to map how cultures and their respective ethoses intersect in the construction of ethical paradigms which in turn can both foster and/or hinder cross-cultural analysis, respect and collaboration. Two historical novels set respectively in Africa (Achebe, Things Fall Apart) and Asia (Endo, Deep River) will be read, along with works on cultural anthropology, fundamental Christian ethics, a methodological reflection on the American ethical cultural tradition and a work on theological inculturation in the African, Latin American, or Asian context. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Explore Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity in East Asia while studying sacred texts, culture, ethics, human rights, and interreligious dialogue.

Reimagine theology through queer perspectives, engaging with scripture and societal issues to challenge norms and celebrate diversity in faith.

Focuses on debates about the role religion should play in the formulation of public policy in the United States. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Debate pressing bioethical issues in healthcare, integrating diverse moral perspectives, including Catholic teachings, on topics like genetic manipulation and euthanasia.

Navigate the complexities of human sexuality through a Christian lens, exploring ethics, spirituality, and contemporary theories.

Challenge your views on violence with insights from just war theory and its implications for modern ethics and international law.

Navigate the ethical landscape of healthcare delivery, exploring how moral considerations shape practices and policies.

Study ethical issues in healthcare through case studies on justice, access, autonomy, bias, resource allocation, and the role of religious commitments.

Protect cultural heritage by evaluating the impact of terror on society, tackling ethical dilemmas surrounding cultural preservation in a global context.

Selected topics relating to religious ethics. Specific content and number of credits to be announced when offered. May be repeated with a different topic. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent.

Introduces Catholic Social Teaching, from its historical origins through today, focusing on its basic principles and norms for discernment and judgment, leading to criteria for action to address contemporary social challenges, especially in the areas of economic, political, immigration, peace and war. Does not satisfy the Jesuit Heritage TRS Core requirement. Restrictions: TRS Majors, TRS Minors, Graduate Students (MA or Certificate), or by permission from Department Chair.