Theology and Religion (TRL)

A one credit per semester seminar which will meet in the evenings and include a formal presentation/talk followed by fellowship and an in-depth discussion of faith and/or theological topics; It will also be the center for planning and execution of service projects.

This course is a theological and philosophical investigation of what it means to be human. Primarily, it will investigate how the mystery of Jesus Christ gives meaning and direction to human life. Questions of ultimate concern will be examined, such as; Who am I? What am I? What is life about? Where will it lead? Particular attention will be paid to themes of: creation in the image of God, the relationship between body and soul, sin and grace, and the resurrection of the body.

Provides a student with an understanding of the major world religions in terms of their beliefs and practices. This course will examine theses other religions through the interpretive lens of Christianity and show Christianity is engaged with followers of other faiths in seeking the global common good. Particular emphasis will be placed on the practical aspects of knowledge of major world religions for understanding the complex nature of the world and geopolitical issues that are influenced by religious belief.

This course is an overview of the development of the Christian Church from the public ministry of Christ to the Great Schism of 1054 AD. Because it is an overview, it will highlight significant events during the first thousand years that have left a lasting mark upon the Church today. The self-understanding of the Church; the development of doctrine and sacraments; Church offices and orders; and the relation between Church and State will be particular areas of focus.

This course is an overview of the development of the Christian Church from the Great Schism of 1054 AD to the Second Vatican Council. Because it is an overview, it will highlight significant events during the second thousand years that have left a lasting mark upon the Church today. The self-understanding of the Church; the development of doctrine and sacraments; Church offices and orders; the relation between Church and State; and the Protestant Reformation will be particular areas of focus.

This course will provide the student with a basic knowledge of spirituality and spiritual theology. Topics covered will include: Prayer, Devotions, historical developments in spirituality, Liturgy and Contemplation.

This course explores the nature of Christian theology as an academic discipline and as a reflection on faith. It examines the elements of theological method and sources as developed over time, placing theology within the context of human reasoning in conversation with related ways of searching for truth.

This course is a study of the content of the four Gospels of the New Testament, as well as their literary, historical, social, and theological contexts. Among the topics examined will be: the way each Gospel depicts Jesus and His apostles; the audience and the author's intended themes; how each Gospel used the Jewish tradition/scriptures; and the importance of each Gospel in the Church. Also examined will be the role of the Gospels in the institutional Church: theologically, pastorally and with respect to the magisterium (teaching office).

This course is an academic study of the doctrines, structures, and rituals of the Roman Catholic religion. The beliefs and teachings will be traced from their early beginnings to the present, post-Vatican II Church.

This course will examine the ways in which laws and norms guide spiritual development. Topics covered will include St. Thomas Aquinas’ four types of law, Canon Law, Moral norms and Civil Law.

One’s conscience is comprised of consciously chosen values and principles and the unconscious effects of experience, culture, and society. Formation of our conscience necessitates the examination of all elements involved in the decision-making process. The core of this course will be the analysis of these elements and their application to actual moral situations, guided by the knowledge of and the sensitivity to the principles and values of Jesus Christ.

This course will examine the origins and historical developments of Christian Religious Orders and Spiritual Movements in both the Eastern and Western Traditions. It will focus on selected texts/Rules of Life that provide a guide to spiritual development.

This course will investigate classic and contemporary Christian spirituality. Using Scripture and writings of the saints, students will be introduced to diverse modes of spirituality as a flowering of the human desire for both God and happiness. This course will include a reading of select examples of devotional literature and the rules of religious orders This course has two goals. The first goal of understanding the elements and synthesis of classical expressions of Christian spirituality. A second goal is to allow the student to develop their own personal approach to spirituality by using the knowledge gained to translate those classical expressions into a meaningful approach to spirituality for the lay person in contemporary times.

Develops historical background information and exegetical techniques needed to read the Hebrew Scriptures and Earlier Christian Scriptures intelligently. Includes an introduction to other Ancient Near Eastern and Pseudepigraphal texts.

Develops historical background information and exegetical techniques needed to read the Later Christian Scriptures intelligently. Includes an introduction to the development of the New Testament canon and non-canonical Christian texts.

An overview of ministry in the church, historically and currently, and its implications for those who may be called to serve the church in professional roles in ministry.

This course may be repeated with a different topic.

This course prepares students to explain and apply fundamental moral theology with special attention to the foundations and development of specific moral values, norms, principles, and an understanding of the proper role of individual conscience. These foundations prepare students for moral decision making, and for in-depth discussion of basic principles and application of Catholic Social teaching with particular attention to the rights and dignity of all.

The central, defining conviction of Christians is that “Jesus is Lord and Messiah”. What does this declaration mean though? When does Jesus become Christ? Is “Christ” the invention of his disciples? What, if anything, gives him continuing significance in our time? Interpretations of the Christ will give students practice in probing the sources of Christian teaching, the processes through which Christian understandings of Jesus as the Christ developed and the thinkers both ancient and modern who have shaped the dialogue and debate about Jesus. The course will also explore criteria to evaluate especially contemporary proposals about the Christ. The course is a practical exercise in doing theology.

Examines the question of how the Church and the State interact in a democratic society. The course will begin with a historical overview of the changing nature of the relations between Church and State with particular emphasis on the crisis of the early middle ages. Focus will then turn to the contemporary situation and an examination of current or potential areas of both conflict and cooperation today. Of particular focus will be the ways in which both Church and State offer social justice efforts – sometimes in cooperation.

Focuses on the central mystery of the Christian faith. Traces the development of the concept of “God” from the Greek philosophers, through Yahweh of Israel to the Father of the New Testament. Includes the theology of the Holy Spirit and historical development of the idea of the Trinitarian Godhead.

This course offers a complete overview of the doctrinal corpus of Catholic social teaching. It explains the basic principles and norms for discernment and judgement as well as offering criteria for action. The course will show how these principles are connected with a correct and integral understanding of the human person; and how these teachings are intimately related to revelation Church tradition and theology. The main social encyclicals of the Church will be a constant reference point in explaining the meaning of the dignity of the human person in light of contemporary social challenges.

This course explores a range of Christian spiritual traditions and practices with a focus on tools and practices of discernment. Foundational texts from early Christian monastic and ascetical communities will lay the groundwork for understanding the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social dimensions of discernment. We will focus on the philosophical and theological frameworks underlying these spiritual traditions in order to understand how they apply to contemporary practice.

This individualized course presents inner workings of the Catholic Church faith communities: how liturgical, pastoral, administrative, educational, and social justice needs of various church communities are organized and implemented in various faith communities. Participants will see the “big picture” of parish and diocesan ministry.

The central rituals of Catholicism share common historical heritages from which have evolved the different methods of celebration and their accompanying theologies among the various Christian denominations. The course will focus on the historical developments of the theologies and celebrations of the rituals associated with initiation, communion, healing and forgiveness, marriage, and ministry.

These may include Religions of the World; Spirituality; Prayer; Retreat; Liturgical Ministry Workshop (or Overview); Vatican II Constitutions (or Decrees); Medical Ethics; Business Ethics; Lay Ministry Institute (of Montana Assoc. of Churches).

This course aims to deepen an understanding of the church as a community which celebrates in word and sacrament the Good News of Jesus Christ. It draws upon practical pastoral questions, church documents, and theology.

This course serves as a culminating experience for students in the Service Leadership & Community Engagement Minor. Students will (1) read and discuss theological writings that are foundational to CST, (2) synthesize disciplinary expertise, principles of Catholic Social Teaching, and service experiences and (3) participate in a dialogue with students and faculty from multiple disciplines. Students will complete a final project in which they identify and respond to the needs of a particular community they came to know through service experience and present their project at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

In this course students will examine the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and related post-conciliar papal teachings. A major goal of this course is to understand the pastoral nature of the Council and the inherently pastoral character of all the Church's doctrine. The course demonstrates the Council's continuity with the Catholic Tradition as well as its fresh insights, and shows how post-conciliar papal teaching sought to define, expand and implement the pastoral directives of Vatican II.

This course will examine the Scriptural, traditional and moral aspects of marriage and family life. It will focus on the writings of John Paul II and the modern Catholic understanding of the role of the family. It will include substantial discussion of human sexuality from a Catholic perspective.

Provides field experience in available areas of theological research and/or application. Designed to integrate theory with practice in order to develop appropriate skill, knowledge, attitudes, and professional identification.

This supervised ministerial practicum emphasizes reflective learning, and integrates the academic with the practical.

This course serves as a culminating course for the major in Theology and Religion. Its focus is twofold: to integrate the learning from the studies for the major in the context of the student’s entire university program, and to practice thinking and acting as a professional in the field of Theology and Religion. According to circumstances, the student will, in concert with the instructor(s), (1) assess progress made so far and areas of further need, (2) identify pertinent resources, and (3) think through selected areas of theology and ministry in light of the assessment and identified resources.