Course Descriptions

This introductory course will examine the foundations of Christian dogma. The course will explore divine revelation, the mystery of the Triune God, creation and anthropology, the person of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the nature and mission of the Church, the Church’s eschatological dimension, and the Church’s ethos as it encounters our civilization and relates its doctrinal beliefs to the world.

(3 hours; 1 semester)

This course will concentrate on the texts and doctrines of the pre-Nicene Fathers, from the death of the apostles to Nicaea I and its aftermath. This course will provide an overview of both the theological thought of the Fathers of the Church (patristics in the strict sense) and their life and writings (patrology). The rich ethnic and cultural diversity of early Christian thought will be highlighted through study of primary sources.

(2 hours; 1 semester)

This introductory course uses reading assignments, lectures, and class discussions to introduce students to the foundational themes of the spiritual life in the Byzantine Christian Tradition with special attention to the distinctive teachings of the Desert Fathers, of the ascetical writers, and from the Philokalia , and the Eastern Christian traditions that flowed from them. The major themes include creation in the divine image and likeness, life in the Trinity, the nature of the human person, deification, asceticism, and growth in the spiritual life. Students will be expected to develop at least a rudimentary ability to explain these concepts and terminology using the categories of contemporary culture, as well to recognize enough Latin spirituality in order to communicate “East to West,” and vice versa.

(2 hours; 1 semester)

This course exclusively probes the Divine Liturgy of the Church within its historical and theological dimensions. Students will explore the origins and development of the Eucharistic Liturgy within Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, engage in an exhaustive theological analysis of the Eucharistic Liturgy, and discuss modern-day challenges to the implementation of a liturgical theology that can profoundly affect daily life and inform one’s understanding of cosmic redemption and personal salvation. Prerequisite: LT 100

(3 hours; 1 semester)

This elective studies the concept of evil from the perspective of both an ontological force (demonology) and the voluntary rejection and absence of good. The understanding of evil from various ideologies and religions are explored, followed by a particular emphasis on the Judeo-Christian scriptural tradition and its extensive treatment by patristic writers throughout history. At the forefront of this detailed textual survey is the inescapable issue of theodicy and all the arguments associated with it. Following a historical study of how ancient indigenous cultures throughout the world dealt with the problem of evil and demonic spirits ritually, attention will be given to the Eastern Church's practice of ​ baptismal exorcisms and their accompanying prayers within the manuscript tradition. In addition, isolated prayers of exorcism performed in individual cases of adults, together with their theology, will be examined. Finally, the course will briefly look at the Roman Catholic order of exorcists and unique cases of actual exorcisms performed in both the East and West, highlighting the meaning and ramifications of such an activity within the Christian life. Prerequisite: LT 100

(3 hours; 1 semester)

This course is a general introduction to the system of seven sacramental mysteries: Baptism and Eucharist as the foundations of the sevenfold system;. a history of the theology of the sacraments, with an emphasis on the commentaries of the Eastern fathers; the use of material elements and ritual in the celebration of the sacraments; medieval Western influences on Eastern theology; ecumenical principles of sacraments. Outcome: The student should acquire a deeper understanding of the sacramental system of the Catholic-Orthodox Church, that it is both a real and symbolic manifestation of the action of God’s grace in our total physical-spiritual existence. The student preparing for ministry should be able to explain the sacramental mysteries in faith as a part of his ministry of evangelization, and should acquire a practical knowledge of what constitutes a sacramental mystery in regard to material and ritual, that would enhance his celebration of the mystery. Both academic and ministerial students should become easily conversant with the central aspects of Catholic-Orthodox sacramental teaching both in its historical context and its expression in modern culture, and understand better the sacramental relationships between Churches, the reasons for communicatio in sacris or the lack of it, and the ecumenical principles for restoration of unity.

(3 hours; 1 semester)