1997-1998 - The University of Scranton

CATHOLIC STUDIES PROGRAM
DR. MATHEWS, Director
The Catholic Studies Program seeks to provide every student with the opportunity to engage the
Catholic Tradition in a deeper and broader way than the typical course of studies can provide. Accordingly,
this program casts a wide net over what the Catholic Tradition and heritage are and how they interface with
human endeavor. Catholic Studies is a specialization built around a multi-disciplinary core that provides a
systematic way of integrating the many facets of Catholic Tradition with various academic disciplines.
Because Catholic Tradition is integrally linked to virtually every subject, it can provide a natural integrative
coherence for nearly all majors and areas of studies. Thus the CSP provides a good means of organizing
many general education requirements into a unified concentration; it is an attractive academic program for
rounding out a student’s Catholic higher education.
The Catholic Studies Program consists of both inter- and uni- disciplinary courses which provide the
opportunity to study the Catholic heritage in the ancient and the contemporary Church alike, and give
access to the rich forms in which it has been expressed in literature, art, architecture, music, history, philosophy,
science, etc. Catholic Studies welcomes all interested students whether or not they are Catholic. It is
compatible with all majors. Ideally, students will enter in their freshman year, but it is possible for students
to enter in their sophomore year. Courses in the program will meet either general education, major, minor
or cognate requirements. All non-CSP students are welcome in any course(s) in the program, but CSP students
are given enrollment preference. Honors tutorials are encouraged. SJLA students are welcome.
All courses taught in the Catholic Studies Program will seek to promote appreciation of the Catholic
Tradition by being faithful to the Church’s Apostolic teaching. Courses will also encourage students (a) to
integrate faith and academics; (b) to study the Catholic Tradition in an intellectually rigorous way; (c) to
assess human intellectual activity and experience in the light of the Catholic faith; and (d) to examine the
experience of Catholics in history, politics, various social groups, philosophical and religious movements,
and/or science and technology.
The concentration consists of 21 credits: 6 are required; the other 15 are electives. T/RS 184C must be
taken; one semester of Christian Classics is also required. Students may build their studies based on their
major and interests. Students are invited to petition for readers that meet program standards. Students may
likewise seek permission for courses not cross-listed to count for credit, provided they are eligible to do significant
Catholic Studies work in them.
CATHOLIC STUDIES ELECTIVES: Students will choose five.
INTD 333 The Bible in Image and Text T/RS 323 Signs and Symbols
NSCI 101 History of Science and Technology T/RS 330 Biomedical Ethics*
Arth 117 Early Christian and Byzantine Art T/RS 331 Christian Ethics*
Arth 118 Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic Phil 221 Medieval Philosophy
French 239 French Catholic Thinkers Phil 229 Philosophy of Religion
Greek 113/114 New Testament Greek Phil 232 Idea of a University
Hebrew 101/102 Biblical Hebrew Phil 233 Language and the Existence of God
T/RS 213 American Catholic Thought Phil 234 Existentialism
T/RS 215 Early Christian Writers Phil 411 Philosophy of Aquinas
T/RS 222 Introduction to Liturgical Theology Phys 103 Man and the Evolutionary Universe
T/RS 230 Moral Theology* Hist 324 Reformation
T/RS 231 Social Ethics* Hist 319/320 Byzantine Civilization
T/RS 232 John Paul II and Catholic Social Thought Hist 230/231 Medieval History
Hist 217 A History of American Catholicism
* only for certain sections
REQUIRED COURSES
T/RS 184C Dr. S. Mathews
Inside the Catholic Tradition 3 credits
This introduction to Catholic Tradition will study its
scope, depth, and on-going development, reception, and
characteristics. Topics covered include faith and
Revelation, the intercommunion of Scripture and
Tradition, the role of Magisterium, and the development
of doctrine. Selected readings are taken from important
conciliar texts and theologians.
INTD 201C-202C Staff
Christian Classics I-II 6 credits
Each semester of this CSP core course provides a structured
opportunity for reading in common some of the
major Christian works of literature and spirituality with
which every educated Catholic should be familiar.
Important Catholic books and significant works of
some great men and women who have shaped Christian
thought and life will be read and discussed.
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