TH590H: The Theology of the Church - Saint Joseph's College ...

SUMMER SESSION SYLLABUS
Hybrid Course
TH590H: The Theology of the Church C5: 2009
______________________________________________________________________________________
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
DIVISION OF GRADUATE &
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
278 Whites Bridge Road
Standish, Maine 04084-5263
1-(800)-752-4723
1-(207)-893-7841
Welcome to:
TH590H:
The Theology of the
Church
Summer Session #1
Course Start Date: May 25
Online Dates:
May 25-June 19;
June 27-July 3
On Campus Dates:
June 22-26
Course End Date: July 3
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course studies the theology of the
nature, function, and structures of the
http://www.sjcme.edu/gps/summer/index.htm
church. Topics include the foundation
and structure of the Church, models of
the Church, historical development of ecclesial life, and the ecclesiology of Vatican II.
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IMPORTANT RESOURCES
If you have any questions regarding your course materials, please contact your
academic advisor (1-800-343-5498) and/or our book vendor EdMap. You can
reach EdMap by phone or email:
1-(800)-274-9104
http://www.shop-edmap.biz/sjs/
All Saint Joseph’s College students must have a library card for the Wellehan
Library prior to arriving on campus. To obtain your card, if you do not already
have one, please call the library or visit their Website:
1-(800) 343-5498 ext. 7725
http://www.sjcme.edu/library/index.htm
REQUIRED TEXT
Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference, Second Edition,
2003. ISBN 0-385-50819-0
Flannery, Austin, ed., Vatican Council II: Vol. 1 The Conciliar and Post Conciliar
Documents, New Revised Edition. Costello, 1998. ISBN 0-918344-39-5
Hahnenberg, Edward. A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. St. Anthony
Messenger Press, 2007. ISBN-10 086765529
Phan, Peter (ed.). The Gift of the Church: A Textbook on Ecclesiology in Honor of
Patrick Granfield, O.S.B. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2000. ISBN 0814659314
REQUIRED ARTICLES
Pope John Paul 11. “Ut Unam Sint.” June, 1995. (This can be downloaded).
E-reserves:
Brown, Osiek & Perkins, “Church in the New Testament.” pp. 782-784 (New Jerome
Biblical Commentary)
Brown, Osiek & Perkins, “The Kingdom of God.”pp. 1339-1346 (New Jerome Biblical
Commentary)
Hubesch, Bill, Vol. 1 The Council p. 101-106
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Huebsch, Bill. Vatican II In Plain English, Vol. 1, Biographies, pp. 173-191.
Lawler, Michael and Thomas Shanahan. Church: A Spirited Communion, Chapter 4, pp.
54-69.
Murphy, Charles. “Charity, Not Justice, Consituitive of the Gospel,” in Theological
Studies, June, 2007. (see E-reserve)
Rausch, Thomas, Towards a Truly Catholic Church. Chapter 7, “The Marks of the
Church,” pp. 131-151.
Password for E-reserves TH590Jan08
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS (All should be brought to campus and submitted on the
day the topic is covered)
Unit One:
Write a 2 to 3-page double-spaced paper reflecting on your insights from the reading
and activity for this lesson. Be sure to include at least one-half page on both a, b, and
one page on c:
Unit Two
a. Any images of Church that have persisted through the years and how they
affect your current theology of Church
b. Any images of Church that have dropped away or been added and how they
affect your current theology of Church
c. How your understanding of the theology of the Church corresponds to what
the Church teaches about itself, as found in this first unit
Write a five page, double-spaced paper including the following:
• The purpose of both the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation and
the affect each had on the theology of the Church
• The role played by Martin Luther and St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Protestant
Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the contributions each
made to Roman Catholic ecclesiology
• The Lutheran and Catholic positions on justification
Create an Annotated Outline of the primary influences affecting the theology of the
Church between Vatican I and Vatican II
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Unit Three
1. Write a five-page double-spaced paper on the Contribution of Popes to the
Theology of the Church, being sure to include no less than 5 significant Popes
whose pontificates added to our current understanding and exercise of the Papacy;
identify their contribution and indicate its significance in the theology of the
Church.
2. Evaluate the unique contributions to the ecumenical age and the
importance to Catholics of one of the Popes
3. Develop a PowerPoint presentation which could be shown to an adult education
class, comparing and contrasting how each of the Popes’ mentioned above
exercise (d) their Petrine Ministry for the good of the Church.
a. Include with the PowerPoint, a script explaining your slides as a separate
document.
Unit Four
1. Create and submit an annotated list of five significant theological contributions
that the document, Lumen Gentium, offers your understanding of the theology of
the Church. [An annotated list means that you will offer a paragraph or two on
each item listed, explaining its significance].
2. Write a three to five-page, double-spaced paper describing:
• the vision of the Church proclaimed by Lumen Gentium, and
• what this vision inspires in you as a disciple of Christ.
Unit Five
Write a three page double spaced paper indicating why the dignity of the human
person is the key to all Catholic social teaching including some practical ways in
which the Catholic Church is upholding the dignity of the human person in the world
today” Be sure to include how this principle is addressed in GS in at least 1 page of
the paper.
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Your Instructor
______________________________________________________________________________________
.
Hi and Welcome to TH590: The Theology of the
Church.
Name: Linda Perrone Rooney
Email: lrooney@sjcme.edu
Phone: (863) 324-7126
I am President of Rooney Consultants, based in
Winter Haven, Florida. Rooney Consultants strives to
make the world a better place one person at a time by
offering professional, organizational, pastoral, and
theological services to faith-based organizations,
educational and health-care institutions, non-profit
organizations and individuals. I’ve assisted numerous
dioceses, parishes, national associations, boards, health
care institutions, groups and individuals to reach their
goals and improve the quality of their lives and work.
I first joined the faculty of Saint Joseph College in
2001, after serving on graduate faculties in other
Catholic Universities over the years. At SJC, I’ve
taught both distance and on-campus courses in
Ecclesiology, Christology, Theology of Ministry,
Theological Reflection, Spiritual Direction and Church Leadership and Management and
Ministry to the Aging, Sick and Dying. I’ve also supervised graduate projects. I received my
Doctor of Ministry Degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and am certified in over ten
areas of ministry and administration specialties.
I served as Director of Lay Ministry Development for the Diocese of Orlando for 25 years, and
have held positions as Elementary teacher, Principal of a High School, Manager of Migrant Child
Care Project, Director of Religious Education in several parishes, Board Chair of the National
Association for Lay Ministry (NALM), Regional Director and Leadership Council member of the
National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Director of a large, multicultural lay
ministry department, Catholic chaplain and CPE supervisor, grant writer, teacher in Community
College nursing programs and most recently, founder and director of my own consulting firm.
In addition to this work experience, I am a practicing spiritual director, teach in adult education
courses and offer coaching services. I’ve written and published two video-based training
programs and numerous articles, including an everyday spirituality column for a local newspaper.
I’ve had four books published with one due 2009.
The first part of my life was lived in a pre-Vatican II Church and I retain a love for the Church’s
traditions and historical contributions to my faith. My young adulthood to the present was
formed by the Second Vatican Council and it is it’s theology that most shapes my understanding
of who God is and how God works in and through Jesus Christ to communicate the good news of
God’s love. This is a foundational course in the preparation of a pastoral leader. I look forward
to sharing it with you.
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Student Resources
_________________________________________________________________________________
COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Current information regarding College policies affecting your course can be found on the
Resources/Policy section of the ANGEL course homepage.
On this page, you will find vital information, including the following:
• Current Student Handbook, outlining course-specific policies
o Includes grading rubric
• Access to support resources, including advising and online tutorial services
• Student Success Guides
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
Instructions on how to submit your assignment to your instructor can be found on your
ANGEL course site.
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Course Overview
______________________________________________________________________________________
COURSE INTRODUCTION
TH590: The Theology of the Church is a
study of the nature, origins and mission of
the Church as understood by the Roman
Catholic Church. The five units that
comprise the course each cover a specific
element of learning essential to this study.
Unit 1 defines what it means to be church
and invites you to understand the nature of
systematic theology and the place of
ecclesiology (the theology of the church)
within that field. It distinguishes the
various types of theology and notes that the study you are undertaking is within the subfield
of pastoral theology. Unit two reviews the historical development of the church and
highlights the contributions and challenges of each age. It is in studying its history that
you come to see how the twenty-first century church has evolved to what it is today. Unit
three draws your attention to the papacy, in particular to the development of the doctrines
known as papal primacy and the petrine ministry, and gives an overview of how four
contemporary popes lived their role. This unit also ponders the question of the role of the
papacy in achieving Christian unity. Units four and five look at the understanding of
Church promulgated by the Second Vatican Council, specifically its two pillars, Lumen
Gentium and Gaudiam et Spes. In these documents you find the heart of the Church’s
internal self-understanding and external mission. Further in Unit 5, you will explore an
understanding of ministry that flows from the previous work and which leads to the
concluding lesson on contemporary pastoral challenges.
The theology of the Church is an interactive course. It challenges you to enter
into your study from several vantage points: through discussion with your peers on the
ANGEL discussion board, through activities like developing charts and power-point
presentations, researching through optional readings and through writing papers that
synthesize and demonstrate your grasp and integration of the study material. At all times,
a primary goal of the course is to help you to apply your learning to your own faith
development and to the pastoral life of the church, for this degree, Master in Pastoral
Theology, is based on the premise that completion of this program will equip you for
pastoral ministry.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to do the following:
• Understand The Theology of the Church as a field within systematic theology and
how it relates to the rest of the MAPT curriculum
• Appreciate the theological and historical contexts for the Church’s ever-evolving
self-understanding and mission
• Understand and discuss the role of papal primacy in the theology of the Church
and its place in the efforts toward Christian Unity
• Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the Second Vatican Council’s teaching,
especially as found in its documents, recognizing it as a seminal ecclesial event
and as a source for a revitalized vision of the church in the third millennium
• Name and summarize the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council with
appropriate grasp of their authoritative distinctions
• Interpret and apply the teachings of the Second Vatican Council to 21 st century
pastoral challenges
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COURSE FORMAT
This is an accelerated six week online course: 4 weeks online, one week campus
residency and a final week online. The five units in TH 590 are developed in a reflective
manner: What is the Theology of the Church; The Church Jesus Founded; An Historical
Overview of Papal Primacy; The Church of Vatican II; The Church in the Third
Millennium. The course uses the following components to engage these topics, measure
your understanding of the course content, and assess your ability to apply what you have
learned to actual situations:
• Reading and journal keeping are an essential part of the course. In addition to the
assigned reading and optional suggestions, materials will be listed on E-Reserves
and various website links will be offered for consideration.
• Assessment instruments and self-tests to help you assess your personal place within
a specific content of learning and then apply that information to the learning
objectives
• Written assignments where each unit will require one or more written assignments
and related activities.
• Discussion Board participation with instructor and classmates. A full description of
this involvement can be found in the syllabus.
• A research paper is required after finishing Unit 5. The material for the research
project will be accumulated and outlined during the course itself and then completed
in the final two online weeks of study.
• Other learning tools will be employed as needed to enhance the course.
In summary:
May 25-June 19; June 27-July 3, 2009
June 22-26, 2009
June 27-July 3
Online
Campus Residency
Online Post-residency
COURSE GUIDELINES
• To do your best in TH590 it is wise to do all the readings, don’t skip any.
• Take notes as you read, indicating questions you want to ask or further research
you want to do.
• Be diligent in keeping track of quotes and reference sources so that when you
write, you are able to give accurate citations, in MLA format.
• You would do well to read through all the unit objectives, activities and writing
before starting in order to get a sense of how the course is developed and what
9

.
you will be covering, so that as you read or see helpful materials, etc., you can
collect or note them for use down the line.
• Since this is a Masters course, it is expected that you will produce graduate level
work, demonstrating your “mastery” of the material, use of required and research
sources, scholarly writing and original thinking , with attention to the basics of
grammar and spelling, etc.
• You are welcome to ask questions of your instructor at any time, and/or, to seek
advice or clarification as needed.
• Keep in mind that only one unit may be sent at a time, with no unit sent until the
previous unit/grade is received. Some students find it helpful to create a chart that
divides their units into the number of weeks for the entire course and then create a
timeline for completion of each unit. Units are generally returned within one-three
days after reception, there may be times when it takes longer.
• Adhering to the suggestions above and good time management should help you to
succeed in completing the course in a superior way.
Your course guidelines …
EVALUATION
• Class Participation ...............................................................................................40%
• Written Assignments ............................................................................................ 40%
• Final Project ......................................................................................................... 20%
PLEASE NOTE: If life gets in the way of your online classroom responsibilities, you
must notify your instructor as soon as you aware that events may occur that may inhibit
you from participating at the required level.
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Class Schedule
________________________________________________________________________
PERIOD TOPIC ASSIGNMENT
Online Week 1
May 25-28
Obj.-
To grasp vocabulary
and basic concepts of
theology of the Church
What is the Theology of the
Church and Why Study it
• Why Study the
Theology of the
Church
• What Does It Mean to
be Church
Readings:
• Phan Text Chapter 7, pp. 129ff
• Study Notes—Unit 1, Lesson 1.1 ;
Lesson 1.2
• E-reserve: Thomas Rausch, Towards a
Truly Catholic Church. Chapter 7, “The
Marks of the Church,” pp. 131-151.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church Text,
197-230; 781-865
• Website: Glossary of terms related to
ecclesiology (see activities, below)
http://catholic-resources.org
http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/NT-
Theology-Ecclesiology.htm
Self-test (see ANGEL)
After accessing and downloading or reading
the glossary provided on the website
http://catholic-
resources.org/Bible/NT-Theology-
Ecclesiology.htm, as well as your other
readings:
• Take the “Terms in Ecclesiology” selftest
• Send an email to your instructor
informing her of how you did on your
self-test and explain what learning the
vocabulary words does to add to your
ability to study the theology of the
Church.
Activity
• Refer to the diagram (Unit 1, Lesson 1.2
Continuum Diagram) on the WebCT
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page for this course.
• Use this diagram and timeline either to
stimulate your thinking or as the actual
format (downloaded and expanded as
necessary) for the following:
o
Within each era, list the images
(models) of Church that seemed to
dominate your understanding of
Church during that timeframe.
[These do not need to correspond
to any texts, they are your images]
• Reflect on this exercise. What do you
see Have changes occurred Which
images remain constant How has the
retention or change in your images of
church affected your faith journey and
your appreciation of the church and selfunderstanding
Discussion posting: Why does the Church use
images and models to explain its theology Is
this method a help or a hindrance to your grasp
of theology What do you most want to learn
from this course
Online week 2
May 29-June 9 th
Obj. To review the
history of the theology
of the Church and
understand its
implications for
ongoing theological
development
The Church Jesus Founded:
Unchanged and Changing
• Theologies of Church in
the New Testament,
Patristics, Reformation,
Modernity to 20 th
Century
Read this first:
http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theolog
y/Kannengiesser.htm Article by Charles
Kannengiesser, “The Relevance of
Exploring Christian Origins.”
Phan Text Chapter 1, pp. 3-21;
Chapter 2, pp. 23-40
Lumen Gentium Chapter 1
Brown, Osiek & Perkins Text, “Church in
the New Testament. pp. 782-784
Brown, Osiek & Perkins Text, “The
Kingdom of God.” pp. 1339-1346
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Schneiders, Sandra, “Church and Biblical
Scholarship in Dialogue,” Theology
Today: October, 1985.
.
The following websites will help you to
discover the History of the Church:
http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/churchhistory.
html (brief and chronological)
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-
9109699/history-of-Roman-Catholicism (more
involved...120 pages).
http://bible.christiansunite.com/schindex.shtml
(by time period)
http://shclibrary.shc.edu/ (SpringHill
college library source)
ACTIVITIES
1. As you read The Gift, and the first
chapter of Lumen Gentium:
• Create a list of biblical
images/metaphors you find there
• Choose one image/metaphor (e.g.,
sheepfold) or cluster of related
metaphors (plant, vine, gardening)
that best describes your experience
of church and send an email to
your instructor explaining your
choice and how it affects your
“lived” understanding of church.
2. Create a four-column “Summary” of
the primary heresies of each of the
following periods. Column One is the
historic period; Column Two, the
heresy with a brief description;
Column Three, the document or event
that resolved the heresy; Column Four,
the faith statement that added to our
belief today.
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• Patristic and Medieval periods
(through the 14 th century)
• Gnosticism (1st and 2nd
Centuries)
• Montanism (Late 2nd Century)
• Sabellianism (Early 3rd Century)
• Arianism (4th Century)
• Pelagianism (5th Century)
• Nestorianism (5th Century)
• Monophysitism (5th Century)
• Iconoclasm (7th and 8th
Centuries)
• Catharism (11th Century)
DISCUSSION BOARD
The Church Jesus Founded
(continued)
Name 2-4 theologies of church found in the
New Testament and discuss one of them from
the perspective of what they bring to the life of
the Church today. Use no more than 2-3
paragraphs (500-700 words).
Phan Text Chapter 2, pp. 23-44
Chapter 3, pp. 45-50
The following websites will help you to
discover the History of the Church:
http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/churchhistory.
html (brief and chronological)
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-
9109699/history-of-Roman-Catholicism (more
involved...120 pages).
http://bible.christiansunite.com/schindex.shtml
(by time period)
http://web2.shc.edu/theolibrary/history.htm
(SpringHill college library source)
www.newadvent.org The Catholic
Encyclopedia, for various topics including The
Society of Jesus.
Van Dusen, Henry P. “Axioms of Ecumenical
History.” Theology Today. (September, 2007)
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.
Cooke, Bernard. “The Church: Catholic and
Ecumenical.” Theology Today. September,
2007
.
OPTIONAL READINGS
Bausch, W.J. Pilgrim Church - a Popular
History of Catholic Christianity. Notre Dame,
In: Fides Publishers, 1981.
Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise History of
the Catholic Church. New York: Image Books,
Doubleday and Co., 2005.
Rahner, Karl. The Concise Sacramentum
Mundi. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1979.
Discussion board: See Angel
Be prepared to discuss on campus, Mystici
Corporis
Online week 3
June 10-15
An Historical Overview of Papal
Primacy
REQUIRED READINGS
• Phan Text Chapter 5, 93 ff
Chapter 6, 111 ff
Chapter 8, 159-176
Chapter 16, 315-336
Chapter 17, 337-353
• Wm. Shannon, “The Future of the
Papacy”
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsle
tters/CU/ac0900.asp Catholic Update,
June, 2000
• Catholic Catechism #770 and #817
• Pope John XXIII. Man of the Year, Time
Magazine May, 2005
http://www.catholic.net
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• Pope Paul VI,
http://www.geocities.com/
• Pope John Paul II: Model of Heroic Faith,
St. Anthony Messenger Press, May, 2005:
http://www.americancatholic.org/
• Pope Benedict XVI’s Emerging Papacy,
“A Service of Joy,” St. Anthony
Messenger, February, 2006
http://www.americancatholic.org
• Pope John Paul 11. “Ut Unam Sint.”
June, 1995.
• http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/joh
n_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp
-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unumsint_en.html
• John R. Quinn. “The Claims of the
Primacy and the Costly Call to Unity,”
http://www.usao.edu/~facshaferi/QUI
NN.HTML (This paper, given at
Oxford, was the basis for his 1996
book responding to Ut Unam Sint, The
Reform of the Papacy)
• “Ecumenism in the Pontificate of
John Paul 11.”
http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/
ECUMENSM.HTM
• Avery Dulles. “The Papacy for a
Global Church,” America Magazine,
July, 2000
http://www.americamagazine.org
• Ladislas Orsey, S.J. “The Papacy for
an Ecumenical Age” (A Response to
Avery Dulles), America Magazine,
October, 2000,
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http://www.americamagazine.org
Online week 4
June 16-19
Obj. To realize the
transforming affect of
the SVC and the lasting
implications of the
theology contained in
its documents
The Church of Vatican II
• Lumen Gentium
• Gaudium et Spes
Activities
Describe the meaning and development of the
following and be prepared to address them on
campus
• Papacy,
• Petrine Ministry,
• Pope as Bishop of Rome,
• Papal primacy, and
• Papal infallibility.
• Discussion Board
o Discuss the ecumenical history
within the theology of the
Church and assess where that
theology stands now and how
you see it being lived out in
your local church experience.
REQUIRED READINGS
• Flannery,Austin, ed., Vatican Council
II: Vol. 1 The Conciliar and Post
Conciliar Documents, “Introduction,
Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes
• Hannenberg, Edward. A Concise
Guide to the Documents of Vatican II.
Introduction, Chpt. 3 (37-55)
• Huebsch, Bill. Vatican II in Plain
English: The Council (Vol. 1), “How
To Approach Church Documents,” pp.
101-106. (E-reserve).
• Phan, The Gift of the Church, Chapter
4, “The Significance of Vatican
Council II for Ecclesiology,” pp. 69ff;
• Chapt. 8 The Church as Communion
(159ff); The Episcopacy (337ff); Mary
and the Church (435ff)
• St. Anthony Messenger, “Archbishop
John Foley Recalls the Council,”
November, 2005,
http://www.americancatholic.org/Mess
enger/Nov2005/Feature4.asp
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Activity
• http://quizfarm.com/quiz_repository/F
ashion/7764/ (For a quiz helping you
to identify your model of
church…based on the work of Avery
Dulles).
OPTIONAL READINGS
• St. Anthony Messenger,
http://www.americancatholic.org (If
you use this link and put Lumen
Gentium in the search you will find
any number of articles related to
various themes, teachings and pastoral
implications).
• “The Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council,”
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CD
HN/v1.html#Introduction [This site
offers material on the background of
the Council, specific documents, etc.]
Read especially, the section on the
Constitution On the Church.
• Australian E-Journal of Theology,
August, 2005, Issue 5, Brian Gleeson,
“The Church as the People of God: A
People in Communion,”
http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theo
logy/ejournal/aejt_5/Gleeson.htm and
Kerri Hide, “The Mysticism of Lumen
Gentium,”
http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theo
logy/ejournal/aet_1/Hide.htm
• For an excellent online source of all
the documents, try
http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/
reference/vatican2docs/16docs.asp
• “The Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council,”
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CD
HN/v1.html#Introduction [This site
offers material on the background of
the Council, specific documents, etc.]
Read especially, the “Introduction,”,
“Preparation for the Council,” “The
Council Opens,” “Pope John XXIII’s
Opening Address.”
• Huebsch, Bill. Vatican II In Plain
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ON CAMPUS
June 22-26
The Church of Vatican II in the
Third Millennium
English, Vol. 1, Biographies, pp. 173-
191. (e-reserve)
• Bokenkotter, Thomas. A Concise
History of the Catholic Church. New
York: Image Books, Doubleday and
Co .2005.
• Alberigo, Giuseppe, (Ed). The
History of Vatican II. (Volume I –
III). Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books,
1995.
• Dulles, Avery. The Models of the
Church. (Revised and Expanded
Edition). New York: Image Books,
1991.
Discussion Board:
REQUIRED READINGS
Flannery,Austin, ed., Vatican Council II: Vol.
1 The Conciliar and Post Conciliar
Documents, esp. Gaudium et Spes,
Hannenberg, Edward. A Concise Guide to the
Documents of Vatican II. Pp 56ff; p. 101-
109; pp. 127 ff.
Murphy, Charles. “Charity, Not Justice,
Consituitive of the Gospel,” in Theological
Studies, June, 2007. (see E-reserve)
Phan, Peter. The Gift of the Church, esp.
chapters 12, 14, 15, 20, 21
Optional Readings
For a critique of best selling social justice
works, see
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/socia
l_justice/sj00185.html
Online week 5
June 27-July 3
Complete research paper and
final online conclusion
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Final Project – due July 3
The final assessment for this course is a 15-25 page paper assessing both the internal and
external issues challenging the Church in the third millennium, with suggestions as to
how the theology of the Church can speak to those issues. It also includes the invitation
to express how this study has affected your understanding of the Church, your faith and
your ministry. This paper is intended to act as a synthesis of what you have learned and
how you will use it as a member of the People of God, the Body of Christ, to bring about
the rule of God.
Specifically, write a 15-20 page paper, double-spaced (not including the Works
Cited), on the topic: The Face of the Church In the Third Millennium, including the
following:
• An examination of at least 4 major issues inherent in 21 st century life that could
be helped by adhering to the theology of the Church, especially the teachings of
Vatican II.
• An agenda of “signs of the times” within the church that were not addressed (or
not addressed sufficiently) by Vatican II but need to be addressed by the next
ecumenical Council. Be sure to substantiate why these items belong on this
agenda.
• A reflection on how your study of the theology of the Church has affected your
understanding, faith and ministry.
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The Online Learning Environment
Online Discussion: What Is Expected of You
1. Class participation: using the course
discussion board is an essential learning
activity and a required component of this
course. You are required to contribute at
least three substantive postings that are
thoughtful and add value to the overall
discussion by offering both critical and
creative thoughts and by building on the
thoughts and comments of others.
2. Personal Responsibility: if life gets in the way of your course, then you must notify
your instructor as soon as possible. Your instructor is here to help you learn as
much as you can; he/she needs to know what is happening in order to facilitate your
learning.
3. All postings in response to discussion questions (yours or classmates) should be on
point and between 400- 600 words. You should respond to at least two classmates
per discussion topic, in addition to posting your own response to the topic.
4. The purpose of engaging in discussion is to extend your learning and to deepen
your understanding of concepts presented in the course. The expectation is not to
have everyone repeat what was read; but to share ideas, perspectives, concerns,
experiences, and understanding, always trying to go beyond what we (currently)
know.
5. The discussion topic for each unit will be posted on Angel and you can respond to
them in a self-paced way. If there are no classmates logged on when you post,
check back throughout the course as people join the course at different times.
6. Read the posting on Online Etiquette first.
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ANGEL Information
________________________________________________________________________
This course has an online ANGEL component. Please review the checklist below.
Before your course begins you will receive a letter from the College with instructions on
how to access your account, which will include your log on and password.
If you need technical support, please contact the 24-hour Collegis HelpDesk:
1-(877) 725-4357 or email: https://hdo.collegis.com
Checklist for Online Learners
In order to complete this course, you will need the following:
ANGEL account (will be assigned to you by Saint Joseph’s College)
Basic computer skills
Computer with speakers or headphones
Internet access
Required materials
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