2008-09 Catalog - Saint Mary's College of California

Curriculum Theology & Religious Studies103 ReformationsEvery age of Christian history has been marked by the call for religiousreform — renewing both the personal lives of each believer and theinstitutional structures that endure through the centuries. However, sucha universal passion for reform took on special importance in the 15thand 16th centuries, a period that has come to be known as The Reformation.This course explores the variety of reforming voices, Protestantand Catholic, that shaped the future of Christianity, giving special attentionto the major theological and political issues that dominatedthe time. Prerequisite: TRS 97.104 Challenge of ModernityThe challenge of modern times for Christian faith means both Christianity’schallenge from modernity and her challenge to it. How has an old faith withthe wrinkles of millennia coexisted, commingled, contended with the newand even shrill cry that we dare to know, that we find truth for ourselves,that we revolt and be free, and that no church or creed or state stand inthe way of such freedom, truth, and knowledge? The various critiques ofreligion which have emerged since the Enlightenment have raised issueswhich call into question the possibility of Christian faith. This course willexplore several of those issues (especially regarding the doctrines of God,creation, incarnation, and grace) in order to appreciate the truth and relevanceof the critiques. It will then consider how responsible persons todaycan express the Christian faith in such a way as to take account ofthe critiques. Prerequisite: TRS 97.105 History of the ChurchA study of the life and faith of the Christian community from NewTestament times to the present. Prerequisite: TRS 97.Scripture110 Topics in the Study of ScriptureAn investigation of a topic in Scripture not covered by the regularofferings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registrationeach semester. May be repeated for credit when content changes.Prerequisite: TRS 97.111 The PentateuchA study of the first five books of the Bible, the history of their composition,and their theological contributions to Judaism and Christianity.Prerequisite: TRS 97.114 The Gospel of MarkA close study of the Gospel of Mark with an emphasis on its literary,historical, social, and political background. Prerequisite: TRS 97.115 Jesus and His TeachingAn exploration of teachings attributed to Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels(e.g., the Sermon on the Mount, parables, and other memorable statements),emphasizing the ways in which Jesus’ statements have beeninterpreted and appropriated. Prerequisite: TRS 97.116 Paul’s Letters and LegacyAn in-depth examination of the letters of Paul, focusing on the missionand message of the apostle in his Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts.Students develop a broad understanding of the apostle’s work andthought, as well as an appreciation for the historic and continuing impactof these documents. Prerequisite: TRS 97.117 Wealth and Poverty in the BibleCross-listed with the Department of Sociology, this course exploresbiblical and theological perspectives and values on wealth, poverty, andeconomic justice, paying particular attention to potential implicationsthose issues may have for the contemporary Christian community andwider society. Prerequisite: TRS 97.119 Apocalypse and EschatologyEarthquakes, war, and famine...the lamb, the dragon, and the beast…persecution, judgment, and re-creation… For nearly 2000 years, theBook of Revelation has fascinated, frightened, and perplexed its Christianreaders. Is it a literal prediction of the coming end of the world? Is it anelaborate, symbolic allegory about the battle between good and evil?Is it a coded message between the persecuted Christians of the firstcentury? This course will explore the life and afterlife of the Book ofRevelation: its origins in contemporary Jewish and Christian literature andworld-views, its meaning for a first-century Christian readership, and thelong and fascinating history of its interpretation, from the early church tomodern fascination with the Antichrist, the Millennium, and the Rapture.Prerequisite: TRS 97.Contemporary Christian Thought120 Topics in Contemporary Christian ThoughtAn investigation of an area of Christian Thought not covered by theregular offerings of the department. May be repeated for credit whencontent changes. Prerequisite: TRS 97.121 Belief and UnbeliefAn investigation, theoretical and existential, of the challenge of faith today.Prerequisite: TRS 97.122 Jesus: The Person and the MythThis course examines the traditional sources of the Christian community’sunderstanding of Jesus of Nazareth in the light of contemporaryconcerns and critiques. Prerequisite: TRS 97.123 Sex and the SpiritAn exploration of a contested area in Christian thought today, settingtraditional understandings in dialogue with contemporary concerns andcritiques. How does our experience of ourselves as sexual beings openus to the experience of the holy, and conversely, how might our desirefor God be intimately related to our sexual desire and longings? Theseare the questions that will be the focus of our work. Not a course onsexual ethics, this course is an exploration of the complex interrelationshipof sexual and spiritual desire as both are reflected upon in theChristian spiritual tradition and others. Prerequisite: TRS 97.124 War and ViolenceThis course provides a brief overview of Christian attitudes toward war,and then explores current authors, with the aim of stimulating studentsto arrive at a considered and responsible position. Prerequisite: TRS 97.125 Women in the Christian TraditionAn introduction to the major themes and tensions that shape the studyof women in the Christian tradition. Prerequisite: TRS 97.Sacraments and Spirituality130 Topics in SpiritualityAn investigation of a topic in spirituality not covered by the regularofferings of the department. Topics are announced prior to registrationeach semester. May be repeated for credit when content changes.Prerequisite: TRS 97.166