Understanding Catholicism

Course Objectives
To enable students to appreciate the complex history and tradition of the Roman Church
To consider Catholic interfaith history and grasp contentious issues within Catholicism
To understand the diverse history of Catholic communities in the USA

Requirements
Each week students should do the assigned readings and make a minimum of two posts: one on the reading (no more than 500 well chosen words) and the other on the lecture (no more than 300 words) both posted by Wednesday midnight. In addition students must engage and comment on at least one post written by another student (no more than 300 words) posted by Friday at 5 pm.

Final paper and book review
See Hartford seminary writing center for research paper and book review requirements.
By mid semester a book review is due and a final essay (15 to 20 pages) at the end of the semester.

The final grade will be calculated as follows

*Note:  D. Min. students need to contact the instructor for their assignments.

Books for review
John L. Allen , Jr. All the Pope’s Men (New York: Doubleday, 2004)

 _____________ The Future Church (New York: Doubleday, 2009)

Tracey Roland, Ratzinger’s Faith: The Theology of Pope Benedict, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009)

Bryan Massingale, Racial Justice and the Catholic Church (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2010)

Virgilio P. Elizondo, The Galilean Journey: The Mexican American Promise (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2000)

Lavina Byrne, Women at the Altar: The Ordination of Women in the Roman Catholic Church. (New York: Continuum, 1995)

Henri de Lubac, Catholicism (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1988)

1* Introduction: Facts

Assignment: Read the constitution of the sacred liturgy of Vatican II (http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html)

Bokenkotter, 201-219

Then attend or watch a Roman Catholic liturgical celebration

2* The concept of Catholicity

McBrien 3- 17 and 1187-1201

Avery Dulles, 1-29 and 147-187 (Appendix 1 and 2 included)

De Lubac, 282-302

Recommended: John Meyendorff, Orthodoxy and Catholicity (New York: Sheed &Ward, 1966); and Catholicity and the Church (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s, 1983)

3* Emergence of Jewish believers in Jesus

Taylor Introduction, Chapter 1, 2, and 3

Hans Kung: Christianity 61-105

Recommended:  Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries, eds, Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik (Ada, MI: Baker Publishing, 2007).  

David Flusser, Judaism and the Origin of Christianity, Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1998.

4* Hellenistic Paradigm of Christianity and Ecumenical Councils

Weinandy, xi- 63 

Kung 162-176

Placher, A History, 44-55

Recommended:

Placher, A History: 55-107

Kung 111-196

Kung: 196-216; 243-257

5* The Patristic Period what Athens has to with Jerusalem?

Kung: 196-236 and 243-255

McBrien, 31-33

Placher, Readings, 18-21, 30-31; 46-48; 51-52, 53-55

Placher, 68-108

Recommended:

Placher, Readings, 53-55; 59-63

6* The Roman Catholic Paradigm

Kung, 127- 130; 283-337, 348-415

Recommended

McBrien 772-782

De Lubac, 48-82

7* Theological development in the western Church: Scholasticism: Anselm and Aquinas

Robert Sokolowski, Introduction and the first five chapters

Weinandy, Chapter Three (67-101)

Kung, 415 -433

Stanford Encyclopedia online: Anselm’s and Aquinas’s biographies 

Recommended:

Burrell, David, Knowing the Unknowable God,

Thomas O’Meara, Thomas  Aquinas

8* Authority and Magisterium/infallibility     

Dulles, The Magistrerium, First 6 chapters

Dulles, The Catholicity of the Church, Chapter 6 &7

Bokenkotter, 106-126

Recommended: 

McBrien, 750-765 

Bokenkotter, 88-98;

9* Sacraments and Worship (Easter Time)

Dulles, 106-127

Bokenkotter, 161-198; 220-256;

De Lubac, 82-111

10* Women, Mary and the Saints

Bokenkotter, 126-161

Bokenkotter, 256-276 and 323-352

Kung, 149-162 and 434-458

11* The crisis of the Roman Catholic paradigm and Reformation

Kung 434- 475

Kung 524-542

Kung 566-587 (Luther/Calvin/Zwingli)

For a comprehensive analysis see, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation (4-Volumes) Edited by Hans J. Hillerbrand

12* Counter Reformation to Vatican I

From Trend to Vatican I via the SJ

Kung 477- 496; 500-520; 549-565; 614-650

Recommended:

Owen Chadwick, The Reformation (London: Penguin Books, 1964)

13* Vatican II /Post conciliar debates, Catholics and  Ecumenism

Vatican II documents (nostra Eatate, and GE)

Jacques Dupuis, Toward, 150-201

Weinandy, 154-190

Bokenkotter, 83-85.

Recommended

McBrien 655 -688 and 691-737

14*Catholic with Other faith traditions: Judaism and Islam (nostra aetate)

Catholic Engagement chapter 12 Michael Fitzgerald

Chapter 20 D. Neuhaus

Chapter 24 M. Borrmans

15*American Catholics of European descend, African descent and Spanish speaking communities

Dolan 127- 157

Davis chapter 8

American Religious Thought, 283-301