Scripture

A survey of the religious traditions of Ancient Israel as reflected in the diverse literature of the Old Testament, with emphasis on their ongoing historical development. Also, the course aims to give students an appreciation for the Old Testament as an expression of the Israelites’ relationship to their God. It will begin with the Old Testament’s own context which will become a foundation to allow the student to begin thinking exegetically. Attention will be given to the Catholic framework for approaching scripture.

This course is a basic introduction to Scripture for graduate students without previous background in Scripture. The course covers both the Old and New Testaments in their own contexts, thematic parallels between them, and gives attention to how the Catholic intellectual tradition engages these textual traditions.

The New Testament is an integral source for understanding and contextualizing the mission of Jesus as well as understanding the theological heritage of the Church. Understanding the New Testament authors, their methods of communication, and their historical contexts, is the first step before any application of these texts may take place. This course gives students an appreciation for the New Testament as an early and developing witness to Jesus Christ.

This course introduces students to the Gospel of John and other Johannine literature in the New Testament. These texts are situated in their historical and cultural context in order to better appreciate their major themes and the distinctive contribution of Johannine literature to the New Testament and to the Catholic tradition.

This course investigates Pauline literature and the theologies represented in these writings. Students are introduced to a variety of approaches to Pauline texts as well as critical scholarly debates in Pauline studies. While texts are studied in their original historical and cultural context, attention is also paid to their relevance in the Catholic tradition.

This course introduces students to the literature and major themes of the Torah with an emphasis on its ancient Near Eastern context. Through the study of representative primary texts, the course familiarizes students with methods and issues in the modern study of the Torah. Attention is also paid to how the Catholic intellectual tradition engages with the Torah.