St. Peters Seminary Logo
 
tablet menu iconmobile menu icon
Home / Systematic Theology - 5113A

Systematic Theology - 5113A

Theological Anthropology

Thursday, 9:30-12:20, Room 108
John Dool, 432-5726, x272, jdool@uwo.ca
Office hours by appointment

A. Course Description

A biblical, historical, and systematic consideration of certain themes concerning the nature of humanity and its relationship to God: creation, original sin, justification, and the destiny of humanity (last things). (3hours; antirequisite: the former Dogmatic Theology 302B Origins, Grace, and Eschatology, and the former Systematic Theology 113A)

B. Goals

This course will assist students to grow in the following knowledge, skills and attitudes:

  • Knowledge:
    • To gain a sound understanding of the Catholic vision of the human person as created, as graced, and as oriented toward communion with God.
    • To gain an appreciation for the biblical foundations, key historical developments, and contemporary questions and avenues of thought in regard to that vision of the human person.
  • Skills:
    • To learn to communicate theological themes effectively in pastoral contexts, especially those such as sin and our destiny after death that relate most closely to the concerns and issues of those to whom the students will minister or teach.
    • To learn to integrate philosophical categories and insights into a theological framework (such as the person as body/soul into the doctrine of resurrection or teleology into eschatology).
  • Attitudes:
    • To grow in recognition of the benefit of shared dialogue and shared exploration of theological issues.
    • To value one’s own unique manifestation of humanity in its openness to grace and to value that unique manifestation of humanity in others.

C. Assessment

  • Essay proposal and outline (2-3 pages) and annotated bibliography, due Oct. 16 (10%)
  • A research paper, (10-12 pages, 12 pages maximum) on a topic of your selection; due Nov. 20 (40%)
  • A final, written examination will be during the exam period (35%)
  • Participation in discussions. Each class students will submit a written comment or question (one paragraph) based on the week’s readings (15%).

D. Readings or Textbooks

  • Required:
    • Coursepack; available at UWO bookstore; online documents as noted
  • Recommended:
    • Haight, Roger. The Experience and Language of Grace. New York: Paulist Press, 1979; available at UWO bookstore

E. Structure of the Course

Section 1: Creation and Sin

Week 1 (Sept. 4):

  • Introduction; Background to Theology of Creation; Creation in Scripture (Genesis 1-3)
  • Creation in Tradition (Neil Ormerod, "The God of Creation", Creation, Grace, and Redemption, Orbis Books, 2007, pp.1-22).

Week 2 (Sept. 11):

  • Science and Creation
  • The Human Creature as Imago Dei (International Theological Commission, Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God, sections 1-31; not in coursepack; available online at www.vatican.va)

Week 3 (Sept. 18):

  • Created for Communion (Communion and Stewardship, sections 32-55)
  • Stewards of Creation (Communion and Stewardship, sections 56-80)

Week 4 (Sept. 25):

  • Sin: Original and Personal (Michael Schmaus, "Original Sin", Dogma 2: God and Creation, pp.172-203; Joseph Ratzinger, "Sin and Salvation", In the Beginning, pp.61-77)
  • Social Sin (Recommended: Michael Sievernich, "Social Sin and Its Acknowledgement", Concilium: The Fate of Confession, [Edinburgh, 1987], pp.53-63)
  • Introduction to Grace (Haight, ch. 1; note: you may skip the section on William James)

Section 2: Grace

Week 5 (Oct. 2):

  • The Pauline Vision (Recommended: Elizabeth Dreyer, "New Creation in Christ: Paul of Tarsus", Manifestations of Grace, [Wilmington, Delaware, 1990], pp.54-64)
  • Augustine ("Dimensions of Grace", from The Essential Augustine, Vernon Bourke, ed., [Toronto, New American Library of Canada. 1964], pp.175-89; Haight, ch.2)
  • From Augustine to Aquinas

Week 6 (Oct. 9):

  • Thomas Aquinas (Aquinas, Summa Theologica, [New York, Benziger Brothers, 1947], I-II, q.110, aa.1-4; q.111, aa.1-3; Haight, ch.3)
  • From Aquinas to Luther

Week 7 (Oct. 16):

  • Martin Luther (Luther, "A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians", Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, John Dillenberger, ed. [New York, Doubleday, 1961], pp.99-109; Haight, ch.4)
  • Trent (Haight, ch. 5)

Week 8 (Oct. 23):

  • The Issue of Grace Among Christians Today (The Lutheran/Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on Justification; not in coursepack; online at www.vatican.va)
  • From Trent to Rahner

Week 9 (Oct. 30): Study Day

Week 10 (Nov. 6):

  • Rahner (Haight, ch.6, Rahner, "Relationship Between Nature and Grace: the Supernatural Existential" A Rahner Reader, Gerald McCool ed., [New York, Crossroad, 1981], pp.185-90)
  • From Grace to Eschatology

Section 3: Eschatology

Week 11 (Nov. 13):

  • The Eschatological Virtue of Hope (Jurgen Moltmann, "Introduction: Meditation on Hope", A Theology of Hope, [New York, 1967], pp.15-36)
  • Death and Resurrection (1 Cor 15; Zachary Hayes, "Eschatology and Individual Destiny", Visions of a Future, [Wilmington, Delaware, Michael Glazier, 1989], pp.96-111; Anthony Kelly, "Eternal Life: Love Consummated", God is Love, [Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012], pp.95-109)

Week 12 (Nov. 20):

  • The Parousia and the Final Fulfillment (Joseph Ratzinger, Eschatology, [Washington: Catholic University of America Press, 1988] pp.194-214)
  • Heaven (Ratzinger, pp. 233-238)

Week 13 (Nov. 27):

  • Hell and Purgatory (Ratzinger, pp. 215-33)

F. University Regulations

Students are responsible for knowing the University’s academic policies and regulations and any particularities of their own course of study. These can all be found at the University’s website (http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf). Ignorance of these policies is not an excuse for any violation thereof. The following policies are particularly important to note:

  • Submission of Assignments and Tests: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the dates as given above. Assignments may not be dropped off at King’s or submitted electronically.

    It is the responsibility of the student to organize his or her work so that the assignments are completed on time. For a serious reason, a student may approach the professor before the due-date, and may be granted an extension at the discretion of the professor. Any medical reasons will be confirmed by proper documentation as approved by the Dean’s Office. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment will be deducted for each day it is overdue without permission.

    No electronic devices will be allowed during tests or the examination, unless approved in advance by Student Services at the University or King’s.

    Students who miss tests will negotiate a "make-up" date with the professor. Any medical reasons will be confirmed by proper documentation as approved by the Dean’s Office.
     
  • Plagiarism: Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt by quotation marks and/or footnotes. Plagiarism is a major academic offense. Students may be required to submit their work in electronic form for plagiarism checking.
     
  • Selection and Registration of Courses: Students are responsible for ensuring that their selection of courses is appropriate and accurately recorded, that all prerequisite course(s) have been successfully completed, and that they are aware of any anti-requisite course(s) that they have taken.