THE 204R: Catholicism Today (Fall 2014) (original) (raw)

This course is a theological introduction to contemporary Catholic Christianity. Its historical development and ecumenical context will provide an integral background. The brief survey will include central tenets of the Christian faith; moral issues and social teaching; liturgy, worship, and spirituality; the nature and purpose of the Church; the Church’s relationship with other Christian communions, other religions, and the modern world. It aims also to address current developments in the life and culture of the Church from a theological perspective, including writings and actions of the bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, his immediate predecessors, and the Second Vatican Council. In Gift and Mystery (1996), Pope St. John Paul II admonished students not just to study in Rome, but also to study Rome itself! We will incorporate the Eternal City into our studies through site visits and assignments, with the aim of better understanding the relationship of the Church of Rome to the universal Catholic Church.