The study of Theology offers much to all kinds of students, even those who have no formal religious belief or prior training. Theology by its very nature touches upon many related academic disciplines: philosophy, history, literature, sociology, and anthropology. Theology involves the abilities to think critically about important issues, and to express clearly one's thoughts about them.

Theology is founded upon the assumption that all people, by virtue of their human nature, deal with certain fundamental questions of meaning and existence: Who are we? Why have we been created? What is our ultimate goal? What can we truly know about the world around us, both seen and unseen? Our answers to these question take many forms, some of which can be understood as theological. At St. Mary's we look as these questions anew and examine the theological answers that have been given to them in the Jewish and Christian traditions. It is hoped that students come to possess a renewed awareness of the presence and urgency of these fundamental issues in their own lives and of the wide array of responses given by Christian thought in response to them.

See also the Graduate Program in Theology

Contact us

Department of Theology
Reinbolt 204
One Camino Santa Maria
San Antonio, TX 78228

Ana Alicea

(210) 436-3310
Fax: (210) 431-6884
aalicea@stmarytx.edu

Faculty

James B. Ball, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Office: Reinbolt 301
Phone: 210-431-2270
Email: jball@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.A., Fairfield University, 1982
J.D., Hofstra University, 1985
M.A., Boston College, 1994
M.A., University of Notre Dame, 1998
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2003

Courses
Theological Foundations/Introduction to Theology
Catholic Social Ethics
Contemporary Catholic Moral Life
Christian Social Ethics (graduate level)

Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Ball studies how theological commitments impact our understanding of society and social change. His recent focus has been on Catholic social teaching, grassroots social movements, inter-religious dialogue, and the ethics of war and nonviolence.

Select Publications and Distinctions
With Zaida Martinez and Brian Toyne, "Catholic Social Teaching: Addressing Globalization in Catholic Business Education." Journal of Catholic Higher Education 27.2 (2009).
"A Second Look at the Industrial Areas Foundation: Lessons Learned for Catholic Social Thought and Ministry." Horizons 35/2 (Fall 2008).
Theologies of Social Transformation: A Study of Walter Rauschenbusch and Gustavo Gutiérrez. University Press of America, forthcoming.

Dr. Ball is a Marianist Educational Associate at Saint Mary's University. He has been a member of the International Marianist Social Justice Collaborative and has worked in his local parish church as part of San Antonio's COPS/Metro Alliance.

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William D. Buhrman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Department Chair, Theology
Associate Dean for Program Administration
School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Office: Reinbolt 204
Phone: 210-431-2022
Email: wbuhrman@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.A., The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1994
M.A., The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1997
M.A., St. Mary's University, 1999
Ph.D., Marquette University, 2004

Courses
Foundations of Reflection: God
Christ and the Christian God
The Catholic Church and Christian Community
The Catholic Literary Experience
Introduction to Catholic Studies

Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Buhrman's research interest is probably best described as theological anthropology. He investigates the role of Christian teachings about Christ, salvation, and grace in interpreting our experience. At the same time, he is particularly interested in the way our experience of freedom poses important questions for theology to answer meaningfully for the culture in which we live. This often leads him to an interdisciplinary focus in theology and literature, but also to other areas such as Black Theology of Liberation or consideration of the relation of theology to modernity.

Select Publications and Distinctions
"Nostalgia and Redemption in Joseph Kanon's The Good German." Literature and Theology 22.4 (2008): 475-490.
Nathan Scott's Literary Criticism and Fundamental Theology. New York: Peter Lang, 2006.

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Andrew W. Getz, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Miller Professor of Catholic Medical and Biomedical Ethics

Office: Reinbolt 205
Phone: (210) 431-4348
Email: agetz@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.S., Lenoir-Rhyne College, 1989
M.A., The Catholic University of America, 1994
Ph.D., Duquesne University, 2006

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Todd R. Hanneken, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Office: Reinbolt 303
Phone: (210) 431-8050
thanneken@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.A., University of Chicago, 1997
M.T.S., Harvard University, 2000
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2008

Courses
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
Pentateuch
Wisdom Literature
Jewish Literature in Antiquity
The Law of Moses
The Forbidden Books
Graduate Capstone Seminar: Eschatology

Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Hanneken studies the Hebrew Bible in the context of Jewish literature in antiquity, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the non-canonical books, Josephus, Philo, and Rabbinic literature. His recent publications and presentations focus on apocalyptic literature and the book of Jubilees, a book that was authoritative among the Dead Sea Scrolls but omitted from European bibles.

Dr. Hanneken teaches biblical and related Jewish literature in the context of the variety of interpretation in the Jewish and Christian traditions, historical-critical, and contemporary-critical approaches. Questions of theodicy and eschatology are never far away.

Select Publications, Awards and Services

The Subversion of the Apocalypses in the Book of Jubilees, Early Judaism and Its Literature. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, forthcoming 2012.

"The Status and Interpretation of Jubilees in 4Q390." In A Teacher for All Generations: Essays in Honor of James C. VanderKam, edited by Eric F. Mason, Samuel I. Thomas, Alison Schofield and Eugene Ulrich, 407-428. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism 153/I. Leiden: Brill, 2011.

"Creation and New Creation in the Hebrew Bible and Early Jewish Literature." In God, Grace, and Creation, edited by Philip Rossi. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2010, pp. 79-93.

"The Book of Jubilees Among the Apocalypses." Dissertation, University of Notre Dame, 2008. online

"Angels and Demons in the Book of Jubilees and Contemporary Apocalypses." Henoch 28, no. 2 (2006): 11-25.

Personal webpage

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Bernard J. Lee, S.M., Th.D.

Professor

Office: Reinbolt 303
Phone: (210) 431-5081 / (210) 433-9114
Email: bleesm@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.A., St. Mary's University
M.A., Catholic University of America
S.T.B., Universite de Fribourg
Ph.L., Universite de Fribourg
Th.D., Graduate Theological Union

Courses
Christology
Sacraments and Liturgy
New Testament
Practical Theology

Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Lee is interested in the fuller recovery of the Jewishness of Jesus and of Christian beginnings, and implications for current Catholic self-understanding. He has also been involved in substantial research on small Christian communities in early church life, and in the contemporary U.S. Catholic church.

Select Publications and Distinctions
Dr. Lee is the author of 10 books, co-author of four others, and of multiple articles in both scholarly and popular media. His books include:
The Becoming of the Church: A Process Theology of the Structures of Christian Experience. New York: Paulist, 1974.
Co-author, with Michael Cowan, Dangerous Memories: House Churches and Our American Story. Grand Rapids: Sheed and Ward, 1986 (second place award from the Catholic Publishers Association).
General Editor, Alternative Futures for Worship Series. Collegeville: Liturgical, 1987 (first place award from the Catholic Publishers Association).
Co-author, with Michael Cowan, Conversation, Risk and Conversion: The Inner & Public Life of Small Christian Communities. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1997.
The Beating of Great Wings: A Worldly Spirituality for Active, Apostolic Communities. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 2004.

In recent years Dr. Lee has been a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Catholic University of Australia, and St. Thomas University in Miami.

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George T. Montague, S.M., S.Th.D.

Professor

gmontague@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.S.Ed., University of Dayton, 1950
S.Th.B., University of Fribourg, 1957
S.Th.L., University of Fribourg, 1959
S.Th.D., University of Fribourg, 1960

Courses
Hermeneutics
Synoptic Gospels
Johannine Literature
Life and Letters of Paul
Holy Spirit in Scripture

Research and Teaching Interests
Author of over twenty books on both the scholarly and popular level, Father Montague has specialized in the Pneumatology of both Old and New Testaments, having written or contributed to a number of studies in that discipline. He has also researched and written in the field of Biblical Interpretation (Hermeneutics), and in the Marian theology in the gospel of John. Having done his doctorate in Paul, he is especially interested in Paul's theology of spiritual growth. He did a summer study in Israel with Hebrew Union College and participated in the excavation of Tel Gezer in 1966 under Dr. William Dever.

Select Publications, Awards and Services
The Holy Spirit: Growth of a Biblical Tradition (New York: Paulist, 1976; reprinted by Hendrickson Press 1994; reprinted by Wipf & Stock 2006).
Companion God: A Cross-Cultural Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1989). Second Edition by Paulist Press due 2010.
Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries (with Kilian McDonnell, OSB). (Collegeville: Michael Glazier, 1991). Second, revised edition 1994). Translations in seven other languages.
Understanding the Bible: A Short Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Mahwah NJ: Paulist Press, 1997) Revised and Expanded Edition, 2007.
The Letters to Timothy and Titus (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Co., 2008).
First Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Company, due in 2010)

President, Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1977-1978.
Editor, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1972-1975; associate editor, 1969-1971, 1976-1979.

More information

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Robert B. O'Connor, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Office: Reinbolt 204
Phone: 210-436-3799
Email: roconnor@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.A., St. Meinrad College, 1967
M.A., St. Mary's University, 1970
Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, 1989

Courses
Theological Foundations
Christian Marriage and Family
The Catholic Experience in the U.S.
Understanding Faith Formation
Theology of Religious Education

Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. O'Connor is deeply interested in how people appropriate their faith and move from initial commitment to a religious stance towards either a deeper or more distant position. He studies the "lessons" that can be learned from similar experiences in previous circumstances. He regularly teaches adult bible studies for local parishes, as well as does marriage preparation for couples.

Select Publications and Distinctions
Interested in instructional technology, Dr. O Connor has served on numerous university committees and initiatives related to it. He has consulted church organizations, parishes, and schools to improve their structures and functions. He was also a founder of Communities in Schools, San Antonio, a dropout prevention program.

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Kevin F. Vaughan, Ph.D.

Visiting Professor

Office: Reinbolt 303A
Phone: 210-431-8094
Email: kvaughan@stmarytx.edu

Full Bio Details

Degrees
B.A., University of Toronto, 1995
M.A., University of Dallas, 1999
Ph.D., The University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, 2009

Courses
Foundations of Reflection: God
Catholic Church & Christian Communities

Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Vaughan's research focuses on Christian spirituality and ranges over several centuries. In his doctoral dissertation, he explored the spirituality of St. Thomas Aquinas through a detailed study of his mystical interpretation of the Gospel of St. John, as found in the Lectura super Ioannem. Dr. Vaughan is also interested in the role of the imagination in theology and faith, and is currently researching the theological imagination of the late Carmelite theologian and a philosopher. Noel Dermot O'Donoghue, OCD.

Select Publications and Distinctions
"Thomas Aquinas on Christian Recognition: The Case of Mary Magdalen," in Recognition & Modes of Knowledge: Anagnorisis from Antiquity to Contemporary Theory, edited by Teresa Russo (Calgary, AB: University of Albert Press, 2012)
2009 Govenor General's Gold Medal for scholastic achievement, University of St. Michael's College

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Adjunct Faculty

Timothy Eden, S.M., Ed.D.
John A. Leies, S.M., President Emeritus
Irene Quesnot, M.A.
Immaculata Santee, M.A.
Maria Smith, M.A.
Clifton Stringer, M.Div.
Rudy Vela, S.M., D.Min., Vice President for Mission and Identity

Staff

Ana Alicea

Theology
Administrative Assistant
Office: Reinbolt 204
Phone: (210) 436-3310
aalicea@stmarytx.edu

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Undergraduate Courses

Fall 2011

TH3301 - Major Old Testament Themes: Introduction to the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible
Todd R. Hanneken, Ph.D.
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm MW
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm MW
12:35 pm - 1:50 pm TR
The course will survey the historical contexts, contents, structure, and genres of the Hebrew Bible, which became the Christian Old Testament. Special attention will be paid to the variety of methods of interpretation applied to the texts, including historical-critical, traditional theological, and contemporary-critical methods.

TH 3302 - Major New Testament Themes: Matthew
George Montague, S.Th.D.
9:45 am - 11:00 am TR
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3302 - Major New Testament Themes: Luke
Anne M. O'Leary, Ph.D.
8:20 am - 9:35 am TR
11:10 am - 12:25 pm TR
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3302 - Major New Testament Themes: Survey
Bernard Lee, Ph.D.
6:30 pm - 9:45 pm W
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3330 - Christ and the Christian God
William D. Buhrman, Ph.D.
10:20-11:10 am MWF
Place and mission of Christ in the Church and the religious and cultural world of today. Principal doctrines about Christ. Special questions: Christ's divinity, resurrection, virginal origin, knowledge, and freedom. The Triune God as revealed through Christ and as presented in the Christian theology. Contemporary Christian approaches to God. God's life shared with believers; contemporary notions of grace. Atheism.

TH 3350 - Contemporary Catholic Moral Life
John A. Leies, S.Th.D.
9:40 am - 11:00 am TR
A study of moral principles as seen in the light of the Catholic tradition. Analysis of the meaning of psychological freedom, the human act, natural law, conscience, civil law and morality, grace and sin, as well as an examination of various moral methodologies. Discussion of selected specific and contemporary moral issues.

TH 3353 - Health Care & Medical Ethics
Andrew Getz, Ph.D.
10:20 - 11:10 am MWF
This course will begin with a consideration of ethics and ethical method in light of the interaction of reason and an ecumenical religious perspective. Such an approach will enable a study of what constitutes the appropriate care for the human person, particularly in the realm of medicine and healthcare. In addition to such fundamental bioethical issues, this course will also examine relevant contemporary issues in medicine and the life sciences at both the individual and social level.

TH 3356 - Marriage and Family Today
Robert B. O'Connor, Ph.D.
6:30 pm - 9:15 pm W
The nature of marriage as understood by the Catholic Church; the role of marriage and the family as the foundation of civil society; Natural Family Planning; and the specific social and personal challenges that married couples meet such as monogamy, fidelity, abstinence, finances, the extended family, and emotional differences.

TH 3330 - Personal Religious Transformation
Rudy A. Vela
6:30 pm - 9:15 pm T
Nature of religious experience and the holy. Definition of the meaning of spiritual life. Presentation of how spiritual life has been imaged by Christians in the past. Aids for a spiritual life: dialoguing with scripture and tradition (seen in lives and teachings of outstanding Christians), spiritual direction and spiritual friendship, prayer (nature and styles), liturgy and sacraments in the spiritual life.

Spring 2011

TH 3301 - Major Old Testament Themes: Pentateuch
Todd R. Hanneken, Ph.D.
The course will survey the historical contexts, contents, structure, and genres of the Pentateuch. Special attention will be paid to the variety of methods of interpretation applied to the texts, including historical-critical, traditional theological, and contemporary-critical methods.

TH 3301 - Major Old Testament Themes: The Forbidden Books
Todd R. Hanneken, Ph.D.
This course explores the Jewish books that were excluded from the Jewish Bible, even though many considered them authoritative. They were written between 200 BCE and 100 CE, and preserved among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Greek Bible, and in the remote monasteries of Ethiopia. We will focus on reading primary sources, proceeding through four major units based on literary genre. First we will read ancient historiography, which presents a polemical version of history (1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Josephus). We then proceed to apocalyptic literature, which claims access to secret revelation about hidden realms and the imminent end of the world as we know it (Animal Apocalypse, Apocalypse of Weeks, Daniel). Wisdom literature stands at the center of the encounter between Greek philosophy and Jewish ethics (Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, Philo). Finally, re-written scripture claims to recover what the Bible really meant to say, but didn't (Jubilees).

TH 3302 - Major New Testament Themes: Paul
George Montague, S.M., S.Th.D.
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3302 - Major New Testament Themes: Johannine Literature
Anne M. O'Leary, P.B.V.M., Ph.D.
This course provides an examination of the background and interpretation of the Johannine Writings, namely, the Gospel of John, the three Letters of John and the Book of the Apocalypse or Revelation. In terms of exegesis (finding the meaning), the focus of this course is Christological, that is, we will examine the Johannine portrait of Jesus and explore the fundamental question: 'Who does John's Gospel say Jesus is?' Students will learn to study critically the exegetical works of several Johannine scholars. They will also learn how to write an exegesis on sections of these sacred texts. As part of this work, three critical methods will be used: (i) literary-criticism, (ii) historical criticism and (iii) social-science criticism. Students will also be introduced to the art of theological reflection.

TH 3302 - Major New Testament Themes: Survey
Bernard Lee, S.M., Ph.D.
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3350 - Contemporary Catholic Moral Life
Andrew Getz, Ph.D.
John A. Leies, S.M., S.Th.D.
A study of moral principles as seen in the light of the Catholic tradition. Analysis of the meaning of psychological freedom, the human act, natural law, conscience, civil law and morality, grace and sin, as well as an examination of various moral methodologies. Discussion of selected specific and contemporary moral issues.

TH 3352 - Catholic Social Ethics
James B. Ball, Ph.D.
This course addresses the continuity and the development of Catholic thought and practice concerning social issues. It seeks to answer such questions as: Should Christianity be a force for social, economic, and political change? How might Christian values permeate and transform the neighborhood, the boardroom, the city the nation, the international community? What is the role of the Church in the world? Issues such as economic justice, racism, church-state relations, human rights, and peace making will be treated, placed within an historical perspective. Special attention will be given to the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching (found especially in papal documents, the decrees of Vatican II, and pronouncements of the U.S. hierarchy).

TH 3382 - The Catholic Experience in the United States
Robert B. O'Connor, Ph.D.
This course will study the present condition of the Catholic Church in the United States, as influenced by the country's colonial and national history and the Church's relationship with Rome; the Church's development of an ecclesial self-identity and its interaction with other American religious bodies; and its position and influence in the modern world. Topics will include American Catholicism and social institutions (e.g. delivery of social services, healthcare and education), as well as involvement in political thought and political processes, the spiritualities and theologies of the Church in American, and its experience in the field of missionary activity, both as recipient and as contributor.

Fall 2010

TH 3301 - Introduction to the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible
Todd R. Hanneken, Ph.D.
The course will survey the historical contexts, contents, structure, and genres of the Hebrew Bible, which became the Christian Old Testament. Special attention will be paid to the variety of methods of interpretation applied to the texts, including historical-critical, traditional theological, and contemporary-critical methods.

TH 3302 - Matthew
George T. Montague, S.M., S.Th.D.
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3302 - Luke
Anne M. O'Leary, P.B.V.M., Ph.D.
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH 3330 - Christ and the Christian God
Willam D. Buhrman, Ph.D.
Place and mission of Christ in the Church and the religious and cultural world of today. Principal doctrines about Christ. Special questions: Christ's divinity, resurrection, virginal origin, knowledge, and freedom. The Triune God as revealed through Christ and as presented in the Christian theology. Contemporary Christian approaches to God. God's life shared with believers; contemporary notions of grace. Atheism.

TH3350 - Contemporary Catholic Moral Life
John A. Leies, S.M.
A study of moral principles as seen in the light of the Catholic tradition. Analysis of the meaning of psychological freedom, the human act, natural law, conscience, civil law and morality, grace and sin, as well as an examination of various moral methodologies. Discussion of selected specific and contemporary moral issues.

TH3352 - Catholic Social Ethics
James B. Ball, Ph.D.
This course addresses the continuity and the development of Catholic thought and practice concerning social issues. It seeks to answer such questions as: Should Christianity be a force for social, economic, and political change? How might Christian values permeate and transform the neighborhood, the boardroom, the city the nation, the international community? What is the role of the Church in the world? Issues such as economic justice, racism, church-state relations, human rights, and peace making will be treated, placed within an historical perspective. Special attention will be given to the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching (found especially in papal documents, the decrees of Vatican II, and pronouncements of the U.S. hierarchy).

TH 3353 - Heathcare and Medical Ethics
Andrew W. Getz, Ph.D.
This course will begin with a consideration of ethics and ethical method in light of the interaction of reason and an ecumenical religious perspective. Such an approach will enable a study of what constitutes the appropriate care for the human person, particularly in the realm of medicine and healthcare. In addition to such fundamental bioethical issues, this course will also examine relevant contemporary issues in medicine and the life sciences at both the individual and social level.

TH 3356 - Marriage and Family Today
Robert B. O'Connor, Ph.D.
The nature of marriage as understood by the Catholic Church; the role of marriage and the family as the foundation of civil society; Natural Family Planning; and the specific social and personal challenges that married couples meet such as monogamy, fidelity, abstinence, finances, the extended family, and emotional differences.

TH 3380 - Personal Religious Transformation
Rudy A. Vela, S.M., D.Min.
Nature of religious experience and the holy. Definition of the meaning of spiritual life. Presentation of how spiritual life has been imaged by Christians in the past. Aids for a spiritual life: dialoguing with scripture and tradition (seen in lives and teachings of outstanding Christians), spiritual direction and spiritual friendship, prayer (nature and styles), liturgy and sacraments in the spiritual life.

TH 5387 - Marianist Mission and Ministry
Bernard J. Lee, S.M., Th.D.
Mission and models of the Church; Fr. Chaminade's concept of mission; the apostolate of education in the Marianist tradition; lay and clerical ministries in the Church and personal ministry.

Spring 2010

TH 2301 - Theological Foundations: Religious Experience, Tradition & Commitment
From the perspective of the Roman Catholic tradition, this introductory level course proposes to explore how religious meaning characteristically (1) is preserved in the Bible, (2) is thematized by theology and ritual, (3) provides the basic categories for pursuing answers to ultimate questions, and (4) draws members of each generation into ethical and religious commitment. The course is intended to provide a functional frame work for appropriating one's own context of ultimate meaning. (Prerequisite: PL 1310)

TH3301 - Pentateuch
The course surveys the historical contexts, contents, structure, and genres of the Pentateuch. Special attention is paid to the variety of methods of interpretation applied to the texts, including historical-critical (modern), traditional theological (pre-modern), and contemporary-critical (postmodern) methods.

TH3302 - John
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH3302 - Paul
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH3302 - Survey of the New Testament
A reading of selected New Testament texts in their historical context, designed to introduce students to fundamental themes that run through the literature of the New Testament period, or a reading of selected books of the New Testament. The themes or books will be selected by the professor. The aim is to lead students to a broader understanding of human concerns and ultimate meaning, to religious self- transcendence, to a deeper relationship with God, and to a sense of responsibility for the world, gained through in-depth studies of particular sections of the Sacred Scriptures. The course may be repeated.

TH3350 - Contemporary Catholic Moral Life
A study of moral principles as seen in the light of the Catholic tradition. Analysis of the meaning of psychological freedom, the human act, natural law, conscience, civil law and morality, grace and sin, as well as an examination of various moral methodologies. Discussion of selected specific and contemporary moral issues.

TH3356 - Marriage and Family Today
The nature of marriage as understood by the Catholic Church; the role of marriage and the family as the foundation of civil society; Natural Family Planning; and the specific social and personal challenges that married couples meet such as monogamy, fidelity, abstinence, finances, the extended family, and emotional differences.

TH4308 - Jewish Literature in Antiquity
This course explores the variety of Jewish literature from roughly 200 BCE to 100 CE. The study of several genres in their historical contexts leads to a deeper understanding of the intellectual context that formed the New Testament, Early Christianity, and Rabbinic Judaism. The four major genres of study are historiography (1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Josephus), apocalyptic literature (Animal Apocalypse, Apocalypse of Weeks, Daniel), wisdom literature (Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, Philo), and re-written scripture (Jubilees). The course focuses on close reading of primary sources.

TH4358 - Biomedical Ethics
A consideration of morality and ethics in the field of medicine that includes consideration of: Christian ethics and moral methodology; theoretical and practical issues in medicine including: end of life care, surrogate decision making, advance directives, artificial nutrition and hydration, PVS, euthanasia, assisted suicide, pain management, organ transplantation, assisted reproduction, abortion, neonatal health care, confidentiality, universal health care and social ethics.

TH4398 - The Catholic Literary Experience
This course investigates the role of the literary imagination in assisting the Catholic writer and reader in thinking about his or her experience of the world. The approach of the course will primarily be theological in that the experience of being human depicted in literary texts will be compared with the Catholic tradition's explanation of how the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus points to the full of meaning of existence.

College Core

All undergraduates are required to take two courses in Theology. The first course is a common foundation for all students. For the second course, students may choose from all the other courses offered by the department.

Learn more about the core curriculum here.

Majors and Minors

The Theology major calls upon the student to engage the task of theological inquiry, described by Anselm as "faith seeking understanding," across three major categories of the discipline, namely scripture, moral theology, and systematic theology. The academic study of theology builds on a commitment to the compatibility of faith and reason, and to open, critical investigation of sources and methods. Theology at St. Mary's University is rooted in the Catholic tradition and Marianist manner of service, while remaining open to all that is true and good, wherever it might be found. Upon graduation, the theology major will have the appropriate level of fluency to make a positive contribution to the theological enterprise.

See further the degree plans for theology for major and minor requirements.

Links and Resources

Resources for St. Mary's students through the Blume Library

• Articles in journals
  • Academic Search Complete (LINK)
  • Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (LINK)
  • JSTOR (LINK)
  • Project Muse (LINK)
  • Religion and Philosophy Collection (LINK)
  • Complete list of library's databases in all fields (over 90) (LINK)
  • Search by journal title in the electronic and print collections (LINK)
• Online reference works
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library (LINK)
    • Includes the New Catholic Encyclopedia (2003 plus supplements), Encyclopedia of Religion (2005), Encyclopedia Judaica (2007), the Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2006), and the WorldMark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices (2006)
  • Credo Reference (LINK)
    • The service allows users to search more than 3 million full-text entries from 505 reference books.
• Books
  • Electronic and printed books are searchable in the same catalog (LINK)
  • Additional information on using books from NetLibrary (LINK)
  • Information on having printed material from the library collection mailed to you (LINK) (or contact Distance Learning Services Specialist below)
• Help
  • List of resources for Theology (LINK)
  • Distance Learning Services (LINK)
  • Distance Learning Services Specialist (LINK)
  • Reference Desk: Hours (LINK), email a general reference question (LINK), telephone (210) 436-3508
• Partnerships with other libraries
  • TexShare includes most university libraries in Texas (LINK)

Publicly available resources

• Google Books (LINK)
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (LINK)
• Vatican (LINK)