RELS 476 - Theology & Worldview | 2026-2027

What is Worldview in relation to Theology? How does it influence us and others? Students are invited to investigate some of the salient moments in the history of Christian worldview thinking and its contemporary expressions as they relate to the discipline of theology. We will inquire into implications of this relationship in various spheres of life, including politics, art, science and the environment.

RELS 473 - The Theology of Thomas Aquinas & John Paul II | 2026-2027

This course takes an in-depth look at the theological vision of the two most influential Catholic theologians of the second Christian millennium: St. Thomas Aquinas and Pope John Paul II. The main features of St. Thomas's synthesis of Christian thought, especially as found in his great Summa Theologiae, is explored. This is followed by an examination of the personalist Thomism of Pope John Paul II, and his program for the renewal of the Catholic Faith, especially as found in selected encyclicals and apostolic letters. The vision and worldview of St.

RELS 466 - The Church Fathers | 2026-2027

An introduction to the Fathers of the early Church. The course covers the Fathers from the latter half of the first century CE to the Orthodox writings of St. John of Damascene (ca. 750). Attention is paid to the historical and intellectual contexts within which the Fathers lived and taught, and special attention is given to each one’s unique theological contribution to the development of Christian Orthodoxy—both East and West.

RELS 460 - Issues in World Christianity | 2026-2027

Current missiological themes are studied such as: Missio Dei, Salvation Today, social justice and mission, meaning of evangelism and evangelization, contextualization, liberation themes, missions as inculturation, missions as an ecumenical expression, mobilizing the laity for missions, missions as a theology, and missions as an eschatological hope. The course also examines shifting missiological paradigms within the Conciliar Movement and Evangelical responses.

RELS 454 - Writings & Theology of John | 2026-2027

A study of the historical, literary, and theological aspects of the New Testament documents often categorized in biblical studies as “The Johannine Writings,” which comprise the Gospel of John, the Letters of John, and Revelation. Important considerations include their distinctive and collective contributions to the formation of Christian thought and identity in antiquity and today.