Grace, Christ, and Spirit

LIM G714 Syllabus

Fall Term 2020: August 24-December 7

Dr. Deborah Wilhelm

Anytime by appointment ReflectionPracticeCommunity

Course Description This is not simply a course in Church history. Its topics from the Christian theological tradition represent a context within and in support of practical theology. In particular, students study grace as God’s invitation to personal and communal transcendence. The course examines the work of God’s Spirit (pneumatology) in the redemptive transformation of human experience (soteriology), and it focuses on Jesus as the historical manifestation of God in human history (Christology). It cites important moments in the history of Christian thought, with attention to how language, culture, and history have affected our interpretation of God’s saving acts (historical theology). Finally, we explore the theology of Karl Rahner, as an example of systematic theology, along with new approaches to grace and Christology. Students do all of this in the service of critical reflection on and response to a ministry concern they identify at the beginning of the course.

Course Goals | As a result of taking this course, you will • Understand the historical development and meaning of the basic Christian teaching on Christ, on grace, and on God as Triune. • Be familiar with the expression of Christian faith on these topics in the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, documents of the Magisterium, and in classics of theology through the ages. • Appropriate a fundamental Christian theology which speaks to today’s world and is • solidly grounded in our historical tradition. • Understand the experiential basis for theology, which is that theology is the verbal expression of what Christians, as a community, have experienced in faith. • Reflect on contemporary challenges in theology. • Correlate what they learn in this course with their own ministry contexts. • Develop as a collaborative community of learners who empower others to live out their baptismal vocations to discipleship. • Pray the graces of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola.

Readings | Here are our required readings: • Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) (Available online, but a hard copy is nice to have) • Dreyer, Elizabeth. Manifestations of Grace. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990. ISBN 0814657591 (order right away from an online bookseller) • Grace, Christ and Spirit Course Book (available on Canvas or by email) • Guide to Written Theological Reflection (available on Canvas) • Handouts (C=Available in course resources on Canvas; L=Available online through Monroe Library database; O=Available free online)

You’ll also need Adobe Reader (latest version) and Google Chrome (latest version) for our Zoom sessions (I’ve posted links to these and other resources are available on Canvas under Resources>Plug-ins), and your Loyola email account, which you should check daily during the week. Syllabus: Grace, Christ, and Spirit | Fall 2020 | 2

A few words about the Catechism of the Catholic Church Study at the Loyola Institute for Ministry, indeed any theological study, results in a deepened understanding and appropriation of the faith that is handed on (the root of “tradition”). I presume that students entering a graduate program in ministry already have a basic knowledge of this tradition, but I am including references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church so that we will have a common foundation for our studies. The Catechism states that “‘[T]he whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends’” (25). The Catechism’s purpose is to present “an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church's Tradition” (11). But it also states that it must be adapted to fit the needs of different audiences, people of different ages, locations and times.

Theology is involved at an academic level in this adaptation, that is, in an ongoing process of understanding and reflecting on God’s continuing revelation in Jesus. Throughout history, the teaching of the Church has developed in dialogue with culture and experience. In the context of a university education, we are engaged in the process of theological reflection that promotes a dialogue between the tradition and contemporary life in the Church. It is important for ministers in today’s Church to know and understand the official teaching of the Church so they can present it clearly, but it is also important for them to explore the reflection of theologians on that teaching throughout history and their attempts to articulate that teaching in new contexts. Graduate education requires a full and open exploration of a variety of points of view, so that through critical reflection on these views and the assumptions inherent in them, a greater depth of understanding may be reached. Our hope is that students will come away from the LIM program knowing what is central in Catholic teaching and also knowing what the issues have been surrounding teachings and theological positions at various times in the Church’s history.

The following sections of the Catechism are particularly relevant for this course, so please become familiar with them: • God—Nos. 198-324 • The Holy Spirit—Nos. 683-747 • Christ—Nos. 422-682 • Original Sin—Nos. 385-421 • Grace—Nos. 1987-2029 • The Human Person—Nos. 26-43, 1699-1715

How this course works:

We’re gathering to form an intentional learning community, with most of our work taking place asynchronously, meaning that apart from our Zoom sessions, you won’t have required specific times to be “present” in class. Working asynchronously, however, doesn’t mean that there aren’t any deadlines! A deep, reflective, helpful conversation requires everyone’s timely participation and engagement. You’ll complete readings and viewings, and you’ll respond to those tasks in our discussions and in other course-related assignments. Graduate students will also write a theological reflection paper. Plan to “attend” class online several times per week to do your work, read postings, respond to postings, view instructor comments, and contribute your insights to our ongoing conversations. This participation is not merely key to your learning, it’s key to others’ learning as well—and to your grade. I’ve divided the work into weekly Canvas sessions, and I recommend “clicking through” the entire course before you begin so that you can have a sense of the class flow. To help preserve your Sundays for rest or ministerial work, the course will run Tuesday through Monday midnight (well, 11:59 pm, to make Canvas work!) instead of Monday through Sunday midnight.

Even though most of our coursework is completed asynchronously, in the interest of forming community and deepening our insight, we’ll have multiple chances to meet this term using Zoom. You will also have the chance to meet two times this term in small groups, using a virtual meeting tool that your group selects. You’ll find the dates and times for these meetings on Canvas.

Syllabus: Grace, Christ, and Spirit | Fall 2020 | 3 Reading Graduate education demands that we learn how to read critically—that is, to engage a text so that we do more than absorb its content, though that is important, too. Some of our secondary readings this semester represent recent methodological turns in theology, so you will read them in part for insights into new methods or new approaches to theology. The readings can also serve as models for our own writing: It will be attempting to persuade an audience, and it will be based on careful reading of texts. Indeed, critical reading is the foundation for the kinds of critical writing that may make your own texts worthy of publication. Thus, when you read, note the text’s thesis, evidence, recurring themes, use of sources, methods, and ways of engaging the contemporary conversation surrounding an issue or idea. You should also look for the text’s strengths and weaknesses. Every text has both; therefore, in those that you really agree with, look for problems. In those you really disagree with, look for strengths. Finally, think of our secondary texts as transformative. Consider how they renew your vision of theology. Do they shed new light on it? Do they offer new insight into it? On the other hand, does theology escape these texts? That is, is there more to theology than these secondary texts allow for? In sum, consider how our readings could be transformative in terms of the world, of God, of your ministry, of issues of justice in the world. In our class conversations, you should give evidence that you have wrestled with these readings and with these issues; in fact, that is what the participation grade is meant to gauge.

Writing Writing is a critical part of this class—and alas, is not simply the effortless transfer of information from the mind to paper. In the very struggle to write, learning takes place, particularly as it sharpens critical and rhetorical skills. And as technology grows ever more prevalent, textuality becomes more important. That is, as such text- based media as email, texting, blogs, and online education grow in significance, so does the need for clear and persuasive writing. To assist you, you will have three essay assignments. The first two can serve as a baseline in comparison to which you can measure your improvement in the final paper. If you would like help along the way, you are welcome to submit outlines and/or rough drafts of parts or all of the papers. I also encourage you to read the Guide to Written Theological Reflection and consult writing assistance available through the Office of Writing and Learning Services (http://success.loyno.edu/writing-learning-services). In addition, please feel free to consult with me on any questions you have. I have posted format requirements on Canvas—see also the LIM Guide to Written Theological Reflection.

Discussions Some of your reading and writing takes place in our Canvas Discussions. I’ll post questions, plus instructions about requirements and deadlines for posting. I will likely facilitate the initial discussions, but because we’re an intentional learning community, each of you will also get the chance to lead your small group in the discussions (directions are on Canvas). As facilitators, you’ll have the chance to practice online communication skills and to offer meaningful feedback to your colleagues. The facilitator will provide the week’s first post to open the discussion. However, if the conversation seems slow to get started, I may email another member and ask that person to launch the discussion. Please post early, and please help to create a true conversation by responding to your colleagues’ postings—Canvas Discussions become tedious for everyone if each person simply “speaks” without “listening” to everyone else! I’ll post a facilitators’ schedule on Canvas after our enrollment is finalized so that you know ahead when you’ll be facilitating. If the schedule is problematic for you, arrange a swap with one of your colleagues, and let me know who will be doing what, and when.

Your posts should always be substantive, meaning focused, succinct, specific, clearly written, and worth reading. Keep in mind that we all have to read these posts! Bring your own experience into conversation with our course materials and with what the other members of the learning community are saying, and be sure to directly address the question at hand. Your responses should also be critical, meaning that the conversation will generate questions, requests for clarification, and other methods of deepening the discussion. As you can see, remarks like “I loved your post” or “I agree wholeheartedly” are NOT substantive posts! In addition to being substantive, the online conversations should also be authentic—that is, anything that you say online should be something that you would say if we were all sitting around a table in a physical room. Finally, please write in a clear, correct style— that is, with proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar—so that nobody struggles to decipher your comments. Syllabus: Grace, Christ, and Spirit | Fall 2020 | 4 Cite any course materials that you use by including a parenthetical reference with at least the name of the material or the author and, if possible, a page number (e.g., Course Book 15; Johnson 17; Session 3 video). Please also alert your readers when you refer to other outside sources, such as other books or websites.

In terms of assessment, regular and substantive participation in our Canvas Discussions makes up 50% of your grade for this course—and basically 100% for CEU students. To help you understand the specific grading standards that I will use to assess your Canvas Discussion posts, I've provided a rubric and a one-page handout in Canvas for you to review. Please read both of these documents before you post!

CAUTION: To avoid losing any work, you may wish to compose your posts in a word processing program and then copy and paste them into a discussion post. How do I know this? Painful personal experience!

First Paper (graduate students) The purpose of this 2- to 3-page paper, due at the end of Week Five, is to help you articulate and organize your thoughts around a specific concern that you’d like to put into conversation with your studies this semester. During the course of the semester, you will be able to chart the growth of your understanding of this topic. 1. In a page or less, identify and describe a “concern” that you would like to put in conversation with the course materials and discussions this semester. Please see the video Practical Theology: Introduction and Review by Dr. Tom Ryan (or the video script) in Canvas Week 1 for a discussion of the term “concern.” 2. Then select one of the course topics—God, Jesus, the Spirit, the Trinity, grace, or fundamental theology—and in a page or less, discuss what it means to you or why it is important to you personally. 3. Finally, in a page or less, discuss what you think to be the transformative implications of your topic for the concern that you articulated in #1. Consult the Guide to Written Theological Reflection for assistance with how to format your assignment.

Final Paper (graduate students) The purpose of this 10- to 12-page paper, due December 7, is to use the LIM method of practical theological reflection to plot the development of your understanding of central themes (e.g., God, Jesus, the Spirit, the Trinity, or grace) in this course. In particular, your paper should • Identify a concern related to your ministry and that a renewed understanding of salvation, the human person, God, Jesus, the Spirit, the Trinity, or grace can address. Give your initial understanding of how you would have addressed this concern before starting the course; • Present your renewed understanding of grace in light of your concern, your work in this course, and your research, including how this renewed understanding is related to your renewed understandings of selected course topics (see below for an elaboration of this second section); and • Discuss how you have advanced beyond your initial understanding and what you will do as a result in addressing your concern and practicing your ministry.

Specifically, the second section, which presents your renewed understanding, should • Represent at least half of your paper; • Address grace and one or more of the following topics: the human person, salvation, God, Trinity, Christ, Spirit; • Draw on insights from history, contemporary theology, and new contexts introduced in this course; and • Be informed by primary sources, course readings, and at least 3 scholarly sources in addition to course readings (an inexhaustive list of publishers of scholarly books that can provide material for this paper can be found on Canvas; for assistance in distinguishing scholarly from popular material, please see www.researchguides.loyno.edu/popularandscholarly or http://guides.library.cornell.edu/criticallyanalyzing).

Syllabus: Grace, Christ, and Spirit | Fall 2020 | 5 Spiritual Formation As part of the spiritual formation component of this program, the graces of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola have been woven through this course. You should find twenty minutes 2-3 times a week to pray over the assigned scriptural passages and for the graces of that week. A 300+-word journal entry in light of your prayer and other material in the spiritual formation text is due two times this semester. A summative discussion on your prayer practice is due at term’s end. See the spiritual formation text for suggestions about journaling. You should give evidence that you’ve prayed the selected biblical passages. In addition, you might consider some questions like these: How have you benefited from praying for the different graces? What have you received as you pray for the different graces, what moments of consolation and desolation? Where in particular has the Lord spoken to you through this prayer? Where did you experience resistance to God’s word? Where did you experience peace and joy? Where did you experience sadness and unrest? How was the Lord calling you to grow personally and as a minister through this prayer? What connections do you make with our class work?

Collaborative Learning Spiritual formation and community life are inextricably linked. To that end, this course asks you to look at your role as a collaborative learner both in and out of class. You’ll write a journal entry near the start of the term that asks how you might bring the fruits of this class into collaboration with others (both in class and out) in empowering people to announce with their lives the Good News of God’s justice, mercy, and love. At mid-term, you’ll write about how you’re doing; at term’s end, you’ll write an entry that looks back in honest and effective reflection on your efforts, and that looks forward to the future. You’ll assign your own points for this work.

Academic Integrity Academic integrity is a serious matter in graduate-level courses. Academic dishonesty is incompatible with personal, professional, and ministerial ethics. Please don’t even consider fabricating work or submitting anyone else’s words, thoughts, or ideas as your own. Whether you paraphrase (put material into your own words) or quote directly (use the actual material in the form that its originator presents it), it is still your responsibility to cite the source of any material that is not your own or is not common knowledge. Students who plagiarize or fabricate work or who help others to do so may fail the course (first offense) or be expelled (second offense). I have provided resources on Canvas to help you appropriately use and cite others’ work. If you have any doubts about what constitutes academically honest work, contact me before you submit the work so that you don’t find yourself open to charges of academic dishonesty. Please familiarize yourself with these standards by reading the Guide to Written Theological Reflection.

Grading (Certificate students earn grades based on prayer journal and participation, including small groups) Participation=45% First Paper=10% Final Paper Preliminaries=5% Final Paper=30% Prayer/Small Group Journals=10%

Optional Opportunities As an intentional learning community, we’ll also begin to understand our contributions and obligations to, as well as the benefits of, being part of larger communities of ministry, academia, religion, and so on. Consider taking advantage of educational/professional opportunities, including the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), the American Academy of Religion, the College Theology Society, the Religious Education Association, the National Association of Lay Ministry, and the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership.

Schedule The reading and assignment schedule (tentative), are attached to the end of this document.

Panicked? Let me help! Hmmm. That didn’t come out right. While I can help you panic, of course (I am highly skilled in the practice), I would rather help you alleviate your panic. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions.

Syllabus: Grace, Christ, and Spirit | Fall 2020 | 6

Schedule (tentative, pending my assessment of our class needs; I’ll contact you if any changes are necessary): You will find the full schedule on Canvas

Week 1, August 24-31 Week 5, September 22-28 Introductions, Practical Theology Reformation • Watch the video or read the script of • Course book Chapter 4, 61-65, 67-75 Practical Theology: Introduction and Review • Dreyer chapters 11-12 • Identify a “concern” to put into • Selections from Martin Luther, John of the conversation with your studies this term Cross, and Teresa of Avila (C) • Pope Francis readings (C) • Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Costly Grace.” (C) • Hillis, Copeland (C) • Andrew Greeley, "Theology and Sociology: On Validating David Tracy." Journal of the Week 2, September 1-7 American Academy of Religion (1991): 643- Bible, CCC 652. (L) Focus especially on the differences • LaCugna, “The Trinitarian Mystery of God,” between the analogical and dialectical Systematic Theology: Roman Catholic imaginations and how these differences Perspectives, 152-165 (C or by email) play out in the differences between • Optional All-Class Meeting Catholicism and Protestantism and illuminate what happened in the Week 3, September 8-14 Reformation. Early Christologies • First Paper Due • Course book Chapter 1, pages 1-5; Chapter 2, pages 21-23 (C) Week 6, September 29-October 5 • Dreyer, preface, introduction, Chapters 1-7 20th Century • LaCugna, 165-174 (C). • Course book Chapter 5. Read pages 96- • Ireneaus of Lyon, Against Heresies, 3.18 108; skim the rest for precedents to and 5.1 (C) Vatican II that show it did not appear out of • Practical Theological Reflection Journal nowhere. • Optional: J. J. Walsh, and W. P. Loewe. • O’Malley, “Vatican II: Did Anything "Christology." New Catholic Encyclopedia. Happen?” Theological Studies 67 (2006): 3- Vol. 3. 559-560 (L) 33. (L) See related articles in the same volume. Week 4, September 15-21 • Vatican II Documents (O): Medieval Developments o Gaudium et Spes 1-10 • Course book Chapter 3 o Nostra Aetate • Dreyer chapter 8-10 o Scan Lumen Gentium • "Augustine: A Defence of Christian • Concluding Document of the 5th General Mediocrity" from Robert Markus, The End Conference of CELAM at Aparecida, 240- of Ancient Christianity. Cambridge 278 (O). University Press, 1990. Pages 45-62. (C) www.celam.org/aparecida/Ingles.pdf • Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate, 35, 47- • Optional: Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 62. 262-283 (O). • View PowerPoint and listen to Podcast • Small Group Meeting about Aquinas (C) • Selections from Julian of Norwich, Week 7: OCTOBER 6-12 | FALL BREAK Revelations of Divine Love (C) • Prayer Journal Due Week 8, October 13-19 • Optional: Rahner 1 o Ryan, “Sensuous History” • Course book Chapter 6 o Readings from Thomas Aquinas • Dreyer pages 156-169 • Optional All-Class Meeting • Selections from Karl Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith, chapter 1. (C)

Syllabus: Grace, Christ, and Spirit | Fall 2020 | 7

• Hans Urs von Balthasar. "The Obligation to Today” from Faces of Jesus in Africa (C) Hope for All." (C) • Cone, “Jesus Christ in Black Theology” (C) • Final Paper Worksheet Due • Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Introduction • Optional: Readings by and about Rahner (first five paragraphs) to Instruction on • Optional All-Class Meeting Certain Aspects of the "Theology of Liberation" (Sacred Congregation for the Week 9, October 20-26 Doctrine of the Faith, 1984); the remainder Rahner 2 is optional. (O) • Course book Chapter 7 Optional: • Dreyer Chapter 14 • Kate C. Pravera. "Latin American • Stephen Duffy, “Our Hearts of Darkness: Liberation Theology: An Introductory Original Sin Revisited” in the Appendix of Essay." Brethren Life and Thought 29 (1984): the Course Book. 199-205. (L) • Karl Rahner, Declan Marmion, and Gesa • F. Schüssler Fiorenza. "Liberation Elsbeth Thiessen. "Experiences of a Theology." New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd Catholic Theologian." Theological Studies ed. Vol. 8. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 544-546. 61 (2000): 3-15. (L) Gale Virtual Reference Library. (L)

• Optional: Course book Chapter 8 • P. Berryman and J.P. Hogan. "Liberation Theology, Latin America." New Catholic • Optional: Thomas F. O'Meara, "Christian Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 8. Detroit: Gale, Theology and Extraterrestrial Intelligent 2003. 546-550. Gale Virtual Reference Life." Theological Studies 60 (1999): 3-30. Library. (L) (L) • Small Group Meetings • Prayer Journal Due

Week 12, November 10-16 | WORKING BREAK Week 10, October 27-November 2

New Developments 1: Spirit Week 13, November 17-23 • Walter Kasper, “Introduction to the New Creation and Christology Edition,” Jesus the Christ, viii-xxi. (C) • Course book Chapter 10 • Lacugna, 174-192. • Dreyer Chapters 14, 15, 17 • Elizabeth Groppe. "The Contribution of • Dreyer Chapter 16--Optional Yves Congar's Theology of the Holy Spirit." • Moltmann articles (C) Theological Studies 62 (2001): 457-478 • Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, paragraphs 62- (skim the rest). (L) 100, 233-246. (O) • Optional: Elizabeth Groppe, “From God • Introduction to Dupuis, Christianity and the For Us to Living in the Spirit of God, the Religions. (C) Spirit of Christ: Catherine LaCugna's • Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Introduction to Trinitarian Theology as a Foundation for the declaration Dominus Jesus: On the Her Theology of the Holy Spirit,” Horizons Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus 27 (2000), 343-346. (L) Christ and the Church (Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2000); the Week 11, November 3-9 remainder is optional. (O) New Developments 2: Liberation • Optional All-Class Meeting • Your essay from Theological Studies volume 70.2. Week 14, November 24-30 | • Course book Chapter 9, pages 175-183 THANKSGIVING BREAK • Néstor Medina, "The Future of Liberation Theologies: Rumours of Their Demise Have Week 15, December 1-7 Been Greatly Exaggerated." Toronto Journal Final Paper Due December 7, 11:59 pm of Theology 23 (2007): 23-33. (C) • Charles Nyamiti, “African Christologies