Course Descriptions: Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics

Area A: Biblical and Historical Studies
Area C: Religion, Culture, and Personality
Area D: Ministry in Church and Society

AREA B: PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY & ETHICS

Chair John Hart

Professors Chung, R. Hart, Neville

Associate Professors Berthrong, Eckel, Wildman

Assistant Professors Green, Rambo, Wegter-McNelly

Lecturers Faramelli, Petersen, Porter

Discipline Designators for Area B

STH TR 834 Women in American Religion

Students will explore the many ways in which religious ideas, practices, and institutions are gendered. Using both historical and contemporary cases and issues, we will look at how religion has been both a source of power and a source of oppression for women. Having completed this course, students will be able to identify significant female religious leaders and religio-social movements that have been led by women; and they will be able to analyze the social forces that shape and are shaped by the religious experiences of women. Ammerman.

STH TR 964 Seminar: Social Theory

This seminar will explore a variety of theoretical perspectives on the social formation of modern persons, asking how those insights inform our understanding of individual religious identity. We will examine how identity is shaped by particular social locations and how identities change, and we will address questions surrounding the role of religious institutions in forming and maintaining religious identities. The final weeks of the seminar will be devoted to examining these questions as they are differently present in various streams of American religious tradition. Ammerman.

STH TS 500 Encountering ET: Spirit, Science, and Space

The discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin significantly altered scientific and religious worldviews, and catalyzed a human sense of displacement in the universe. Contact with extraterrestrial life—including intelligent life—would cause for some an additional philosophical shock. Using perspectives from science, science fiction, religion, and United Nations space treaties, the course will discuss current and projected understandings of the human place in the cosmos; reflect on how discovery of extraterrestrial life might impact the human sense of place in the universe; and consider how the impacts of ET encounters (actual or theoretical) might be positively incorporated into human consciousness and contexts. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 800 International Conflict and the Ministry of Reconciliation

Petersen/Porter. MDiv Ethics Core Elective.

STH TS 817 Black Religious Experience

Comparative and historical survey of features distinctive to the black religious experience. Attention to African and Caribbean roots and contemporary expressions. Staff.

STH TS 818 Social Analysis and Ethical Reflection

Proseminar on social analysis as a tool for theological reflection and praxis, with a critical exploration of the meaning of American society in transition, and of the political economy of globalization for the ministry for human dignity and justice. Chung. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 819 Engaging Conflict Well

This course is a response to the experience of destructive conflict in the Church and in the world as well as the call to be ministers of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18) and peacebuilders. This requires the conversion of attitudes about conflict, the development of skills, and the practice of processes that transform conflict into opportunities for learning, growth, healing, new relationships, and stronger communities. The focus of our reflection will be both on the Church and the communities and world served by the Church. We will work to bring together the theology, theory, and practice of faith-based conflict transformation and restorative justice. Petersen/Porter. MDiv Missiology, Ecumenics, or Dialogue Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 822 Life and Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The development of the thought of Martin Luther King, Jr., in its social-historical context and his role in twentieth-century social philosophy. Staff.

STH TS 829 Christian Ecological Ethics and Political Issues

An introduction to the character and dimensions of ecological issues, and a theological and ethical reflection on ecological problems and proposed solutions, including through public policy. The course will explore the relationship of Christian faith to ecological ethics; the nature of Christian love and justice in ecological contexts; current national and international ecological policy debates; and the role of the churches in responding to ecological concerns. Also offered as STH TS 929. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 837 Comparative Religious Ethics

Philosophical and religious perspectives in the meaning of the good life and the good society. Comparative study of social ethics in Christianity and other world religions with particular attention to one or two selected contemporary issues, such as the erosion of community, economic problems, humanity’s relationship to the environment, and human rights. Chung. MDiv Ethics Core Elective.

STH TS 840 Seminar in Religion and Social Change

An exploration of the relationship between religion and social change, including the problems of modernization and globalization. Particular attention to the ways in which religion either supports the status quo or promotes social change, involving such problems as fundamentalist and utopian movements in the worldwide and contemporary setting. Chung. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 845 Christian Social Ethics

Comparative study of historical and contemporary Christian approaches to the nature, sources, methods, and concepts of ethics in diverse contexts. The course is in two parts: an historical overview of the development of Christian social ethics from biblical times to the twenty-first century; an in-depth exploration of approaches to specific contemporary social issues including war and peace, ecology, economic justice, and equality. Ethics Core Elective. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective.

STH TS 846 Religion and Society in East Asia

Comparative and historical study of the interaction of religion and society in East Asia. Particular attention to the relation of Christianity with Asian religions and the role of religion in modernization. Chung. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 854 Boston University Ethical Tradition

A study of the Boston University Ethical Tradition, which is based on belief in a personal God who cares about all people, and asserts that each person is made in the divine image and endowed with inherent value and dignity. The seminar explores the Boston Personalists, emphasizing the work of B. P. Bowne, E. Brightman, and Walter Muelder; contributions by Howard Thurman, and Martin Luther King, Jr.; and works of contemporary exponents of the tradition. Special emphasis will be placed on issues of war and peace, economic and social justice, bioethics, class, gender, ecology, and, in particular, racial justice, all oriented toward formulating a new ethic for societal institutions. Faramelli. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 862 Global Ethics in Cultural Contexts

An in-depth study of distinctive approaches to economic, ethnic, gender, and political justice in diverse regions of the world. Liberation theology perspectives—African American, Feminist, Womanist, Mujerista, Latin American, Native American, Asian, African, Jewish, and Palestinian—will provide bases for developing transcultural social ethics. Also offered as STH TS 962. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 863 Literature of Memory III: Literary Responses to Oppression

Under circumstances of tyranny or persecution, often the only possible gesture of defiance is the creative act. This class will explore the theme of writing as an act of witness, as resistance, and as an attempt to awaken conscience. We will carefully read examples of works produced from within situations of oppression in order to find the secrets of courage and hope. Discussion section and stamped approval required. Wiesel.

STH TS 867 Christianity and Ecology in Community Contexts

A study of Christian and Native American spiritual insights related to ecological perspectives and practices. Student classroom sessions, research, and analysis will be complemented by field work, in the form of engagement with members of faith traditions and environmental organizations in the Boston area in the spring, or in Montana in the summer. Writings of theologians and ecologists, statements from individual denominations and ecumenical associations, teachings of native elders, and the relationship of the proposed Earth Charter to religious teachings and current ecological issues will be discussed. Also offered as STH TS 967. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 870 Literature of Memory IV: The Book of Genesis

A source of faith and disquiet for generations, the Book of Genesis has inspired philosophers, theologians, poets, and students to grapple with seminal life questions. This class will explore themes and characters from Genesis through careful readings of the text itself as well as secondary literature from diverse traditions and genres. Discussion section and stamped approval required. Wiesel.

STH TS 877 The Principles and Practices of Restorative Justice for Church and Society

A study of the fundamental principles and practices of restorative justice as applicable to church and society. The course explores the needs and roles of key stakeholders (victims, offenders, communities, justice systems), outlines the basic principles and values of restorative justice, introduces some of the primary models of practice, and identifies challenges to restorative justice and strategies to respond to them. The course is organized around the issue of crime and harm within a western legal context, but attention is given to applications in other contexts. Of particular interest is the contribution of traditional or indigenous approaches to justice as well as applications in post-conflict situations. Porter. MDiv Missiology, Ecumenics or Dialogue Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 889 Sacred Earth: Indigenous Peoples’ Ecological Traditions

A study of indigenous peoples’ traditional teachings about the relationship of spirituality, ecology, and community well-being. A particular focus will be the words and works of representative twentieth-century writers and spiritual leaders, and include the life and teachings of Lakota elder Black Elk; Muskogee elder Phillip Deere; Wanapum elder David Sohappy; and Dakota scholar and activist Vine Deloria, Jr. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 896 Religion, Economics, and the Common Good

A study of the relationship between religion, economics, and societal well-being, particularly as explored in the presentation and critique of a “Protestant ethic.” The subsequent integration of political, economic, sociological, and religious insights will provide a foundation for the formulation of community-based and community-oriented social institutions. Hart. MDiv Ethics Core Elective (by petition).

STH TS 925 Seminar: Advanced Ecological Ethics

An in-depth study of cross-disciplinary, cross-religious and cross-cultural approaches to ecological issues, oriented toward understanding diverse issues in breadth and depth; and a collaborative development of ecological ethical concepts and principles to be integrated into human consciousness and communities, and implemented in community projects. Hart.

STH TS 950 History of the Social Teachings of the Churches

An in-depth study of the development of social teachings in the Christian Church from its beginnings to the twentieth century, relying on the works of E. Troeltsch and H. R. Niebuhr. The course will focus on early Christian teachings, the medieval synthesis, the Reformation era, the rise and impacts of urban-industrial capitalism, the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage and other dimensions of the liberation of women, and twentieth-century developments such as the Social Gospel movement, Christian Realism, and theologies of liberation. The practical significance of historical social teachings to the contemporary Churches will be highlighted. Faramelli.

STH TS 951 Contemporary Social Teachings of the Christian Churches

An in-depth study of major contemporary social issues, utilizing the works of key Christian social ethicists, as expressed in the Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic traditions and in theologies of liberation. Issues such as sexuality and human reproduction, war and peace, economic and social justice, racism, gender, social class, and the use/misuse and protection of natural resources, will be viewed through the perspective of different religious traditions. Special emphasis will be placed on ecumenical and interfaith social ethics, the rise and significance of the Christian Right, and development of the tools needed to do social ethics in different social and cultural contexts. Faramelli.

STH TS 957 Seminar: the Church and Human Rights

Philosophical, religious, and social problems of defining human rights and the related ideas of human dignity, justice, and the common good. Special attention to comparative understanding of human rights in Confucianism, Christianity, and Islam, exploring an alternative economic order and society that would serve the human person. Chung.

STH TS 961 History of Western Ethics and Social Philosophy

A seminar focused on the influences of Greek philosophy on Christian theology and ethics, and how that Christian theological and ethical tradition influenced Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers; the work of key figures in Western philosophy (Hume, Kant, and others) that shaped modern Western ethics; and the development of Western social and political philosophy, which led to modern democratic and revolutionary thinkers (Mill, Nietzsche, and Marx). The course includes an exploration of the philosophical roots of the movements that led to the abolition of slavery and the promotion of gender equality. Emphasis will be placed on the contemporary relevance of philosophical thinkers, while acknowledging their shortcomings and appreciating their contributions. Faramelli.

STH TT 704 Theology I: History of Christian Theology

A survey of the major philosophers of the West whose thought has contributed to the development of Christian theology. One-hour study section is required. This course is a prerequisite for STH TT 810 and all Theology II courses. Staff. MDiv Core Requirement.

STH TT 801 Introduction to Roman Catholic Theology

A survey course in ancient, medieval, and modern Roman Catholic thought. Course presumes some background in philosophical theology and church doctrine. Staff. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 810 Theology II: Contemporary Christian Theology

Introduction to the basic themes of Christian theology, geared toward the two-fold task of acquainting students with the historical development of doctrine and of encouraging them to add their own voices to the contemporary debate. Prerequisite: STH TT 704. Staff. MDiv Core Requirement.

STH TT 815 The Confucian Way

An introduction to the history of the intellectual and spiritual development of the Confucian tradition from its beginnings to the modern period in China, Korea, and Japan. Special emphasis is placed on the classical and Neo-Confucian phases, as well as on contemporary Confucian-Christian dialogue. Berthrong. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 816 Atheisms and Theologies

The general aim of this course is to learn about varieties of atheism—older “classic atheism,” so-called “new atheism” of recent years, and theologically inspired forms of atheism—and to understand the various theological responses to atheism. Questions of particular importance are: (1) How strong are traditional and new atheistic arguments? (2) Where does or should theology stand in relation to the arguments of atheism? (3) What are the origins of modern atheism? (4) Should postmodern mystical theologies and iconoclastic anti-anthropomorphic theologies that reject a determinate divine being be considered atheistic? If so, how does this sort of atheism relate to other types? The class is intended for advanced master’s students and doctoral candidates interested in contemporary theology and its conceptual roots in older theological debates. Meets with STH TT 956. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 818 Development of Christian Thought

This course provides students with both a historical and a constructive study of a particular doctrine or theme in Christian thought. Examples include: the passion in early and medieval Christianity, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, and sin. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the history of thought, and to provide them with the necessary skills to analyze and engage their contemporary settings. Rambo. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 821 Philosophy and Religion

A unique opportunity to engage world figures in the fields of philosophy, religion, and theology in an intimate, informal setting. Topics are updated each year. Course is limited to 15 students; consent of the instructor is required. Green. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 825 John Wesley’s Theology Today

The theology of John Wesley, though projected from an historical past, is a living and dynamic force in contemporary theology. The Wesleyan tradition is at its best when it remains responsive to its past and open to its future. This course will examine the primary doctrinal, methodological, and practical commitments of John Wesley’s theology as developed in his sermons, hymns, writings, and life-praxis. The course will also explore contemporary trends in Methodism and in Wesleyan theology more generally as they attempt to respond to the present theological situation and to the future prospects of a Christian faith lived out in the twenty-first century. Stone. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 828 Liberal Evangelical Christianity

The general aim of this course is to learn about the history, sociology, theology, and ethics of the tension between liberals and evangelicals that has persisted among Protestant Christians within the United States, under various names, since early in the nineteenth century. The specific aim is to situate a variety of moderate possibilities within this tension. These range from mid-twentieth-century movements such Neo-Evangelicalism (represented by Billy Graham and Carl Henry, among others) and the hearty reception of famous preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick, who defined himself as “liberal evangelical”; through the revolutionary social visions of evangelicals such as Ron Sider and Tony Campolo, the cultural critique of Jim Wallis and the Sojourners Community, and the Christian pacificism of Anabaptists such as John Howard Yoder; to the green evangelicals, liberal evangelicals, evangelical liberals, progressive evangelicals, and radical moderates of today. The class is intended for master’s students interested in the liberal-evangelical tension and especially in the prospects for transcending that tension both in individual faith identities and in congregational contexts. The class should help participants become more articulate communicators and more effective leaders around issues bearing on this tension. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 832/932 Tillich

Centered on one of the major theological works of the twentieth century, the Systematic Theology, this course is designed to assist students to contextualize, interpret, and analyze the thought of Paul Tillich and to assess its significance for contemporary theology. Staff. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 833 Religion and Science

Explores recent developments in the theoretical and cultural relations between religion and science, paying particular attention to strategies for moving beyond the limitations of the pervasive “conflict” view. No specific background in science required. Focuses primarily, though not exclusively, on the interaction between Christian thought and the natural sciences. Wegter-McNelly. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 838 Religious Thought East and West: Maimonides in Comparative Perspective

The works of the twelfth-century Judeo-Arabic philosopher Maimonides are investigated in dialogue with texts from Islamic and Christian philosophy and mysticism, Taoism, Chinese and Zen Buddhism, and the process philosophy of A.N. Whitehead. Topics may include: the nature of the Absolute, origin of time and the universe, paradox of transcendence and immanence, role of teachers, sages, and prophets, language and negative theology, reason, and the path to realization. Cross-listed with STH TX 852. Lobel. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 839 Race and American Christianity

This course explores a variety of experiences and expressions of race in American Christianity, past and present. Using both comparative and narrative modes of understanding, we will look at how race and religion have interacted across both time and space, comparing the Anglo-American and African American jeremiad traditions; tracing the racial story of American Pentecostalism from African American Los Angeles in 1906 to Latino Texas in 2006; and putting antebellum sorrow songs in conversation with both contemporary hip-hop and the praise songs of Korean American evangelical college students. Our texts will include autobiography, blogs, essays, fiction, history, journalism, movies, music, poll data, sermons, visual art, and YouTube, as well as our own experiences of visiting a racially different Christian community. Staff. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 842 Lab Placement Seminar

Boston University School of Theology’s Lab Placement Seminar is intended to provide graduate students from the University and the Boston Theological Institute, and also exceptional undergraduate students, with the opportunity to gain “hands-on” experience in a laboratory environment. Laboratory placements will be made for each student individually in order to best reflect his or her intellectual interests, prior competencies, career plans, and life aspirations. All lab placements will combine practical, scientific training with an opportunity to pursue ethical, philosophical, or theological questions. Variable credit course. Wildman.

STH TT 845 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health

The general aim of this science-religion course is to learn about the complex entanglements among religious traditions and spirituality, medical traditions and healing modalities, and norms for physical and mental health. This will involve (i) gaining a basic grasp on the history of the medical traditions of China, India, the Middle East, and the West, including the metaphysical frameworks that inform those traditions; (ii) studying the complex controversy over spirituality and health research and attempting to decide whether and how the efficacy of healing modalities is to be evaluated; (iii) understanding how Western biomedicine interacts with the array of medical traditions and spiritually inspired healing modalities that thrive in the West; and (iv) throughout the course, addressing philosophical, theological, and ethical questions about norms for mental and physical health and comparing metaphysical frameworks for health and healing. The class is intended for advanced master’s students and doctoral candidates interested in the science-religion dialogue, and particularly in spirituality and health. Meets with TT 945. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 852 Theological Thinking for Everyday Life

For theological thinking to avoid superficiality, it is important to have both a solid understanding of the modern world that stimulates our thinking and a serious grasp of theological themes. An ability to think with precision and creativity is also vital. These skills and bodies of knowledge can lead to deep insights and also help us to avoid pitfalls and dead ends as we do our theological thinking. This course aims to teach theological thinking by doing a lot of it. In particular, the class is designed to place the specific experiences of participants in conversation with each other and with the wisdom of the authors of our readings. The result is a thought-provoking, exploratory process that helps us become more effective theological thinkers. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 854 Classic Jewish Thought

Basic human and religious issues as they have been understood in the classical Jewish tradition: creation and revelation, good and evil, the nature of suffering, the relationship between God and human beings, and the relationships of human beings to one another. Special attention to the role of Torah and its interpretation in Jewish life and thought. Lobel. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 856 Preaching in the Modern World: Preaching Theological Challenges

Consideration of the ways in which the contexts of preaching today differ from those in which the familiar formulations of theology came into being as well as the theological implications of the differences. Also meets with STH TC 856. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 857 Postmodern Theology

An examination of the implications of postmodern theory for the development of theology. Readings from Ricoeur, Foucault, Derrida, Levinas, Taylor, Kristeva, Irigaray, and Caputo. Rambo. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 858 Theologies of Dialogue

An examination of the major contemporary theological options proposed for the theory and practice of dialogue by the churches and theological communities. Prerequisite: STH TT 810. Berthrong. MDiv Theology III Core Elective or MDiv Missiology, Ecumenics, or Dialogue Core Elective.

STH TT 860 Incarnation

An exploration of the significance of the Christian proclamation that the divine took on human flesh, and an examination of this theological category of “incarnation” in and beyond the Christian tradition. Methodologically, the course moves dialectically between scripture, theological textual sources, and mystical writings on the one hand, and theoretical works from philosophy, cognitive science, and psychoanalysis, on the other. Rambo. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 862 Liberation Theology

Theologies of liberation originated in the mid-twentieth century and have continued in various forms and contexts on into the twenty-first century. This course examines some of the classic texts in Latin American, Asian, Hispanic, black, womanist, and feminist liberation theology and aims at an understanding of their sources, methods, hermeneutic, and primary themes. The course is a “reading” course and will take place in a seminar format. Stone. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 863 Cognitive Science and Religion

This course analyzes the encounter between cognitive science and the study of religious experience. Motivated by recent neuroscience research on religious experience, we will develop, in conjunction with brain science, more nuanced phenomenological typologies of religious experience while examining the neural correlates of these experiences. The implications of religious experiences for current understandings of neural conditioning and the implications of repetition in religious ritual practice for studies of learning and imprinting are also considered. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 865 Religious Dimensions of Whitehead’s Philosophy

A detailed study of Whitehead’s physical and metaphysical thought provides a framework for a formal consideration of his religious ideas. Hartshorne’s transformation of Whitehead’s metaphysical and religious ideas into pantheism. Philosophical ideas in process theology. Berthrong. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 866 Feminist and Womanist Theologies

This course surveys the history of feminist and womanist theologies, beginning with a study of the feminist movement and the origins of feminist theology, to current works in global feminisms and postcolonial theory. Moving through the different “waves” of thought, we examine the relationship between theology and broader cultural movements and theories. The course features a major topic (examples of which are power, redemption, and suffering) and equips students for constructive theological reflection informed by feminist and womanist theories and methods. Rambo. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 867 African Christian Theology

Seminar exploring African Christian theologies and cultural issues, with special emphasis on Southern Africa. The course covers such themes as the nature of God, the problem of evil, environmentalism, gender, and indigenous churches. Also offered as STH TM 863 and STH TM 963 for doctoral students. Daneel.

STH TT 871 Science Literacy and Scientific Boundary Questions

It has become difficult to practice theology with a weak understanding of the sciences. This year-long course provides a rapid, yet detailed, introduction to many disciplines within the contemporary natural sciences. Lectures are delivered by experts who are both specialists in their fields and experienced at conveying scientific information accurately to non-specialists. A major focus is on boundary questions that arise within the sciences but cannot be answered within the sciences—questions from ethics, philosophy, and theology. The first semester on the biological sciences can be taken separately from the second semester on physics. Students attending the physics semester (in the spring) must also attend weekly tutorials with the professor for the entire year, for training in the mathematics needed to grasp the physics. Wildman.

STH TT 874 Contemporary Theological Systems

An exploration of contemporary systematic perspectives on the Christian faith aimed at facilitating the development of the student’s own ability to think theologically and to construct his or her own theological perspective in light of his or her own theological tradition and the contemporary situation. Wegter-McNelly. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 889 Theologies of Sexual Identities

Given the contentions within Christianity over hospitality to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, a study of the formation of sexual identity is important for theology today. This course examines biblical, historical, philosophical and scientific literature in addition to theological writings on the topic. Special attention is given to issues of naturalness and social construction with respect to sexual identity. The goal of the course is for each student to develop a theology of sexual identities. Neville.

STH TT 898 Theology and Trauma

This course brings recent studies in the interdisciplinary study of trauma to bear on the field of theology. What unique challenges does the phenomenon of trauma pose to contemporary theology? We begin the course by examining the phenomenon of trauma in literary, clinical, and neurobiological perspectives. Throughout the course, we extend this theological reflection to other arenas, moving through major theological themes (e.g., sin, incarnation, grace, church) with the questions of trauma in mind. The course aims to familiarize students with the field of trauma studies and to move them towards constructively responses to the complex challenges confronting traumatized persons and communities. Rambo. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 899 Schleiermacher

The primary aim of this course is to read and understand the theology of Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher, one of the most important and influential European intellectuals of the 19th century, and known variously as the Father of Romanticism, the Father of Hermeneutics, the Father of German Plato Studies, the Father of Modern Protestant Theology, and the Father of Liberal Christian Theology. The course focuses on The Christian Faith (CF) but also covers some other of his writings—particularly On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers (OR) and Letters to Lücke (LL)—and some biographical material. The secondary aim is to help students develop their own theological ideas in detailed conversation with Schleiermacher’s, a purpose for which CF is particularly well suited. Meets with STH TT 934. Wildman. MDiv Theology III Core Elective.

STH TT 901 Core Texts and Motifs

An intensive year-long seminar, in English translation, of key primary texts and philosophical-theological-religious ideas of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism. Particularly well suited to doctoral students. Advanced master’s students with permission of instructor only. Staff.

STH TT 908 Seminar in Medieval Theology and Christology

A study of theology and the social dynamics of Christology as seen in representative theologians. Staff.

STH TT 909 Modern Western Theology I: The Modern Period

A comprehensive introduction to Western theology from the Enlightenment to the beginning of the twentieth century in seminar format. Significant background in theology is required. Verify prerequisites with professor. Neville.

STH TT 913 Religion and Science

A doctoral-level seminar exploring contemporary theoretical discussions among scientists, philosophers, and theologians. Wegter-McNelly.

STH TT 921 Religion and Science Proseminar

A doctoral-level introduction to the interface of science, philosophy, and religion, including salient methodological issues associated with the investigation of phenomena from interdisciplinary and interreligious perspectives. The course explores how the juxtaposition of diverse disciplines can be approached constructively in the formulation of concrete research projects. Wildman, Wegter-McNelly.

STH TT 924 Theological Aesthetics

An exploration of why the retrieval of beauty is essential in an age of terror, and of the significance of aesthetics in the current religious landscape. Using Hans Urs von Balthasar’s theological aesthetics as a lens for exploring the relationship between beauty and the divine, the course will examine key works in Western thought in which beauty plays a significant role (Plato, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, John Damascene, Bonaventure, Kierkegaard). In these latter sessions, the focus will be on specialized topics: sacred space, sacred dance, sacred bodies and advertising, and sacred writing in order to see how the theory engaged in the first part of the course informs contemporary issues. Finally, the course will explore the impact that this theological retrieval might have on contemporary discussions of justice, trauma, conflict, and terror. Rambo.

STH TT 925 American Metaphysics

Certain leading thinkers in the American philosophic tradition have positively engaged the nature of religion and conceptions of God in light of late modern developments in the natural and social sciences. In different but curiously related ways, they construe both inquiry and the practice of humane living to be of a piece, uniting science and religion. They develop philosophical theologies and cosmologies in which value is an objective element of nature. This course will examine central essays of Charles Pierce on religion, scientific method, and cosmology; writings of John Dewey on the social and natural sciences, knowledge of value, and religion; and books of Alfred North Whitehead on science, religion, and a physical cosmology with God. Relevant books of the instructor will be used to bring the study up to date. Neville.

STH TT 928 Theology Proseminar

The purpose of this seminar is professional formation of doctoral students in Boston University through the study of certain central approaches to theology and an introduction to program requirements, faculty and library resources, reading lists, and qualifying examinations. Staff.

STH TT 929 Proseminar in Comparative Theology

This course will be a study of the development of the new theological sub-discipline known as Comparative Theology (the comparison and contrast between and among different traditions representing diverse cultural regions, both diachronic and synchronic, in form and function). There will be a series of introductory remarks by the instructor (ca. two weeks). For the balance of the course, students will make class presentations based on various readings and more specialized research projects. The goal of the course will be to provide an overview of the field as well as the articulation of individual approaches and methods for constructing comparative theologies. Berthrong.

STH TT 930 Modern Western Theology II: 1914 to Present

A comprehensive introduction to theological figures and themes of the twentieth century in a seminar format. Wegter-McNelly.

STH TT 934 Schleiermacher

The primary aim of this course is to read and understand the theology of Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher, one of the most important and influential European intellectuals of the nineteenth century, and known variously as the Father of Romanticism, the Father of Hermeneutics, the Father of German Plato Studies, the Father of Modern Protestant Theology, and the Father of Liberal Christian Theology. The course focuses on The Christian Faith (CF) but also covers some other of his writings—particularly On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers (OR) and Letters to Lücke (LL)—and some biographical material. The secondary aim is to help students develop their own theological ideas in detailed conversation with Schleiermacher’s, a purpose for which CF is particularly well suited. Meets with STH TT 899. Wildman.

STH TT 940 Ecclesiology

See STH TJ 940. Stone.

STH TT 945 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health

The general aim of this science-religion course is to learn about the complex entanglements among religious traditions and spirituality, medical traditions and healing modalities, and norms for physical and mental health. This will involve (i) gaining a basic grasp on the history of the medical traditions of China, India, the Middle East, and the West, including the metaphysical frameworks that inform those traditions; (ii) studying the complex controversy over spirituality and health research and attempting to decide whether and how the efficacy of healing modalities is to be evaluated; (iii) understanding how Western biomedicine interacts with the array of medical traditions and spiritually inspired healing modalities that thrive in the West; and (iv) throughout the course, addressing philosophical, theological, and ethical questions about norms for mental and physical health and comparing metaphysical frameworks for health and healing. The class is intended for advanced master’s students and doctoral candidates interested in the science-religion dialogue, and particularly in spirituality and health. Meets with TT 845. Wildman.

STH TT 946 Advanced Systematic Theology I: God and Creation

A study of creations as the fundamental religious relation between God and the world, defining both. Develops an adequate Christian theology of God and explores alternate conceptions of God. Neville.

STH TT 947 Advanced Systematic Theology II: The Human Condition

Study of the theological dimensions of human life, examining the Christian notions of sin and salvation, and some variants and alternatives to these and other religious traditions. Develops a contemporary Christology. Neville.

STH TT 948 Advanced Systematic Theology III: Holy Spirit

Study of both personal and communal dimensions of the religious life. Examines the church and the religious practices of ritual, symbol making, and paths of spiritual perfection. Develops a systematic doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the church. Neville.

STH TT 950 The Concept of Revelation in Contemporary Theology

This seminar explores the meaning and significance of the concept of “revelation” in contemporary theology. The central question of the course is at once epistemological and ethical: Does the concept of revelation inevitably put theology at odds with other human efforts to understand reality? Can this concept function nonfoundationally within theology, or does it always play an authorizing role? Readings and assignments are intended to help students construct their own theological response to these questions. Wegter-McNelly.

STH TT 955 The Axiology of Theology

A detailed study of the thesis that valuation structures thinking in imagination, interpretation, theorizing, and the pursuit of responsibility. Principal texts are the instructor’s Reconstruction of Thinking, Recovery of the Measure, and Normative Cultures. Neville.

STH TT 956 Atheisms and Theologies

The general aim of this course is to learn about varieties of atheism—older “classic atheism,” so-called “new atheism” of recent years, and theologically inspired forms of atheism—and to understand the various theological responses to atheism. Questions of particular importance are: (1) How strong are traditional and new atheistic arguments? (2) Where does or should theology stand in relation to the arguments of atheism? (3) What are the origins of modern atheism? (4) Should postmodern mystical theologies and iconoclastic anti-anthropomorphic theologies that reject a determinate divine being be considered atheistic? If so, how does this sort of atheism relate to other types? The class is intended for advanced master’s students and doctoral candidates interested in contemporary theology and its conceptual roots in older theological debates. Meets with STH TT 816. Wildman.

STH TT 974 Languages of Theology, Religion, and Mysticism

The aim of this seminar is to examine material pertinent to constructing a comprehensive interpretation of language as it is used in theology, religion, and mysticism. A wide range of disciplinary perspectives will prove useful, including those of evolutionary theory, sociology, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, literary criticism, philosophy, and theology. An advanced research seminar, this course presumes significant background knowledge in theology and philosophy and is designed for doctoral students. Advanced master’s students can participate with the permission of the instructor. Wildman.

STH TT 974 Religious Experience

This seminar is a multidisciplinary study of religious experience, drawing on philosophy, theology, literature, psychology, sociology, the cognitive sciences, and the neurosciences. An advanced research seminar, this course presumes significant background knowledge in theology and philosophy and is designed for doctoral students. Advanced master’s students can participate with the permission of the instructor. Wildman.

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