Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the Student Link for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• STH TT 934: Schleiermacher
  The primary aim of this course is 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 Locke (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. The class has 800-level and 900-level designations to accommodate both advanced masters and doctoral students, respectively.
• STH TT 936: Barth and his Interpreters
  Karl Barth is recognized as one of the most influential Christian theologians of the 20th century. The course explores his impact through an examination of the central ideas and commitments of Barth's thought. Rooting his work within the German context, we will also examine and assess the transmission of his work within the U.S. context. The first part of the course focuses on Barth's writings, paying particular attention to his rhetoric. The second part examines works that connect Barth to constructive projects and pressing questions in our current historical moment.
• STH TT 940: Ecclesiology
  This course asks the question, ?What is the church?? in dialogue with Christian theological figures and schools representing Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian traditions. While one of the aims of this course is that students be conversant with those voices, it ultimately aims at the student's ability to articulate the ecclesiology of his or her own community and to bring that to bear on the contemporary situation and particular problems of Christian practice in church and society. Meets with TJ940.
• STH TT 954: Scientific Approaches to Religion
  This seminar examines interpretations of religious beliefs, behaviors, and experiences deriving from the biological, evolutionary, psychological, cognitive, neurological, and medical sciences.
• STH TT 956: Atheisms and Theologies
  The general aim of this course is 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 masters students and doctoral candidates interested in con-temporary theology and its conceptual roots in older theological debates. Meets with STH TT 816.
• STH TT 961: Varieties of Religious Naturalism
  The aim of this course is learn about varieties of religious naturalism and how they have been, and can be, incorporated into philosophical and theological reflection. The seminar will read a variety of works in contemporary religious naturalism, from twentieth-century classics to current contributions, and from theoretical analyses of the meaning of naturalism to surveys attempting to map out the territory of plausible viewpoints. We will also track the close relationship between religious naturalism and both ecologically-rooted forms of spirituality and nature-centered forms of mysticism.
• STH TT 998: Theology and Trauma
  This course aims to bring the 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? The first part of the course explores recent studies in trauma, focusing on three areas of research: 1) neurobiology of trauma, 2) clinical/therapeutic studies, and 3) literary approaches to trauma. The second part of the course examines theological engagements with issues of radical suffering. The third part brings together the insights from the first two and focuses on the question of what it means to witness theologically to individual, societal, and global trauma. We will look at issues and contexts such as the criminal justice system, war, poverty, and racism. In this final part, students will be working towards constructive theological engagements with issues of trauma through interaction with a variety of mediums: art, literature, spiritual practices, and film. The course is not a counseling course. It aims to provide rich theological reflection around issues of suffering, violence, and trauma, both individual and global.
• STH TY 704: Spiritual Care
  This course introduces a method of spiritual care as practical theology. Students will be asked to engage the experiences of loss, violence, doubt, and despair reflected in spiritual care conversations. They will be invited to use theological, philosophical, psychological, and cultural studies to reflect upon these issues, and develop theologically and/or spiritually based strategies of care and justice. (Cluster 3)
• STH TY 803: The Psychology of Religion
  Examining methodological questions and issues in the psychological interpretation of religious matters by considering what is meant by 'religion' and what is involved in interpreting 'religion' psychologically. (Cluster 2)
• STH TY 806: Theories of Human Development
  The goal of this course is to achieve an understanding of the human developmental process and how that process integrates the growth of faith and the life of the community. We will use a series of theoretical readings, broader lectures by the professor, and selected autobiographies to apply theory. As our experiences provide excellent laboratory data, there will be various opportunities to examine our own life processes as a way of seeing theory in action. Course Objectives: By the end of the class, students should: - know the primary developmental theories, including psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, social learning, faith development and be able to identity of variety of lesser used theories - be able to critique developmental theories using the insights of feminist theory, studies in racism and sexual identity, and the reality of globalization - be able to apply theory to case material - discuss the relationship of human development and community context. (Clusters 2 and 3)
• STH TY 811: Object Relations and the Study of Religion
  Achieving familiarity with and fluency in a series of psychoanalytic theories of personality/character, development, relationships, motivation, health, and pathology, as a context in which to practice psychoanalytic interpretations of religious matters. (Cluster 2)
• STH TY 823: Multicultural Counseling and Social Justice
  This course introduces frameworks and methods of multicultural counseling that are sensitive to and informed by notions of social justice. Students will be asked to engage the contextual complexities of human psychology as they pertain specifically to counseling while concurrently examining social justice issues through theological, philosophical, psychological, historical, and cultural studies. Along the way, students will ideally develop and cultivate practical strategies and techniques equipping them to provide culturally sensitive and socially just counseling and care. (Clusters 2 and 3)
• STH TY 826: Psychodynamics of Marriage and Family
  This is an introductory course that includes a comprehensive overview of the field of family systems and family therapy. This course will serve as an introduction to the theory and techniques of couples and family therapy. An attempt will be made to integrate theory and practice through assignments, class activities, and personal and professional self-reflection. Students will have the opportunity to reflect upon how they might actually use course content professionally in their respective disciplines. (Clusters 2 and 3)
• STH TY 842: Pastoral Psychology of Healing
  Every person, in her or his personal relationships and professional activities, is guided by a complex, often tacit, theory of healing, comprised of judgments about illness/suffering (what's wrong?); health/well-being (what's possible? what's ideal?); the trajectory from one to the other (how do we get there?); and factors that enhance as well as inhibit movement along that trajectory (what should we do?). Examining and comparing a range of theories of healing--in psychology, medicine, Christian traditions, world religions, and non-Western cultures--equips us critically to reflect upon, amend, if not reconstruct our respective theories of healing. (Clusters 2 and 3)
• STH TY 854: Pastoral Theology and Psychology
  Practical theologians, pastoral theologians, and pastoral psychologists focus on different subject matters, use different methods, and address different audiences. Nonetheless, they share a common purpose: to diagnose, accurately and in-depth, concrete problems of the human condition (e.g., suffering, evil) and, correspondingly, to construct effective ways of addressing those problems (i.e., forms of intervention, strategies of care). This is a reading course that examines contributions of theologians, practical theologians, pastoral theologians, and pastoral psychologists, and provides a context in which students may investigate research problems that are especially relevant to their respective communities and traditions, as well as their particular vocational objectives (e.g., parish ministry, chaplaincy, pastoral care, seminary teaching). (Cluster 2)
• STH TY 901: Professional Seminar in Counseling Psychology and Religion
  This two-credit graduate level seminar will cover significant issues in the field of Counseling Psychology and Religion. Emphasis will be on discussion of the issues raised by the presenters and the readings assigned. The course is designed to create a greater sense of community and connection among Counseling Psychology faculty and students throughout the university and to increase socialization into the professional aspects of being a Counseling Psychologist.
• STH TY 903: The Psychology of Religion
  Examining methodological questions and issues in the psychological interpretation of religious matters by considering what is meant by 'religion' and what is involved in interpreting 'religion' psychologically.
• STH TY 906: Human Development
  Human Development Course Description: The goal of this course is to achieve an understanding of the human developmental process and how that process integrates the growth of faith and the life of the community. We will use a series of theoretical readings, broader lectures by the professor, and selected autobiographies to apply theory. As our experiences provide excellent laboratory data, there will be various opportunities to examine our own life processes as a way of seeing theory in action. Course Objectives: By the end of the class, students should: - know the primary developmental theories, including psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, social learning, faith development and be able to identity of variety of lesser used theories - be able to critique developmental theories using the insights of feminist theory, studies in racism and sexual identity, and the reality of globalization - be able to apply theory to case material - discuss the relationship of human development and community context
• STH TY 911: Object Relations Theory for Pastoral Relationships
  Achieving familiarity with and fluency in a series of psychoanalytic theories of personality/character, development, relationships, motivation, health, and pathology, as a context in which to practice psychoanalytic interpretations of religious matters.
• STH TY 926: Psychodynamics of Marriage and Family
  This course includes a comprehensive overview of the field of family systems and family therapy. It will serve as an introduction to the theory and techniques of couples and family therapy. An attempt will be made to integrate theory and practice through assignments, class activities, and personal and professional self-reflection. Students will have the opportunity to reflect upon how they might actually use course content professionaly in their respective disciplines.

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