Course: TH 1043

Time: TH 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Instructor: Rev. Lawrence Stasyszen, O.S.B.

Telephone: (O) 405–878–5432, (H) 405–878–5463 (Please, no calls after 10:00 p.m.)

E-mail: frlawrence@sgc.edu

Office: AD 011, (In the Center for Spiritual Development)

Web-site: http://intranet.sgc.edu/people/faculty/frlawrence

Hours: Posting office hours for a long-distance course might seem a bit odd. I encourage the students, however, to contact me by telephone or e-mail if they have any questions arising from the course. Except for when I am in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am generally in my office from 9:30-11:50 a.m., and from 1:00-4:00 p.m. I am, however, often in meetings or off campus for various business. You can check my calendar on my web-site. If you need to reach me, please leave a message with Trish Koehler in the CSD or on my answering machine.

Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the Roman Rite of Catholicism in its anthropological, historical, and social dimensions. Major components include: the history of the sacraments, the theology of the sacraments, individual and communal empowerment.

During the course, the instructor will strive

1. to introduce students to the fundamentals of theological inquiry and method;

2. to provide the student with an understanding of the primary teachings of the Roman Catholic Church as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church;

3. to introduce the student to the historical and theological background of Catholic sacramental celebration;

4. to explore the basic tenets of Catholic moral teaching and practice;

5. to familiarize the student with the documents of Vatican Council II;

6. to familiarize the student with sources for current issues in Catholic life.

At the end of the course, the student will be able

1. to describe the roots of Roman Catholicism and to situate Catholicism in the context of other world religions and Christian denominations;

2. to describe the dynamic of God’s nature from the perspective of the "economic" Trinity and the "immanent" Trinity;

3. to describe the Church in its components of unity, sanctity, universality and apostolicity;

4. to make use of the tools of theological inquiry – scripture, tradition, experience – to learn more about and examine critically contemporary Catholic teaching;

5. to read contemporary commentaries on Catholic belief from a critical perspective;

6. to articulate his/her own journey of faith development and describe the ways in which one grows morally and spiritually.

O’Connor, Edward D. The Catholic Vision. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Pub. Div. 1992.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994.

Selected handouts, Catholic newspaper articles, and other supplementary material.

Pre-assessment: A brief written survey of the student understanding of key concepts in Catholic belief.

Short Reflection Papers and Presentations: 50%

Daily Written Work: 30%

Class Participation and Attendance: 20%

Assignments are due on the date scheduled. Written assignments turned in late are subject to a deduction of one letter grade. Unless other arrangements are made, assignments will not be accepted if they are more than one week (one class period) late.

If all students for credit have internet access, the questions over reading material are due by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday prior to the class period for which they are listed. The answers should be typed and double-spaced and the student should send them as attachments to: frlawrence@sgc.edu.

Unless otherwise indicated, short essays will be due during the class period. They should be typed double-spaced and documented when appropriate. Essays will be evaluated on accuracy in content, thoroughness of answer, appropriate content and coherence of development and language. Deductions will be made for errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation and documentation. All written assignments should include the student’s name, the course number and title, and the date the assignment is due on the title page.

Due to the fact that this course will meet only once per week, students are expected to attend every class and to participate in class discussions. In order to receive full credit for attendance, the student must exhibit that s/he has prepared adequately for class. The instructor is to be informed in advance of absences in order for them to be excused.

Those auditing the class are expected to attend each session and should be prepared to join in the course discussion. They are also expected to prepare the daily written assignments, but not necessarily the reflection papers. This is to help assure that all will present will be prepared to participate in class discussions.

Part One: Overview, Context and Method for Theology

Part Two: God the Creator

Part Three: Christ the Redeemer

Part Four: The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete

Part Five: The Church