Religious Studies and Theology
Faculty
Sr. Camilla Burns, SND, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies (program chair)
Sr. Mary Johnson, SND, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies
Description
The Religious Studies and Theology Program provides students with the opportunity to explore perennial human questions concerning ultimate meaning and value. Because of its formative role in Western culture, Christianity serves as the point of departure for the academic study of theology; the Catholic tradition provides a focus because of Trinity’s own origins in the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Trinity also offers students the opportunity to study world religions and the interaction between religion and society.
Program objectives for students include:
- To make possible a thoughtful examination and critical analysis of specific religious beliefs, worldviews, and ethical norms.
- To facilitate students’ articulation of spirituality and their own personal stance toward life.
- To refine each student’s moral vision and develop her skills at evaluating experience, personal and social, within an ethical framework.
- To enhance a student’s capacity not only to understand and respect religious and cultural diversity but also to elicit a firm commitment to justice and a sense of responsibility for the larger society.
The Religious Studies and Theology Program offers a minor to students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students who elect to minor in Religious Studies and Theology may select one of two tracks. The track in Catholic Theology introduces the student to the discipline of Theology and provides the student with an overview of the various branches of this discipline in the context of Catholic/Christian thought. This minor is especially helpful to those students who plan to do graduate work in Theology or Ministry.
The track for Religious Studies helps students explore the significant role which religion has played in historical, political and economic institutions, both in the past and in the present. Through this exploration, students will be challenged not only to develop a deeper personal understanding of the interplay between religion and cultural institutions but also to act on that understanding through interreligious dialogue and works of justice and peace. This track will also prove beneficial for those students who plan to do graduate work in Religious Studies or Theology.
The Program in Religious Studies and Theology is an essential part of the general education curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences, and its courses are designed to complement and support the major programs offered.
Minor Requirements
Catholic Theology Track
ONE introductory course in theology:
THE 121 Introduction to Catholic TheologyExplores the Catholic worldview with a focus on the human desire for happiness. The course considers major doctrinal and moral teachings, and sacramental and liturgical theology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Belief Area
FLC Area III
FIVE additional courses at the 200-level or above. At least three of these additional courses must have the THE designation
Religious Studies Track
ONE introductory course in religious studies:
RST 101 Religion and Human ExperienceIntroduces the student to the study of religion as an academic discipline: various understandings of religion; methods, the role of myth, creed and symbol in religious discourse. The course also examines the expression of religious experience in history as well as psychological and sociological perspectives on religious experience.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
FLC Area III
FIVE additional courses at the 200-level or above, at least three of these additional courses must have the RST designation.
Students should consult with a member of the Religious Studies and Theology Program once they decide to pursue the minor in order to determine which track is most appropriate.
Program Policies
Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Religious Studies or Theology minor.
CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Religious Studies or Theology minor.
Grades in Required Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Pass/No Pass:
Courses in the minor may not be taken pass/no pass.
TELL Policy:
TELL credits will not count toward the minor in Religious Studies or Theology.
Transfer Credits:
The Religious Studies and Theology Program does not accept transfer credits for the minor; all course work must be completed at Trinity.
Religious Studies Course Descriptions
RST 101 Religion and Human ExperienceIntroduces the student to the study of religion as an academic discipline: various understandings of religion; methods, the role of myth, creed and symbol in religious discourse. The course also examines the expression of religious experience in history as well as psychological and sociological perspectives on religious experience.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
FLC Area III
RST 210 Religion and CultureExplores the dialectic that exists between religion and different aspects of contemporary culture (e.g., between religion and psychology, economics, politics, feminism, the environment and the media). The objective is to understand the way in which religious beliefs and traditions shape our cultural systems and in turn affect religious renewal.
3 credits
FLC Area III
RST 225 Religion and WomenExamines the nature of the feminist critique of religion, but especially as this relates to the Christian tradition. The course looks at the way classic symbols (e.g., God, Christ, redemption/salvation) have traditionally been construed and studies the creative new meanings being found in these symbols that originate in theological reflection on women's experience. Special attention is given to the most recent contributions of African American and Hispanic women theologians as well as women theologians from the developing world.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
FLC Area III
RST 245 Religion and EconomicsConsiders the relationship between religion and economics and how each shapes the other. The course also looks at the significance of money in contemporary society and examines Christian teaching about money and economic justice. Formerly RST 245 - Religion and Money.
3 credits
FLC Area III
RST 250 Afrrican American Religious ExperienceExamines the religious life and spirituality of the African-American community as it has been influenced by social and historical forces in the U.S. The course also considers the special contributions of African-American women to the work of the Black church.
3 credits
FLC Area III
RST 265 Western Religion and the FamilyGives an overview of the understanding of Christian churches on marriage and family. The course also considers traditional and contemporary understandings of human sexuality and examines contributions of feminist analysis of church positions on family and the roles of men and women in families.
3 credits
FLC Area III
General Education Requirements: Values and Beliefs
RST 290 Religions of the WorldSurveys the history of the great religious traditions of the world -- Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, and Islam. Special emphases will be given to the belief systems, ceremonies, and structures of these traditions as they explore the quest for ultimate meaning.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
FLC Area III
Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society
RST 302 Religion: Ritual and SymbolConsiders the nature of ritual and symbol and the Christian sacramental world view. The course also studies the history and theology of the individual Christian sacraments as well as rituals and symbols of other major religions.
3 credits
RST 310 Interpreting Biblical TextsThis course explores significant portions of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures [The Bible] as works of literature; we will examine the historical times and cultures that shaped these works, as well as the sources from which they were derived. Formerly RST 310 The Bible as Literature in its Historical Context
3 Credits
Prerequisites: ENGL 107
Gen Ed Core Area: Values and Beliefs
RST 370 Religions of IndiaExamines the nature and functions of religion in India with an emphasis on Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.
3 credits
RST 372 Religions of the WestExamines the nature and function of religion - belief systems, rituals, and ethical practices of the major religions of the Book: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
3 credits
Theology Course Descriptions
THE 121 Introduction to Catholic TheologyExplores the Catholic worldview with a focus on the human desire for happiness. The course considers major doctrinal and moral teachings, and sacramental and liturgical theology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Belief Area
FLC Area III
THE 201 Introduction to the Old TestamentExamines the Hebrew Scriptures using the tools of contemporary exegesis; the historical, cultural, and social contexts in which the texts were written; theological themes of the Pentateuch and historical books; and the prophetic and wisdom traditions.
3 credits
FLC Area III
THE 202 Acts, Paul, RevelationUses the tools of the historical-critical method and examines the historical setting and theological motifs of Acts, the major themes of the Pauline Corpus and Revelation.
3 credits
FLC Area III
THE 203 Gospel TraditionsExamines modern critical methodologies and the historical background of the Greco-Roman world of contemporary Judaism. The course considers the individual gospels and their interrelationships as well as the teaching of Jesus and the various dimensions of his ministry, death, and resurrection.
3 credits
FLC Area III
THE 222 Christian SpiritualityExamines the lives and writings of individuals (e.g., Mother Teresa, Therese of Liseux, Dorothy Day) and groups (e.g., African Americans, Hispanics) who have found the Christian tradition to be a significant way to the achievement of wholeness and integration in life. The course considers spirituality both as an end and as a specific regimen of life.
3 credits
FLC Area III
THE 223 Christ, Church, and Social JusticeStudies the person and mission of Jesus Christ and the foundation and growth of the church. The course considers select themes of Vatican II and examines specific issues related to social justice according to student interest.
3 credits
FLC Area III
THE 240 Theological EthicsIntroduces the basic principles and norms of the Catholic moral tradition and considers their application to contemporary personal issues, social problems and medical issues.
3 credits