Module THEO2491: Catholic Theology in the Modern World

Department: Theology and Religion

THEO2491: Catholic Theology in the Modern World

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To provide a broad survey of developments in Catholic theology from the 19th century to the present.
• To enable a serious engagement with the work of a few of the outstanding figures, movements, and texts in recent Catholic theology.

Content

• Catholic thought since the middle of the 19th century has had a turbulent and fascinating history, involving dramatic and recurring struggles around issues of modernity and its relation to tradition and authority. In this module we will trace this development while engaging in depth with some of the thinkers and bodies of literature which are its richest fruits. Topics to be covered may include Vatican I, infallibility, and the triumph of neo-scholasticism; the development of Catholic Social Teaching; the modernist crisis; the Nouvelle Théologie and the Ressourcement movement; Newman, Blondel, Congar, Rahner, Balthasar and de Lubac; Vatican II and the struggle over its interpretation; liberation theologies and their reception; contemporary debates about gender and synodality.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and critical understanding of the development of Roman Catholic thought from the mid-19th century to the present.
• Knowledge and critical understanding of the theology of selected Catholic thinkers, movements, and texts.

• Skills in the analysis and critical evaluation of theological texts, concepts and arguments.

• Skills in the acquisition and interpretation of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of ideas.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Plenary lectures convey information and exemplify an approach to the subject-matter, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating information.
• Seminar discussions enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparatory reading and through interaction with students and staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and approaches.
• Summative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.
• Formative research proposals develop subject-specific knowledge, along with student skills in close-text reading, analysis, and presentation.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A 300-word research proposal, along with an annotated bibliography of at least 5-7 sources.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.