Learning Outcomes

Throughout their studies in the Theology major, students will:

• Explain central concepts of Catholic theology, such as revelation, tradition, sin, salvation, trinity, grace, incarnation, inspiration of scripture, church and sacrament.
• Effectively use scholarly resources for research.
• Write competently in the forms appropriate for theological discourse.
• Investigate and evaluate theological insights.
• Defend the complementary relationship between faith and reason within the Catholic intellectual tradition.

Through engagement with the Catholic theological heritage, students will:

• List the major figures in the development of the Catholic tradition and classify their contribution.
• Identify and explain important theological concepts in the Nicene-Constantinople Creed.
• Record important events in the history of Christianity.
• List the components of Catholic social justice teaching and employ them in the analysis of a moral predicament.
• Examine and explain the important liturgical expressions found within the Christian worship tradition.

Within the study of the Old Testament and the New Testament, students will:

• Explain the principles of Catholic reading and the consequent multiple interpretations of the Bible.
• Trace the narrative of salvation history as drawn from episodes of the Bible.
• Explain how the Catholic Church’s teachings are grounded in biblical texts.
• Discuss the application of biblical themes to contemporary situations.
• Make connections between major texts, people, and incidents in the Bible and appraise the effect of these relationships within the scope of biblical theology.

Founded within a liberal arts tradition, students will:

• Learn the Catholic principles for ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, and assess contemporary developments in those areas.
• Articulate the role and influence of Catholicism and/or Christianity in discussions that occur in public realms.
• Demonstrate a consciousness of contemporary cultural and social issues, and the role that Catholic theology can contribute to those issues.
• Communicate examples of contributions Catholic theology can make to the study of other disciplines, and contributions other disciplines can make to the study of Catholic theology.