THEO2491: CATHOLIC THEOLOGY IN THE MODERN WORLD

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• To give a broad survey of developments in Catholic theology in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• To enable a serious engagement with the work of a few of the outstanding figures and movements in recent Catholic theology.

• 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 in broad terms as well as 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, the encyclical Aeterni Patris and the triumph of neo-scholasticism; the development of Catholic Social Teaching; the modernist crisis; the Nouvelle Thologie and the Ressourcement movement; Rahner, Balthasar and de Lubac; Vatican II and the struggle over its interpretation; liberation theology and its reception.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Knowledge and critical understanding of the development of Roman Catholic thought from the middle of the 19th century
• Knowledge and critical understanding of the theology of selected Catholic thinkers and movements

Subject-specific Skills:

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

Key Skills:

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

• 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.
• Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparation 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.
• Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation of information in written form under time constraints.

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