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• CAS 1000 Catholic Studies and the Self

  CAS 1000 Catholic Studies and the Self

  Credit Hours: 1

  This core experience is a weekend retreat on discernment based on the spirituality of Ignatius Loyola and Catherine McCauley and is taught in conjunction with CAS 4000, the Senior Seminar. Students will prepare a spiritual autobiography prior to the weekend and write a paper on their discernment and reflection afterwards as part of developing a vision of themselves as Catholics. Permission of the director of the Catholic Studies Program is required for enrollment.

• CAS 2000 Catholicism: Spirit and Methods

  CAS 2000 Catholicism: Spirit and Methods

  Credit Hours: 3

  This course is a basic introduction to Catholicism. It covers such topics as faith, the Gospels and Jesus, the Christian God, community, sacrament, liturgy and worship, the meaning of church, spirituality, Catholic Social Teaching, and the "Catholic Imagination." The course requires personal reflection on the spiritual traditions of Ignatius Loyola and Catherine McAuley as well as service in the community and reflection on that experience in the light of Catholic Social Thought.

• CAS 2150 Rise of Christianity

  CAS 2150 Rise of Christianity

  Credit Hours: 3

  An introduction to the history of Christianity from its Jewish roots to the eve of the Protestant Reformation. A study of the historical setting, worship, theological controversies and institutional development of Christianity. An examination of the role of Christianity in ancient and medieval history, as well as how the historical milieu has affected Christianity.

• CAS 2300 Catholic Theology Today

  CAS 2300 Catholic Theology Today

  Credit Hours: 3

  An introductory survey of Roman Catholic Theology both in its traditional form and in Theology both in its traditional form and in The light of its transformation during and Since Vatican Council II, focusing chiefly on doctrinal issues: God, Christ, Revelation, the Church, relationship to the modern world.

• CAS 2400 Social Ethics

  CAS 2400 Social Ethics

  Credit Hours: 3

  A survey of selected contemporary social ethics issues. Interest will focus on the disciplined methods of understanding the nature, function, and validity of values in socially structured situations.

• CAS 2420 Religion and Science in the West

  CAS 2420 Religion and Science in the West

  Credit Hours: 3

  A study of changing relations between religious outlooks and scientific methods, from the 17th to the 20th century. Special attention is paid to the shifting boundaries between religion and science.

• CAS 2500 The Quest for God Today

  CAS 2500 The Quest for God Today

  Credit Hours: 3

  The contemporary search for the meaning of life as expressed in literature, psychology, and theology. This course explores both Christian and non-Christian forms of spirituality, from prayer and social action to recovery movements, focusing on the individual's experience of the divine.

• CAS 2560 God and The Human Condition

  CAS 2560 God and The Human Condition

  Credit Hours: 3

  An introductory course in theology which uses literature and film to explore basic questions about human existence, such as the following: what forces or powers-chance, luck, fate, providence - are at work in our lives? What are the natures and causes of human tragedy, suffering and evil, and what difference might faith in God make in responding to them?

• CAS 3000 Catholic Church History: Crystallizing Moments

  CAS 3000 Catholic Church History: Crystallizing Moments

  Credit Hours: 3

  This course treats key theological, spiritual, and ecclesiological developments in the early church, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and Vatican Council II. Emphasis is on the relationship between historical issues and contemporary church and social concerns. The course requires personal reflection on the spiritual traditions of Ignatius Loyola and Catherine McAuley as well as service in the community and reflection on that experience in the light of Catholic Social Thought.

• CAS 3380 Latin American Liberation Theology

  CAS 3380 Latin American Liberation Theology

  Credit Hours: 3

  An introduction to liberation theologies through reading major theorists; understanding the significance of connecting faith with action; and exploring the dynamics of social analysis.

• CAS 3470 Christian Social Thought

  CAS 3470 Christian Social Thought

  Credit Hours: 3

  An examination of the positions major Christian thinkers have proposed on the responsibility of men and women towards each other, government, the legitimacy of dissent, and issues of justice.

• CAS 3530 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth

  CAS 3530 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth

  Credit Hours: 3

  This course examines in depth the spiritualties of the founders of the Jesuits and Sisters of Mercy as models for understanding spirituality in general. Through this study students will explore the meaning of spirituality, spiritual growth, and applications and integration of spirituality with other aspects of life.

• CAS 3680 Catholic Health Care Ethics

  CAS 3680 Catholic Health Care Ethics

  Credit Hours: 3

  An examination of moral problems in health care from the perspective of Catholic moral theology and selected Church writings. Fundamental moral concepts in the Catholic tradition are applied to topics such as reproductive technology, end-of-life care, physician assisted suicide, abortion, contraception and resource allocation. The course will also expose students to moral views from other faith tradition as well as from secular health care ethics literature.

• CAS 3800 Sport and Spiritual Traditions

  CAS 3800 Sport and Spiritual Traditions

  Credit Hours: 3

  In this course, students will make use of the interdisciplinary method of the academic study of spirituality (which includes theology) to reflect on the human, cultural and spiritual significance of sport in diverse contexts and from the point of view of different religious traditions. Among the various topics covered, this course examines how sport has been used as a way of fostering unity and peace in societies or has intensified already existing conflicts between people from different races, cultures, nations or religious traditions. Students also consider attempts to make sport available to marginalized groups, including poor children, and in some cultural and religious contexts, girls and women.

• CAS 3810 The Soul of Sport: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry

  CAS 3810 The Soul of Sport: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry

  Credit Hours: 3

  In this course we will make use of philosophy, psychology, sociology, health sciences and theology/spirituality to study the lived experiences of participating in sport in the contemporary U.S. context. Our focus will be on understanding the dynamics that lead to well-being, growth and openness to transcendence, and the dynamics that lead to personal diminishment, desolation with respect to meaning and purpose in one's life. This course is normally offered every other fall semester.

• CAS 4000 Senior Seminar

  CAS 4000 Senior Seminar

  Credit Hours: 2

  This is a capstone seminar for students in their last semester of the Catholic Studies Program. It is designed to help them integrate their elective coursework and other studies with an overall vision of Catholicism. Permission of the director of the Catholic Studies Program is required for enrollment.

• CAS 4950 Special Topics in Catholic Studies

  CAS 4950 Special Topics in Catholic Studies

  Credit Hours: 1 TO 3

  Content will vary based on the expertise of the instructor.