Aquinas College :: Catholic Studies

Degrees/Courses

Courses

Class Schedule

Course Rotation Schedule (pdf)

Catholic Studies is an interdisciplinary minor. The Catholic Studies program is designed for students interested in exploring the beauty and diversity of the Catholic tradition, as historically expressed in art, literature, theology, popular piety, and philosophy. Courses in the core of the Catholic Studies program focus on those elements of Christian history, culture, and thought that are critical to understanding what Catholic culture is or was, how the Church and Catholic Christianity developed over time, and the ways the faith has expressed itself over the centuries.

Requirements of Catholic Studies Minor:

Twenty-one (21) semester hours (15 required, 6 elective). Students must earn a C- or better in a class in order for it to count toward the minor.

Required Courses (15 semester hours)

The following courses are required:

CA401 Historical Perspectives on Catholic Culture (3)
EH260 Catholic Writers (3)
HY177 History of Christianity (3)
PH248 Catholic Intellectual Tradition (3)
TY147 The Catholic Vision (3)

Electives (6 semester hours):

The following courses may count toward the Catholic Studies minor.

AT275 Renaissance Art and Society (3)
AT380 Baroque Art (3)
CA310 Special Topics in Catholic Studies (3)
HY311 American Catholic History (3)
MCHL/TY130 Music in Liturgical Celebration (3)
PH320 Medieval Philosophy (3)
PH245 Philosophy of Religion (3)
TY212 Vatican II and the American Catholic Experience (3)
TY255 Catholic Social Teaching (3)
TY345 Church and Spirit (Catholic Ecclesiology) (3)

Course Listings

For electives other than CA 310, please see course listings under appropriate departments.

CA 310 Special Topics in Catholic Studies (3)

Special topics in Catholic Studies offered on an occasional basis by faculty or visiting scholars.

CA 401 Historical Perspectives on Catholic Culture (3)

This course is a cultural history of Christendom, with a particular emphasis on Catholic culture in Catholic and Protestant confessional communities since the 1500s. In the words of historian Christopher Dawson, we will "study . . . the ways in which Christianity has expressed itself in human thought and life and institutions through the ages."

EH 260 Catholic Writers (3)

This course explores fiction written by Catholic writers and analyzes and discusses how their faith manifests itself in their novels and short stories. This course is a component of the Catholic Studies minor as well as the English major under Diversity Studies.

HY 177 History of Christianity (3)

This course is an investigation of the history of the Christian Church from its origins in the 1st century to modern times. The class focuses on the Western Catholic Church and will spend the bulk of the semester investigating Latin Christianity in the ancient, medieval and early modern periods.

PH 248 The Catholic Intellectual Tradition (3)

This course is a survey of themes and impact of the Catholic intellectual tradition on the development of Western Civilization. The Catholic vision of God (Being), the World (Creation), the Human Being and Society in the works of major Catholic thinkers will be foundational to understanding Catholicism's contribution to the fields of philosophy, science, politics and ethics.

TY 147 The Catholic Vision (3)

This course introduces students to Roman Catholic tradition and its faith, doctrines, theology, ritual, spirituality and moral life. Its goals include 1) acquainting students with the distinctive spirit of the Catholic vision and tradition as it relates to other Christian denominations and religious traditions; 2) helping students to recognize that Catholicism is a theological heritage that encompasses a rich tradition of persons, doctrines, ways of celebrating, moral living, praying and social justice; and 3) familiarizing students with the challenges that contemporary Catholicism faces in the Third Millennium.

Class Schedule

Fall 2009 (current)