RS-105 |
Life and Meaning of Jesus |
A portrait of the historical Jesus provides the foundation for the course. From this basis, various theological doctrines are studied, such as the nature of resurrection, explanations of redemption and salvation and the |
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ecumenical implications of Christological statements. |
3.00 |
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RS-111 |
History of Christianity |
The course examines the development of Christianity from after the New Testament period until the present century. It will focus upon the major events, persons, and doctrines that have shaped this development and |
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which also explain the current situation of separated churches within Christianity. |
3.00 |
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RS-112 |
Sacraments and Spirituality |
The relationship between the Christian spiritual life and the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church is examined. The differences between Protestant and Roman Catholic understandings of sacraments are explored for ecumenical implications. The course concludes with the implications of sacramental life for moral decisionmaking |
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3.00 |
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RS-115 |
World Religions |
The six major religions of the world, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Chinese religions are examined in a comparative manner. The course focuses on the historical developments of each religion and their respective treatments of common themes, such as sacred literature, moral behavior, salvation motifs and |
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the role of prophetic figures. |
3.00 |
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RS-120 |
Contemporary Moral Problems |
The basic principles of Christian moral decision-making and their application to current issues are examined. Some contemporary moral issues discussed include sexual behavior, racism, sexism, just war theories, capital |
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punishment, among others. |
3.00 |
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RS-147 |
Christian Faith |
This course examines the features of religious faith that are common to Protestant and Catholic Christianity. Basic Christian beliefs, characteristics of adult faith development, commitment to one ' s Christian faith in a |
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contemporary world are treated in an ecumenically sensitive manner. |
3.00 |
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RS-160 |
Religions in America |
This course treats the major religions found in the United States today. Their historical developments and the large diversity of beliefs and practices are examined both in a critical manner and with their ecumenical |
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implications. |
3.00 |
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RS-165 |
Foundations of Christian Sprirtuality |
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Through an examination of the basic tenets of Christian faith, this course proceeds to explore the foundational elements of spirituality within a Christian context. Various themes, movements and figures from the Christian spiritual tradition across the centuries are examined and brought into dialogue with contemporary Christian living 3.00 |
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RS-200 |
Paul and His Theology |
The life and missionary activities of Paul the Apostle are reconstructed from both biblical and non- biblical sources. While Pauline theology is examined mainly from the authentic Pauline letters, Pauline thought from the |
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entire corpus of letters traditionally attributed to Paul is studied. |
3.00 |
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RS-2000 |
Encountering Sacred Writings |
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This course introduces students to the issues involved in reading and understanding sacred tests, whether one | |||
reads texts as a believer or not. Given the nature of Gwynedd Mercy University, the biblical texts of the Old and | |||
New Testament form the core of the course. To provide comparisons and contrasts with the Judeo-Christian | |||
biblical tradition, some selective writings from other major religions will be examined in a limited manner. |
3.00 |
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RS-201 |
Writings of John |
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The literature of Johannine Christianity, which includes a gospel, three letters and an apocalyptic work, is the | |||
primary subject matter of this course. Comparisons and contracts with the Synoptic tradition are also examined. |
3.00 |
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RS-203 |
The Synoptic Gospels |
The gospels of Mathew and Mark and the two-part work consisting of the gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles, provide the primary subject matter of the course. The Synoptic Problem of interdependence and the |
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primary emphases of the Synoptic tradition are examined. |
3.00 |
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RS-218 |
Meaning and Practice of Prayer |
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The three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, offer rich and varied approaches to prayer. The | |||
basic beliefs of these three major religions are examined in light of their unique approaches to prayer practices. |
3.00 |
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