The Catholic-Franciscan Heritage

CLAR 107

The Catholic-Franciscan Heritage

Course Description: This course will provide a critical reflection on the essential elements of the Catholic-Franciscan tradition. After identifying traditional core beliefs we will reflect critically upon these by providing supports for selected beliefs, offering responses to challenges, suggesting elucidations of concepts inherent in beliefs, investigating the presuppositions of the practices manifesting those beliefs, and the like. Issues of religious pluralism and inter-religious dialogue will be addressed.

(Common Syllabus)


Week 1	Section I: Introductory Questions And Overview Prologue: What does the church believe? - Texts of the Apostles and Nicene Creed - The worldview of the Creed	Breviloquium V: 7.6
Week 2	Contemporary challenges to Belief - The Question of the Existence of God - Atheism - Science and Religion Methodology / Faith and Reason	Donagan, Kretzmann
Week 3	Section II: Who is God Proofs for the Existence of God - Bonaventure’s proof / approach The Revelation of God in History - God is Personal - Analogy and Religious Language - The economy of salvation	Selections from: Itinerarium, chap 1.
Week 4	The Mystery of God as Trinity Creation - ex nihilo - Augustinian exemplarity - Bonaventure’s refinement of the tradition	Bonaventure,Disputed Questions on the Mystery of the Trinity Celano, Vita prima 76-82.
Week 5	Section III: Revealed in and through the Son Incarnation - Anselm: Cur Deus homo? - Scotus: The Predestination of Christ - Implications of both positions for: -the nature of creation -the nature of the human person -the value of human history	Anselm, Meditation. Francis, 2LF, vv. 4-15. Z. Hayes, The Cord 46:1 (1996): 3-17. Scotus, The Predestination of Christ.
Week 6	Redemption - Sin and evil - The "Crucified God" - The question of suffering	Bonaventure, Tree of Life, par. 25-28.
Week 7	Resurrection - Salvation / Immortality - Christian Eschatology	Bonaventure, LM, prologue.
Week 8	Section IV: Experienced in and through the Spirit Spirit and Sanctifier - The inspired Word - The Spirit that gathers people into community - Tradition and magisterium	Bonaventure, Breviloquium, prologue.
Week 9	The Church - The Community of Believers - Church as People of God - Church as Mission - Church as Dialogue of Salvation -Interreligious Dialogue -Truth claims in Religion	Jacques de Vitry, "Francis meets the Sultan." Francis, ER, XVII. Paul VI, Ecclesiam suam (selections). Lumen gentium, chaps. 1-2.
Week 10	The Church as Sacrament - Symbol and Ritual – Liturgy - The Seven Sacraments	Francis, Admonition I; Testament 1-13.
Week 11	The Christian Life – Discipleship - Vocation - Ministry	Francis, Admonitions 11-26. Bonaventure, "Sermon I on St. Francis," (Doyle).
Week 12	Types of Prayer - The Lord’s Prayer Spirituality - Contemporary Spiritualities - Franciscan Spirituality	Clare, 2LAg, 4LAg. Francis, "Praises of God."
Week 13	Section V: The Heritage in Dialogue Discussion of an issue from the public debate** (cloning, welfare, immigration, euthanasia, etc.)	Prepared Case Study and resources.
Week 14	Discussion of an issue(s) continued Conclusions / Implications

READINGS
Lawrence Cunningham, The Catholic Experience.
Daniel Donovan, Distinctively Catholic: An Exploration of Catholic Identity
Brennan R Hill, Exploring Catholic Theology.
Thomas P Rausch, Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium. Further Supplemental Bibliography:
Alan Donagan, "Can Anybody in a Post-Christian Culture Rationally Believe the. Nicene Creed?"
Eric Doyle, Song of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood
Aidan Nichols, The Shape of Catholic Theology: An Introduction to Its Sources, Principles, and History.
Norman Kretzmann, "Faith Seeks Understanding: Augustine’s Charter for Christian Philosophy."
Andrew Greeley, "The Catholic Imagination"

Selections from Augustine, Teaching Christianity (De doctrina Christiana)