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*The School of Arts and Sciences requires all majors to complete a foreign language course at the 202 level or higher.  Students not prepared to begin at this level will need to take additional courses in the language.  These courses will count as electives.

Required Theology Courses

 1.        Distribution Requirements (15 hrs.; one course from each of the following categories)

(a)  Comparative Religion: Comparative Religion;  The Nature of Religious Experience; Women and Religion; Myth and Culture.

(b)  Religion and Society:  Religion and Science; Religion and Politics; Religion and Race;  Religion and Art; Women and Religion.

(c)  Ethics:  Christian Ethics; Issues in Christian Ethics; Christianity and Society; Catholic Social Thought; Contemporary Moral Theology.

(d)  Spirituality:  Western Spirituality; Western Spirituality; Special Studies in Spiritual Traditions; Merton's Heart:  The Journey and Thought of Thomas Merton.

(e)  Catholic Tradition:  American Catholicism; Catholic Social Thought; Sacraments; Body, Sex, and Sacrament; Francis and the Franciscan Tradition.

 2.        Upper-Level Requirements (9 hrs.; three courses)

        THEO 430. Theological Methods

        THEO 460.  History of Christianity

  THEO 470.  Contemporary Biblical Interpretation

3. Capstone Requirement (3 hrs.; normally taken during the senior year)

THEO 498. Seminar in Theology

Departmental Electives (6 hrs.)

CERTIFICATE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

The Certificate in Religious Education is a new program designed to prepare students to teach religion in a parochial school (elementary or secondary) or to direct the religious education program of a local church. The program provides students with a basic understanding of educational theory and practice along with a set of formal credentials that they can cite when applying for a position in a school or church. The bishop of Buffalo has indicated that his office would look favorably upon applicants who have earned such a Certificate from St. Bonaventure, and other dioceses would probably have a similar opinion.

The program consists of 18 hours of course work, divided into three parts:

(a) Four introductory courses in Education (the same courses taken by Education majors);

(b) Two courses in Religious Education (offered by the Theology Department); and

(c) A non-credit Internship in Religious Education (120 hours of supervised work in a school or church).

The Certificate program is open only to students who are working toward a major or minor in theology. Students may apply to be admitted to the program once they have formally declared their major or minor. The application form asks students to explain why they want to earn the Certificate and what they intend to do with it.

Twelve hours of Theology electives