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Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Theology for Augustine College Graduates

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Program description

Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious belief based on Catholic writings and tradition. The Theology program encourages students to develop a critical approach to the problems and challenges facing modern society while upholding and respecting the Catholic intellectual tradition.

The Faculty of Theology offers civil and ecclesiastical programs suitable as a preparation both for various ministries and for graduate research in theology.

In addition to the foundational courses,* the Theology undergraduate program opens the door to a solid understanding of Christian faith and how to integrate it into daily life through courses in theology and philosophy. Students are also given an opportunity to explore specific subjects in greater depth.

*The foundational courses are a compulsory part of every bachelor’s degree program offered at Saint Paul University.

What you’ll learn

During your studies you will acquire a sound basic knowledge of a range of research areas in theology: sacred scripture, Church history, ethics, systematic theology and Church practice. You will also reflect on the major issues facing our society and the Church today.

Why choose Saint Paul University?

  • For its small class sizes and close student-teacher ratio
  • For its safe, secure and friendly campus with personalized services
  • For its bilingual setting in the heart of the national capital
  • For its diverse student population and international vision
  • For its solid reputation, experience, history and Catholic tradition

Career opportunities

  • Attendant for the elderly
  • Catechist
  • Community or not-for-profit organization worker
  • Missionary
  • Ordained minister
  • Pastoral agent in a school, hospital or prison setting
  • Pastoral associate
  • Youth development worker
  • Youth minister
  • Youth services worker

Click here to find out more about Admission Scholarships at Saint Paul University.

Other programs that may interest you

The list of required courses is presented under the Program Requirements tab.

Information to come.

Augustine College Graduates complete 90 credits to obtain an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Theology     

Foundational Courses (12 credits)    

Compulsory Courses (12 credits)    

  • HTP1103 People, Politics and the Planet    
  • HTP1104 Faith, Justice and the Common Good    
  • ISC2309 English Composition    
  • PHI2181 Human Knowledge   

Discipline Specific Courses (33 credits)    

Compulsory Courses (15 credits)    

  • THO2315 Ethics and the Human Person    
  • THO3160 Pentateuch and Historical Books    
  • THO3161 Gospel Interpretation – Mark    
  • THO3166 Moral Existence    
  • THO3169 Christian Liturgy    

Optional Courses (18 credits)    

6 credits from Systematics:    

  • THO3162 Christian Revelation and Faith    
  • THO3163 The Christian God    
  • THO3164 Jesus the Christ    
  • THO3165 The Church    
  • THO3168 Christian Spirituality    

3 credits from Scripture:    

  • THO4100 Wisdom Literature    
  • THO4101 Prophetic Literature    
  • THO4102 Pauline Literature    
  • THO4103 Johannine Literature    

3 credits from Ethics:    

  • THO4104 Sexual Ethics    
  • THO4105 Social and Political Ethics    
  • THO4106 Bioethics    

3 credits from Systematics:    

  • THO4107 Humanity: Creature and Creator    
  • THO4108 Grace and Christian Existence    
  • THO4109 Sin and the Question of Evil    

3 credits from Practice of the Church:    

  • MIS2108 Theory and Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue    
  • THO4110 The Eucharist    
  • THO4111 Sacraments of Initiation, Reconciliation, and Anointing. Funeral Rites.  

Elective Courses (45 credits)    

  • Students complete a second major (42 credits) and 3 credits or a minor (30 credits) and 15 credits.

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HTP 1101 - Trends in Western Thought

This course addresses multiple aspects of the evolution of western thought, from Antiquity to current times, and the impact of major events and thinkers, and the influence of other civilizations on the contemporary understanding of human nature, culture and society.

HTP 1102 - Approaches in the Humanities: Interpreting the Human Experience

Introduction to theoretical approaches in the Humanities and to the methods that are applied to interpret the multiple expressions of human experience, particularly those expressed in important works of art and literature.

HTP 1103 - People, Social Justice and Ecology

Social and ecological challenges facing humanity today, and related issues of social justice. These questions will be examined from a perspective of community building and efforts towards ecological and social transformations for a hopeful future.

HTP 1104 - Faith, Justice and the Common Good

This course investigates faith, justice and the common good from religious, philosophical and human science perspectives. The course draws on classic and contemporary resources, in particular those from the Christian intellectual traditions.

ISC 2309 - English Composition

This course is dedicated to the improvement of writing skills in order to become an effective communicator in several contexts.

ISC 2314 - Public Speaking

Learning the techniques of efficient public speaking. Introduction and training to personal impression making in electronic media. Development of a professional attitude and self-confidence.

MIS 2108 - Theory and Praxis of Interreligious Dialogue

Dialogue as co-constitution of humans thanks to religious faith. Prerequisites and challenges involved in interreligious dialogue: in-depth dimension of faith; necessity of self-criticism; hermeneutic of religious convictions. Orthodoxy and orthopraxis. Harmony, conflict and end of religions.

PHI 2181 - Human Knowledge

Study of the traditional, universalist, approach to knowledge as well as contemporary standpoint approaches, such as feminist and postmodernist.

THO 1306 - Exploring the Sacred

The human effort to express the experience of the sacred and to name our sense of the “Beyond”. The different forms such expressions have taken: cosmic wonder and its symbols, foundations stories, ritual life. The meaning of this effort for understanding the quest of the human spirit and its attempts to build order in society and community.

THO 1306 - Exploring the Sacred

The human effort to express the experience of the sacred and to name our sense of the “Beyond”. The different forms such expressions have taken: cosmic wonder and its symbols, foundations stories, ritual life. The meaning of this effort for understanding the quest of the human spirit and its attempts to build order in society and community.

THO 1307 - What is the Bible?

The Bible: book or library, history or story? History of the Jewish people and of the culture in which the Bible was written. The Bible and its content. Interpreting the text. The Jesus event. The influence of the Bible on history and on contemporary culture.

THO 1307 - What is the Bible?

The Bible: book or library, history or story? History of the Jewish people and of the culture in which the Bible was written. The Bible and its content. Interpreting the text. The Jesus event. The influence of the Bible on history and on contemporary culture.

THO 2189 - Can we talk about God? An Introduction to Theology

An exploration of the origins of Theology as a discipline, of significant moments in its historical development, of its presuppositions, methods, and the basic questions it seeks to answer.

THO 2315 - Being Human

What is ethics? Introduction to the key ethical ideas that shape our lives. Ethical riches of the Christian tradition to understand ourselves and our responsibilities to other persons.

THO 2410 - World Religions

Introduction to the world religions with an emphasis on Christian faith in interaction with other living faiths.

THO 3123 - Early Christianity

Survey of the historical evolution of Christianity from its beginnings to the end of the fifth century, with attention to early Christological debates. An examination of church history in the Middle Ages with attention to key figures, movements, and developments in church theology and practice.

THO 3124 - Reforming the Church

A study of church history from 1400 to present, movements of Catholic and Protestant Reform, significant social and cultural developments and their influence on the evolution of theology and church structures.

THO 3125 - Contemporary Church History

History of the Church from the 18th century to the present.

THO 3160 - Introduction to the Old Testament

An introduction to the writings of the Old Testament through the study of the Pentateuch and Historical Books, with particular attention to their historical and cultural context

THO 3161 - Introduction to the New Testament

An introduction to the study of the New Testament through a critical study of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. Attention to the cultural and religious context of the New Testament and history of the formation of the Gospels; contemporary methods of biblical interpretation.

THO 3162 - Revelation and Christian Faith

A Christian theology of revelation: Creation as a locus for revelation; reflection on how God has spoken in the history of Israel; fulfillment of revelation in Jesus Christ; impact of divine self-disclosure in shaping early Christian communities; faith as a human response to divine self-disclosure; implications for understanding the inspiration of Sacred Scripture and the meaning of Tradition; Christian revelation and other world religions.

THO 3164 - Jesus in the New Testament

Understanding Jesus of Nazareth, his identity, message and mission. Jesus the Messiah, Saviour, Lord, High Priest, son of Mary and Son of God. Theological interpretations of his death, resurrection and exaltation.

THO 3166 - The Good Life: An Introduction to Christian Ethics

An introduction to the field of ethics within theology. Historical development of ethical approaches within theology. Constitutive elements of moral existence. Moral existence and Christian faith.

THO 3167 - Early Christianity: The First Five Centuries (0 – 600 CE)

Exploring the relationship between history and theology, methodologies of historical research. Survey of the historical evolution of Christianity from its beginnings to the end of the fifth century, with attention to early Christological debates.

THO 3168 - Christian Prayer and Spiritual Life

Exploring the nature of Christian spirituality, its definition, foundation, diverse expressions; major periods and movements of Christian spirituality; the importance of spirituality for theological reflection and personal integration.

THO 3169 - Liturgy and Experience: An Introduction to Christian Worship

Exploring the dimensions of human experience in terms of the common prayer of the Christian community through a consideration of sacred time, space, symbols, language and music; Jewish origins of Christian worship; the history of the Western liturgy. The structure and dynamics of the eucharistic liturgy, the liturgy of the hours, the liturgical year, and inculturation.

THO 4100 - How to Search for Wisdom: The Poetic Books of the Bible

Wisdom Texts and Intertestamental Literature.

 

THO 4101 - How does God Respond to Injustice? Understanding the Prophets

General introduction to the prophets through a comparative study, with attention to their cultural, ethical and religious contexts. The evolution of prophetic literature towards an apocalyptic form and the meaning of apocalyptic literature.

 

THO 4102 - Freedom, Law, and Justice: Paul’s Letters

An overview of the life of Paul and his work. Exegesis of selected letters, with special attention to his understanding of law, justice, and freedom in Christ. 

 

THO 4103 - What is Truth? The Gospel of John

A study of Johannine writings, their structure, theology, and cultural setting. Exegesis of selected passages in the Gospel of John and Letters of John, and the Apocalypse. Special attention given to the meaning of "truth" and "life."

 

THO 4104 - Selfhood and Sexual Ethics

The meaning of human sexuality in social, psychological and Christian perspective. Sexuality and personal growth. Discernment of moral values in sexual behaviour.

Prerequisite: THO 3166.

THO 4105 - Spiritual Life and Social Justice

The principles of Catholic social teaching and their significance for life in contemporary society and culture. The human being as personal and social being; respect for human rights; freedom in the socio-political context; society as the milieu of personal growth.

 

THO 4106 - The Ethics of Medicine, Sickness and Health

An exploration of contemporary ethical issues relating to health and the integrity of the human person: respect for human life; the right to physical integrity; genetics; abortion, euthanasia and the end of human life.

Prerequisite: THO 3166.

THO 4107 - Creation and Responsibility: Theological Anthropology

Christian anthropology. Responsibility and freedom of the human person as co-creator. Sin and the problem of evil. Relationship between creation and redemption. Creation and a scientific world view. Ecology and theology.

 

THO 4108 - Theological Thinking

Divine grace and human freedom. Historical development of the theology of grace. Christian existence as faith, hope, and love. God’s presence in the world and in the human person. Contemporary challenges.

 

THO 4109 - Sin and the Question of Evil

Deciphering the premises in questions about evil, suffering, and God. The history and difficulties entailed in classifying, differentiating, and conceptualizing evil. Theodicy as a response to the question of evil with problems of intelligibility, current expressions, strengths and limitations. The crucifixion of Jesus as theodicy. Continuing reference is made throughout the course to questions of meaning arising from suffering (viewed as the “ache” of evil) and a range of Christian ethical responses.

THO 4110 - The Eucharist

The origins of the eucharist and the meaning of a sacrament. History and theology of the eucharist from New Testament times through the Middle Ages to today. The eucharist as sacrifice and as memorial of the paschal mystery. Eucharist and experience of God.

Prerequisite: THO 3169.

Contact Us

Office of the Associate Vice-Rector, Strategic Enrolment Management
Room 148
Saint Paul University
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Ottawa, ON
K1S 1C4
CANADA

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Telephone: 613-236-1393 ext. 8990
Fax: 613-782-3014
admission@ustpaul.ca

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Saint Paul University

223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1S 1C4

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