By virtue of Saint Paul University’s pontifical charter, the Faculty of Theology offers a licentiate programme (Sacrae Theologiae Licentia – STL) conferred by the Senate of Saint Paul University. The licentiate is the academic degree which enables one to teach in a major seminary or equivalent school and which is therefore required for this purpose. To obtain the licentiate, one must successfully complete a two-year programme that includes coursework and research at the graduate level.
Sacrae Theologiae Licentia (STL)
Admission criteria for the STL are the same as for the M.A. in Theology, except the candidate must hold an ecclesiastical bachelor’s degree (STB) or its equivalent.
Sacrae Theologiae Licentia (STL)
IN THE FIRST YEAR
Seven courses as follows:
Four Foundation courses:
1 course from the following:
1 course from the following:
1 course from the following:
1 course from the following:
One methodology course (THO6399 Methodologies in Theology, 3cr.)
Two courses to be chosen in consultation with the student’s research director (who will be from the student’s chosen area of studies) and with the director of Graduate Studies from:
IN THE SECOND YEAR
Three elective courses in Theology (9cr.)
A teaching internship (3cr.)
THO6997 Examen de synthèse / Synthesis Exam
THO6998 Mémoire / Research Paper (6cr.)
Theological reflection on and practical application of Canon Law to some areas of pastoral ministry, specifically marriage and reconciliation.
Interaction between theology and psychology with reference to pastoral ministry, the experience of the believer, the development of faith and of religious attitudes. The pastoral implications of psychological theories of the individual and his/her social relations: impact on cognitive processes, emotion, behaviour, competence, values. Psychological perspectives on the pastoral minister's practice, role and identity.
Interaction between theology and sociology with reference to pastoral ministry. A study of the pastoral implications of socio-historical structures, and of social and cultural change. Analysis of how the social milieu forms the way people think, feel and act, and the reflection on the importance of this formation for values and beliefs. Sociological perspectives on Christian communities' practice, role and identity.
Supervised ministry in a local church or other ministerial setting. Emphasis on the receptive skills and attitudes of the pastoral minister. Theological, sociological, and psychological theories are introduced which will enable the pastoral agent to observe, analyze, and integrate events within the religious community. Cognitive, behavioural, motivational, and emotional components are related to people's individual, social, and interpersonal life. Professional ethical issues are addressed. Codes of ethics in allied professions are used when appropriate. Supervision occurs in small groups under the guidance of a supervisor from the Saint Paul University.
In collaboration with a supervisor the student actively addresses a segment of his ministry drawn from Practicum I (e.g., relationships, or the community, or individuals). Action plans are formulated and carried out. Implications for religious structure, liturgy, homiletics, sacraments are developed and implemented. Emphasis is placed on critical, informed involvement, resource and time management in the exercise of collegial and co-responsible lay and ordained leadership in preaching, liturgical presiding, and community facilitation. Supervision occurs in small groups under the guidance of a supervisor from the Saint Paul University. Prerequisite: IPA 5481.
Theological study of Christian experience and practice in their individual and community dimensions. History of pastoral/practical theology and its contemporary developments. Dialogue between present Christian communities and Christian tradition. Approaches and methods.
Theological reflection on the practice and principles of catechesis. The development and growth of faith in current pastoral contexts. Methodologies, learning styles, growth processes and approaches tailored in view of various groups and settings.
Theological reflection on the liturgical experience and expression of Christian communities. Principles, dynamics, and actualization of liturgical celebration, including sacraments, paraliturgies and prayer services. Roles and ministries in liturgical celebrations.
The Christian community as a social reality embodying beliefs and values. Its relationship to and responsibility toward contemporary society and church: local, national, international. Present social questions and the Christian social tradition.
Types of Christian community. Maintaining the well-being and promoting the growth of Christian communities. Life cycles and life settings of Christian communities.
Study of a specific topic or issue in pastoral theology.
Study of a specific topic or issue in pastoral theology.
Principles and history of interpretation in theology. Recent developments and debates. The role of classic texts and the question of historical consciousness.
Transmission of the text. Inspiration. Canonicity. The authority of the text and the believing community.
Principles and methods of interpretation. History of interpretation: the Church Fathers, Middle Ages, the Reformation, 19th and 20th centuries.
Hermeneutical questions and methodological foundations of contemporary ethical reflection analysed from a theological perspective.
Exploring in depth the basic concepts of theological tradition with regard to Christian ethics, as well as the main questions related to ethical research in a contemporary context. Reflection on what is at stake with regard to the public relevance of the Christian ethical discourse in a pluralist and multicultural society.
Investigation of a particular issue, author, or trend related to any aspect of Eastern Christianity not foreseen by the other courses.
Faith and experience. The Mystery of God. Interpretations and expressions of the experience of God.
The relationship between faith and culture; contemporary issues, questions and challenges. The contextual nature of theology.
Analysis of the methods used in the theological study of spirituality. Spirituality in relation to the human sciences.
Comparative theological study of one or more Christian spiritual traditions and one or more spiritual traditions within other religions to highlight their views of the world, human reality and salvation.
In-depth reading, analysis and evaluation of key historical source material from the fourth century to the present.
In-depth reading, analysis and evaluation of basic spiritual classics of Eastern Christianity from the fourth century to the present.
In-depth reading, analysis and evaluation of basic sources that illustrate the evolution of Eastern Christian worship from the fourth century to the present.
An examination of various research tools related to Eastern Christianity and religion in general. An overview of key methods in Eastern Christian exegesis, theology, liturgy, spirituality and Church history and their interface with modern and classical Western approaches.
Study of a particular issue, author, or trend in the hermeneutics and exegesis of the Eastern Churches, e.g. particularities of the Greek, Syriac, or Slavonic versions and their distinctive canons; worship as hermeneutical matrix; scripture and tradition in Eastern Christian reflection; extra-biblical texts; the development of modern Orthodox hermeneutics in dialogue with Western text criticism and methods.
Examination of a particular issue, author, or trend in Eastern Patristic theology, e.g. Greek, Byzantine, Syriac, Coptic or Armenian sources; or the twentieth-century neo-patristic synthesis.
Study of a particular issue, author, or trend in contemporary Eastern Christian theology, e.g. modern philosophical theology (for example, sophiology), and systematics and/or moral theology of the Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, Melkite and Romanian schools in particular; or the systematics and/or moral reflection of non-Byzantine theologians.
In-depth reading, analysis and evaluation of basic texts that have helped shape Eastern Christian theology from the third century to the present.
Study of a particular issue, author, or trend relating to the history of the Constantinopolitan, Armenian, Alexandrian, West Syrian or East Syrian worship traditions and their offshoots, e.g. historical and structural analyses of Eastern patristic sources, Church Orders, euchologies, typica and other worship books; chant traditions, execution, environment; cultural factors conditioning these traditions.
In-depth reading, analysis and evaluation of basic texts from the fourth century to the present.
Historical analysis of Eastern Christian institutions, movements or persons in the early, "medieval," or modern periods of one or several of the various Eastern Churches, e.g. pre- and post- Nicene developments; Byzantium; pre-Ephesian and pre-Chalcedonian Churches; the Slavic missions and Kyivan Rus'; the Turkocrateia and subsequent liberation; later Rus' Christianity; the Tsarist era; modern persecution; the Eastern Christian "diaspora."
Investigation of a particular issue, author, or trend related to the periodization, historiography or methodology in general of Eastern Christian history.
In-depth reading, analysis and evaluation of key documents that have shaped East-West rapprochement from 1902 to the present.
Examination, from the perspective of the Eastern Churches, of a particular issue, author, or trend relating to dialogue between Christianity and other religions, e.g. Islamic-Christian encounters in the Middle-East, the Balkans and the former USSR; Slavic Christian-Jewish interaction; Buddhist-Eastern Christian monastic contacts.
Various methodologies used in the main fields of theological research. Theoretical and practical aspects of writing a paper or a thesis: matters of research, defining the problem, a working hypothesis, choosing a method, bibliographical research, writing up the status questiones, etc.
A written and oral exercise during which the student is expected to demonstrate the ability to reflect critically on five themes (and concomitant texts) of particular significance to Eastern Christian Studies.
The research paper, approximately 40 pages in length, aims at a deeper understanding of a precise theological topic, with the help of pertinent methodological tools.
The master’s thesis, about 100 pages long, must show that the student can work independently and in a rigorously scientific manner.
Organization and composition of a thesis proposal acceptable to the Faculty of theology and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. (Graded: S or N/S)
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