AmericanPapist Comments
I'm still trying to choose a focus for my MA. IT was going to be dogmatic theology, but now I'm leaning toward scripture studies. It's a tough choice when there are so many needs.
It's hard to go wrong with scripture studies, especially if you are still undecided. In any field of theology it will be important, plus it is fertile soil for personal spiritual growth, for obvious reasons.
Agreed, gents. Be sure you get some Greek, of course.
Throughout his writings in moral theology, Bernard Häring's perpetual mantra was that we need to drop scholastic philosophy and replace it with "Biblical philosophy" as the basis for Christian morality. Yet, Häring never articulated a "Biblical philosophy". So, in the end he gave us nothing new that had a foundation.
-
I earned an MA in Scripture, then I wanted the canonical degrees (STB, STL, STD). The MA didn't count much against the STB... but the place where I earned the latter has a curriculum loaded with the Summa, the Fathers, the Doctors, and the Magisterium.
No matter what kind of theology you do, learn it from the Great Teachers. If you do Scripture, and have to use contemporary scholarship, do yourself a favor and validate the contemporaries against the greats and the masters. If one wants dogmatics, try to find a place that teaches the Summa and the Fathers--not a place that teaches "about" the thought of St. Thomas or St. Basil the Great, but that teaches you theology through those sources.
What Haring failed to notice was that the scholasticism of St. Thomas IS biblical philosophy. Theology is philosophy enlightened by faith; faith has as its object God as he has revealed Himself; therefore, theology depends on Scripture. The Summa is loaded with it, and St. Thomas himself memorized the Bible and wrote dozens of commentaries.
DA makes a good point: TAQ is loaded with Scripture and the Fathers, exactly what we need today. No wonder his school flowers in every generation (or two).
DA, where did you go for your ecc. degrees?
So where should a layman interested in the sort of course laid out by DA look?
I've no idea where to look to evaluate good programs. Suggestions?
I should be clear that I'm talking about both the preparatory work and the ecclesiastical degrees.
I have a BA, but not in a "respectable" or applicable discipline, so I'd be starting over, as far as I can tell.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
I am completing the STL right now at ITI in Austria (www.iti.ac.at). They call the STB an STM. It's a 5 year program, highly patristic, thomistic, and magisterial. They are working more contemporary theologians in, critically. I entered it at the 4th year. So I had 2 years of the Summa, plus 2 more years for the STL. I do not know of many places with such a curriculum.
Flambeaux, you would likely enter the program at the first year, or maybe you could get a year less. It's never too late to start. We even have students in their 40s having left diverse careers for theology.
If anyone is really interested, they are still taking applications for next Fall. I didn't mean to promote the school, but thanks for asking.
I meant also to say that the ITI curriculum is also scriptural. Scripture is a necessary part of the ecclesial degrees.
I'm getting an M.A. in the evenings at Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College. I chose Systematic Theology as my concentration, mainly because it required Church History classes and Latin classes which I'm interested in.
We have to take one class on the New Testament and one on the Old Testament. I'm looking forward to those classes.
DA, I studied for a semester at the ITI back in Spring of 2004, though most of my friends and professors are no longer there.
AP, you were here with Ave Maria, then? I was certainly here at that time. You must not have been in any of my classes. I respect the program of the place you're at, BTW. Some great faculty there.
Gabe, learn Latin. Do it. And Greek. Never trust an English translation.
Doc Angelicus- I started the program last spring, and I've taken Intro to Ecclesiastical Latin and Intermediate Ecclesiastical Latin. I had an excellent professor who was very strict, hours of homework every week. But I really learned the Latin.
We had a terrific textbook: A Primer in Ecclesiastical Latin published by Catholic University. It was very thorough. I want to continue Latin, so I am going to take higher level Latin classes at the local community college in the evenings.
Commenting by HaloScan
