Courses

TRS 131 HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY II   3.0 Credit(s)
Traces the history of the Christian faith from the Middle Ages to the present time. Major issues, controversies, and persons from these centuries are studied.
Offered: Spring Semester All Years

TRS 132 CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY   3.0 Credit(s)
Presents spirituality as a topic worthy of study, plumbing its meaning through selections from the writings of great spiritual masters through the centuries-for example, Augustine, John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila, Ignatius Loyola, Teilhard de Chardin, and Thomas Merton.
Offered: Fall & Spring Semesters All Years

TRS 133 CONSTRUCTING CONCEPT OF GOD   3.0 Credit(s)
Imaginative construction of a concept of God appropriate for modern life.
Offered: As Needed Contact Department

TRS 134 COMPARATIVE THEOLOGY   3.0 Credit(s)
Comparative theology brings two traditions together in comparison and contrast to learn both deeply without collapsing the two into one. The tradition studied may vary with the semester, but typically Christianity will be compared to another world religion.
Offered: Fall & Spring Semesters All Years

TRS 140 FOUNDATION OF CATHOLIC ETHICS   3.0 Credit(s)
Explores the historical sources and methods of reasoning in the Roman Catholic moral tradition. Critically examines current moral issues in Catholicism.
Offered: As Needed Contact Department

TRS 141 HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS   3.0 Credit(s)
The ethical reflections of some of the most influential Christian thinkers from the Church Fathers to the present (e.g., Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther) applied to various important topics of ethical debate in Christian history (e.g., the notion of just war).
Offered: Fall Semester All Years

TRS 142 CATHOLIC SOCIAL JUSTICE TRADITION   3.0 Credit(s)
The social-ethical teachings of the Catholic tradition, especially since Pope Leo XIII's letter On the Condition of Labor in 1891. Explores Catholic social teaching that emerges from Church documents, traces its application to many issues of social and political conflict, and considers how this teaching is challenged by the perspectives of women, minorities, and people in developing countries.
Offered: Fall & Spring Semesters All Years

TRS 143 ETHICS IN WORLD RELIGIONS   3.0 Credit(s)
Examination of core ethical teachings and methods in several world religions. These resources guide ethical analysis of conflicted issues in contemporary society, such as economic inequality, racism, violence, sexual ethics, and bioethics.
Offered: Spring Semester Even Academic Years

TRS 160 EASTERN RELIGIONS   3.0 Credit(s)
Explores history, beliefs, and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions of India, China, and Japan and the emergence of the contemporary New Age movement.
Offered: Fall Semester All Years

TRS 161 ISLAM   3.0 Credit(s)
A theological and phenomenological exploration of beliefs, practices, and symbology of Islam, incorporating extensive readings from the Qur'an, the Hadith and Shari'a, and Sufism. This course analyzes contemporary topics such as religion and gender and religion and politics.
Offered: Spring Semester Even Academic Years

TRS 162 JUDAISM   3.0 Credit(s)
Key components of the complex religion of Judaism including Biblical foundations, historical development, theological considerations, rituals and symbols, calendar and holidays, Jewish mysticism, prayer, denominations, and lifecycle events. Explores the role of God in the life of Jews past and present and compares the meaning of Judaism then and now.
Offered: Fall Semester All Years

TRS 164 ANCIENT CULTS AND RELIGIONS   3.0 Credit(s)
Explores the beliefs, practices, and teachings of ancient world religions including those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the mystery cults of the ancient Greco-Roman civilizations, and the religious traditions of pre-Christian northern Europe (Scandinavia) and ancient Iran. Studies sacred writings of theses religions with emphasis on topics such as deities and divine powers, rituals of birth and death, gender studies, and the relationships between ancient faith traditions and the emergence of monotheism.
Offered: As Needed Contact Department

TRS 166 UNDERSTANDING RELIGION   3.0 Credit(s)
A critical and constructive study of the nature of religion, its functions in human life, and its various forms and manifestations. The perspectives of influential theorists of religion centuries will be studied.
Offered: Fall & Spring Semesters All Years

TRS 170 RELIGION IN AMERICA   3.0 Credit(s)
Examines the historical factors responsible for distinctive trends in American religion and identifies common threads that run through the religious history of America from the Puritans to today.
Offered: Fall Semester All Years

TRS 171 CELTIC RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS   3.0 Credit(s)
The mythic history of Ireland and "beginning" of the Irish and the traditions by which the Irish have come to identify themselves and give meaning to their world. Study of the religious function of social institutions; gods, goddesses, and ruling powers; holy places; feasting and sacrifice; spirits and ancestors; and the other world. Also considered is the role of women in these traditions and the continuation of "myth" in modern Ireland.
Offered: As Needed Contact Department