Through our core courses on Scripture and theology, we seek to arrive at a deeper understanding of the full splendor and deposit of the faith, a deposit that has enlivened Christian hearts and minds for over two millennia. This is undertaken primarily by examining patristic and scholastic writings, Sacred Scripture, magisterial documents, and writings by contemporary thinkers and authors.
The teachers of theology at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts receive the mandatum, an acknowledgment by our bishop “that a Catholic professor of a theological discipline is a teacher within the full communion of the Catholic Church.”
For non-Catholic students, this six-semester sequence allows them to gain a thorough understanding of the Catholic teachings in both their historical and contemporary dimensions. Non-Catholic students are encouraged to participate fully in the conversations throughout the sequence, sharing their perspectives freely.
Six courses constitute this sequence and students who complete it (meeting certain criteria) may earn our “Apostolic Catechetical Diploma”:
The Sacraments and Prayer
Freshman Year, fall semester, 3 credits +
“God became man that man might become God.” These astounding words of St. Athanasius, repeated so often by the Church Fathers, summarize the great mystery of salvation in Christ. In the Incarnation, the God-man, Jesus Christ, “deified human nature” and by sending the Holy Spirit, he has made the Church the means of deification of every human person.
This course focuses on this Mystery of Salvation as it is believed, celebrated, and experienced in the Church’s mystical life of prayer and the sacraments. Together we seek both a practical and theological understanding of the nature of prayer and the sacraments as the means by which the Holy Spirit bestows the grace of divine life, deepens our personal communion with God, and transforms us into “partakers of the Divine nature” (2 Pete 1:4). Texts for this course include: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy; Raniero Cantalamessa, Life in Christ: A Spiritual Commentary on the Letter to the Romans; R. M. French, The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way; and Rev. Jean Corbon, The Wellspring of Worship.
Having explored, last year, the mystery of salvation in Christ as it is experienced in the mystical and sacramental life of the Church, we move now to a study of the mystery as it is professed and believed by the Church. Through this course we will come to know, understand, and appreciate the fundamental truths of the Christian faith as enshrined in the Nicene Creed. This will be accomplished through our broad examination of the context, development, and theology of the basic dogmas of the faith, as well as of the major heresies in response to which the dogmas were defined and proclaimed. Key texts include: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity; and Documents in Early Christian Thought, ed. Wiles and Santer.
Sophomore Year, fall & spring semesters, 3 credits each +
While acknowledging with St. Jerome that “ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ,” we also recognize that knowledge of scripture is critical to understanding most of our Western cultural patrimony. Thus, through this course students enter deeply into God’s self-revelation through Sacred Scripture and chart its development through time by sacred tradition. Particular emphasis will be given to the covenantal and nuptial character revealed by God throughout salvation history and developed to the present day by magisterial teaching. The course will allow for a closer study of key teachings of the Catholic faith, i.e. creation, Fall, redemption, the theology of the body, discipleship, etc., through discussions, lectures, presentations, research, critical assessments, and written analysis. In addition to the direct reading and study of Scripture, key texts include: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, In the Beginning…A Catholic Understanding of the story of Creation and the Fall; The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: Dei Verbum; Ignacio de Potterie, The Hour of Jesus; and others.
What is our image of complete human flourishing in communion with God and our fellow persons? How can this be achieved? How do we address the claims of moral relativism and is there an alternative that speaks to both reason and faith? In this course students develop answers to these questions rooted in the classical understanding of the human person and the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. We will also take up themes intrinsic to a proper understanding of a Catholic moral theology in light of our respective disciplines (through research, critical assessment, and written and oral discussion of topics related to our major fields.) Texts include: Pope Saint John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor; Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, On Conscience; Servais Pinckaers, O.P., The Sources of Christian Ethics, and others.
Drawing from theological and literary sources, students will develop a richer understanding of what it means to be a human person made in the image and likeness of God (Imago Dei) and to love as Christian persons. Students will also reflect upon the call to holiness and to a communion that both brings us into the life of the Trinity itself and transforms our human relationships. Texts include: C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves; Karol Wojtyla, The Jeweler’s Shop: A Meditation on the Sacrament of Matrimony Passing on Occasion Into a Drama; Pope Saint John Paul II, Man and Woman He Created Them; Pope Benedict XVI, Deus caritas est, and others.
On October 17th, 1983, the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, granted the College permission to award the “Diploma for Religious Instruction.” Today, the College awards its “Apostolic Catechetical Diploma,” independently of the Vatican, to Catholic students who complete the six-semester sequence of theological studies with at least a 2.0 in each course and who pledge to teach Catholic doctrine in communion with the Holy See.
On this, the ninety-third birthday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we offer this essay on his inspiring vision of the ends and means of Catholic education. Today, we are in the midst of a great renewal in Catholic higher education. Colleges and universities founded after the Second Vatican Council with the intention of cultivating a...
Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts is delighted to announce that students and alumni of the College have been selected to participate in an iconography workshop under the renowned iconographer George Kordis. This extraordinary program, “Writing the Light,” will be held in Athens and Crete late this summer. Through generous benefactors, Ms. Keri Wiederspahn, who...
The following remarks were offered by one of our theology professors, Karl Cooper, at a recent conference on Wendell Berry. Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) inaugurated the modern economic age and placed the Catholic Church right in the middle of it. The Church’s answer to the industrial revolution, Rerum Novarum describes two worlds,...
In the very beginning of the Summa theologiae, Thomas explains what it means to be a theologian. He does this in one quaestio, ten articles; the whole presentation takes only seven pages in the edition I use. I predict that someday you will read it. It may not occur until you are old and find you have...
This article was originally published in the March 2020 issue of Inside the Vatican Magazine. The crisis began well before Newman. In the seventeenth century, René Descartes released pathogens of skepticism and reductionism into higher learning that ultimately hollowed out its core and destroyed its foundations. The effects of his work and those who came after...
Magdalen College is proud to announce that Dr. Barbara Nicolosi Harrington, ‘94, has co-written the screenplay for Fátima, a film to be released nationwide on 1000 screens. The film features Harvey Keitel and Sonia Braga as part of an international cast. The college will be scheduling a screening of the film for the fall of...
Session I
June 18 – July 1, 2023
Registration is now open.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Courses:
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena through studying air flight, fluid dynamics, the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Moral Philosophy: How Do We Make the Right Decisions? (1 credit) – Rev. Fr. Stephen Rocker
Natural law morality and utilitarianism are incompatible frameworks of moral reasoning, yet elements of both are mixed in the public mind. Catholic moral teaching and the Western system of law are grounded in natural law. This course will present these two moral frameworks and apply them to moral issues.
Poetry and Politics in the Western Tradition (1 credit) – Dr. Mary Mumbach
This course will examine poetic form and political form in the tradition of the West. Students will explore, in particular, how the Incarnation shapes the roles of imagination, prudence, and the heroic in literature and political philosophy. Readings in poetry, fiction, and American Founding documents will be considered.
Tuition:
$395.00 USD Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Session II
July 9 – 22, 2023
Registration is now open.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Courses:
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times? Saint Pope John Paul II has provided valuable teaching in this area. Along with his “Theology of the Body,” this course will explore the nature of love, the meaning of betrothal and marriage, and sexual ethics from a Christian perspective. Class discussions will be theological and philosophical as well as practical.
Philosophy & Humanities: Friendship in Western Culture (1 credit) – Dr. Brian FitzGerald and Dr. Erik Van Versendaal One of the most important features of human experience is friendship. Drawing on the great books of Western culture in literature, history, philosophy, and theology, from Aristotle and St. Augustine to Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis, this course will reflect on the nature of friendship across the centuries. Why do we need friends? What makes a good one? What are some obstacles to friendship? What happens as friends grow and mature in different ways?
Christ in Scripture (1 credit) – Deacon Karl Cooper
“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” In this course we will seek to meet and understand Christ as he presents himself in all the Scriptures. We will read, discuss, enjoy, and pray through the most crucial texts, and focus our work on the living and present Christ.
Tuition:
$395.00 USD Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Collegiate Summer Programs Registration
Omega Session: College-Level Intensives for Credit
July 10 – 23, 2022
This session is now full.
Students will have the opportunity to earn one college credit by taking one of the following courses offered at Magdalen College. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and discover if it could lead to a college major or area of focus. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Courses:
Myth in Philosophy: Seeking Wisdom through Poetry and Story (1 credit) – Dr. Erik van Versendaal
What is the relationship between poetry and philosophy? Why does speaking about ultimate things lead philosophers into the realms of poem and story? This course considers philosophical works that are undertaken in a poetic mode alongside poems that express philosophic truth.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton, by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena: through the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, fluid dynamics, air flight and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times?
Tuition:
$325.00 USD
Alpha Session: Engage a Variety of Liberal Arts Fields
June 19 – July 2, 2022
This session is now full.
Students will experience the joy of learning in a variety of liberal arts fields, including courses in literature, philosophy, theology, and politics. Taught primarily in Socratic-style seminar discussions, these courses allow students to read classic texts and wrestle with big questions across a range of disciplines. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
