graduate program theology - boston college€¦ · graduate program theology. 1 b oston college...
Post on 14-Apr-2020
4 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
1
Boston College offers exceptional resources for Catholic and ecumenical study of all fields of theology. The
Theology Department provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for reasoned reflection on their own values, faith and tradition, as well as on the religious forces that shape our world. Boston College offers unusual resources for Catholic and ecumenical study in all areas of theology. Not only is the Theology Department considered one of the foremost such departments in the country, but the city of Boston is also one of the richest environments in the world for the study of theology.
The Boston Theological Institute (BTI), a consortium of theology faculties primarily in the Boston-Newton-Cambridge area, has as its constituent members the following institutions: Andover-Newton Theological School, Boston College Department of Theology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Boston University School of Theology, Episcopal Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, Hebrew College, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary and St. John’s Seminary. This consortium offers complete cross-registration in several hundred courses, the use of library facilities in the 10 schools, joint seminars and programs and faculty exchange programs (bostontheological.org).
welcome to graduate theology
contentsProgram Overview 1
Faculty 3
Courses 9
Outcomes 10
Academic Resources 11
Student Life & Campus Resources 12
Admission & Financial Information 14
Ph.D. ProgramThe goal of the doctoral program in theology is the
formation of theologians who excel intellectually in
the church, the academy and society. It is confessional
in nature and envisions theology as “faith seeking
understanding.” Accordingly, the program aims at
nourishing a community of faith, scholarly conversation
and research and teaching centered in the study of
Christian life and thought, past and present, in ways
that con-tribute to this goal. It recognizes that creative
theological discussion and specialized research
require serious and in-depth appropriation of the great
philosophical and theological traditions of the past, as
well as ecumenical, interdisciplinary, inter-religious and
cross-cultural cooperation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students are expected to acquire a rigorous mastery of
the Judeo-Christian tradition, enabling them to critically
probe the foundations of various theological positions.
Students are expected to command the tools and
techniques of research particular to their field and to
organize and integrate their knowledge in such a way as
to make an original contribution to the academic study
of theology.
Students are expected to engage in ecumenical, inter-
religious, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural academic
conversation as appropriate to their discipline.
Students are expected to acquire the skills and
competencies necessary to present papers at appropriate
academic conferences and to publish the results of their
research in respected peer-reviewed journals.
Students are expected to acquire the skills and
competencies necessary to succeed not only as active
scholars, but also as effective teachers.
program overview
2
welcome to graduate theologyAREAS Of SpECIALIzATION
Students in the doctoral program focus their studies in
one of five major areas—Historical Theology/History
of Christianity, Systematic Theology, Biblical Studies,
Theological Ethics or Comparative Theology. The faculty in
each major area determine requirements regarding course
distribution, language requirements, comprehensive
examinations and minors. A minimum of two years of full-
time course work is normally required. Doctoral students
in our program typically serve as teaching assistants during
their second and third years and as teaching fellows during
their fifth year.
The Historical Theology/History of Christianity (HT/HC)
area studies past theological reflection on the faith and
practice of the Church, with a particular focus on early
and medieval Christianity. The HT/HC area strives to
appreciate these theological expressions both within their
immediate historical contexts (social, cultural, institutional)
and within the broader trajectories of theological
development in the Christian tradition.
Systematic Theology is the contemporary intellectual
reflection on the content of divine revelation as an
interrelated whole. The faculty seek to develop the student’s
ability to treat theological material systematically and
constructively; that is, according to a method that attends
to the coherence and interconnectedness of the elements
of the Christian tradition. The necessary role of historical,
dogmatic and descriptive theological activity is thereby
acknowledged. Systematic theology emphasizes the inter-
relationships that exist among central theological themes
and topics while being sensitive to the socio-cultural
contexts and dynamics within which these issues emerge.
The Biblical Studies area focuses on the canonical books of
the Bible, both within their historical and cultural worlds
and in relation to their reception within the Christian
and Jewish traditions. All students acquire a thorough
competency in both the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and
the New Testament, including competency in Hebrew,
Aramaic and Greek. Students may learn other ancient
languages and literatures as their research requires.
The comprehensive exams cover the whole Bible, with
emphasis on either the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible or the
New Testament, and include a specialized exam in an area
of study pertinent to the student’s dissertation.
Theological Ethics includes the ecumenical study of major
Roman Catholic and Protestant ethicists and attends
to the Biblical foundations and theological contexts of
ethics. Proceeding from the conviction that faith and
reason are complementary, the program explores the
contributions of philosophical thought, both past and
present. It includes a strong social ethics component
as well as offerings in applied ethics. The exploration
of contemporary ethics is set in a critical, historical
perspective and encourages attention to the global and
multicultural character of the Christian community.
Comparative Theology prepares students for careful
theological reflection, usually from a Christian
perspective, on non-Christian religions in their
particularity and regarding their significance for
theology. Comparative Theology entails the study of one
or more religious traditions in addition to one’s own, as
well as critical reflection on one’s own tradition in light
of the other tradition or traditions. Students are expected
to acquire a significant understanding of a major non-
Christian religion as well as a critical method used in the
study of religions; for example, philosophy of religion,
comparative religion or history of religions.
Like all other areas of theology, Comparative Theology’s
ultimate horizon is knowledge of God, the transcendent
or the nature of ultimate reality; it aims to be
constructive theology. The practitioner, while rooted in
one tradition (in this program, normally Christianity),
becomes deeply affected by systematic, consistent
attention to the details of one or more other religious
and theological traditions, thereby informing continuing
theological reflection upon his or her own tradition.
It is this focused attention to the distinctive details of
different traditions that distinguishes Comparative
Theology from the Theology of Religions, but also opens
the possibility of a newly and more deeply informed
Theology of Religions.
In turn, this study is brought into dialogue with some
particular theme or topic of study in Christian Theology,
and articulated in light of a Theology of Religions.
Students in this area are thus prepared to take up a
wide range of research projects and also to teach one or
more religious traditions in addition to chosen areas of
Christian Theology.
3
M.A. Joint Program in Philosophy and TheologyIf you have questions and interests that lead you into both
philosophy and theology, or would like to deepen your
understanding of each field by opening it to the other,
you might consider pursuing an M.A. in philosophy and
theology at Boston College.
Drawing on the resources of major departments and
distinguished authorities in each field, and situated at
the heart of a prominent Jesuit, Catholic university, this
program is structured around distinct concentrations
that address major areas of common concern to the
two fields, and explores their historical, systematic and
disciplinary relations. Students develop a program of study
in discussion with an academic advisor and take courses in
the standard graduate programs offered by the Philosophy
and Theology departments. Concentrations include: Faith,
Science and Philosophy; Foundations in Philosophy
and Theology; Medieval Philosophy and Theology; and
Philosophy and Religions.
This program is designed to address the various interests
of students who wish to augment graduate study of
philosophy with greater exposure to theology or graduate
study of theology with greater exposure to philosophy;
plan to teach or are currently teaching in private secondary
schools; or simply feel in need of intellectual enrichment.
faculty profilesprogram overview
stephen f. brown Professor
Ph.D., Université de Louvain
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Medieval philosophy and theology, especially 13th and 14th centuries
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Philosophical Debates at Paris in the Early Fourteenth Century (Brill, 2009). Historical Dictionary of Medieval Philosophy and Theology (Scarecrow Press, 2005).
lisa sowle cahillJ. Donald Monan Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
RESEARCH INTERESTS
History of Christian ethics; Christology and ethics; Catholic social teaching and globalization; gender equality; bioethics; war and peacebuilding
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Catholic Social Teaching as Political Theology.” In Cambridge
Companion to Political Theology, eds. E. Phillips and C. Hovey (Cambridge University Press, 2016). “Renegotiating Aquinas: Catholic Feminist Ethics, Postmodernism, Realism, and Faith.” Journal of Religious Ethics, 43 (2015), 193-217. Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
jeffrey l. cooley Associate Professor
Ph.D., Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern context; calendars; Sabbath; the intersection of ancient scholarship and literature; divination in the ancient Near East; myth and method; intercultural contact in the ancient Mediterranean
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Poetic Astronomy in the Ancient Near East: The Reflexes of Celestial Science
in Ancient Mesopotamian, Ugaritic, and Israelite Narrative. HACL 5, Winona Lake (Eisenbrauns, 2013). “Celestial Divination in Ugarit and Ancient Israel: A Reappraisal.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 71 (2012), 21-30. “Astral Religion in Ugarit and Ancient Israel.” Journal of Near Eastern
Studies, 70 (2011), 281-87.
boyd taylor coolmanAssociate Professor
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
RESEARCH INTERESTS
History of Christian theology, particularly in the medieval period; life and thought of the Victorines in the first half of the 12th century and in developments in early 13th-century scholastic theology at the Universities of Paris and Oxford
4
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“On the Subject Matter of Theology in the Summa halensis and St. Thomas Aquinas.” The Thomist, 79 (2015), 439-66. “The Christo-Pneumatic-Ecclesial Character of Twelfth-Century Sacramental Theology.” In The Oxford Handbook on
Sacramental Theology, eds. H. Boersma and M. Levering (Oxford University Press, 2015). “In whom I am well pleased: Hugh of St. Victor’s Trinitarian Aesthetics.” Pro Ecclesia, 23(3) (2014), 331-54.
m. shawn copeland Professor
Ph.D., Boston College
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Theological and philosophical anthropology and political theology; African and African-derived religious and cultural experience; African-American intellectual history
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race, and Being (Fortress Press, 2010). The Subversive Power of Love: The Vision of Henriette Delille: The
Madeleva Lecture in Spirituality (Paulist Press, 2009).
catherine cornille Newton College Alumnae Chair in Western Culture
Ph.D., Catholic University of Leuven
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Comparative theology; theology of religions; interreligious dialogue; religious hybridity; concrete questions in the Hindu-Christian and Buddhist-Christian dialogues
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Soteriological Agnosticism and the Future of Theology of Interreligious Dialogue.” In The Past, Present and Future of
Theologies of Interreligious Dialogue, eds. T. Merrigan and J. Friday (Oxford University Press, 2016). “The Problem of Choice in Comparative Theology.” In Methods and Criteria for Comparative Theology, eds. F. Clooney and K. von Stosch (Fordham University Press, 2016). Co-author, Christian Identity Between Secularity and Plurality (Dharmaram Publications, 2015). Co-ed., Women and Interreligious Dialogue (Wipf and Stock, 2013). Ed., The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Inter-Religious Dialogue
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2013). Ed., Interreligious Dialogue and Cultural Change (Wipf and Stock, 2012).
john a. darr Associate Professor
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
New Testament, specifically, the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles; literary criticism and theory; Biblical characters and characterization; synoptic relations
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“‘Be not anxious’: Reading Martha and Mary (Lk. 10.38-42) Within Luke’s Overall Discourse on Anxiety.” In Reading
Ideologies: Essays on the Bible and Interpretation in Honor of Mary
Ann Tolbert (The Bible in the Modern World 40), ed. T. Liew (Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2011). “Belittling Mary: Insult, Humiliation and Early Developments in Mariology.” In From the Margins 2: Women of the New
Testament and Their Afterlives, eds. C. Joynes and C. Rowland (Sheffield Phoenix, 2009). “‘Vivre pour raconter’: point de vue critique et éthique lucanienne.” In Regards croisés sur la Bible: Études sur le point de
vue (Éditions du Cerf, 2007).
doug finn Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Patristic exegesis; Trinitarian theology; interface between ancient philosophy and literature and early Christian theology; theology of St. Augustine; theology and preaching of John Chrysostom
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Sympathetic Philosophy: The Christian Response to Suffering according to John Chrysostom’s Commentary on Job.” In Evil and Suffering in the Patristic Period, Holy Cross Studies in
Patristic Theology 3, ed. B. Beck (Baker Academic, forthcoming). Life in the Spirit: Trinitarian Grammar and Pneumatic
Community in Hegel and Augustine (University of Notre Dame Press, 2016). “Spirit and Church in the Early Augustine.” Augustiniana, 64 (2014), 153-85. “Hegel.” In Oxford Guide to the Historical Reception of
Augustine, ed. K. Pollmann (Oxford University Press, 2013).
richard r. gaillardetzDepartment Chairperson, Joseph Professor of Theology
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Ecclesiology; Vatican II; ecumenism; authority and ministry
5
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
An Unfinished Council: Vatican II, Pope Francis and the Renewal
of Catholicism (Liturgical Press, 2015). Co-ed., A Church with Open Doors: Catholic Ecclesiology for the
Third Millennium (Liturgical Press, 2015). Co-author, Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of
Vatican II (Liturgical Press, 2012). Ed., When the Magisterium Intervenes: The Magisterium and
Theologians in Today’s Church (Liturgical Press, 2012).
yonder gillihan Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dead Sea Scrolls; Matthew and Paul; apocalypticism; Christian origins within the context of Jewish sectarianism in the late Second Temple period
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Civic Ideology, Organization, and Law in the Rule Scrolls: A Comparative Study of the Covenanters’ Sect and Contemporary Voluntary Associations in Political Context.” In Studies in the
Texts of the Desert of Judah (Brill, 2012). “The רג Who Wasn’t There: Fictional Aliens in the Damascus Rule.” Revue de Qumran, 98 (2011), 257-305. “Associations.” In Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism, eds. J. Collins and D. Harlow (Eerdmans, 2010). “Posture or Gesture? A Note on חושל/חשל in the Qumran Penal Codes.” Revue de Qumran, 94 (2009), 291-96.
roberto s. goizuetaMargaret O’Brien Flatley Professor
Ph.D., Marquette University
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Ed., Opera and Religion (special issue). Religion and the Arts,
17(3) (2013). “To the Poor, the Sick, and the Suffering.” In Vatican II: A
Universal Call to Holiness, eds. A. Ciorra and M. Higgins (Paulist Press, 2013). “The Theologian as Wounded Innocent.” Diálogo: A Bilingual
Journal Published by the Center for Latino Research at DePaul
University, 16(2) (2013), 37-42. “Christ of the Borderlands: Faith and Idolatry in an Age of Globalization.” In Religion, Economics, and Culture in Conflict
and Conversation, eds. M. O’Connell and L. Cassidy (Orbis Books, 2011). Christ Our Companion: Toward a Theological Aesthetics of
Liberation (Orbis Books, 2009).
faculty profiles
kristin heyerProfessor
Ph.D., Boston College
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Catholic social thought; migration ethics; conscience and moral agency
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Co-ed., Conscience and Catholicism: Rights, Responsibilities and
Institutional Responses (Orbis Press, 2015). Kinship Across Borders: A Christian Ethic of Immigration (Moral Traditions series) (Georgetown University Press, 2012). Co-ed., Catholics and Politics: The Dynamic Tension between
Faith and Power (Georgetown University Press, 2008). Prophetic and Public: The Social Witness of U.S. Catholicism (Moral Traditions series) (Georgetown University Press, 2006).
michael himes Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Ongoing Incarnation: Johann Adam Möhler and the Beginnings
of Modern Ecclesiology (Crossroad Herder, 1997). Co-ed., The Legacy of the Tübingen School: The Relevance
of Nineteenth-Century Theology for the Twenty-First Century (Crossroads, 1997). Johann Sebastian Drey: A Brief Introduction to the Study of
Theology (translation and introduction) (University of Notre Dame Press, 1994).
kenneth r. himes, o.f.m. Professor
Ph.D., Duke University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Ethical issues in war and peacebuilding; development of Catholic social teaching; the role of religion in American public life; fundamental moral theology
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Targeted Killing and the Ethics of Drone Warfare (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). “Humanitarian Intervention and the Just War Tradition.” In Can War Be Just in the 21st Century? eds. L. Johnston and T. Winright (Orbis Books, 2015). “Unemployment in the First World: The U.S. Experience.” In Concilium: Globalizations and the Church of the Poor, eds. D. Pilario, L. Cahill, M. Bingemer and S. Nadar (SCM Press, 2015; reprinted in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch editions). Christianity and the Political Order: Conflict, Cooptation, and
Cooperation (Orbis Books, 2013).
6
mary ann hinsdale, i.h.m. Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Ecclesiology, Christology, theological anthropology and feminist theologies; multidisciplinary approaches to Catholic Studies; use of participatory action research in theological reflection on the U.S. Catholic experience; Mary Magdalene as a resource for women’s ecclesial leadership
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“St. Mary of Magdala: Ecclesiological Provocations.” CTSA
Proceedings (2011). Women Shaping Theology (Paulist Press, 2006). “Infinite Openness to the Infinite: Karl Rahner’s Contribution to Modern Catholic Thought on the Child.” In The Child in
Christian Thought, ed. M. Bunge (Eerdmans, 2001). Co-author, ‘It Comes from the People’: Community Development
and Local Theology (Temple University, 1995).
m. cathleen kavenyDarald and Juliet Libby Professor
J.D., Ph.D., Yale University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Relationship of law, religion and ethics; religion and rhetoric
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Prophecy Without Contempt: Religious Rhetoric in the Public
Square (Harvard University Press, 2016). A Culture of Engagement: Law, Religion, and Morality (Moral Traditions series) (Georgetown University Press, 2016). Law’s Virtues: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American
Society (Georgetown University Press, 2012). [First place award, “Faithful Citizenship,” Catholic Press Association]
james f. keenan, s.j.Canisius Professor; Director of Jesuit Institute
Ph.D., Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Virtue ethics; Thomas Aquinas; History of theological ethics; public health ethics
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
University Ethics: Why Colleges Need A Culture of Ethics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015). A History of Catholic Moral Theology in the Twentieth Century:
From Confessing Sins to Liberating Consciences (Continuum, 2010). The Ethics of the Word: Voices in the Catholic Church Today
(Rowman & Littlefield, 2010). Co-author, Paul and Virtue Ethics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010).
ruth langer Professor
Ph.D., Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Jewish liturgy and Christian-Jewish relations
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to Research (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015). Cursing the Christians?: A History of the Birkat HaMinim (Oxford University Press, 2011). Liturgy in the Life of the Synagogue (Eisenbrauns, 2005). To Worship God Properly: Tensions Between Liturgical Custom and
Halakhah in Judaism (Hebrew Union College Press, 1998).
fred lawrence Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Basel
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Topics surrounding political theology; how Christian and other religions can mediate a normative order of values, without which a society cannot flourish and may not even survive
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“A Jewish and a Christian Approach to the Problematic of Jerusalem and Athens: Leo Strauss and Bernard Lonergan.” Divyadaan: Journal of Philosophy and Education, 26(1-2) (2015), 217-318. “Lonergan’s Search for a Hermeneutics of Authenticity: Re-originating Augustine’s Hermeneutics of Love.” In Lonergan’s
Anthropology Revisited, eds. G. Whelan and A. Gregoriana (Gregorian and Biblical Press, 2015). “Lonergan’s Hermeneutics.” In The Routledge Companion to
Hermeneutics, ed. J. Malpas (Routledge, 2014).
john j. makransky Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Analyzing ways that concepts and practices of insight, compassion and devotion are inter-related in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism; exploring why, how and what Buddhist scholars and Christian theologians can learn from each other; co-designing programs that draw on Buddhist forms of understanding and practice to address current issues and needs
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“A Buddhist Critique of, and Learning from, Christian Liberation Theology.” Theological Studies, 75(3) (September 2014), 635-57. “Compassion in Buddhist Psychology.” In Wisdom and
Compassion in Psychotherapy (Guilford Press, 2012).
7
“Compassion Beyond Fatigue: Contemplative Training for Educators, Activists and other Helping Professionals.” In Meditation
and the Classroom (SUNY Press, 2011). “Thoughts on Why, How and What Buddhists Can Learn from Christian Theologians.” Buddhist-Christian Studies, 31 (2011), 119-33. Awakening Through Love (Wisdom Publications, 2007).
h. john mcdargh Associate Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Psychological study of religious development; the integration of spirituality and psychotherapy; contemporary psychoanalytic theory and theological anthropology
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Imaging the Real: The Art of Poetry and the Art of Pastoral Attending.” Pastoral Psychology, 60(3) (2011).
gregorio montejoAssistant Professor
Ph.D., Marquette University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Theology; historical theology; philosophy; Thomas Aquinas; Christology; biblical theology; patristics; late antiquity
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Re-imagining God’s Apophatic Form: Aquinas, De divinis
nominibus, and the Pauline Corpus.” Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Conference: The Scriptural Imagination. Villanova University, October 16, 2015. “Incorporation into Christ’s True Body as a Pueblo Crucificado: Thomas Aquinas and Borderland Ecclesiology.” ACHTUS (Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States) Colloquium, Milwaukee, June 9, 2015. “Review: Bernard McGinn, Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae:
A Biography; Lives of Great Religious Books.” Theological Studies, 76(3) (2015), 637.
james w. morris Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Islamic philosophy and theology; Sufism; Islamic humanities (especially poetry and music); the Qur’an; Shiite thought; pilgrimage and popular devotional life
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Openings: From the Qur’an to the Islamic Humanities (World Wisdom, forthcoming).
faculty profiles Approaching Ibn ‘Arabi: Foundations, Contexts, Interpretations
(Anqa, forthcoming). Ostad Elahi: Knowing the Spirit (SUNY Press, 2007).
The Reflective Heart: Discovering Spiritual Intelligence in Ibn
‘Arabi’s ‘Meccan Illuminations’ (Fons Vitae, 2005).
david mozinaAssistant Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
How Daoist thunder rituals work: how they are imagined as technologies for hailing, communicating with and even cajoling thunder deities, who are charged with serving under the command of the priest as his exorcists
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Summoning the Exorcist: The Role of Heart Seals (xinyin 心印) in Calling Down a Demon-Quelling Deity in Contemporary Daoist Thunder Ritual.” In Exorcism in Daoism, ed. F.C. Reiter (Harrassowitz Verlag, 2011). “Daubing Lips with Blood and Drinking Elixirs with the Celestial Lord Yin Jiao: The Role of Thunder Deities in Daoist Ordination in Contemporary Hunan.” Cahiers d’Extrême-Asie, 19 (2010), 269-303.
john j. paris, s.j.Michael P. Walsh Professor of Bioethics
Ph.D., University of Southern California
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Legal and medical ethics
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Decision Making for Seriously Compromised Newborns: The Importance of Exploring Cultural Differences and Unintended Consequences” (with A.A. Penn and M.P. Moore). Journal of Perinatology, 33 (2013), 505-8. “Physician Counseling, Informed Consent and Parental Decision Making for Infants with Hypoplastic Left-heart Syndrome” (with M.P. Moore and M.D. Schreiber). Journal of
Perinatology, 32 (2012), 748-51. “Patenting: European Stem Cell Ruling is Misleading” (with J.B. Green, J. Bernstein, R.M. Green, K.W. Goodman and C. Tauer). Nature, 479 (2011), 41. “The Resuscitation of ‘Slow Codes’: Fraud, Lies, and Deception” (with M.P. Moore). The American Journal of
Bioethics, 11(11) (2011), 13-29. “Rationing: A ‘Decent Minimum’ or a ‘Consumer Driven’ Health Care System?” The American Journal of Bioethics, 11(7) (2011), 16-18.
8
pheme perkinsProfessor
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Greco-Roman cultural setting of early Christianity; Hellenistic philosophy; Pauline epistles; Johannine writings; Resurrection and early Christian eschatology; Nag Hammadi corpus; Gnosticism; Irenaeus
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
1 Corinthians (Baker Academic, 2012). Reading the New Testament (3rd ed.) (Paulist Press, 2012). Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels (Eerdmans, 2007). Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church (Fortress Press, 1994, 2000). Associate ed., The New Oxford Annotated Bible (3rd & 4th eds.), New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible Ephesians (Abingdon Press, 1997).
stephen j. pope Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Christian ethics and evolutionary theory; love and justice in contemporary Christian ethics; charity and natural law in Aquinas; Roman Catholic social teachings
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
A Step Along the Way: Models of Christian Service (Orbis Press, 2015). Solidarity and Hope: Jon Sobrino’s Challenge to the Christian
Theology, editor (Orbis Press, 2008). Human Evolution and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
andrew prevot Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Prayer and spirituality; phenomenology and theology; political and liberation theology; questions of identity; the doctrine of God
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Thinking Prayer: Theology and Spirituality Amid the Crises of
Modernity (University of Notre Dame Press, 2015). “L’excès cruciforme. Stanislas Breton et la théologie mystique chrétienne.” Transversalités: Revue de l’Institut Catholique de Paris,
135 (Oct.-Dec. 2015), 25-42. “The Gift of Prayer: Toward a Theological Reading of Jean-Luc Marion.” Horizons (Dec. 2014).
“Hearing the Cries of Crucified Peoples: The Prayerful Witness of Ignacio Ellacuría and James Cone.” In Witnessing: Prophecy,
Politics, and Wisdom, eds. M.C. Bingemer and P. Casarella (Orbis, 2014). “Ignacio Ellacuría and Enrique Dussel: On the Contributions of Phenomenology to Liberation Theology.” In A Grammar of Justice:
The Legacy of Ignacio Ellacuría, eds. J.M. Ashley and K. Burke (Orbis, 2014).
brian d. robinette Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Phenomenology; hermeneutics; Mimetic theory; theological aesthetics; mystical theology; theologies of creation
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“La puissance d’un dépouillement sans limites repenser: repenser la creatio ex nihilo avec Stanislas Breton,” trans. Claire Vajou. Transversalités, 135 (2015), 43-53. “Deceit, Desire, and the Desert: René Girard’s Mimetic Theory in Conversation with Early Christian Monastic Practice.” In Violence, Transformation, and the Sacred, eds. M. Pfeil and T. Winright (Orbis Books, 2012). “The Difference Nothing Makes: Creatio Ex Nihilo, the Resurrection, and Divine Gratuity.” Theological Studies, 72 (2011), 525-57. Grammars of Resurrection: A Christian Theology of Presence and
Absence (Herder & Herder, 2009).
margaret a. schatkin Associate Professor
Ph.D., Fordham University; Th.D., Princeton Theological Seminary
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Critical edition of works of Chrysostom; patristic bibliography; patristic theology
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Prayer in the Mystagogy of Clement, Origen, and John Chrysostom.” In Seeing Through the Eyes of Faith: New Approaches
to the Mystagogy of the Church Fathers (Late Antique History and Religion 11), ed. P. van Geest (Peeters, 2015). “Holy Spirit in the Patristic Literature.” In: Holy Spirit: An
Unfinished Agenda, ed. J.T.K. Lim (Genesis Books/Word N‘ Works, 2015). “Review of: Roger S. Bagnall, Early Christian Books in Egypt.” The Ancient World: A Scholarly Journal for the Study of Antiquity, 44(2) (2014), 197-99.
9
faculty profiles
david vanderhooft Associate Professor
Ph.D., Harvard University
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Hebrew Scriptures, especially the Former and Latter Prophets; historical, cultural, theological and comparative analyses of ancient Israel’s literature; the relationship between Israel and the ancient empires of Assyria and Babylonia
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Co-author, The Yehud Stamp Impressions: A Corpus of
Inscribed Impressions from the Persian and Hellenistic Periods in
Judah (Eisenbrauns, 2011). [Winner, 2012 G. Ernest Wright Prize, American Schools of Oriental Research] “Habak-kuk.” In The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the
Bible, ed. M. Coogan (Oxford University Press, 2011). “el-m¬dînâ ûm¬dînâ kiktabah: Scribes and Scripts in Yehud and in Achaemenid Transeuphratene.” In The Judeans in
the Achaemenid Age: Negotiating Identity in an International
Context, eds. G.N. Knoppers, O. Lipschits and M. Oeming (Eisenbrauns, 2011). “Twenty-Seven New Yehud Stamp Impressions from the 2008 Excavation Season at Ramat- Raùel” (with O. Lipschits, Y. Gadot and M. Oeming). MAARAV, 16(1) (2009), 7-28.
james m. weiss Associate Professor
Ph.D., The University of Chicago
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
“Too Much a Prince to be but a Cardinal: The College of Cardinals in the Age of the Baroque.” In Patronage and
Consumption in Baroque Rome, ed. S. Leone (University of Chicago Press, 2011). Humanist Biography in Renaissance Italy and Reformation
Germany: Friendship and Rhetoric (Ashgate, 2010). “Humanism,” “Renaissance,” “Beatus Rhenanus” and "Stanislaus Hosius.” In The New Westminster Dictionary of
Church History (Vol. 1), ed. R. Benededto (Westminster John Knox Press, 2008). “Kennst Du das Land wo die Humanisten blühen? The Role of Italy in the Biographies of German Humanists, 1485-1585.” In Germania Latina …: Politik, Wissenschaft, humanistische
Kultur … (Vol. 1), eds. E. Kessler and H. Kuhn (Fink, 2003).
The combined and varied interests of the faculty,
as indicated in the faculty profiles, ensure that the
department offers a wide variety of graduate course
electives. While the number and content of the graduate
electives varies from year to year, the following list is
illustrative of the range of courses offered.
fALL 2016Suffering, Solidarity and the Cross Copeland
Inaug Serm and Questions Brown
The Minor prophets Vanderhooft
peace, Justice and Reconciliation pope
Christ in New Testament perkins
Mercy and Justice Kaveny
Vatical II: History, Interpretation, Reception Gaillardetz
13th Century franciscan Theology Coolman
American Catholic and Social Reform K. Himes
Comparative Religion/History and Methods Cornille
Daoism Mozina
Virtue Ethics Keenan
Theological Anthropology Hinsdale
Theology of Historical praxis Lawrence
SpRING 2017Authority in the Church Gaillardetz
Aquinas: Biblical Commentaries Montejo
Theological Aesthetics Goizueta
Early Modern Theology M. Himes
Graeca perkins
Hans Urs Von Balthasar prevot
20th C Catholic Moral Teaching Keenan
Mercy and Justice Kaveny
Lonergan Christology Wilkins
philosophy/Church fathers Schatkin
Jerusalem and Athens: foundational Methodology Lawrence
Curating Revelation Gillihan
peace, Justice and Reconciliation pope
courses
10
outcomes
Recent Dissertations2015-2016John R. Barker, OFM, “Disputed Temple: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Book of Haggai”
Stephanie Corigliano, “Towards a Hermeneutic of Yoga in Modern Times: A Comparative Study of practice and Detachment in Hinduism and Christianity”
Maria Angela Socorro S. Cruz, “prophets Likewise: An Exploration of the prophetic Office of the Laity as an Expression of the Sensus Fidelium”
Marianne Tierney Fitzgerald, “Theology and Activism in Latin America: A Reflection on Jon Sobrino’s Christology of the Resurrection and Grassroots Organizations protesting Gender-Based Violence”
Nichole Flores, “Guadalupe in the public Square: Religious Aesthetics and the pursuit of Justice”
Christopher D. Jones, “The Midday Demon’: A Moral, Theological and Biopsychosocial Analysis of Acedia”
Monica Jalandoni Nalupta, “filipino fortitude”
James O’Sullivan, “Development as Human Rights: An Examination of Catholic Social Teaching and the Right to Development”
Cristina Richie, “Moving Environmental Bioethics into the 21st Century: Green Bioethics and the Common Good”
Kate Ward, “Wealth, poverty and Economic Inequality: A Christian Virtue Response”
2014-2015Stanislaus Subba Reddy Alla, “Care and Access: Catholic and Hindu Approaches to Ethics in Healthcare”
Anthony P. Coleman, “Lactantius and the Doctrine of providence”
Christopher R. Conway, “Liberative Service: A Comparative Theological Reflection on Dalit Theology’s Service and Swami Vivekananda’s Seva”
Jeremy V. Cruz, “Social Equality in Recent Catholic Social Thought: Toward an Ethic of Global Social Equality”
John P. Edwards, “Developing a ‘Theology in the Order of Discovery’: The Method and Contribution of James Alison”
Conor M. Kelly, “Service and Justice, peace and Solidarity: Theology and Ethics for Work and Leisure”
Nicole L. Reibe, “preaching participation: The Theology of Achard of St. Victor”
Robert J. Rivera, “A Christology of Liberation in an Age of Globalization and Exclusion: The Contributions of Jon Sobrino and Edward Schillebeeckx”
Andrew B. Salzmann, “The Holy Spirit and the Life of the Christian According to Hugh of St. Victor: Dator Et Donum, Cordis Omne Bonum”
Brian Traska, “philosophy as faith Seeking Understanding: An Interpretation of Bernard Lonergan’s 1972 Lectures on philosophy of God and Systematic Theology”
Jennifer S. Wade, “Resisting Violence through the Meditative Body: A Theological Anthropology of Transformational Anger in Judith Butler and The Revelations of Divine Love”
Glenn Willis, “Drive All Blames into One: Rhetorics of ‘Self-Blame’ and Refuge in Tibetan Buddhist Lojong, Nietzsche and the Desert fathers”
Recent PlacementsThe Theology Department takes an active role helping students search for attractive academic positions. Our recent students’ placements have included:
Barry University
Carroll College
Catholic Theological Union
College of the Holy Cross
Creighton University
Duquesne University
Emmanuel College
fairfield University
fontbonne University
Gonzaga University
Heythop College
Laboure College
Lincoln Christian College
Loras College
Loyola Marymount
Manhattan College
Marion Court College
Marquette University
Marymount University
Merrimack College
University of portland
Rivier College
Sacred Heart University
Saint Anselm College
Saint John’s University
Saint Joseph College
Saint Leo University
Saint patrick’s Seminary and University
Seattle University
University of San francisco
University of Scranton
Villanova University
Xavier University
Yale Divinity School
11
morrissey college of arts & sciences
The oldest and largest of the University’s eight schools and colleges, the Morrissey College
of Arts and Sciences offers graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts and Master of Science. In addition, numerous dual-degree options are offered in cooperation with the Carroll School of Management, the Boston College Law School, the Lynch School of Education and the Graduate School of Social Work.
With approximately 1,000 students and 400 full-time faculty, the Graduate School is small enough to know you as a person, but large enough to serve you and prepare you for a rewarding life and satisfying career.
Academic Resources
THE INSTITUTE Of MEDIEVAL pHILOSOpHY AND THEOLOGY
Boston College’s Institute of Medieval Philosophy and
Theology unites the teaching and research efforts of faculty
members in the Theology and Philosophy departments.
The focus of the institute is on the relationship between
medieval philosophy and theology and modern continental
philosophy and theology.
The concentration of the Philosophy and Theology
departments at Boston College lies in modern continental
thought, so the context for carrying on a dialogue between
medieval and modern philosophy and theology is well
established. To foster this dialogue and encourage the
scholarly retrieval of the great medieval intellectual
tradition, the institute offers fellowships and assistantships
and sponsors speakers programs and a faculty-student
seminar to investigate new areas of medieval philosophical
and theological research. The institute also runs a research
center to assist in the publication of monographs and
articles in the diverse areas of medieval philosophy and
theology, and encourages the translation of medieval
sources and the editing of philosophical and theological
texts. For more information, call 617-552-0436.
THE LONERGAN CENTER
The Lonergan Center at Boston College fosters studies
related to the work of the Jesuit theologian and philosopher
Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984). Inaugurated in 1986, the
center houses a growing collection of Lonergan’s published
and unpublished writings, as well as secondary materials
and reference works; it also serves as a seminar and meeting
room. The center is located in Bapst Library. Boston College
sponsors an annual Lonergan Workshop, which provides
resources, lectures and workshops. For more information,
call 617-552- 8095 or visit bclonergan.org.
THE BOSTON COLLEGE SCHOOL Of THEOLOGY AND MINISTRY
Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry (STM)
offers its students opportunities for comprehensive graduate
theological education and spiritual formation for ministry.
The School of Theology and Ministry offers an array of
academic, theological, spiritual and pastoral courses for
ministry, academic specialization and continuing education
in faith.
THE BOSTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
The Boston Theological Institute (BTI) allows graduate
students to cross-register at Andover-Newton Theological
School, Boston University School of Theology, Episcopal
Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary,
Harvard Divinity School, Hebrew College, Holy Cross
College (Greek Theology School) and St. John’s Seminary.
BOSTON AREA CONSORTIUM
The Boston Area Consortium allows graduate students to
cross-register for courses at Boston University, Brandeis
University and Tufts University.
BOSTON COLLEGE LIBRARIES
The University is home to eight libraries, containing 2.95
million volumes; more than 700 manuscript collections,
including music, photos, art and artifacts; 625,000
e-books; and more than 600 electronic databases. O’Neill
Library, Boston College’s main library, offers subject-
specialist librarians to help with research, to set up alerts to
publications in areas of interest and to answer any research-
and library-related questions.
THE BOSTON LIBRARY CONSORTIUM
The Boston Library Consortium allows Boston College
students access to millions of volumes and other services at
19 area institutions in addition to the world-class resources
available through the Boston College Library System.
12
student life & campus resources
Boston College is located on the edge of one of the world’s most vibrant cities. Just six
miles from downtown Boston—an exciting and dynamic place to live and learn—Boston College is an easy car or “T” ride away from a booming center for trade, finance, research and education.
Home to some of New England’s most prestigious cultural landmarks, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston Symphony Hall and the Freedom Trail, Boston provides a rich environment for those passionate about art, music and history. For sports fans, Boston hosts a number of the country’s greatest sports teams: the Celtics, Patriots, Bruins and, of course, Fenway Park’s beloved Red Sox. Found within a short drive from Boston are some of New England’s best recreational sites, from the excellent skiing in New Hampshire to the pristine beaches of Cape Cod.
Boston also offers a wide range of family friendly attractions, including the Children’s Museum, New England Aquarium, Franklin Park Zoo and the Museum of Science. There are roughly 50 universities located in the Boston area, and the large student population adds to the city’s intellectually rich and diverse community. Events, lectures and reading groups hosted by world-renowned scholars abound on area campuses, providing abundant opportunities to meet and network with other graduate students and faculty throughout the Boston area.
The UniversityBoston College is a Jesuit university with more than
14,000 students, 786 full-time faculty and more than
170,000 active alumni. Since its founding in 1863, the
University has known extraordinary growth and change.
From its beginnings as a small Jesuit college intended to
provide higher education for Boston’s largely immigrant
Catholic population, Boston College has grown into a
national institution of higher learning that is consistently
ranked among the top universities in the nation: Boston
College is ranked 30th among national universities by
U.S. News & World Report.
Today, Boston College attracts scholars from all 50 states
and over 80 countries, and confers more than 4,000
degrees annually in more than 50 fields through its eight
schools and colleges. Its faculty members are committed
to both teaching and research and have set new marks for
research grants in each of the last 10 years. The University
is committed to academic excellence. As part of its most
recent strategic plan, Boston College is in the process
of adding 100 new faculty positions, expanding faculty
and graduate research, increasing student financial aid
and widening opportunities in key undergraduate and
graduate programs.
The University is comprised of the following colleges and
schools: Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Carroll
School of Management, Connell School of Nursing,
Lynch School of Education, Woods College of Advancing
Studies, Boston College Law School, Graduate School of
Social Work and School of Theology and Ministry.
General Resources
HOUSING
While on-campus housing is not available for graduate
students, most choose to live in nearby apartments.
The Office of Residential Life maintains an extensive
database with available rental listings, roommates and
helpful local real estate agents. The best time to look for
fall semester housing is June through the end of August.
For spring semester housing, the best time to look is late
November through the beginning of the second semester.
Additionally, some graduate students may live on campus
as resident assistants. Interested students should contact
the Office of Residential Life.
13
JOHN COURTNEY MURRAY, S.J., GRADUATE STUDENT CENTER
One of only a handful of graduate student centers
around the country, the Murray Graduate Student Center
is dedicated to the support and enrichment of graduate
student life at Boston College. Its primary purpose is to
build a sense of community among the entire graduate
student population and cultivate a sense of belonging to
the University as a whole. Its amenities include study
rooms, a computer lab, two smart televisions, kitchen,
deck and patio space, complimentary coffee and tea, and
more. Throughout the year, the center hosts programs
organized by the Office of Graduate Student Life and
graduate student groups. The Murray Graduate Student
Center also maintains an active job board (available
electronically), listing academic and non-academic
opportunities for employment both on and off campus.
MCMULLEN MUSEUM Of ART
Serving as a dynamic educational resource for the
national and international community, the McMullen
Museum of Art showcases interdisciplinary exhibitions
that ask innovative questions and break new ground in
the display and scholarship of the works on view. The
McMullen regularly offers exhibition-related programs,
including musical and theatrical performances, films,
gallery talks, symposia, lectures, readings and receptions
that draw students, faculty, alumni and friends together
for stimulating dialogue. Located on the main campus,
the McMullen Museum is free to all visitors.
CONNORS fAMILY LEARNING CENTER
Working closely with the Graduate School, the Connors
Family Learning Center sponsors seminars, workshops
and discussions for graduate teaching assistants and
teaching fellows on strategies for improving teaching
effectiveness and student learning. Each fall, the
Learning Center and the Graduate School hold a one-
and-a-half day “Fall Teaching Orientation” workshop
designed to help students prepare for teaching. The
center also hosts ongoing seminars on college teaching,
higher learning and academic life; assists graduate
students in developing teaching portfolios; and provides
class visits and teaching consultations, upon request.
Through these and other activities, the Connors Family
Learning Center plays an important role in enhancing
the quality of academic life at Boston College.
fLYNN RECREATION COMpLEX
The 144,000-square-foot Flynn Recreation Complex
houses a running track; tennis, basketball, volleyball,
squash and racquetball courts; an aquatics center with
pool and dive well; saunas and more. Its 10,000-square-
foot Fitness Center offers more than 100 pieces of cardio
equipment, a full complement of strength training
equipment and free weights, an air-conditioned spin
studio and three air-conditioned group fitness studios.
During the academic year, BC Rec holds more than 80
group fitness classes per week in a variety of disciplines,
including Zumba, spin, yoga, strength training, Pilates
and more.
BOSTON COLLEGE CAREER CENTER
The Boston College Career Center works with graduate
students at each step of their career development.
Services include self-assessment, career counseling,
various career development workshops, resume and
cover letter critiques, and practice interviews. In addition
to extensive workshop offerings, Career Center staff
members are available throughout the year for one-on-
one advising about any aspect of the career path. The
Career Resource Library offers a wealth of resources,
including books, periodicals and online databases.
student life & campus resources
14
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the Ph.D. program should have
completed the M.Div. or equivalent degree; a
master’s degree in religion, theology or philosophy;
or a bachelor’s program with an exceptionally strong
background in religion, theology and/or philosophy.
The deadline for receipt of applications for fall admission
is January 2 for the Ph.D. program and February 1 for the
joint Philosophy/Theology M.A. program. Please visit
bc.edu/gsas for detailed information on how to apply.
Application requirements include:
Application Form: Submitted online, via the GSAS website.
Application Fee: $75, non-refundable.
Abstract of Courses A concise overview of background Form: and related courses completed in an intended field or proposed area of study.
Official Transcripts: Demonstrating coursework completed/degree conferral from all post-secondary institutions attended.
GRE General Test: Official score report required for all applicants.
Three Letters of from professors or supervisors. Recommendation: It is highly advisable that at least one letter be from an academic source.
Statement of Purpose: A brief (approx. 3 page) discussion of an applicant’s interest in the program and academic goals.
Writing Sample: A sample of an applicant’s best work (usually a course paper or equivalent of no more than 25 pages) related to their proposed field of study.
Curriculum Vitae: A list of an applicant’s academic (Resume) and work experience.
Proof of English Official TOEfL/IELTS reports Proficiency: accepted. (International only)
Financial Assistance
DEpARTMENT fUNDING
The Theology Department offers full-tuition scholarships
and stipends to all doctoral students in good standing for
five years.
fEDERAL fINANCIAL AID
Graduate students can apply for federal financial aid
using the FAFSA. The loans that may be available to
graduate students are the Federal Direct Unsubsidized
Stafford Loan and Perkins Loan, based on eligibility.
If additional funds are needed, student may apply for a
Grad Plus Loan. For more information, see the Graduate
Financial Aid website at bc.edu/gradaid or contact the
Graduate Financial Aid Office at 617-552-3300 or
800-294-0294.
admission & financial information
top related