Catholic Studies

Program Coordinators
John Donnelly, Ph.D., Philosophy
Joseph McGowan, Ph.D., English

The Catholic Studies Minor

In the past few years, a new development in the history of American Catholic higher education has been taking place: the formation of programs in Catholic studies. USD has inaugurated a minor in Catholic studies that will explore the texts, traditions, themes, and teachings of the Catholic Church from its inception to its contemporary expression. This interdisciplinary program will enable both students and faculty to study the Catholic tradition, its ethos, identity, and mission, as made tangible in history, philosophy, literature, theology, the fine arts, the social and behavioral sciences, and the natural sciences. We invite students to consider minoring in Catholic studies as a focus for serious conversations about how Catholicism unfolds in the world in its many multicultural, multinational contexts, and how that intellectual and institutional culture has an impact upon human experience.

The Catholic Studies minor is an 18-unit program (at least 9 units of which must be fulfilled by upper-division courses) that includes the following requirements:

1. CATH 133 – Introduction to Catholic Studies;
2. CATH 394 – Topics in Contemporary Catholic Culture and Thought (a practicum in community service will be integrated into this capstone course);
3. A 3-unit course in literature;
4. A 3-unit course in philosophy;
5. A 3-unit course in Theology and Religious Studies (THRS 114 – Introduction to Catholic Theology will ordinarily, unless varied, be taken by students as one of their Core Curriculum requirements in Theology and Religious Studies); and,
6. A 3-unit course selected from one of the following areas: history, art/music, or science/social science.

Catholic Studies Courses (CATH)

133 Introduction to Catholic Studies / 3 UNITS
This course will focus on the central periods in the history of Roman Catholicism from the early Christian period through the 20th century. An exploration of traditions, themes, teachings, and texts of selected periods in order to establish the sociocultural, political, philosophical, and theological context of the development of Catholic ethos and identity. Ordinarily, the course will be team-taught and interdisciplinary, emphasizing both the diversity and constancy of the Roman Catholic tradition and experience.

394 Topics in Contemporary Catholic Culture and Thought / 3 UNITS
A capstone course that will study the role of the church in the world after the Second Vatican Council. It will ordinarily be team-taught and interdisciplinary, focusing on such possible topics and issues as ecumenism, women in the church, social justice, ecology, liberation theology, ethnicity, the relationship between science and religion, psychology and religious experience, the arts and ritual reform, etc. A required experiential component will be determined by contract.

Interdisciplinary Courses

Courses in this edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin that count toward the Catholic studies minor are listed below. Other courses that will count toward the minor will be offered on a semester-by-semester basis. Students should select their courses in consultation with one of the program coordinators. Please see the full course description under the appropriate departmental listings.

ENGL 224 – Studies in Literary Traditions: The Irish Tradition / 3 units
ENGL 310 – Dante / 3 units
ENGL 312 – Studies in Medieval Literature / 3 units
ENGL 314 – Chaucer / 3 units
ENGL 328 – Milton / 3 units

HIST 321 – The Fall of the Roman Empire, 250-1050 / 3 units
HIST 322 – Castles and Crusades: Medieval Europe, 1050-1450 / 3 units
HIST 331 – Renaissance Europe / 3 units
HIST 346 – Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Europe / 3 units
HIST 363 – History of Brazil / 3 units
HIST 384 – History of Mexico / 3 units

MUSC 430W – History of Medieval and Renaissance Music / 3 units
MUSC 494 – Special Topics in Music: History of Sacred Music / 3 units

PHIL 271 – History of Medieval Philosophy / 3 units
PHIL 335 – Death and Dying / 3 units
PHIL 412 – Philosophy of God / 3 units
PHIL 471 Studies in Medieval Philosophy / 3 units
PHIL 490 Philosophy of Love / 3 units
PHIL 494 Contemporary Philosophical Problems / 3 units

SPAN 360 Survey of Latin American Literature / 3 units

THRS 335 Catholic Social Thought / 3 units
THRS 341 Christian Worship / 3 units
THRS 342 Christian Sacramental Practice / 3 units
THRS 343 Christian Marriage / 3 units
THRS 353 Early Christianity / 3 units
THRS 354 The Medieval Church / 3 units
THRS 356 Catholicism in the United States / 3 units
THRS 358 U.S. Latino/a Catholicism / 3 units
THRS 364 Theology of the Church / 3 units
THRS 368 U.S. Latino/a and Latin American Theologies / 3 units
THRS 494 Topics in Theology and Religious Studies: Liberation Theologies / 3 units