Course Catalog

This course will explore the place of the Hebrew Scriptures in both Catholic theology and practice. Students already know that the Old Testament is part of the Christian Bible, but what exactly is its role in Catholic theology? How does it function in the life of the Church? How might it function in the spirituality of the individual believer? This course will engage with both primary and secondary source materials in trying to answer these questions. Various Old Testament texts will be read to understand the theological perspectives/claims expressed therein. Secondary sources will assist us in reading these Scriptural books in context, and with connecting the contributions of these books to the rest of the Catholic faith. Students will also come to understand the potential of the Old Testament for the spiritual growth of the believer through scholarly resources that describe the role of various readings in the liturgical life of the Church. Students will also experience something of the Old Testament’s impact on individual spirituality thorugh the writing of a Lectio Divina journal. Students will also examine the manner in which Old Testament concepts are taken up in the New Testament.