Faith & Reason Honors Program

 Honors Seminars

The honors program requires the completion of six (6) one-credit seminars that integrate faith and reason in an on-going conversation about the big questions of life.

They are questions which have their common source in the quest for meaning which has always compelled the human heart.  In fact, the answer given to these questions decides the direction which people seek to give to their lives. [John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, no.1]

Through the "Liberal Studies" program of the Humanities Department at DeSales University, the Salesian Center will offer one of the following seminars each semester in a four-year cycle.  Seminars meet on the Tuesday/Thursday @ 8:00AM calendar.

"Conversations about ..."	Reading	Year / Semester	Discussion
The HUMAN PERSON with Fr. Thomas Dailey, OSFS (Theology)		Freshman / Spring link to Spring 2010 course calendar	What is the origin and destiny of the human person?  What is distinctive about being human?  Is there such a thing as human "dignity"? How do I become who I am?
GOD with Fr. Peter Leonard, OSFS (Biology)		Sophomore / Fall	Does God exist (classical atheism)? Does the existence of God matter (contemporary atheism)? How can God be "good" with so much "evil" in the world?
The WORLD with Dr. Brennan Pursell (History)		Sophomore / Spring	What drives the history of the world:  politics, economics, culture?  How does seeing the world through the lens of history change our perspective?  What lessons can we learn from human history for making the world a better place in today's time?
BEAUTY with Dr. Stephen Myers (English)		Junior / Fall	What is beauty and how do I recognize it?  What is happiness and can I have it?  Is there more to life than the material world?
TRUTH with Dr. Gregory Kerr (Philosophy)		Junior / Spring	Does life make sense?  Can I really know anything (skepticism)?  Is there objective truth (vs. relativism) and how do I know it?
GOODNESS with Dr. Sam Martineau (Political Science)		Senior / Fall	How are people in the world related to one another?  Can there be a just society?  Does freedom have any obligations?  What is love?

Seminars will meet weekly for one hour during the Fall and Spring semesters. They will take place under the direction of one or more senior faculty leaders, who will select pertinent readings and guide lively discussions on existential questions. 

Seminars consist entirely of discussion about assigned readings, chosen among classical and/or contemporary texts from a variety of academic disciplines. 

Students who participate in the seminars regularly and actively will receive a grade of "A" for the course. Completion of three one-credit seminars fulfills one "free elective" requirement for graduation (with a maximum of six credits = two free electives). Credits received for these seminars do NOT fulfill any General Education requirements.  

Continued participation in the seminars is at the discretion of the faculty leaders and the honors program director.

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