COURSE DESCRIPTION 

On the global stage, a unique role has been played by John Paul II, the fourth longest reigning pope of all time!  He regularly draws people by the millions to his public appearances, and his proclamations receive international attention. Part philosopher and theologian, part dramatist and diplomat, the current pontiff exercises a profound influence on the lives of innumerable people -- both within the Roman Catholic Church and throughout the world.

This intermediate-level course will investigate the theological thinking of John Paul II as it is expressed in his major writings and in some speeches. Focusing on primary texts (i.e., those of the Holy Father), the course will treat a variety of topics (outlined in the schedule below) that demonstrate the pope's wide-ranging impact and legacy.  In this way, the course explores the "prophetic humanism" that stands at the center of this pope's program of teaching and at the heart of Roman Catholicism in the contemporary world.

(1) to build on the student's knowledge of Catholic theology by focusing on the writings of Pope John Paul II as one of the primary sources of contemporary theology;

(2) to enable critical reflection upon the meaning and value of Catholic thought as applied to issues in the modern world;

(3) to engender ethical considerations with regard to the implications of the papal vision for the student's personal life;

(4) to develop further the student's communication skills, through individual assignments (reading and writing) and group discussion.

(1) Class time will be devoted to an analysis of the thought of John Paul II in terms of seven (7) areas:  God, the Church, culture, social thought, faith & reason, the body, and the family. 

• In general, the professor will provide the cultural context for each topic and direct a critical reading of the pertinent documents.

• Students will make presentations concerning the issues raised in the papal teaching.

(2) To profit from the class interaction, students would do well to note the ABC's of doing Theology:

• be not Content -- Since you are here to learn, and since learning is never a completed process, you should never settle for what you already know or what you already can do. Rather, take this opportunity to stretch your thought and imagination to greater limits, and take advantage of the expertise of professors as guides along this "journey to excellence."

REQUIRED Reading:

(1)  primary = texts of John Paul II (selections from various documents, all available online)

(2)  secondary [available in the DSU bookstore]

Accattoli, Luigi.  Man of the Millennium: John Paul II.  Translated by Jordan Aumann, OP.  Boston: Pauline Books, 2000.  ISBN: 0819839698 This biography will be the subject of a "critical book review" and presentation. click on the icon to order from Pauline Books

Dulles, Avery.  The Splendor of Faith: The Theological Vision of Pope John Paul II.  Revised and updated edition.  New York: Crossroad, 2003.  ISBN: 0824521218 This compendium will be the subject of the final examination in the course. click on the icon to order from Amazon.com

Supplemental Bibliography:    [consult the extensive online listings, available here]

Academic APTITUDES -- success in this course will be based on the demonstration of the following skills:

• speaking -- Students will be expected to join willingly in class discussions and to speak in a civil manner. It would be to the students' benefit to prepare their thoughts before class.

• reading -- Students will be expected to read and comprehend all material from the assigned texts. It would be to the students' benefit to preview the reading prior to class and review it after class.

• writing -- Students will be expected to compose writing assignments clearly and accurately. It would be to the students' benefit to have someone proofread the assignments for them.

• computing -- Students will be expected to demonstrate competence in word processing and information retrieval. It would be to the students' benefit to consult the various "guides" to the world of computers in the Library and Computing centers.

• thinking -- Students will be expected to be "critical" in their apprehension and "open" in their appreciation of the course material. It would be to the students' benefit to question and to wonder, even outside of class!

GRADING opportunities -- In order to evaluate the student's progress in each of the aptitudes described above, a variety of measures will be provided, each of which is explained in further detail during class. Go to the "assignments" page for more details (click here).

(1)  Critical Book Review (15% of final grade) -- students will write a three-page review of Man of the Millennium, in which they

• summarize the author's point of view and emphasis

• analyze one point in the pope's life that they found to be most significant

• apply something from the story to the life of university students today

(2)  "Another View" (60% of final grade) -- for each of the topics in the course students will be required to "summarize" the pope's teaching and show its "relevance" to the life of university students today.  This evaluation takes two forms:

• oral presentations (2) -- based on texts assigned by the professor, students will give a 5-miniute presentation to the class. (1st speech = 10%; second speech = 20% of final grade)

• op-ed writing (3) -- based on texts chosen by the students, they will write an essay (750-800 words) in the form of a newspaper editorial  (best 3 of 5 essays count as 10% each toward the final grade).   For "tips" on this form of writing, click here.

• any students whose work is actually published in a regional newspaper or journal (as determined by the professor) automatically receives an "A" for the entirety of these assignments!

(3) Final Exam (25% of final grade) -- during finals week, students will be participate in a 10-minute oral examination concerning The Splendor of Faith.

[N.B. All assignments must be completed; failure to do so may result in the loss of all credit for the course.]

Bonus Opportunities (consult with the professor for details!):

• A-level ... sentence summary of a papal encyclical

• B-level ... web site development concerning papal teaching

• C-level ... bibliographic update on papal thought

•  Monday, January 26th, 7:30 pm (Labuda) - bioethics discussion (link)

• February 4th, 7:30 pm (McShea) - Kraft Lecture for Patron's Day (link)

• March 3rd, 3:30 pm (Hurd) - Center Valley Forum (link)

• March 18th, 7:30 pm (Billera) - Visiting Salesian Scholar presentation (link)

• March 29th, 7:30 pm (Labuda) - bioethics discussion (link)

• April 1st, 7:30 pm (McShea) - Campbell Lecture on Ecumenism (link)

• April 14, 3:30 pm (Hurd) - Center Valley Forum (link)

To Contact the Professor

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