THEO111 Christian Experience I (Personal Relationship)

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This exhortation raises questions, however, for individual Christian disciples. For JPCatholic students, specifically, this course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how it might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, and connects faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and spur evangelization.

Watch Christian Experience video

THEO112 Christian Experience II (Catholic Doctrine)

This course introduces students to the diverse world of radio, television, news, cinema, internet, print and advertising. Students will learn how to critically experience such media and analyze its desired results. Students will also explore how media has developed and evolved through history and examine the current influences of media on society from a cultural, artistic and economic perspective. In addition, we will explore what the role of Christians in this new media environment can and should be, and how we can best utilize the opportunities available to us to become who we want to be.

Watch Christian Experience video

THEO112 Christian Experience III (The Sacramental Life)

Our redemption was accomplished by a God who entered history. As a consequence, Catholics understand communion as something that occurs in a context of tradition. Faith is handed down over centuries by the successors of the apostles; we read and interpret Sacred Scripture according to long-established understandings and principles; our prayer to the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit bears a striking resemblance to that of the first Christian communities. This course examines sacramental ritual and considers the perennial necessity of personal prayer, enabling students to better understand the power of this ancient faith. In its essential elements it never changes—which is precisely what allows it to change us.

Watch Christian Experience video

THEO314 Christian Experience IV (Theology of the Body)

It is all too easy to see one’s own desires as what really matters, and to live accordingly. With his Theology of the Body, however, Pope St. John Paul the Great offers a fresh perspective, one that dares to lift us above the confusion and malaise wrought by this era’s remarkable selfishness. This course affords students an opportunity to explore this theological treasure given to the Church by our university’s patron, and to better see how an individual human life can be lived not selfishly, but as a gift received from God and intended for others.

Prerequisites: THEO112, THEO113

Watch Christian Experience video

THEO205 New Testament

In this course the student explores the Scriptures, particularly the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) to understand the person of Jesus Christ. This Scripture course serves as the starting point for JPCatholic University’s religion curriculum. While examining some of the basic literary and historical issues relating to Scripture study, the course also introduces students to the theological principles of Catholic biblical exegesis. The course also explores ways the study of Scripture enhances the life of prayer.

PHIL101 Logic

In this course students learn about the basic structures of sound reasoning, focusing largely on classic Aristotelian logic. The course serves to help students think and argue with clarity as well as to effectively analyze arguments of others. The course includes a careful analysis of the operations of the intellect, i.e., understanding, judgment, and reasoning, focusing on their products, i.e., term, proposition, and syllogism.

PHIL203 Philosophy of Nature

This course is a detailed study in the various understandings of nature, beginning from the mythology of the Enuma Elish as a primitive attempt at grasping the world, to the classical understanding found in Aristotle’s Physics and 141 Parts of Animals and their Medieval development in Thomas Aquinas’s The Principles of Nature, to foundational texts in modern natural sciences such as those of Descartes, Galileo and Newton, to discussions of evolution found in Darwin, and finally to near contemporary physicists such as Heisenberg. The contrast between the classical stress on substantial form and formal causality and the modern method of material causality and mathematical law will be brought to the forefront, as will the emphasis on technology as a mastery of nature in modern science and the question of teleology, whether nature acts for a purpose.

PHIL204 Philosophy of Man

After providing an overview of the basic principles of the Philosophy of Nature, this course examines the nature of the human being, beginning from the Epic of Gilgamesh, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas, the Renaissance via Blaise Pascal, and concluding in the modern period in Nietzsche, Freud and T. S. Eliot.

PHIL408 Philosophy of Man

This is a course in the various understandings of metaphysics, or the nature of being as being, beginning from Plato’s Timaeus, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, and the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas. The course continues by covering several related questions, beginning with Natural Theology (discussing the traditional proofs for the existence of God, the Divine Attributes that can be understood using reason alone, the analogy of being, and the act of creation), continuing with the “problem of evil” and the question of free will.

HUMA111 Cultural Foundations I (The Classical Period)

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to better appreciate the enduring power of story even as they recognize the complex relationship art to its surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, and others) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

HUMA112 Cultural Foundations II (The Middle Ages & the Renaissance)

This course tracks the development in European art and thought during the transition from the High Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Special attention is paid at the outset to the tensions arising from, surrounding, and even bringing about this epochal shift, especially as evidenced in Dante’s Divine Comedy. When the course later shifts its focus to texts produced by Shakespeare and other authors in Renaissance England, students find these tensions now located in increasingly realistic and complex human figures and dramas. Through these explorations students come to see the distinctive groundwork being laid for what will later be recognized as the modern period.

HUMA113 Cultural Foundations III (The Early Modernity)

This third course in our Cultural Foundations series tracks the rise of modernity against the backdrop of various 18th and 19th century upheavals. In order to best appreciate the dynamism and complexity of this period, students will immerse themselves in the literary form most characteristic of the 19th century: the novel. By applying order to an increasingly dissonant world, the great novels of the European tradition illuminate daily life amidst revolutionary change in a uniquely personal way, and they capture in their progress both the subtlest movements of human consciousness and the most profound transformations of human hearts.

HUMA301 Global Cultures, History & Politics

This course studies a wide variety of global cultures by listening to indigenous voices expressing themselves in cultural products that include novels, films, music, poetry, essays, speeches, and journalism.

HUMA120 Culture Making *

This course examines how media and business shape the attitudes, practices and beliefs of individuals and groups, and develops in students a rich understanding of the subtle and powerful cultural currents swirling around them, so that they can make valuable contributions to the development of future cultures. Students will consider critically how media and business shape them, learning to recognize the attitudes, assumptions, arguments and ideas promoted by media and business enterprises and products. They will develop a full, thoughtful and practical understanding of what cultures are and how they grow, and of the university’s mission to Impact Culture for Christ. They will gain an understanding of how Christians are perceived by the cultures around them, and appreciate how one gains the privilege of participation in the shaping of cultures. Finally, students will learn to articulate what of value they have to offer the cultures around them, and how they hope to make that contribution over the course of their lives and careers.

HUMA122 College Writing I *

This course will emphasize the use of correct grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics. Students will be required to apply these skills to writing assignments.

HUMA124 Advanced College Writing

Students conduct research on a primary text and write a lengthy paper, practicing revision and editing skills as they develop their original theses. This class encourages a “close reading” of a primary text, requires students to build an annotated bibliography to evaluate secondary and tertiary source material, and introduces rhetorical concepts in the effort to help students become stronger readers and writers.

MATH202 Personal Finance & Success

This course provides students with concepts and strategies related to practical financial and personal decision-making. Taking a holistic approach, students will be given the tools to manage not just their personal finances, but their investments in time, service, etc. Topics will include budgeting, spending, hsaving, borrowing, investing, time management, tithing, and giving.

SCIN300 Science, Technology & Culture

This course will familiarize students with fundamental scientific concepts and explore how the application of those concepts affects society and global economics. Topics include: the structure of the atom and its applications in biology and physics; circuits, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things; DNA, diseases, and vaccines. Each topic builds towards the question, "what does Catholic teaching tell us about how we as Christians live and participate in this rapidly changing world?"

BUSI106 Entrepreneurial Thinking

In today’s world there is a need for strategic thinking and business vision based on a different paradigm. Competition is not only between products and services, but also between business models. Students will learn about innovation-driven business strategies and methodologies to develop business designs to successfully compete in the new economy.

BUSI120 Project Management

This course teaches the principles of project management that are commonly used to plan and measure projects in industry. It presents the project management mind-set, tools, and skills for successfully defining, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and reporting a project. Topics covered include: the project life cycle, fundamental PM processes, development of the project plan, interpersonal management skills, and managing changes during project execution. Case studies are from technology and media applications.

BUSI193 Introduction to Marketing

This course focuses on introducing the idea of “entrepreneurial marketing” and is aimed at students who plan to start a new venture or take a job as a marketing professional pursuing an innovative marketing approach. Students will study a full spectrum of marketing strategy and tactics that are especially suitable for entrepreneurial firms aiming for high growth and innovation yet faced by limited resources and uncertain industry dynamics. Students will work in teams on marketing plans for their own venture or for other high profile entrepreneurs or executives. The focus of this course is on hands-on experiences and practical relevance of innovative marketing concepts.

BUSI209 Building Blocks of Business

In this class students get a “big picture” look at the ingredients of a start-up firm and the process of creating one. The class details those ingredients, discusses the stories (good & bad) of people who have done it, and learn the process by going through it with a self-select team. Students learn: the business planning process, which maps how to move from an idea to an actual enterprise offering an actual product/service/apostolate; How to craft a compelling and clear business story that captures the true essence of your business; and finally acquire inquisitiveness as to how the world of business really works. The class deliverable is a complete Business Plan created by student teams along with a presentation of the plan.

BUSI300 Negotiation Skills

This course teaches students to meet and resolve objections and conflicts that result from written and oral proposals and pitches. Emphasis is on resolving customer obstacles before addressing your own. Topics covered include: Wants vs. Needs; Win-Win Strategies; Best Alternatives to Agreement; Schedule vs. Quality vs. Cost; Progress vs. Perfection. The class progresses through carefully structured, progressively more complex negotiation exercises. Students learn how external and internal negotiation has become a way of life for effective managers in a constantly changing business environment.

BUSI393 Leadership and Management

This course is an introductory-level course for students. Its intent is to give an in-depth understanding of the differences between – and similarities of — leadership and management. The course focuses on the major traits of leaders and managers, and augments these with examples of great historic leaders, including George Custer and Jesus Christ. The course also studies the many leadership traits of Abraham Lincoln, and looks at how these can be applied in modern business to improve management techniques. As part of the learning process, students give summaries of Lincoln’s leadership lessons, using short, Power Point presentations.

COMM200 Business Communications

This course will teach students how to write and speak effectively in business and other communication.

ARTS102 Art History

Whether with Christian intent or not, artists of the Western European tradition have for centuries contended fiercely over questions of form, composition, representation, and relationship to tradition. This survey of the heritage and high-water marks of Western visual art brings students to view and analyze individual works, and larger artistic movements, with the wide-angle lens that allows for the best possible appreciation of beauty. Thus, students will build for themselves the foundation they need for artistic engagement with a culture not exactly known for its historical self-awareness.

HUMA132 Ancient Greek Drama

Monumental dramatic works of ancient Greece—works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and others—provide students taking this course with a lens through which to examine aesthetic, spiritual and social dimensions of narrative art. Special attention will be paid to the function of the theatrical performance in ancient Greek culture, the phenomenon of transgression, the influence of Greek dramatic forms on culture in our own day, and the relationship of individual literary artistry to an abiding tradition.

HUMA133 The Epic

The power of story is enduring and undeniable. Even today, many of the characters and scenes we deem most memorable and gripping come from the epic poems crafted by Homer and Virgil in the centuries before Christ. Beyond simply encountering finely-worked literary figures and plot developments, however, students taking this course will learn how the structures and conventions of epic narratives give these works immense force and drive, and how the importance of epic narratives in the self-understanding and collective life of ancient peoples invites a deeper appreciation of the importance of great stories for us in our own time.

HUMA233 Studies in Fiction

Fictional narrative, that human invention that trips so naturally from the tongues of children and grandparents alike, appears simple, even inevitable. Such appearances can be deceiving, however. Any narrative worthy of the name—one employing richly drawn characters and tensile plotting, and set down in lucid and evocative language—functions as a highly complex artistic organism. This course brings students to notice trademarks of excellent and lasting prose fiction, and to engage critically with prominent works so as to discern accurately between a masterpiece and a piece of pulp masquerading as well-hewn literature.

HUMA234 Studies in Poetry

This course exposes students to the vast wealth of the English-language poetic tradition. Beginning with the micro-sagas, riddles and serenades that populate Old and Middle English verse, students advance to engage with major writers and works of intervening centuries before concluding with the more familiar speech—but also the bewildering disjunction—of the poetry of our modern era.

HUMA303 Shakespeare

There is no counting the number of scholars, artists, and admirers who have gotten entirely knotted up contemplating the figure and literary output of William Shakespeare. By plunging into his dramatic works, students will grow entangled in the work of arguably the greatest literary writer in human history. Only by reckoning with the truly revolutionary impact of Shakespeare’s art—its massive literary and dramatic influence, and also its prompting for a new appreciation of what it means to be human—will they find themselves untied again.

HUMA432 Cultural Foundations IV

The 20th century confronted Western civilization with a huge array of cultural movements, political crises, and technological breakthroughs. This course provides students with the historical grounding necessary for a serious reconnaissance into the recent past via its major cultural products. Some of these works have emerged over time as radiant masterworks, and others have proved to be but nightmarish visions. All, however, merit study and critical treatment, as they mark our previous century in all its alarm, acceleration and terrible beauty.

MUSC101 Music Appreciation

This course is a survey and analysis of the elements of music and primary musical periods of Western European music history. Students will acquaint themselves with musical terms, major composers and repertoire.

THEO203 Church History

This course examines some of the key figures and events of the Church. Students will learn about the Church’s response to important heresies and understand the Church's impact on world history.

THEO204 Old Testament

This course is a continuation of THEO100. Whereas THEO100 focuses largely on the Gospels, this course takes a closer look at the major figures and events of the Old Testament. After a discussion of the literary and historical issues relating to biblical study, students learn the basic structure of the story of salvation history, surveying the books of the Old Testament. Special attention is given to the way the Old Testament books relate to those in the New Testament. As in THEO100 students also focus on how Scripture study relates to the life of prayer.

THEO313 Moral Theology & Ethics

This course builds on prior courses covering the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Study of the Catechism will be completed through an in-depth analysis of the third pillar, namely, the section on Catholic morality.

PHIL301 Epistemology

Building upon previous philosophy courses, this class examines the causes of human knowledge. Specifically, students will be introduced to philosophical solutions to questions relating to the nature of knowledge, the object of knowledge, the role of the internal and external senses, and the concepts of truth and certainty. After thoroughly examining the sophisticated understandings of the nature of truth and certainty found in Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, we will closely examine the skepticism of the modern period through the writings of Hume, and the systematization of the structure of the mind in Kantian idealism, concluding in the 20th Century attempt to fuse idealism and realism in Martin Heidegger.

Prerequisites: PHIL101, PHIL203, PHIL204

PHIL402 Political Philosophy

This course examines major theories concerning the organization of society and the role of government. The relationship of philosophical concepts to the governing of society are carefully explored. Key ideas discussed include justice, natural rights, the role of education, the role of religion in society, the meaning and purpose of freedom, and the responsibility of members of society to themselves and one another, beginning with ancient sources such as the Code of Hammurabi and Aristotle’s Politics, continuing in Thomas Aquinas’s On Kingship, moving into the pre-modern period with works such as Machiavelli’s The Prince and the modern period with selections from Hobbes’s Leviathan and other authors.

Prerequisite: PHIL204

PHIL407 Metaphysics

This course offers a comprehensive study of the nature of being and its characteristics. After examining the subject and scope of this branch of philosophy, the course will cover topics such as the problem of the one and the many, the analogous nature of being, the attributes and divisions of being as well as the causes of being. The course also provides a basic introduction to natural theology, that is, what can be known about God through reason apart from divine revelation. Texts used begin with Plato’s Timaeus, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas, the end of Scholasticism in Ockham, the Renaissance via Hume and Kant, and concluding in the 20^th Century in Martin Heidegger.

Prerequisites: PHIL101, PHIL203, PHIL204

THEO121 Fundamentals of the New Evangelization

What exactly is the “New Evangelization”? To answer that question, this course will examine the progression of evangelization throughout Church history, from the ministry of Christ and his Apostles through the Second Vatican Council. Particular emphasis will be given to Pope Paul VI's apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975). Finally, the course will conclude with the concept, methodology, and challenges of the New Evangelization as discussed in the writings of Karol Wojtyła, Joseph Ratzinger, and other Catholic writers.

THEO202 Early Church Fathers

This course examines some of the key figures and councils of the early Church. In particular, students learn about the Church’s response to important heresies and key Trinitarian and Christological controversies of the first half of Christian history. Among the important writers studied here are Clement, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Origen, Irenaeus, Augustine, Jerome, Athanasius, the Cappadocian fathers, and John Damascene. The course also looks at the significance of the seven ecumenical councils.

THEO210 Catholicism & Literature

This course examines the ways in which the Christian faith is presented and illuminated through the literary arts. Potential topics include: the relation of Christian faith to literary theory; the literary forms of the Bible; theological reflection on literature; specific theological themes in literature (e.g., sin and grace; human persons and the image of God, etc.); the ways in which literature sheds light on the challenges and prospects of Christian faith in the modern world; the historical interplay between theology and literary art; the relationship between inspired and non-inspired literature.

THEO214 Theology & Film

This course will introduce students to theological dimensions of contemporary film, on the one hand evaluating films using the criteria for truth and beauty provided by the Catholic faith, and on the other discerning theological elements that are often veiled or left buried in cinematic narrative. This course uses cinematic art as a means to contemplate the existential desires of humanity and to discern the presence of God in the world.

THEO217 Apologetics

This course enables students to better learn and explain Catholic teachings that occasionally give rise to controversy or misunderstanding, particularly during discussions with others not in full communion with the Catholic Church. Among other possible topics, emphasis will be laid on doctrines pertaining to justification, Scripture, the Church, the papacy, the Eucharist, the Communion of Saints, and Mary.

Prerequisite: THEO121

THEO227 Social Media Evangelization

Students taking this course will learn principles to guide evangelization on social media, which for better or worse has come to serve as the public square or Areopagus of our own era. Assessments will also be made of contemporary Catholic efforts to evangelize, and students will undertake their own social media projects to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ so as to be heard.

Prerequisite: THEO121

THEO230 Activation in the Spiritual Gifts

This course is an interactive and practical guide to developing a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Students will learn how to build intimacy with the Holy Spirit in prayer, and from that intimacy, to partner with Him in bringing supernatural impact to the world around them ― specifically through the spiritual gifts of prophecy, words of knowledge, healing, and tongues. Through study and practicum, students will learn the how-tos of these gifts and become activated in exercising each of them in their day-to-day lives.

THEO231 Intro to Church Latin

This course provides an overview of basic Latin grammar and vocabulary needed to begin studying Latin texts in the Catholic tradition. Practical focus will be on reading the primary liturgical and dogmatic sources of the Roman rite.

THEO321 Studies in John Paul the Great

As our namesake and patron, Pope Saint John Paul the Great has had significant influence on this institution. In this course, students will gain a better understanding on his impact on the Church, the world, and their own individual formation by studying his thoughts and writings.

THEO322 Mystical Theology

This class will explore selections from primary texts of some of the classics of Christian mysticism. Special attention will be given to the writings of St. Catherine of Siena, St. John of the Cross, and St. Teresa of Avila. Topics covered will include: prayer, friendship and union with God, stages in the spiritual life, charity, virtue, sin, dark nights, mystical experiences, and conversion.

THEO324 Studies in Newman

Students will gain a better understanding of contemporary theology through studying the works of John Henry Newman.

THEO326 The Second Vatican Council

As the defining ecumenical council of the 20th century, Vatican II presents a watershed moment for understanding the Church in the modern world. This course examines the major work of the Council, including decrees on the liturgy, the Church, ecumenism, and the Bible.

Prerequisites: THEO112 OR THEO311, THEO113 OR THEO312

THEO328 Eastern Catholicism

This course introduces students to attitudes, prayer practices, liturgical variations, and cultural and historical riches of the various branches of Eastern Catholicism. Special attention is also paid to the struggles of some churches to achieve and maintain communion with Rome, and to the theological contributions made by these rites to the common life of the Catholic Church.

THEO329 Women Saints: Catherine of Siena

In this course, students will explore the writings and spiritualities of Catholic saints and doctors who represent what St. John Paul the Great famously termed “the feminine genius. Figures studied may include one or more of the following: Sts. Catherine of Siena, Clare of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Thérèse of Lisieux, Gertrude of Helfta, Edith Stein, Hildegard of Bingen, John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Faustina, Simone Weil, Alice von Hildebrand, and others.

THEO331 Street Evangelization I

Many of the major models of evangelization that have been used throughout the history of Christianity will be studied and applied in this course. It will provide a perspective on the origins (biblical, historical, theological) of such models with the goal of advancing these models in creative ways that can be applied in our world today.

THEO332 Spirituality & the New Evangelization

This course will analyze spiritual theology as it relates to the New Evangelization. Specifically, the spiritual challenges involved with preparation for and engagement in evangelization efforts.

THEO336 Applied New Evangelization II

See the description of THEO331.

Prerequisite: THEO331

THEO337 NET Ministry Training

Students taking this course will prepare intensively for missionary work abroad. Along with describing processes, aims, and challenges of evangelization, emphasis will be placed on evangelizing via shared cultural interests and personal relationship.

THEO341 Special Topics in Theology

An advanced seminar on a topic or author based on faculty selection. Course may be taken multiple times for credit.

Prerequisites: THEO112, THEO113

THEO400 Catholic Social Teaching

Building upon what had been discussed in THEO313, this course is a broad study of general Church teaching on social questions, with strong emphasis on the papal encyclicals and other Church documents. Special attention is paid to the principles of the dignity of the human person, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity. Major issues explored include the role of the State, poverty, war, structures of sin, the duties of employers and employees, and challenges to building a culture of life.

Prerequisites: THEO101, THEO110, THEO201, THEO311, THEO312, THEO313

THEO401 Marriage & Family

This course introduces the student to the teachings of the Catholic Church on the sacramental understanding of marriage. It examines marriage from a biblical, historical, and doctrinal viewpoint. The course provides a Catholic understanding of human sexuality and the issues that arise in premarital and marital relationships. It contrasts the current societal norms with Catholic teaching. The implications of commitment and the realities of today’s external forces on marriage and the family are analyzed. Students will learn the significant implications of parenthood and the spiritual and financial duties of raising children.

Prerequisites: THEO101, THEO110, THEO201, THEO311, THEO312, THEO313

THEO402 Mariology

This course explores the biblical and theological sources of Catholic Mariology. In addition to looking at patristic and medieval sources, the course also looks at contemporary theological work. Special attention will be placed on the role of the Second Vatican Council’s teaching and its influence in recent Mariology.

THEO414 Studies in Ratzinger

Students will gain a better understanding of contemporary theology through studying the works of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI).

THEO416 Eschatology

Eschatology will survey the development of Christian theology on the ultimate things. From the "maranatha" of the early church, the last four things of the Middle Ages, to the existentialism and political thought in modernity, this course will look at how Christians have interpreted eschatological themes throughout history. Topics will include: death, judgment, heaven, hell and purgatory, immortality of the soul, the kingdom of God, political theology and more. It will include reading assignments with accompanying homework and in-class discussions.

THEO422 Theology of Leadership

This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore the theology of leadership. Topics will include: Leading like Christ, ways in which saints have led, and growth in virtue. Focus will be given to exploring ways in which one can personally emulate Christ and the Saints, identification of personal gifts, and discerning specific ways in which these gifts can be used in service of God and others.

THEO451 New Evangelization Practicum I

New evangelization students may complete two practica (THEO451, THEO452) in which students will learn how to communicate what they have learned effectively as teachers. The practica involves teaching an introductory level course on Scripture or Theology in a classroom setting outside of the university (elementary school, high school, parish-based religious education, etc.). Unless given written approval, students should begin their practicum experience in their second to last quarter as a student.

THEO452 New Evangelization Practicum II

See the description of THEO451.

Prerequisite: THEO451