CATH - Catholic Studies

Catholic Thought and Culture explores how the Catholic faith has affected the cultural and academic thought of believing Catholics. The course aims to introduce Catholic intellectual culture to students, and particularly for students considering or intending to major or minor in Catholic Studies. The course meets once weekly for six weeks in mid-Fall semester; each course will focus on a doctrine, person, etc., relevant to an overarching theme. Themes will rotate from semester to semester.

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.

This course examines the role of philosophy and reasoning to the Catholic Church's fulfillment of its own mission to express the truth about God, and follows the historical emergence of the synthesis of faith and reason. The course also considers how the Catholic intellectual life manifests itself in deference towards faith.

This course explores aspects of a broadly Catholic vision of the human person: understandings of the origin, journey, and end of the human person. We read a selection of ancient through contemporary thinkers in order to investigate three central areas of inquiry about the human person. Creation: What does it mean to be created? To be made in God’s image? What is grace? Sin and Redemption: What is sin? What is the role of Christ in the human journey? Sanctification and Salvation: What does the full flourishing of the human entail? What is the end for which we hope?

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.

An exploration of the encounter between Church and culture. This course considers convergences and divergences between a Catholic understanding of truth and goodness and other culturally mediated understandings. The course studies the mystery of the Church, the concept of culture itself, and the role of Church and culture in mediating what is true and good within and through the vast array of cultures. We will then explore these ideas through a look at biblical cultural encounters, Jewish-Catholic historical relations, Catholic-Islamic relations in Algeria, Jesuit missions to China, Japan, and North America, and Black Catholicism in the US.

Continues the exploration of goodness begun in CATH 206 through the study of lives of the Saints. The lives of the Saints present extraordinary examples of Christian life lived out in goodness and beauty, often in the face of personal and social challenges of their culture and time. The course will consider the saint's (or saints') achievements both in terms of their intellectual and cultural significance, and of their significance to Catholic history and the development of the Catholic understanding of the possibilities of grace and freedom. This course can be repeated for credit if the course topic of additional courses differs from the first course taken; by approval of the program director.

A concentrated study of Catholic contributions to intellectual and artistic life. This course will study one or more distinct areas of intellectual endeavor (such as art or music of a specific period, the history of philosophy, theological developments, literature), considered both in terms of its own goals and methodology, and as expressions of the grace of the Christian vocation. This course can be repeated for credit if the course topic of additional courses differs from the first course taken; by approval of the program director.

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on v

The Independent Study form is availble in the Registrar's Office or MyCaroll Document Center. Independent study is open to junior and senior students only. At the time of application, a student must have earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. A student may register for no more than three (3) semester hours of independent study in any one term. In all cases, registration for independent study must be approved by the appropriate department chairperson and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

This capstone course applies the broader dialogue begun in previous CSP course into a specific, 21st Century context. The first half of the course will look at a specific example of integration, drawing the students to formulate and configure their faith for their majors, future careers, or vocations, and to integrate the broad spectrum fo Truth, Beauty, and Goodness within their own lives. Then the course will develop research and writing skills, in preparation for the senior paper required in CATH 497.

The senior paper is an original work a student prepares under the guidance of a professor in the Catholic Studies Department. Drawing upon their understanding of the Catholic faith tradition, and the insights learned ion the previous courses, students complete a 5000-7000 word essay that integrates their faith with their academic major, career,or chosen profession. The thesis must be approved by the director of the Catholic Studies Program.

The senior thesis is designed to encourage creative thinking and to stimulate individual research. A student may undertake a thesis in an area in which s/he has the necessary background. Ordinarily a thesis topic is chosen in the student's major or minor. It is also possible to choose an interdisciplinary topic. Interested students should decide upon a thesis topic as early as possible in the junior year so that adequate attention may be given to the project. In order to be eligible to apply to write a thesis, a student must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 based upon all courses attempted at Carroll College. The thesis committee consists of a director and two readers. The thesis director is a full-time Carroll College faculty member from the student's major discipline or approved by the department chair of the student's major. At least one reader must be from outside the student's major. The thesis director and the appropriate department chair must approve all readers. The thesis committee should assist and mentor the student during the entire project. For any projects involving human participants, each student and his or her director must follow the guidelines published by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Students must submit a copy of their IRB approval letter with their thesis application. As part of the IRB approval process, each student and his or her director must also complete training by the National Cancer Institute Protection of Human Participants. The thesis is typically to be completed for three (3) credits in the discipline that best matches the content of the thesis. Departments with a designated thesis research/writing course may award credits differently with approval of the Curriculum Committee. If the thesis credits exceed the full-time tuition credit limit for students, the charge for additional credits will be waived. Applications and further information are available in the Registrar's Office.

Catholic Studies students are expected to participate in three types of co-curricular activities. Majors must complete three per academic year, and minors two, to graduate in the program. Examples will include academic lectures, symphonies, a Latin Mass, a trip to an art gallery, Campus Ministry group or retreat; service project coordinated with the Hunthausen Center for Peace and Justice. The required Co-Curricular activities will be tracked by each student every semester, reviewed by the CSP program director, and recorded once during the student's senior year, in a 0-credit, required course, called CATH COCURR. Events would be identified by the program director to majors and minors in the program. Students will submit a record of their activities for the year and include a brief reflection of how their efforts and activities contributed or enhanced their understanding of Catholic Studies, and/or their studies in their classes. The reflection should conclude with some questions the activities left the student with.