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St Marys University
Theology Department
St. Marys Core 1314
Foundations of Reflection: God
Spring 2015
Duane Alexander Miller, PhD
SMC1314 F :
9:45-11:00 am
SMC1314 L: 11:10-12:35 am

TR
TR

Class Room: Treadway 300

Office Hours: TR 8:45-9:45 and by appointment
Office Location: Office 149 in Theology wing of Treadway
E-mail: dmiller1@stmarytx.edu
Phone: 210-454-1397
THE CORE CURRICULUM AT ST. MARYS UNIVERISTY
The Core Curriculum at St. Marys University has a privileged role in the
education of its students in accord with its mission as a liberal arts
institution. More than a set of disparate general education requirements,
and in distinction (but not separation) from professional, major, and cocurricular education, the Core Curriculum has the specific purpose of
explicitly engaging students with the perennial question at the heart of
the liberal arts: who are we as human beings? This perennial question has
many dimensions; the Core Curriculum at St. Marys focuses on these five:
1. the question of self-identity;
2. the question of the self in relationship to others;
3. the question of the self in relationship to wider social structures;
4. the question of the self in relation to the natural world; and
5. the question of the self in relationship to God.
Answering these questions requires that students first enter a
conversation between their own lived experience and the broad heritage
of human learning and practice, both past and present. The Core
Curriculum also asks students to take their answers from this conversation

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and embody them in their own lives of service to others and the common
good. Finally, the Core Curriculum aims to enable students to take the
necessary risk of asking and answering these questions again as their
lives and circumstances change. (from:
http://www.stmarytx.edu/corecurriculum/)
Syllabus
COURSE DESCRIPTION
SMC1314 presents reflection on God as it takes place in the Christian
tradition. It addresses the relevance of God for understanding persons,
the common good, and nature. This academic and theological
reflection is informed by Scripture and the Catholic historical tradition.
This course proceeds narratively from Creation through the eschaton,
and provides basic knowledge regarding the overarching metanarrative
proposed by the Christian faith. It recognizes the role of principled
dialogue among faith traditions as an element of theological inquiry.
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic contours of the
Christian faith utilizing as a primary lens of interpretation the concept of the
Kingdom of God, which was the main topic that Jesus of Nazareth taught on.
Attention will be paid to how the Kingdom of God relates to personal ethics,
the Church and the entirety of Scripture.
This class will introduce students to the academic disciplines of theology and
biblical scholarship. While this subject matter may be deeply personal and
perhaps very familiar, the course will ask students to think about it in a
critical and rigorous way. Students will be asked to clarify intellectually how
the Christian tradition answers questions of human limitations, morality, and
religion. This class will introduce students to the way in which theology seeks
to address these issues in a way that is both intellectually and existentially
compelling.
Finally, although this class will be taught from the perspective of Catholic
Christian theology, it will not seek to enforce this religious tradition on
students. Indeed, one need not even be a Christian to profitably and
responsibly participate in this course. Students should nevertheless feel
welcome to question both intellectually and existentially these theological
answers and not simply accept them. Please critically evaluate the material
that is read and discussed during this course. Grading is not based on
whether or not you agree with the teacher, but on the quality of your
research, communication and argument.
TEXTS
The Catholic Study Bible. New York: Oxford, 1990.

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Frigge, Marielle. Beginning Biblical Studies. Revised Edition. Anselm
Academic: Winona, MN, 2013.
Gula, Richard M. The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge.
New York: Paulist, 1999.
Lewis, C S. Mere Christianity
Portier, William. Tradition & Incarnation: Foundations of Christian Theology.
New York: Paulist, 1994.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church will be only be used a couple of time.
The text is available online at usccb.org.
Note that we will be using the Revised Edition of Frigge. It contains chapters
and material not present in the previous edition.
Blackboard(bb): items will be placed on bb. These include
announcements, study guides, and lecture aids. It is normal that during the
course of a semester the syllabus will be updated or revised. All revisions will
be placed on bb and it is the students responsibility to make sure you have
the current syllabus.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Define religion
2. Write critically about theological and biblical topics.
3. Identify ways in which contemporary Christianity interacts with its own
bodies of knowledge and those coming from outside of it.
4. Describe various approaches to considering the questions raised by the
notion of an ultimate reality.
5. Evaluate the claim that academic reflection on God essentially and
meaningfully connects to the pursuit of higher education and of
service.
6. Indentify the unique qualities Christians ascribe to Jesus
7. Distinguish between themes, content, and books of the Old and New
Testaments
8. Identify the Christian understanding of sin, its origin, and its
consequences for redemption and salvation
9. Identify the traditional characteristics of the Catholic (and Christian)
Church and of the seven sacraments
10.
Understand and explain Jesus concept of the Kingdom of God in
relation to the historical context of 1st Century Palestine and our own
contemporary context
11.
Explain the relation between the Kingdom of God and the Church
12.
Explain the problem of evil for religion, and how Christianity
responds to it

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13.
Understand how basic Christian doctrines developed in the early
centuries
14.
Consider the connection between the ethics, doctrine and ritual
15.
Define virtue and its relationship to personal and communal
morality
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE ACTIVITIES
Short quizzes and Reading Assignments
Classes may begin with a short quiz covering a portion of the reading
material, information form class lectures or discussions, or might ask for a
rational and justifiable response to a discussion question. A missed quiz can
NEVER be made up for any reason. Normally, the lowest two quiz grades are
dropped in calculating the final grade.
Reading assignment will vary in length and might not be discussed in class. It
will be very important that students fulfill this requirement. Classroom
lectures will presume knowledge of the reading assignments but will not
necessarily discuss them in detail. Learning the material in the texts is the
responsibility of the student. Reading assigned to a day is to be done before
the beginning of class.
In Class Presentation
In consultation with your professor you will select a topic that is broadly
related to the content of this class and present a brief presentation to your
fellow students and professor. Your grade will be based on a rubric that will
be provided prior to your presentation, but the grade is based on the quality
of your research, the clarity of your communication, and your ability to
answer follow up questions from other students.
Essay or Book Report
A substantial part of your final grade comes from an essay. This essay
regularly focuses on some ethical application related to a New Testament
text or texts. Greater details will be provided midway through the semester.
In the event that the essay is not handed in on time (by the end of class
period on the day assigned), the instructor may assign a 10% penalty per
day to the student. Essays should be submitted via blackboard and hardcopy.
Tests and Final Exam
Unit tests and a final exam are currently scheduled on the course calendar.
Additional tests may be scheduled if deemed necessary by the instructor.
Tests will involve a variety of formats such as multiple choice, short answer,
etc. The final exam will be cumulative. Under extraordinary circumstances
missed tests may be made-up with possible point deductions on the final
score. The instructor may opt to have students present a brief personal
research presentation to the class in lieu of a test.

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GRADING
Assignment
Quizzes
Midterm Exam
In-class presentation
Final Exam
Class participation
and attendance

Points Possible
200
200
200
200

Total possible
points

1000

200

Note that without excellent attendance it is impossible to make an A in this

class.
The standard university grading scale will be used to assign grades.
Points
950+
900-940
870-899
840-869
800-839
770-799
700-769
600-699

Letter
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D

Percenta
ge
95-100
90-94
87-89
84-86
80-83
77-79
70-76
60-69

Qual. Pts.
4
3.67
3.33
3
2.67
2.33
2
1

The chart below can help to interpret the meaning of a grade marked on
individual assignments. Normally, letter grades will be given, and their
numerical value will correspond to the chart below. This is an effort to avoid
some of the ambiguity present in assigning numerical grades on a full 100point scale. That is, how does one tell the difference between an 86, 87, or
88? This system tries to avoid some of those unclear distinctions in favor of
the student. For example, an A- and a B+ would average out to a 90% or an
A-.
Letter marked
on
assignment

Equivale
nt %

Interpretation

A+

99 to
100

Very rare, exceptional work that exceeds all

expectations for style, content, and accuracy.

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A+

98%

Work with surprising connections and

sophisticated presentation as well as meeting
requirements below.

95%

A-

92%

Work in this range will show accurate

knowledge the assigned reading and will have
details explaining concepts and/or: dates,
events, and persons. It also shows clear and
detailed connections.

B+

88%

85%

B-

82%

C+

78%

75%

C-

72%

Same as above but with less detail in one or

two portions of the assignment.

Same as above but with less detail in multiple

areas.
Answers that do not show knowledge of the
assigned reading.
Grades lower than a C- may be earned

EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES

Participation/Attendance
The participation portion of the grade will include items such as classdiscussion, group work, and other forms of active learning to be expected
from the student.
This course adheres to St. Marys Universitys attendance policy:
https://www.stmarytx.edu/about/offices/registrar/academic-policies/classattendance/

Classroom attendance is important. Students who miss more than one class
session may lose 10 points per absence (up to 100 points). In addition, the
attendance policy outlined in the St. Marys Undergraduate catalogue will be
followed. Absences need not be consecutive. Excessive tardiness may also
be grounds for being dropped from a course. If you are aware of an
extended absence that cannot be avoided please speak to the instructor.
Students with flawless attendance may receive extra credit.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

The policies regarding plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be followed
and enforced (see Section V of the Student Code of Conduct at
stmarytx.edu). Unless otherwise stated above, students who commit the
following offenses may receive zero credit for the assignment and be subject
to additional penalties, such as being refused an opportunity to take the final
exam. Please be sure to avoid the following offenses:
1. Cheating on a test. This includes copying from another student; using
unauthorized materials during a test; collaborating with another
student during the test without permission; buying, selling, stealing, or
using the contents of a test without the consent of the instructor;
taking a test for another person or allowing another person to take a
test for ones self.
2. Plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as the appropriation of anothers
work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in ones own
work offered for credit.
3. Collusion. Collusion is defined as the unauthorized collaboration with
another person (NOT JUST A FELLOW STUDENT but ANY OTHER
PERSON) in preparing any scholastic work offered for credit.
Disability Statement
St. Marys University is committed to making reasonable accommodations to
assist students with disabilities in reaching their academic potential. If you
have a documented disability, which may impact your performance,
attendance, or grades in this class and are requesting accommodations, then
you must first register in person with Disability Support Services, in the
Student Psychological and Testing office (formerly Counseling and Testing
Services) located in the Center for Life Directions building.
In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans
with Disabilities Act, as amended, Disability Support Services is the
designated office responsible for coordinating all accommodations and
services for students with disabilities.
Dead Week or Study Week
This course will adhere to the rules regarding the classes preceding the week
of final exams. The policy follows:
Section 3.2.5.1, the week preceding the official examinations terminating the Fall and Spring semesters is frequently
referred to as Study Week. During this week no major tests should be given. All major reports and assignments
should be scheduled to be completed before this week.
Also, the official schedule for final exam week (December 9-13, 2013) is published by the Registrar. Departure from
this schedule can be authorized only by the Dean of the School for undergraduate courses and the Graduate Dean for
graduate courses. Finals must be given during final exam week only.
The only exception to this policy is for graduating seniors. Graduating seniors are not required to take final exams

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during regularly scheduled final exam periods. They must have all requirements completed the week prior to final
exams. Faculty may wish to assign a final paper, project, take-home exam, or administer an exam for seniors only
during the last week of regularly scheduled classes (December 2-6, 2013). Final grades for graduating students are
due on Friday, December 6 at noon. All other final grades are due on Wednesday, December 18 at 5:00 p.m. via
Gateway.

Calendar for Fall of 20141

Week 1 (Jan 13 and 15)

o Jan 13: Belief in God. What is Religion? Creation and the Fall.
Reading: Genesis 1-3, Frigge Ch. 1, CCC 385-4212
o Jan 15:
The vision of nations, and the call of Abraham. Read
Genesis 12 and Frigge Ch 6
The Exodus, a paradigm for salvation, Exodus 1-7, Exodus
19, CCC 142-184
Week 2 (Jan 20 and 22)
o Jan 20: The Bible: What is it and how should we read it? Frigge Ch
4
o Jan 22: A self-revealing God and types of revelation, Portier Ch 4
Week 3 (Jan 27 and 29)
o Jan 27:
The Covenant at Sinai, or the Old Testament, Exodus 8-14
The Vision and Failure of Israel, what does messiah mean?
Leviticus 8, Isaiah 2, 1 Samuel 16, Frigge Ch 9
o Jan 29: Has God lost? A study of Habakkuk. The problem of exile
and evil, Portier Ch 2, 2 Chronicles 36
Week 4 (Feb 3 and 5)
o Feb 3: A new thing stirring in Palestine, historical setting, types of
Judaism, Jesus ministry in its historical context and the concept
of the Kingdom of God and Law of God. Reading: Frigge Ch 12,
CCC 574-594, the entire Gospel according to St Mark
o Feb 5: Cont. of Jesus ministry in its historical context and the
concept of the Kingdom of God and Law of God, Marks Gospel
(all of it), and the parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-23) and Parable
of the Net (Mt 13:47-52), Read Gula Introduction
Week 5 (Feb 10 and 12)
o Feb 10: Exam 1
o Feb 12: Parables of Lost Things and Parables and Prophecies of
Judgment. Reading: Lk 15, Mt 13:24-46, Mt 24, Gula Chapters 1
and 2

1 Note: reading is due by the beginning of the class period.

2 CCC is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The book is available online through the website
of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (usccb.org), but I highly recommend you buy it in
print form or for your Kindle or e-reader so you can have it with you in class.

Week 6 (Feb 17 and 19)

o Feb 17: Ethics of the Kingdom: Power and sacrifice, the
Magnificat, Ethics of the Kingdom: family and money. Reading:
Luke 1, Lk 21:1-4, Lk 8:19-21, Luke 14, Gula Chapter 3
o Feb 19: Ethics of the Kingdom cont: Who enters the Kingdom of
God? Poverty and those on the margins of society, Gula Ch 4. Jn
4, Lk 10:25-37
Week 7 (Feb 24 and 26)
o Feb 24: The New Testament: a very brief introduction, Gula Ch. 5
o Feb 26: The Kingdom of God and Israel, Jesus as the Israel of
God, the Temple, Parable of the Vineyard. Reading: CCC 636-658,
CCC 1961-1986, Portier Ch 11, Mt 20:1-16
Week 8 (Mar 3 and 5)
o Mar 3:
Exploring New Testament texts: Jude, 2 John, 3 John and
Philemon (in-class project)
Reading: The Didache3
o Mar 5: Messianic titles: Son of God, Son of Man, Good Shepherd,
Savior, Lamb of God, Gula Ch 6, Isaiah 53
Mid-Semester break, no classes
Week 9 (Mar 17 and 19)
o Mar 17: Why was Jesus crucified, and what does it mean?
Soteriology and Atonement.
o Mar 19: Resurrection, the ekklesia, and its mission, Matthew 28,
making disciples Frigge Ch 13, CCC 636-658
Week 10 (Mar 24 and 26)
o Mar 24:
Marks of the Church: one, holy, catholic, apostolic.
Reading: CCC 748-870
Pentecost: the birth of the Church, the gift of the Holy
Spirit, Pneumatology, Read Acts 2, Frigge Ch 14
o Mar 26:
The People of God and the sacraments of the Kingdom CCC
1113-1134, Ephesians 1-2
Initiation into the Church: baptism CCC 1213-1284, Portier
Ch 12
Week 11 (Mar 31 and Apr 2)
o Mar 31:
Holy Communion CCC 1285-1305, Gula Ch 7
The Lords prayer, CCC 2803-2854, CCC 2650-2696
o Apr 2:

3 The text of the Didache is available online, specifically at newadvent.org and ccel.org.

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The Shepherds of the Church and Holy Orders, CCC 15361600, begin Portier Ch 5
Preparing for the Kingdom: repentance and confession,
CCC 1420-1460
Week 12 (Apr 7 and 9)
o Apr 7:
Confirmation and the prayer for the filling with the Spirit
The Didache and early church life
The countercultural Church: celibacy and holy matrimony
Reading: complete Portier Ch 5
o Apr 9: In-class presentations
Week 13 (Apr 14 and 16)
o Apr 14: Guest Lecture: the theological virtues
o Apr 16: In-class presentations, Reading: CS Lewis
Week 14 (Apr 21 and 23)
o Apr 21: Complete in-class presentations; The Church wrestling
with Scripture: The Council of Nicaea. Reading: CCC 1601-1637,
CCC 871-945, and CS Lewis
o Apr 23: The mission of St Patrick, the Churchs missio ad gentes,
world missions today, the return of global Christianity. Reading:
CS Lewis
Week 15 (Apr 28 and 30)
o Apr28: The Protestant Reformations of the 16th Century. Reading:
TBA
o Apr 30:
The Church and the State? Augustines City of God, Read
summary of City of God4
The eschaton and a new heaven and a new earth, heaven,
hell and purgatory, CCC 1020-1065, Revelation 21, Isaiah
65
Final Exams Week: May 4 through 8

4 Online at http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/library/v4/cbs0424.pdf