This document provides information about a philosophy and theology course taught by Prof. Joe Incandela. The course will examine the work of St. Thomas Aquinas and other theological thinkers who use reason to explore questions about God. Students will participate in seminar-style discussions and complete short writing assignments building toward a final project. Assessment will be based on participation in Voicethread discussions before class, in-class participation and self-evaluations, and two papers. The goal is for students to enlarge their minds by considering important theological questions.
Engaging Learners through Active Instruction and AssessmentALATechSource
This document summarizes a presentation on engaging learners through active instruction and assessment. The presentation aims to help instructors create a welcoming environment, use interactive exercises, and empower students. It provides tips for instructors such as making early contact with students, using validating language, displaying vulnerability, giving feedback, and providing opportunities for student engagement through techniques like think-pair-share activities. The presentation emphasizes building rapport, challenging students appropriately, and demonstrating the value of course content to motivate learning.
The document discusses maintaining engagement in online courses. It presents two scenarios: a student blogger who feels they are writing into a "black hole" without feedback, and an online tutoring course that struggles with declining participant engagement over time. Group members discuss their own experiences, including how consistency of feedback and course progression are important for motivation. Maintaining an active peer group through collaboration and mutual support can help drive engagement when external pressures rise. Libraries should also improve support for online learners with disabilities to ensure all have access to course materials.
This document provides tips from Kari Frisch, a communication instructor, on strategies she uses to improve student retention in her online courses. Some of the key tips include:
- Releasing course materials on a weekly basis to avoid overwhelming students.
- Sending personalized weekly notes to students to build community and immediacy.
- Using icebreakers, discussion questions, and collaborative assignments to connect students.
- Providing a clear assignment schedule in a table format with due dates, points possible, and learning objectives.
- Having consistent due dates and policies to establish routines for students.
- Incorporating a variety of activities and assignments to engage different learning styles.
Learning Out Loud: How Does It Impact the Online Student Learning Experience?Michelle Pacansky-Brock
Are we doing it wrong? Most online students never speak in their online classes. This ongoing study presents data about how asynchronous voice discussions (using VoiceThread) impact the online student experience. Survey results from four consecutive semesters are included.
Social reading involves the collaborative annotation and highlighting of electronic texts. It transforms reading from a private to public activity. The University of Huddersfield experimented with three social reading tools - Readmill, eMargin, and Goodreads. While 18% of students actively contributed annotations, many students preferred to learn privately or had difficulties with the technology. The tools helped students identify useful evidence, organize their thoughts, and gain insights into applying theories, leading to stronger higher-order thinking skills in assignments. The tutor's questioning further developed students' analysis through an "archaeological dig" approach.
Engaging Learners through Active Instruction and AssessmentALATechSource
This document summarizes a presentation on engaging learners through active instruction and assessment. The presentation aims to help instructors create a welcoming environment, use interactive exercises, and empower students. It provides tips for instructors such as making early contact with students, using validating language, displaying vulnerability, giving feedback, and providing opportunities for student engagement through techniques like think-pair-share activities. The presentation emphasizes building rapport, challenging students appropriately, and demonstrating the value of course content to motivate learning.
The document discusses maintaining engagement in online courses. It presents two scenarios: a student blogger who feels they are writing into a "black hole" without feedback, and an online tutoring course that struggles with declining participant engagement over time. Group members discuss their own experiences, including how consistency of feedback and course progression are important for motivation. Maintaining an active peer group through collaboration and mutual support can help drive engagement when external pressures rise. Libraries should also improve support for online learners with disabilities to ensure all have access to course materials.
This document provides tips from Kari Frisch, a communication instructor, on strategies she uses to improve student retention in her online courses. Some of the key tips include:
- Releasing course materials on a weekly basis to avoid overwhelming students.
- Sending personalized weekly notes to students to build community and immediacy.
- Using icebreakers, discussion questions, and collaborative assignments to connect students.
- Providing a clear assignment schedule in a table format with due dates, points possible, and learning objectives.
- Having consistent due dates and policies to establish routines for students.
- Incorporating a variety of activities and assignments to engage different learning styles.
Learning Out Loud: How Does It Impact the Online Student Learning Experience?Michelle Pacansky-Brock
Are we doing it wrong? Most online students never speak in their online classes. This ongoing study presents data about how asynchronous voice discussions (using VoiceThread) impact the online student experience. Survey results from four consecutive semesters are included.
Social reading involves the collaborative annotation and highlighting of electronic texts. It transforms reading from a private to public activity. The University of Huddersfield experimented with three social reading tools - Readmill, eMargin, and Goodreads. While 18% of students actively contributed annotations, many students preferred to learn privately or had difficulties with the technology. The tools helped students identify useful evidence, organize their thoughts, and gain insights into applying theories, leading to stronger higher-order thinking skills in assignments. The tutor's questioning further developed students' analysis through an "archaeological dig" approach.
The document summarizes the agenda and content for Day 2 of a workshop on mobile platforms and delivery in museums. The day's schedule includes sessions on the history of mobile platforms and how to match them to audiences, managing content for mobile platforms using different content management systems, and practical applications of mobile platforms to audience needs. The presentation materials provide background on the evolution of mobile platforms in museums and strategies for choosing platforms based on audience, infrastructure, and business model needs. It also discusses challenges of supporting many platforms due to rapid obsolescence and proposes principles for future-proofing mobile content.
El documento describe el sistema de teclado virtual Celluon. Consiste de tres módulos: el módulo de proyector, que proyecta el teclado rojo sobre una superficie plana; el módulo de iluminación, que proyecta rayos infrarrojos invisibles sobre la superficie; y el módulo de sensor, que detecta cuando se oprime una tecla virtual mediante la interrupción de los rayos infrarrojos. El sistema permite escribir en cualquier superficie plana de forma higiénica y sin riesgo de síndrome del t
The document describes the discovery of the largest natural crystals ever found in two caves within the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. Some of the crystals are over 50 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, composed of the mineral selenite. The caves have extremely hot temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit and 100% humidity, allowing humans to only remain for 6-10 minutes before risking health effects. The mining company plans to preserve the caves and open them as a tourist attraction after installing air conditioning.
Ham radio, also known as amateur radio, has proven to be the most reliable form of communication during emergencies when other systems fail or become overwhelmed. Ham radio operators can communicate directly with each other without relying on infrastructure by selecting the right frequencies to connect across town or around the world. Ham radio is a hobby enjoyed by over 2.5 million licensed operators worldwide who use various technologies to communicate voice, data, and images for personal enjoyment, public service, experimentation, and emergency communication when other systems fail during disasters.
El documento describe cómo Pedro, un agricultor, comienza a vender sus productos a instituciones locales como hospitales y escuelas para encontrar nuevos mercados para su cosecha. José introduce a Pedro a su jefe en la cafetería de un hospital local. Pedro aprende que para tener éxito vendiendo a instituciones, necesita entender sus necesidades y proporcionar productos de buena calidad de manera consistente. José le da a Pedro información sobre organizaciones que pueden ayudarlo a acceder a estos mercados institucionales.
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival, 51 years in the making! On President's Weeke...Damaso V Santana
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is one of the nation's premier outdoor fine arts festivals. A Tradition on the South Florida cultural calendar. During the three day President's Weekend on February 2015 the Coconut Grove Arts Festival will celebrate its 52nd year.
Secure your Sponsorship of this year long Celebration of Art, Culinary Arts and Culture in South Florida, culminating in its Fifty Second year old, three day festival on President's Day Weekend!
Dry extended detention basins are stormwater management ponds designed to detain runoff from a water quality design storm for 36-72 hours without a permanent pool of water. They work by temporarily holding stormwater runoff, allowing pollutants to settle out before the basin fully drains. These basins are suitable for treating stormwater from small drainage areas.
QSC AG held a company presentation on November 11, 2013 to report its results for the third quarter of 2013. The presentation covered highlights from Q3 2013, financial results for Q3 and the first nine months of 2013, and an outlook for the full year 2013. Key points included direct sales continuing to drive growth, constraints in indirect sales and wholesale due to regulatory impacts and declining demand for traditional products, and investments in talent, customers, and new products to support future growth. QSC confirmed its guidance for 2013.
The Youth Network is a program under the Guilford County Resource and Referral Center that aims to enrich the lives of local youth. It currently serves 10 African American boys in kindergarten through 2nd grade on Saturdays. The program focuses on areas like inspiration, self-discovery, physical activity, and social skills. It hopes to partner with High Point University for support through events and a student sponsorship program. Competitors in the area include the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, and Big Brothers Big Sisters, but the Youth Network differentiates itself through its specific programming. Key audiences include participating families, HPU students, and local businesses for support. The program has strengths like community interest but also weaknesses like
Eric Peterson is a staff scientist at Acuity Environmental Solutions with over 10 years of experience in environmental remediation and investigation. He has extensive experience in site characterization, remediation techniques including bioremediation and chemical oxidation, and monitoring programs. He is proficient in various sampling techniques, report preparation, and use of software such as AutoCAD and geospatial programs. He has worked on projects involving contaminants such as heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and petroleum at sites including former industrial facilities, dry cleaners, and gas stations.
Australian expos directory 2012 (by sector)exagoges
The document lists various trade shows and exhibitions organized by sector. It provides information on the exhibition name, dates, location, organizer contact details, sector and brief description. The sectors range from agriculture, energy, mining, food and beverages to cosmetics, engineering and more. Most exhibitions are focused on a specific industry or sector and aim to bring together suppliers and buyers in that field.
The document discusses increasing air quality regulations from the EPA that are affecting oil and gas development. The EPA's New Source Performance Standards (NSPS OOOO) target volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from oil and gas sources and require controls like green completions, compressor controls, and limits on storage vessels and pneumatic controllers. Other regulations address emissions reporting and may require carbon capture and storage if a project exceeds major source thresholds. While challenges exist in keeping up with changing rules, opportunities also arise in natural gas production and enhancing oil recovery through carbon sequestration.
Srivastav, Piyush, NAQS Environmental Experts, Crash Course in PSD Permitting...Kevin Perry
This document provides an overview of new source review (NSR) permitting requirements for air pollution sources. It discusses the key triggers for NSR permits, including constructing new major sources or undertaking major modifications. It also summarizes the different types of NSR permits and their requirements. The document outlines strategies for facilities to either obtain the necessary permits or avoid triggering permitting requirements. However, it cautions that exemption criteria and netting calculations can be complex and risky if not done correctly to avoid potential noncompliance issues and penalties. Proper documentation and expertise are important when evaluating NSR applicability for projects.
Brighton is a city located on the southern coast of England known for its Royal Pavilion palace built in 1815-1823 for King George IV, rocky beaches with cold water and high waves, colorful beach huts, Brighton Pier amusement park with attractions, shops and games, and flocks of seagulls along the shoreline and piers until the West Pier was destroyed by fire in 2003.
This document contains a portfolio summary for Mále Ibarra-James, a creative director with extensive design experience developing campaigns for major clients. The portfolio highlights include advertising campaigns and print design work created for McDonald's, New Jersey City University, Environmental Defense Fund, NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, Heineken, Toasted Head, DoubleClick, BearingPoint, Technics, ReturnPath, Media Impact, Lazz Cosmetics, Argentum, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Global Strategy Group. The portfolio provides examples of Ibarra-James' work across various mediums including print, out-of-home, promotions, branding, identities, and brand environments.
This article discusses Feast Portland, a new culinary festival that highlights Portland's food scene. The inaugural event in 2012 was a success, drawing both local talent and international chefs and food experts. The festival organizers hope to further establish Portland as a culinary destination with the second annual Feast Portland scheduled for September 20-23, 2013. The growing food scene and fertile local agriculture contribute to Portland's reputation as a top food city.
La topografía se define como una familia de protocolos de comunicación usada por computadoras en una red para intercambiar datos. Existen más de 100 protocolos diferentes en el conjunto TCP/IP que permiten la transmisión de datos entre computadoras.
This document proposes a new framework called "anthropogenic biomes" for classifying and mapping global ecological patterns and processes. It argues that humans now shape ecological patterns across most of the terrestrial biosphere through activities like deforestation, agriculture, grazing and urbanization. Conventional biomes based only on climate do not accurately capture the significant role of human populations and land use. The proposed anthropogenic biomes framework identifies ecosystem processes as primarily a function of human population density and land use, rather than just climate. It presents a preliminary global map of anthropogenic biomes including residential rangelands, populated rangelands, remote rangelands, and others. The framework aims to provide a more realistic model of global ecology and better
PSYCHOLOGY 10200 (Psychology in the Modern World)Mondays & Wedne.docxpotmanandrea
PSYCHOLOGY 10200 (Psychology in the Modern World)
Mondays & Wednesdays (11:50-12:40 or 1:00-1:50 in AR 1)
Discussion Sections (various times and locations)
Spring 2018
Instructor: Brett Silverstein. Write your teaching assistant’s name here ________________________
Introduction and Course Description
I've designed this course to give you a basic understanding of each of the different fields that collectively make up the science of psychology. One field is concerned with how the brain is organized; another with how children mature; still another with why people become anxious or depressed and how to help them. Psychology is concerned with each of these areas, and much more. In psychology we are interested in why people think and feel and act the way that they do. By the end of this course, you should have a good understanding of what psychologists study, and some of their most important research findings.
Because so many different fields are involved, I will divide the course into sections: neuroscience, development, psychological disorders, and so forth. In lecture, I will survey what psychologists know about each field. This information is reinforced and expanded upon in the textbook and in weekly discussion sessions. To evaluate how well you understand the textbook material, in each section I will ask several questions on the lectures and readings. You will have an opportunity to apply the issues to your own lives during weekly recitation sessions. I also have assigned four papers to develop your written expression of psychology. Finally, there will be a cumulative in class final exam given during finals week.
Course Objectives
After taking PSY 102, you should be better able to:
1. Apply critical thinking skills to research designs and practical problems in psychology.
2. Understand basic psychological theories, principles, and concepts in the areas of human development, social interaction, psychopathology, cognitive processes, and the biological bases of behavior.
3. Evaluate hypotheses, research designs, research findings, and theories.
4. Understand how statistical significance is used in research
5. Understand the difference between pseudo-science and science and apply such understanding to media reports about psychology.
6. Apply psychological concepts and principles to understanding social and cultural phenomena.
7. Communicate your ideas orally and in writing.
8. Apply psychological concepts to you own life and experiences.
PSY 102 satisfies the Individual and Society general education requirement of the CUNY Pathways Common Core. The course also enhances proficiency in writing, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning. In exercising writing proficiency, you will have multiple experiences to communicate your ideas in writing and speaking, including at least 3500 words of writing in specific assignments. For information literacy, you will have multiple opportunities to critically and con ...
This course syllabus outlines the key details of a 3-credit ethics course taught over 8 weeks. The course will introduce students to major historical and modern theories of ethics through readings, weekly summaries, in-class discussions, and a final paper. Students are expected to complete weekly reading assignments, one-page summaries, and participate in roundtable discussions to practice analyzing arguments. The goal is for students to expand their understanding of ethical concepts and debates, even if a universal consensus is not reached. Grades will be based on summaries, discussions, and a final essay applying course concepts.
The document summarizes the agenda and content for Day 2 of a workshop on mobile platforms and delivery in museums. The day's schedule includes sessions on the history of mobile platforms and how to match them to audiences, managing content for mobile platforms using different content management systems, and practical applications of mobile platforms to audience needs. The presentation materials provide background on the evolution of mobile platforms in museums and strategies for choosing platforms based on audience, infrastructure, and business model needs. It also discusses challenges of supporting many platforms due to rapid obsolescence and proposes principles for future-proofing mobile content.
El documento describe el sistema de teclado virtual Celluon. Consiste de tres módulos: el módulo de proyector, que proyecta el teclado rojo sobre una superficie plana; el módulo de iluminación, que proyecta rayos infrarrojos invisibles sobre la superficie; y el módulo de sensor, que detecta cuando se oprime una tecla virtual mediante la interrupción de los rayos infrarrojos. El sistema permite escribir en cualquier superficie plana de forma higiénica y sin riesgo de síndrome del t
The document describes the discovery of the largest natural crystals ever found in two caves within the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. Some of the crystals are over 50 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, composed of the mineral selenite. The caves have extremely hot temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit and 100% humidity, allowing humans to only remain for 6-10 minutes before risking health effects. The mining company plans to preserve the caves and open them as a tourist attraction after installing air conditioning.
Ham radio, also known as amateur radio, has proven to be the most reliable form of communication during emergencies when other systems fail or become overwhelmed. Ham radio operators can communicate directly with each other without relying on infrastructure by selecting the right frequencies to connect across town or around the world. Ham radio is a hobby enjoyed by over 2.5 million licensed operators worldwide who use various technologies to communicate voice, data, and images for personal enjoyment, public service, experimentation, and emergency communication when other systems fail during disasters.
El documento describe cómo Pedro, un agricultor, comienza a vender sus productos a instituciones locales como hospitales y escuelas para encontrar nuevos mercados para su cosecha. José introduce a Pedro a su jefe en la cafetería de un hospital local. Pedro aprende que para tener éxito vendiendo a instituciones, necesita entender sus necesidades y proporcionar productos de buena calidad de manera consistente. José le da a Pedro información sobre organizaciones que pueden ayudarlo a acceder a estos mercados institucionales.
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival, 51 years in the making! On President's Weeke...Damaso V Santana
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is one of the nation's premier outdoor fine arts festivals. A Tradition on the South Florida cultural calendar. During the three day President's Weekend on February 2015 the Coconut Grove Arts Festival will celebrate its 52nd year.
Secure your Sponsorship of this year long Celebration of Art, Culinary Arts and Culture in South Florida, culminating in its Fifty Second year old, three day festival on President's Day Weekend!
Dry extended detention basins are stormwater management ponds designed to detain runoff from a water quality design storm for 36-72 hours without a permanent pool of water. They work by temporarily holding stormwater runoff, allowing pollutants to settle out before the basin fully drains. These basins are suitable for treating stormwater from small drainage areas.
QSC AG held a company presentation on November 11, 2013 to report its results for the third quarter of 2013. The presentation covered highlights from Q3 2013, financial results for Q3 and the first nine months of 2013, and an outlook for the full year 2013. Key points included direct sales continuing to drive growth, constraints in indirect sales and wholesale due to regulatory impacts and declining demand for traditional products, and investments in talent, customers, and new products to support future growth. QSC confirmed its guidance for 2013.
The Youth Network is a program under the Guilford County Resource and Referral Center that aims to enrich the lives of local youth. It currently serves 10 African American boys in kindergarten through 2nd grade on Saturdays. The program focuses on areas like inspiration, self-discovery, physical activity, and social skills. It hopes to partner with High Point University for support through events and a student sponsorship program. Competitors in the area include the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, and Big Brothers Big Sisters, but the Youth Network differentiates itself through its specific programming. Key audiences include participating families, HPU students, and local businesses for support. The program has strengths like community interest but also weaknesses like
Eric Peterson is a staff scientist at Acuity Environmental Solutions with over 10 years of experience in environmental remediation and investigation. He has extensive experience in site characterization, remediation techniques including bioremediation and chemical oxidation, and monitoring programs. He is proficient in various sampling techniques, report preparation, and use of software such as AutoCAD and geospatial programs. He has worked on projects involving contaminants such as heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and petroleum at sites including former industrial facilities, dry cleaners, and gas stations.
Australian expos directory 2012 (by sector)exagoges
The document lists various trade shows and exhibitions organized by sector. It provides information on the exhibition name, dates, location, organizer contact details, sector and brief description. The sectors range from agriculture, energy, mining, food and beverages to cosmetics, engineering and more. Most exhibitions are focused on a specific industry or sector and aim to bring together suppliers and buyers in that field.
The document discusses increasing air quality regulations from the EPA that are affecting oil and gas development. The EPA's New Source Performance Standards (NSPS OOOO) target volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from oil and gas sources and require controls like green completions, compressor controls, and limits on storage vessels and pneumatic controllers. Other regulations address emissions reporting and may require carbon capture and storage if a project exceeds major source thresholds. While challenges exist in keeping up with changing rules, opportunities also arise in natural gas production and enhancing oil recovery through carbon sequestration.
Srivastav, Piyush, NAQS Environmental Experts, Crash Course in PSD Permitting...Kevin Perry
This document provides an overview of new source review (NSR) permitting requirements for air pollution sources. It discusses the key triggers for NSR permits, including constructing new major sources or undertaking major modifications. It also summarizes the different types of NSR permits and their requirements. The document outlines strategies for facilities to either obtain the necessary permits or avoid triggering permitting requirements. However, it cautions that exemption criteria and netting calculations can be complex and risky if not done correctly to avoid potential noncompliance issues and penalties. Proper documentation and expertise are important when evaluating NSR applicability for projects.
Brighton is a city located on the southern coast of England known for its Royal Pavilion palace built in 1815-1823 for King George IV, rocky beaches with cold water and high waves, colorful beach huts, Brighton Pier amusement park with attractions, shops and games, and flocks of seagulls along the shoreline and piers until the West Pier was destroyed by fire in 2003.
This document contains a portfolio summary for Mále Ibarra-James, a creative director with extensive design experience developing campaigns for major clients. The portfolio highlights include advertising campaigns and print design work created for McDonald's, New Jersey City University, Environmental Defense Fund, NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, Heineken, Toasted Head, DoubleClick, BearingPoint, Technics, ReturnPath, Media Impact, Lazz Cosmetics, Argentum, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Global Strategy Group. The portfolio provides examples of Ibarra-James' work across various mediums including print, out-of-home, promotions, branding, identities, and brand environments.
This article discusses Feast Portland, a new culinary festival that highlights Portland's food scene. The inaugural event in 2012 was a success, drawing both local talent and international chefs and food experts. The festival organizers hope to further establish Portland as a culinary destination with the second annual Feast Portland scheduled for September 20-23, 2013. The growing food scene and fertile local agriculture contribute to Portland's reputation as a top food city.
La topografía se define como una familia de protocolos de comunicación usada por computadoras en una red para intercambiar datos. Existen más de 100 protocolos diferentes en el conjunto TCP/IP que permiten la transmisión de datos entre computadoras.
This document proposes a new framework called "anthropogenic biomes" for classifying and mapping global ecological patterns and processes. It argues that humans now shape ecological patterns across most of the terrestrial biosphere through activities like deforestation, agriculture, grazing and urbanization. Conventional biomes based only on climate do not accurately capture the significant role of human populations and land use. The proposed anthropogenic biomes framework identifies ecosystem processes as primarily a function of human population density and land use, rather than just climate. It presents a preliminary global map of anthropogenic biomes including residential rangelands, populated rangelands, remote rangelands, and others. The framework aims to provide a more realistic model of global ecology and better
PSYCHOLOGY 10200 (Psychology in the Modern World)Mondays & Wedne.docxpotmanandrea
PSYCHOLOGY 10200 (Psychology in the Modern World)
Mondays & Wednesdays (11:50-12:40 or 1:00-1:50 in AR 1)
Discussion Sections (various times and locations)
Spring 2018
Instructor: Brett Silverstein. Write your teaching assistant’s name here ________________________
Introduction and Course Description
I've designed this course to give you a basic understanding of each of the different fields that collectively make up the science of psychology. One field is concerned with how the brain is organized; another with how children mature; still another with why people become anxious or depressed and how to help them. Psychology is concerned with each of these areas, and much more. In psychology we are interested in why people think and feel and act the way that they do. By the end of this course, you should have a good understanding of what psychologists study, and some of their most important research findings.
Because so many different fields are involved, I will divide the course into sections: neuroscience, development, psychological disorders, and so forth. In lecture, I will survey what psychologists know about each field. This information is reinforced and expanded upon in the textbook and in weekly discussion sessions. To evaluate how well you understand the textbook material, in each section I will ask several questions on the lectures and readings. You will have an opportunity to apply the issues to your own lives during weekly recitation sessions. I also have assigned four papers to develop your written expression of psychology. Finally, there will be a cumulative in class final exam given during finals week.
Course Objectives
After taking PSY 102, you should be better able to:
1. Apply critical thinking skills to research designs and practical problems in psychology.
2. Understand basic psychological theories, principles, and concepts in the areas of human development, social interaction, psychopathology, cognitive processes, and the biological bases of behavior.
3. Evaluate hypotheses, research designs, research findings, and theories.
4. Understand how statistical significance is used in research
5. Understand the difference between pseudo-science and science and apply such understanding to media reports about psychology.
6. Apply psychological concepts and principles to understanding social and cultural phenomena.
7. Communicate your ideas orally and in writing.
8. Apply psychological concepts to you own life and experiences.
PSY 102 satisfies the Individual and Society general education requirement of the CUNY Pathways Common Core. The course also enhances proficiency in writing, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning. In exercising writing proficiency, you will have multiple experiences to communicate your ideas in writing and speaking, including at least 3500 words of writing in specific assignments. For information literacy, you will have multiple opportunities to critically and con ...
This course syllabus outlines the key details of a 3-credit ethics course taught over 8 weeks. The course will introduce students to major historical and modern theories of ethics through readings, weekly summaries, in-class discussions, and a final paper. Students are expected to complete weekly reading assignments, one-page summaries, and participate in roundtable discussions to practice analyzing arguments. The goal is for students to expand their understanding of ethical concepts and debates, even if a universal consensus is not reached. Grades will be based on summaries, discussions, and a final essay applying course concepts.
Beyond the Brainstorm: Deepening Online Learningshaavind
This document discusses strategies for fostering collaborative online dialogue to support learning. It recommends setting clear expectations, using discussion prompts that encourage collaboration, explicitly teaching collaborative skills, and assessing contributions in a way that recognizes collaborative efforts. The document also reviews relevant research on collaborative online pedagogy and discusses specific techniques for facilitation, such as asking grounded questions, guiding wandering discussions, and nurturing a supportive community culture.
This document provides the syllabus for an English graduate seminar on teaching young adult literature in times of upheaval. The course will explore award-winning young adult novels to develop critical literacy and an awareness of interconnectedness. Students will read one theory text, six novels, and submit three response posts and a final 15-20 page project. Class sessions held on Zoom will include close readings and discussions to elucidate key concepts. Academic integrity and respect for diversity are emphasized. The schedule outlines readings and assignments for each class session.
This document provides the syllabus for an English graduate seminar on teaching young adult literature in times of upheaval. The course will explore award-winning young adult novels to develop critical literacy and an awareness of interconnectedness. Students will read one theory text, six novels, and submit three response posts and a final 15-20 page project. Class sessions held on Zoom will include close readings and discussions to elucidate key concepts. Academic integrity and respect for diversity are emphasized. The schedule outlines readings and assignments for each class session.
This document provides an overview of new approaches to online learning orientation at Texas Woman's University. It discusses building community through socialization activities like discussion boards. Seasoned students and peers used discussion boards to share experiences and advice on topics like time management and feelings of inadequacy. The orientation also focused on acclimating students to graduate-level expectations through emphasizing APA style, scholarly writing, interviews with faculty, and understanding the progression from undergraduate to graduate work. Rubrics and feedback aimed to promote professional writing skills. Student feedback was positive, praising the interactive chat sessions and encouragement from instructors.
Assignment 5 MS Project Scheduling and Salvaging a ProjectDue W.docxrock73
Assignment 5: MS Project Scheduling and Salvaging a Project
Due Week 10 and worth 280 points
Go to iCampus to download a free version of Microsoft Project needed to complete this assignment. Details on how to download the software are available in the online course shell in the Additional Resources section of the Student Center.
Make the needed corrections to Assignment 3 using instructor feedback and initialize a new project in Microsoft Project to complete the following:
1. Create a work breakdown structure in MS Project using the existing information from Assignment 3. Note: This assignment will require you to submit a zipped file. Please see below for details on how to zip a file.
Imagine your human resource project of revamping the employee compensation and benefits package is starting to develop issues. The project is eight (8) weeks off track and your team members are becoming discouraged. Several members of the team are consistently late with deadlines, and you have discovered that your budget depleted quicker than expected. Your project sponsor is looking for you to salvage this project.
Write a six to seven (6-7) page paper in which you:
1. Write a memo that communicates the budget situation to the rest of the team.
2. Suggest three (3) ways to improve an underperforming team member.
3. Organize a plan of action to get the project back on track. Develop a new critical path.
Your assignment must:
· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
To zip a file please follow these directions below. Note: Directions may vary depending on the operating system.
PC Directions:
1. Select the files to zip.
2. Right-click on the highlighted files and choose “Send to: Compressed folder”.
Mac Directions:
1. Select the files to zip.
2. Right-click on the highlighted files and choose “Compress”.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
· Identify the scope of projects and the structure of the accompanying work.
· Recommend project management quality tools.
· Determine the characteristics of a successful project plan.
· Use technology and information resources to research issues in managing human resource projects.
· Write clearly and concisely about managing human resource projects using proper writing mechanics.
“Emotional Roadblocks on the Road to Cultural
Competence”
Program Transcript
NARRATOR: The roundtable participants continue their discussion in this
program, by speaking to the issue of emotional roadblocks. That is, feelings and
emotions that serve as barriers or road blocks on the road to ...
This document provides an overview of the EDCI 620 School Curriculum course, including introductions, journaling, and discussion activities on the first day. It reviews the syllabus, assignments, and policies. Key topics of the course are developing an understanding of curriculum theories, examining the impact of policies on curriculum and instruction, and understanding the history and societal influences on education. The instructional model is a seminar approach with small and large group discussions. Assignments include class participation, online responses, papers, a group presentation, and a final exam assessing comprehension of course content.
Week 4 Using The Social Web For Social Change - Elluminate (#bgimgt566sx)Christopher Allen
Presentation for the live Elluminate session for week two of the BGI (Bainbridge Graduate Institute) course "Using the Social Web for Social Change". Topic "Personal Brand, Profiles, Social Networking & Blogging", including Social Network Theory, Basic Concepts, Dunbar Number, Social Network Services, Types, Demographics, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning
The instructor is very excited to teach this course on autism. They have years of experience working in education and with children with special needs. The course will be online but will still meet regularly through the course site. Students will need to log in a minimum of twice per week and allocate 3-6 hours per week to the course. The course will cover a wide range of topics related to autism and best practices for educating students with autism. Students are encouraged to start an autism notebook to compile resources from the course.
This course syllabus provides information for a 3-credit, 8-week Philosophy of Religion course taught in the summer of 2016. The course will examine major philosophical questions about religion through readings and discussions. Students will complete weekly reading summaries, participate in roundtable discussions, and write a final essay. The syllabus outlines the instructor's contact information, course objectives, assignments, grading scale, reading materials, course schedule, and policies regarding attendance, plagiarism, conduct, and student support services.
Using Socratic Seminar as a form of authentic assessment for student learning. Can be used as everything from an informal check in to a formal assessment.
This document provides information about an adolescent development and learning course, including:
1) The course is taught by three professors and meets on Thursdays from 3:15-6:05pm, divided into three groups. Readings focus on adolescent development in context.
2) Students are required to lead a class discussion, participate actively, submit weekly logs connecting readings to a case study of an adolescent, and complete a final case study paper.
3) Readings explore biological, psychological and social influences on adolescent development, how adolescents learn and are motivated, and how schools and teachers can support healthy development.
This course examines the Catholic Church's teachings on social and political issues from abortion to war. Students will learn the Church's official positions on contemporary topics and consider them critically by examining theological, philosophical, and secular perspectives. The goal is for students to form their own well-reasoned positions informed by Catholic social thought. Requirements include class participation, online quizzes, discussion posts, two ethical analysis papers, a semester-long project, and a final essay demonstrating skills in critical thinking and problem solving.
This document outlines the requirements for a semester 1 ELA portfolio. It requires a baseline writing assignment from the beginning of the year, a 250+ word reflective essay addressing the student's writing growth and process, and the choice of 2 revised writing pieces from a list of options. The portfolio is meant to demonstrate the student's writing skills and development over the course of the semester.
This document provides an introduction to an online English composition course. It summarizes the instructor's background and teaching philosophy, which emphasizes writing as a process and sees education as an opportunity for lifelong learning. It outlines the course goals of developing analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills through argumentative writing and research assignments. The document also reviews course logistics like the online platform, communication methods, assignments and due dates, and emphasizes completing the first lessons within the first week. Students are directed to complete initial course activities like posting an introduction, buying textbooks, and beginning the first unit of coursework.
The document summarizes discussions from a webinar about creating a sense of community in online courses. Key points discussed include:
- Using introductions on the discussion board to allow students to get to know each other
- Posting announcements 3-5 times per week to maintain frequent contact
- Creating areas for informal student discussions like a student lounge or FAQ page
- Giving feedback on student work by citing specific posts and highlighting individual contributions
- Linking coursework to students' interests, backgrounds and real-world experiences to boost engagement
Creating Community in Onlinecourses Part2Mark Gura
The document summarizes discussions from a webinar about creating a sense of community in online courses. Key points discussed include:
- Using introductions on the discussion board to help students get to know each other
- Frequently posting announcements and responding to student posts and questions to maintain connection
- Creating areas for open discussion like a student lounge or FAQ page
- Highlighting student work and facilitating peer feedback to encourage collaboration
- Leveraging web 2.0 tools like YouTube, VoiceThread, and Google Sites to extend the capabilities of the learning management system
(MY) THREE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ONLINE PEDAGOGYaandpatbcc
The document summarizes three principles of effective online pedagogy according to Bill Pelz, who received an award for excellence in online teaching.
The principles are: 1) Let students do most of the work through activities like student-led discussions, finding and discussing web resources, peer assistance, and self-grading of homework. 2) Interactivity is key, through discussions, collaborative projects, and other interactions. 3) Strive for presence by promoting social, cognitive and teaching presence through techniques like introductions, informal discussion areas, and providing feedback.
The class will spend 50 minutes discussing case studies on Just War theory and having groups report out their findings. They will then discuss for 20 minutes the tensions between nonviolence and Just War positions. Students will self-assess their contributions to group discussions and what they learned about Christian responses to violence by discussing case studies.
The document outlines an agenda for a class that will discuss violence, nonviolence, and Christianity. It will assess how a commitment to nonviolence may impact one's relationship with their country and consider if nonviolence can be a practical strategy against evil. Students will do a self-assessment on their contributions and how their views on nonviolence may have changed from the class.
The class will first hear from those who corresponded with death row prisoners for 25 minutes. They will then discuss scenes, themes and the Church's teachings on the death penalty from the book Dead Man Walking for 45 minutes. Finally, students will do a 5 minute self-assessment on their contribution to class discussion and what questions they would ask Sr. Helen if she visited class.
The class will rotate through stations for 40 minutes, followed by a 30 minute whole class discussion and question time on women's ordination. Students will evaluate arguments against ordaining women, assess an analogy in a video about exclusion based on gender and race, and do a short self-assessment on their contributions and learnings.
The document outlines the schedule and learning outcomes for a class that will involve mind-mapping the concept of "Everything is connected" from Pope Francis' Laudato Sí encyclical, evaluating reactions to the encyclical, and self-assessing contributions to group discussions, including having students take on the role of Jeb Bush to re-evaluate his views on religion in politics after reading the text.
The document outlines the agenda for a class discussing Catholic teachings on healthcare access and the Affordable Care Act. The class will assess how aligned the ACA is with Catholic principles, evaluate arguments about deaths from repealing the ACA, and have students self-reflect on their views. It also provides background from the Catholic Bishops supporting universal healthcare as a basic human right and the government's role in ensuring access.
The document outlines the schedule and learning outcomes for a class that will discuss kinds of rights, access to health care as a social justice issue, and Catholic teachings on access to health care. The class will spend 25 minutes on kinds of rights, 45 minutes discussing what aspects of health care access are and aren't under individual control, and 5 minutes doing a self-assessment. Students will also write a paragraph from the perspective of Pope Francis summarizing the predicted Catholic position on preferential access to health care for the poor.
The document outlines the agenda for a class discussion that will apply Catholic teachings on economic justice and immigration to topics like a local immigration center and the policies of a college regarding undocumented students. It includes prompts for a 5-minute self-assessment at the end to reflect on contributions to the discussion and what most impacted the students' views on immigration.
The document outlines a class discussion that will focus on how Archbishop Romero changed from a stance of neutrality to supporting the poor in El Salvador, and how Pope Francis's teachings in The Joy of the Gospel emphasize reducing inequality as a way to remedy social ills. Students will analyze these themes in Romero and identify links between Romero and Pope Francis, and self-assess their contribution to the class discussion.
This document outlines the schedule and learning outcomes for a class that will involve group work designing depictions of Jesus's care for the poor, a discussion on whether Jesus was a revolutionary, and self-assessment on contributions to the group and how the class changed views on Jesus. Students will imagine representations of Jesus's political significance, determine if describing him as a revolutionary is fitting, and self-reflect on learning.
The document outlines the agenda for a class discussion that will:
1) Debrief a visit to a Center for the Homeless and define homelessness.
2) Apply Catholic social teaching from the visit, a video, and reading to analyze the relationship between justice and equality, with a focus on the Church's preference for the poor.
3) Include a self-assessment of student contributions and conclusions about justice for the poor and homeless.
We will spend 25 minutes doing an exercise about privilege, 25 minutes composing a chart about factors within and outside our control, and 20 minutes examining and explaining negative attitudes towards the poor. The class aims to consider how external factors compound disadvantages, hypothesize why the poor face anger and stereotypes, and do a self-assessment of discussion contributions and understanding of privilege and stereotypes.
We will discuss the Nancy Cruzan case and whether removing her feeding tube would be morally permissible based on Catholic teachings on euthanasia. Students will consider if her feeding tube constitutes basic care or unnecessary treatment and reflect on how class discussions changed their views on this case. A chart is presented on whether removing Nancy Cruzan's feeding tube would be allowing her to die or taking a life.
The document outlines the agenda for a class discussion on physician-assisted suicide, including analyzing an ethical paper, discussing reasons for and against PAS, examining the Oregon Death with Dignity Act forms, and considering how to respond if a qualifying patient in Oregon requests assistance ending their life.
We will discuss the Vatican Declaration on Euthanasia for 40 minutes, then do a Think-Pair-Share activity on Advance Directives for 30 minutes. Students will complete a Living Will to inform discussion on end-of-life decisions, connecting it to Christian values, and self-assess their contributions and remaining questions about the Church's teachings on euthanasia.
The document outlines an agenda for a class discussion that will diagram formal and material cooperation with wrongdoing, discuss examples using these moral categories, suggest public policy for embryonic stem cells and complicity in vaccine development, and include a self-assessment of class contributions and remaining questions. It will also have students diagram and locate examples of cooperation on a scale of immediacy.
The document outlines the schedule and learning outcomes for a class session. It will include drawing up and negotiating a sample surrogacy contract in small groups, discussing the activity and readings, and an example surrogacy scenario. Students will roleplay a surrogacy arrangement, examine the morality of surrogacy and potential exploitation of women, and do a self-assessment of their contributions and takeaways from negotiating a surrogacy contract.
Today's class will involve a 25-minute activity on reproductive technology where students simulate shopping at a sperm bank or filling out forms for embryo cryopreservation. Students will then share their conclusions with the other half of the class for 20 minutes. Finally, students will evaluate the Church's teaching on assisted reproduction using this activity and an email from a Saint Mary's alum over 25 minutes.
The document outlines the plan for a class which includes taking a moral stance on abortion, applying Church teachings to positions held by Cuomo and Pacholczyk, evaluating their views for an upcoming paper, and a self-assessment where students reflect on their contributions and if the class changed their paper perspective.
This document outlines an agenda for a class discussion that will include nudging both the pro-life and pro-choice sides on their perspectives. It will focus on considering implications of twinning and Warren's criteria for personhood from the pro-life side, and assessing Callahan's critique of choice and its implications for feminism from the pro-choice side. Students will also self-assess their contributions and whether the discussion made their views on abortion less black and white.
1. 1
Prof. Joe Incandela
115 Spes Unica Hall
Office: 574.284.4834
Text: 574.339.0956
Email:
incandel@saintmarys.edu
Twitter:
@incandela
Schedule an appointment:
incandela.youcanbook.me
Course Description
When Philosophy is used in the service of Theology, wrote St.
Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, “water is turned into wine.”
An important strand of the Christian tradition turns the discerning
and sometimes critical eye of reason toward the mysteries of
faith. For some, this examination occasions strong objections to
traditional understandings of whether God is and what God is.
For others like Aquinas, rational inquiry is but a way of continuing
the journey towards God, a desire of the understanding to
lovingly embrace the truths of faith. The meeting place between
theological thought and philosophical reflection is where this
course takes place. We shall orient our focus around the writings
of Aquinas, one of the great minds of history and a man
proclaimed by numerous popes “The Universal Doctor of the
Church” and celebrated in St. John Paul II’s 1998 encyclical,
Faith and Reason, as “a master of thought and a model of the
right way to do theology.” Accordingly we seek to participate in
an ancient conversation that tries to probe the limits of what we
can know about God and how we can know it: How can we use
language to speak truthfully of God? What attributes or powers
does God have? How does God relate to the world? Is it
possible for those who believe in God to make sense of the evil
and suffering in creation? And how—for all these questions and
many more—can human reason be employed with utmost
sophistication to bring light to faith?
2. !2
“The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest
philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is
the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the
existence of the great God.... There is something exceedingly
improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are
lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity.... No subject of contemplation will
tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God.... But while the subject humbles the mind, it also
expands it. The person who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the one who simply plods
around this narrow globe.... Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul, as a
devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.”
—C.H. Spurgeon
Course Goal
This class seeks to enlarge your mind by having you
consider the biggest questions there are.
The ultimate goal of the course, to which all of your other work will point
forward, is your production of a sustained treatment of the theological issue
that fascinates you most. Course readings, your own writing, and seminar
discussion will help you discover what that is and come to understand it
better in conversation with Aquinas and your classmates.
“Even if someone who reverently seeks the
infinite ways of God never reaches the end of
the search, the search will always have profit.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
3. !3
How will your final grade be calculated?
Participation: Since this class will be run as a seminar, your primary day-
to-day responsibility will be to do the readings carefully and contribute significantly
to our discussions. You should come to class having read the assigned material
for that day and with something to say about it. For each day on the syllabus, you
will also find learning outcomes for you to work towards on your own (“Homework
Learning Outcomes”) and more advanced learning outcomes we will work on
together in class (“Seminar Learning Outcomes”). Look at each class’s learning
outcomes before you read, and think about them as you read; as they will form the
basis for class discussion. I try to combine lots of different kinds of learning
activities to make class engaging, informative, and fun.
Assessments: For just about every class, you will receive a class
participation grade, which you yourself will help determine. That is, after every
class with a next to its date, you will be self-assessing your participation based
upon a form available at the course website and an accompanying rubric which
provides a scoring guide. If you do not submit a self-assessment, you will
receive no credit for that particular class. This is your responsibility. All
assessments are due by midnight on the days we have class. This is so that what
we did that day will still be fresh in your mind. Anything that comes in after that
will not receive full credit. (I reserve the right to adjust your own evaluation either
up or down, however, based upon my own observation of your contributions.) I will
drop your two lowest grades to allow for two unexcused absences. Beyond this,
this work cannot be made up because it involves your presence in class. When
you self-assess, you learn about your learning; and that makes your learning
deeper. That’s why I’m asking you to do this. Note that in these assessments,
you will also be assessing the group’s performance for that particular class (see c
below). The link to the assessment form is found under the course banner on the
class website. A mobile version of this form is available through the class app.
Participation & Assessments (25%)
Course Requirements & Grading
Completing this course successfully entails:
a contributing regularly and responsibly to the seminar and assessing individual and group
performance after each class,
b preparing for class by submitting Voicethreads on the assigned readings or media before just
about every class meeting,
c working corporately as a class to have effective seminar discussions, and
d composing 2 papers that point forward toward a culminating semester media project.
midnight
4. !4
Voicethread is a group audio blog that we’ll be using as a warm-up for our face-to-face
discussions. I’ll be asking you to contribute an entry for every class in which appears next to the date.
You’ll find the Voicethread by selecting its date in the Sidebar of the main page of PBWorks in the same
place you find online readings. After clicking the date under “Online Assignments & Voicethreads,” you’ll
see at the top of the page any online readings assigned for that day, and then as you scroll down, you’ll
see that day’s Voicethread. Log in with the same information with which you signed up on the New
Students page. Click the Play button at the bottom left of the page , and the first voice you’ll
hear will be mine. I might have some commentary (either summarizing the previous class or
providing a mini-lecture on the issues for the next one). I want you to have a basic
understanding of the material before class, so that we can explore the text and discuss its
implications during class. This is what’s sometimes called flipping the classroom.
Each Voicethread will ask you a question in a prompt on the final slide. It might be
about something that I explain on a slide or about a video I’ll ask you to see. Or it might
be about something in the reading you were to do for the upcoming class. You will listen
to any other students who commented before you, as the Voicethread will cycle through their
comments. Then it’s your turn. Click on to add your contribution. You have several options
from which to select how to verbalize your ideas and respond to your classmates. Most laptops and
computers have built-in microphones. But you can also use the phone or even a webcam to leave your
Voicethread comments. In this way, students will come to class having said something about the issues
we’ll be discussing the following day; and that will give us all a foundation on which to build. Voicethread
allows us to value all voices, especially those that challenge, raise questions, or provide something with
which to disagree. It’s been said that the Millennial Generation of students gravitates toward social
learning that connects them to their peers. Voicethread enables that kind of learning, and meaningful
interaction with others and careful consideration of their views form one of the performance criteria of
your daily self-assessments. Moreover, when you’re dialoguing with your peers and responding to them,
you’re involved in the communal creation of scholarly knowledge. You may even end up quoting what
your classmates say in your papers or semester project.
Deadline: Voicethreads will need to be completed by (at the latest) 8:00 pm on the night before
the class where we take up the particular issue on which you’re posting. No contributions that come in
past the stated deadline will receive full credit. Make your posting earlier that day if you have a
previous commitment for that evening.
Voicethread Contributions (20%)
1 point for a completed assessment in on time
3 points for a √+ (based upon rubric), or
2 points for a √ (based upon rubric), or
1 point for a √- (based upon rubric)
0 points for no assessment or attendance
How will your individual participation be graded?
Individual participation will be graded on a 4-point scale based upon your daily self-assessments.
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5. !5
Since more is needed for a good discussion than the same two or three people contributing, you
will also be giving yourself a corporate (class) grade based upon how all of us do in the discussion for
that day. Because at least part of what makes a good discussion is a variety of voices and perspectives,
as well as the ability of the participants to make comments or ask
questions that invite the contributions of others and involve every
student in the room, we will fail as a learning community if we don’t
approach our task communally. We are here to collaborate, not to
compete; and collaboration means that we strive, collectively, towards a
greater truth than any one of us has as an individual.
In his book The Catholic University as Promise and Project, Fr.
Michael Buckley states, “‘Discussion’ indicates a collaborative inquiry,
either by the mutually supportive labor of human beings concentrated
upon a single problem, exchange, or project, or by their mutually critical
debate in the testing and verification of variant positions and
resolutions” (p. 136). This course aims for such collaboration and will
be conducted as a seminar in which my main responsibility is to steer
the discussion in productive ways and assist you in the process of discovering your own theological
insights and ideas. Certainly I will also be on hand to try to explain especially complicated ideas in
Aquinas (there are a few!) and to prompt you to make connections between seemingly disparate points
that come up in his writings. But my hope is that most of what gets said during class will be said by you.
How will your Voicethreads be graded?
Each Voicethread assignment should be 2-4 minutes of spoken comments in length. This can come
in more than one comment if you wish. Voicethreads will be graded on a 4-point scale.
1 point for a posting that is in on time (8:00 pm). A Voicethread that comes
in after 8:00 pm but before 9:00 pm can receive up to 3 points if it satisfies
the remaining rubric items below. Any Voicethread that comes in after 9pm
will receive no points at all.
1 point for posting the required length (no less than 2 minutes, no more than
4 minutes) that engages your classmates on the issue(s) in the prompt.
1 point for respectfully commenting on what someone else said (or
something I said in the prompt if you’re the first person to contribute). You
could raise a question, ask for clarification, point out an implication of what
the person said, or constructively disagree with it. When you’re referring to
your classmates, make sure to use their names!
1 point for referring to specific passages from Aquinas (or one of the other
assigned readings or media) in a way that demonstrates accurate
understanding and thoughtful appropriation of the material
I will drop your two lowest grades to allow for two unexcused absences. Beyond this, these
postings cannot be made up because they involve collaboration with others.
Corporate discussion (10%)
6. !6
It may take awhile to reach that goal, since familiarity with Aquinas sufficient to carry a discussion isn’t
something that happens overnight or even very quickly. But that’s where we want to get to by the end of
the semester.
When you turn in your individual self-assessments, you’ll also be giving a group grade based
upon how well our most recent discussion went. I’ll average these grades (and I get a vote too) after
dropping the high and low marks, and that’s what the class will get for that day. Note: We won’t start
doing this until the second week of the semester to give everyone a chance to warm up to the subject
matter and to each other. Also, previous experience suggests that I tend to do most of the talking in the
early classes as we go through some texts fairly methodically.
You will also submit one ungraded written assignment: a Position Paper due by 5pm on Friday,
January 16th. This paper will form a foundation for your other work under #4 above. Your graded papers
and final project will be spread out fairly evenly throughout the semester, with the project due during
Finals Week. All of these assignments will build upon one another in complexity to allow progressive
refinement of your questions and conclusions. You’ll start out imitating Aquinas’s method. Then you
will move to summarizing Aquinas’s positions. Finally, you’ll move to evaluating Thomas’s views
through your own scholarly research and the incorporation of secondary sources in your final project.
More information will be provided about how to conduct your research.
Your final project is toward what the whole class will be pointing: a sustained exploration of
identifying and analyzing the theological issue that fascinates you most. That is, I’m going to ask you
How will our seminar discussions be graded?
Each of our class discussions will be evaluated on a 4-point scale.
1 point for participation (meaning: every student in the seminar spoke at
some point during the class period)
1 point for preparation (meaning: students demonstrated preparation by
making regular references to the text or assigned material for that day to cite
evidence, raise questions, debate meaning, etc.)
1 point for collaboration (meaning: students spoke to each other—not just to
the instructor—and regularly and respectfully picked up on each other’s
comments or questions to advance the discussion)
1 point for organization (meaning: staying on task and addressing all the
seminar learning outcomes for the day so that students got what they were
supposed to get out the class without getting sidetracked or becoming
preoccupied with irrelevant matters)
I will drop the group’s two lowest grades of the semester.
Paper #1 (due Feb. 6 by 5pm) (10%)
Paper #2 (due Mar. 20 by 5pm) (15%)
Final Project (due May 8 by noon) (20%)
7. !7
not only to read theology, but to do it as a scholar—albeit in conversation with Aquinas and
others. Ultimately, learning theology is like learning to swim. There’s only so much you can do from
outside the pool observing others in the water and no substitute for diving in and immersing yourself.
Format: The first two papers should be approximately 6-7 pages typed and double-
spaced. Number your pages. Your first two papers should be turned in, and will be returned,
online through a Google Drive shared folder. The final project will be in the form of a Voicethread
or some alternate media presentation such as a video. You are welcome to use outside sources
in more than just your final project, but please footnote appropriately in MLA or Chicago style.
References to Aquinas’s writings should be placed in parentheses in your paper according to the
format presented at the beginning of the semester. References to any other course reading (or
to your own previous writing) can also be placed in parentheses.
Your papers will be due by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 6th, and Friday, March 20th. The
semester project will be due by noon on Friday, May 8th (Finals Week). You are welcome to submit drafts
for my review prior to the due dates. I will promise to read and return (with comments) anything that
comes in at least a week before the due date so that the author may revise and resubmit. Depending on
my schedule for a particular week, I may be able to do the same with things turned less than a week
before the due date, but you’d be taking your chances. So it’s to your advantage not to wait until the last
minute. On the last day of class (Wednesday, April 29th), each student will be asked for about a 10-
minute presentation summarizing your exploration of the theological issue from your final project.
How will your papers and project be graded?
Individual rubrics will be available for your papers and final project. You are expected to use
them as you prepare each assignment. I will use them to evaluate your work. Those rubrics will
all be based on the following criteria:
Understanding of Text/Author: demonstrated interpretive skills and accurate
grasp of Aquinas’s (or another author’s) ideas, concepts, and theories (=
you stay close to the texts in the ideas you pull from them, you present
those ideas accurately, and you refrain from unfounded interpretations.)
Development/Organization: structured thinking, careful organization, orderly
presentation of ideas, understandable progression of your points,
including self-assessment of your own intellectual growth (= your points
build on each other and assemble coherently into a unified whole. You
are clear in what you say, and the relationship between your ideas is
coherently spelled out. Your paper’s structure—beginning, middle, and
end—should be apparent and easy to follow. You are able to narrate how
your current thinking has evolved; because in this course, ‘development’
refers not just to ideas but also to your own scholarly development as a
theologian.)
Reasoning/Evidence: rational manipulation of ideas and dexterity in handling
them in relation to the weight of your reasons, keen and fair assessment
of contrary views (= you understand what the readings say and you do
something with them by engaging the texts intellectually and responsibly
to demonstrate clarity of perception and critical analysis. You support your
assertions with evidence, examples, or appropriate detail. Remember that
an opinion is only as good as the reasoning on which it is based—even in
theological writing.)
8. !8
Originality/Creativity: personal appropriation of what the readings and class
say to formulate some ideas of your own. Support for your ideas is drawn
from your own insights, examples, illustrations, analogies, or reasoning
rather than only borrowed from class or the text. I should be able to hear
your own voice in your work (which means that it’s perfectly acceptable to
use “I”). You take some chances with the material and show creativity by—in
the words of Prof. Barbara Walvoord—“making unusual connections,
looking at something in a fresh way, noticing unusual relationships or
aspects of the topic, pushing beyond surface observations, challenging what
others take for granted, or taking a risk with … a difficult topic.”)
Professionalism: sound grammar, spelling, writing style, sentence structure,
punctuation, and adherence to the referencing scheme I provide for
Aquinas’s works; proper acknowledgement and documentation of sources
(excessive instances of poor grammar, poor spelling, or poor proofreading
or general sloppiness will lower your grade. Good writing is precise writing
—especially about the issues in this class, and mistakes in grammar,
spelling, or proofreading do not contribute to precision. In general, I expect
the professionalism of an adult learner in all the work you submit.)
These criteria correspond, in general, to the following letter grades
(individualized rubrics for each submission are available through the course website).
A Excellent in all or nearly all of the above aspects. The interest of the
reader/viewer is engaged by the ideas and presentation. Style and
organization seem natural and easy. Your work is marked by originality
of ideas and keen theological analysis. You provide evidence that you
see complexities and can confront inadequate explanations and that you
can answer questions and question answers. I can hear a lively,
intelligent, interesting human voice speaking to me.
B Good, technically competent, but with a lapse here and there. The
submission is clear and the prose is generally effective. There may be
some gaps or flaws in the argument or some deficiency in one or two of
the five criteria listed above. But these tend to be redeemed by the
paper’s good points.
C A competent piece of work, but not yet good. C work is more or less
adequately organized. In some C work, very good ideas are marred by
poor presentation—in development, organization, or technical errors. In
other C work, the organization, structure, and grammar are not flawed,
but the ideas and how they are developed need a lot of work. Basically,
C work contains problems with two or three of the five criteria listed
above without the good points of a B paper to raise it to that level.
D A piece of work that demonstrates some effort on the author’s part but
that is too marred by technical problems or flaws in thinking and
development of ideas to be considered competent work.
F This grade is reserved for work demonstrating minimal effort on the
author’s part. Perhaps the author has drastically misinterpreted the
assignment or left it almost completely underdeveloped. There are
serious problems in just about all of the above 5 criteria.
9. !9
The course requirements described above are designed to help you meet the following course-
wide learning outcomes listed in the left column below. These learning outcomes describe the
knowledge, skills, or abilities that you will acquire as a result of this course. In the right column, you’ll see
how each assignment or activity is tied back to those things that you should be able to know or do better
after completing it.
The student who successfully completes this
course will be able to:
This outcome is intended to be achieved by the
following requirements described above and
listed below:
READ portions of the Summa Theologiae with
sufficient understanding to be able to put
Thomas’s ideas into your own words
USE common Thomistic vocabulary with facility
both in speech and in writing
EXPLAIN how basic concepts in the Summa
relating to God, creation, and humanity
build off of each other
DEVELOP her own nuanced theology in
conversation with St. Thomas and others
IDENTIFY places where Aquinas’s theology can
be challenged or extended
RELATE the contemporary relevance of St.
Thomas Aquinas’s thought and method to
a variety of modern debates
1 2 3 4
Learning Outcomes
Participation
Voicethreads
G
roup
Paper #1
Paper #2
Final Project
Voicethread.
10. !10
Course Materials
1. Book: Davies, Brian, and Brian
Leftow, eds. Summa Theologiae,
Questions on God. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006.
(ISBN: 0-521-52892-5)
2. Course Reader: this will be provided
to you and is also available in PDF on
the course website
3. Class handouts: also provided to you
and in PDF on the course website
4. Internet assignments on the course
website: designated on the syllabus
by ONLINE ASSIGNMENT, ONLINE READING,
or VIDEO. In the Sidebar at the right of
the course website ( ) click the date
on which the particular assignment is
due, and you’ll be brought to where
you need to be.
Where to get the book (new):
•Saint Mary’s Bookstore ($51)
•Amazon.com ($41)
Electronic Resources
We will be using PBworks as our classroom
management system. You should have received
an email invitation from me to join. The course
syllabus, handouts, online readings, and
assignments are available through this site, as well
as some videos that I’ll ask you to view for class.
In addition, you will be able to view your current
grade. No one outside our class has access to
anything on this site. I provide video tutorials for
how to use different elements of the website
should anything be unclear (see the “HOW TO…”
folder in the “Navigator” box at the middle of the
right side of the website listed below):
This course also has its own app, available
for free on both the iTunes app store (for iOS
devices) and on Google Play (for Android
devices). It features access to the syllabus,
course website, reader, assessment form, as
well as the Summa Theologiae and the
Summa Contra Gentiles. To locate the app,
go to tinyurl.com/fmpitunesapp or
tinyurl.com/fmpandroidapp or the QR
codes below. Note that Voicethread also has
a mobile app available for free download.
http://thomasaquinas.pbworks.com
iOS (iTunes) Android (Google Play)
11. !11
Academic Honesty: The College’s policy on academic honesty is in effect. This policy
may be found on pp. 65-67 of the 2014-2015 Saint Mary’s College Bulletin (http://tinyurl.com/
SMC-Academic-Honesty) or via the QR code to the right. You are responsible for knowing and
following it. Failure to do so will result in an F for the individual assignment. Repeated
instances of academic dishonesty may merit an F for the course depending upon their
frequency and severity.
Attendance policy: You are expected to attend class regularly. Your presence in class is a kind
of participation. Therefore, more than 2 unexcused absences will lower your grade. More than 4 such
absences may result in failure of the course. In rare circumstances, even an excessive number of total
(unexcused + excused) absences (7 or more) may not allow you to pass this course. It is your
responsibility to inform me of any extenuating circumstances affecting attendance or class performance.
Cellphone policy: Cellphones may be brought to class, but please remember to silence them. If
you are expecting an urgent call about a private matter, you are exempt from this policy; but please let me
know about this ahead of time.
Class cancellation policy: If I ever need to cancel a class at any other time for unexpected
reasons, I will email you all or make arrangements for you to be notified of the cancellation. We would
make up the work as best we can in our remaining class meetings.
Gender-inclusive language: I prefer you use it, especially of God; but I will not enforce it. As
you’ll see, Aquinas is hardly a model in this regard.
Laptop policy: You may feel free to bring laptops or tablets to class. Because many of our
readings (include the whole Summa Theologiae) are online, having internet access might be handy. It
could also allow more efficient searching for particular passages or even help in looking up questions that
arise in our discussion. If your computer becomes a hindrance to your active participation in
discussion or a distraction for others, I will ask you not to bring it to subsequent classes.
Late Papers: Papers not turned in by the time listed on the due date will be considered late.
One-day extensions are possible, but they must be approved in advance. Unless you have some
emergency, I will not accept a late paper unless you have previously asked for an extension or told me
ahead of time (= at least 1 day before the due date by noon) that it will be late. Ordinarily, no extensions
on the semester project will be possible.
QR Reader: Search on iTunes or Google Play for free phone apps to read QR codes such as the
one above, and those on pp. 1 & 10 of the syllabus.
Students with Disabilities: Any student who is eligible for accommodations based upon a
learning disability should contact Iris Giamo in the Disabilities Resource Office (103C Madeleva Hall,
phone 284-4262, e-mail igiamo@saintmarys.edu) for an appointment to review documentation and
arrange for appropriate accommodations. Students who suspect they may have a disability are also
encouraged to contact the Disabilities Resource Office.
Students who are Victims of Sexual Assault: Any student who has experienced sexual
assault, relationship violence, and/or stalking is encouraged to contact Connie Adams, Director of the
Belles Against Violence Office (33 Holy Cross Hall, phone 284-4081, email cadams@saintmarys.edu).
These three Saint Mary’s departments have confidential staff: (1) BAVO (director), (2) Campus Ministry
(pastoral ministers), and (3) Women’s Health (counselors, nurses, and nurse practitioner). If your
experience is directly impacting your academic performance, you may also consider contacting the Office
of Academic Affairs (121 Le Mans Hall, phone 284-4594).
Class Policies & Resources
12. !12
To get the most out of this course, you’ll need to keep in mind its structure into four main parts
and how the different elements of Aquinas’s writings and thought that we will study fit together and build
upon one another. The diagrams below show you how the course is laid out chronologically in terms of its
main parts. You should review this concept map and the narrative accompanying it periodically to help
you place each new topic we encounter within a wider organizational framework.
I. What God Is: The Unknowable Na (Syllabus, p. 16):
We’ll begin, as Aquinas himself did, with God as God is in God’s
self. Namely, what is it for God to be God? Here we’ll study how
the frequently neglected theological concept of divine simpleness
is the key to unlocking what Aquinas is up to in the first 13
questions of Part I of the Summa and to much else after that.
We’ll show how Aquinas builds on this concept of simpleness to
get to God’s perfection, oneness, limitlessness, infinity,
omnipresence (= existence everywhere), unchangeableness,
and eternity. All of these underscore the absolutely central role
Aquinas ascribes to God as creator. Taken together, they have
the cumulative effect of distinguishing God from the world—
distinguishing the creator from the creation. As Aquinas will
show, God’s distinction from the world will deliver up a God we
cannot know on our own terms. Accordingly, Aquinas’s task
through the Summa will always be to use reason in the attempt
to know what’s unknowable. Because of the scheduling for this
year’s Aquinas Symposium talk by Fr. Brian Davies, we’ll insert
two classes that consider the topic of God’s relation to the evil in
the world. Can Aquinas’s all-powerful and perfectly good God be
reconciled with the kind of suffering prevalent in our world today?
II. God & Creation (Syllabus, p. 22): So much of what
we explored in the first section of the course was dependent on
the notion of God as creator. The idea of creation, and of God
as creator, is really the main hinge of the Summa Theologiae.
Everything else turns on it. We pick up here by looking at
various ‘echoes’ of the creator in the creation. We’ll begin with
an inquiry into the language we use to speak of God. If indeed
God is so distinct from the world and from creaturely experience,
how can we hope to use words that make any real contact at all
with (and deliver any truths about) the creator of all things? On
the other hand, if God is completely ‘other,’ how can we ever say
anything truthful about God using words as they mean to us?
We’ll then look at the beauty of creation in light of the beauty of
the creator. Can the former tell us anything about the latter?
Finally, we’ll examine a famous Thomistic topic of the natural law
in creation, which is an echo of the eternal law put there by God,
a kind of moral code built into human beings by God their
creator. The idea, in brief (!), is that when we act in accord with
the natural order of things, we’re behaving properly. But to
violate that order, and by definition to do the unnatural, is to go
against the plan by which God created all things.
The Structure of the Course
I. The Unknowable Nature of Divinity
II. God & Creation
13. !13
III. Friendship & Morality (Syllabus, p. 29): Aquinas’s
writings about morality are grounded in divine goodness and
God’s role as both the source and goal (telos) of all creatures.
The dominant theme of this part of the course will be friendship.
We’ll see that theme emerge in many of the individual issues
we’ll consider here. We’ll begin by looking at Aquinas’s
understanding of the moral life and read the very first questions
in the ST I-II. That will lead us to the topic of virtues, or good
moral habits that develop our character in particular directions
and lead us to love and delight in goodness. If the natural law
gives us various rules that tell us what to do, then the virtues
give us various strengths of character or good habits that tell us
how to be. St. Thomas, following Aristotle, will argue that
friendship is necessary for a life of virtue. At this point, we’ll read
a section of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, from which Aquinas
got so much of his thinking about friendship. We’ll see what
Thomas takes over, and also what he transforms from within his
Christian context. One area where this will be particularly
noticeable is what Thomas says about friendship with God,
something that Aristotle seemed to think impossible because of
the difficulty of basing true friendships on very unequal
relationships. This is where grace for Thomas becomes crucial
to so much of his ethics, since grace elevates human nature to
create the kind of equality with God necessary to sustain a
friends
III. Friendship & Morality
We’ll next move from considering the
eternal law as the law in the mind of God to an
analysis of God’s knowledge in general. This
also takes us from our consideration of what God
is (Section I) to what God does—namely, how
God acts towards creation. As we’ll see St.
Thomas explain, what God does follows from
who God is, just as what you do follows from who
you are. In particular, we’ll ask how what God
knows, what God wills, and how God loves follow
from who God is. Topics to be addressed here
include the relation between God’s knowledge of
the future and free human action (e.g., if God
knows what you’ll have for lunch tomorrow, do
you still choose your meal freely?); what kind of
power God has and whether that power is
consistent with God not being able to do certain
things (such as sin); the kind of relationship God
has towards creation—we’ll see the Thomistic
response to this as well as an important critique
of that response from Sr. Elizabeth Johnson that
arises out of feminist theological concerns; and
the significant theological problem of how to
make room for (and sense of) human freedom in
light of a God who is all-powerful. Ending this
section with the topic of human freedom will lead
to the next part of the course on morality.
14. !14
friendship. Because Aquinas is very clear that the Holy Spirit infuses grace into human souls, that will
take us to look at the trinity (namely, the real relations that God has within Godself) and why St. Thomas
thinks that’s one of the central beliefs of Christian faith. The trinity is a perfect community of divine
friendship, a community into which all are invited through Jesus and the Eucharist. We’ll see how each of
these beliefs and practices converge around the theme of friendship. This section will conclude with
taking these same questions to the crucifixion and debating what it means for God to suffer. Does God
suffer with those who grieve, as many have said? Or does it diminish God if God is capable of suffering
in God’s divine nature? Aquinas will say the latter. We’ll explore some critiques of this position, which
underscore a significant modern way of trying to make sense of belief in God in light of evil in the world.
We’ll also study a Thomistic response to this.
IV. The Thomistic Method (Syllabus, p. 36): Finally, we’ll
step back and ask broader questions about the foundations for
Thomas’s theology, and especially for how Aquinas considers
the relationship between faith and reason. We’ll begin by looking
at faith as a theological virtue and contrast it with the two other
theological virtues: hope and charity. That will take us to an
exploration into how Aquinas understands theology and
philosophy, where each begins, what level of authority each
claims, and how much certainty each can deliver. What can we
finally know about God? What sources should we consult? Is
human reason an adequate source? Can it prove God’s
existence? This provides the context for looking at Aquinas’s
famous Five Ways, the subject of extensive attention and
scholarly scrutiny over the years. Are those Thomas’s proofs for
the existence of God? If so, do they work?
As the course comes to a close, we’ll step back and look
at the spirit of Thomism in the search for truth. Any complete
assessment of Thomas must consider his views on women and
ask what those views mean for how we regard both him and his
theology. Can feminists possibly claim Aquinas as an ally? Or is
he the ultimate proponent of an androcentric, patriarchal
theology? Here we’ll consider the 2012 Aquinas Symposium
lecture by Prof. Lisa Sowle Cahill on this topic.
IV. The Thomistic Method
Fall$2008$Aquinas$Class$with$2009$
Aquinas$Symposium$Speaker,$$
Fr.$John$Jenkins,$C.S.C.,$$
Finally, to help us understand
what St. Thomas is trying to say about
the search for truth, we’ll consider
Thomism as, in Josef Pieper’s words,
an “attitude.” We’ll conclude with a
fascinating illustration of this attitude in
an essay by Fr. Thomas O’Meara, O.P.,
entitled “Aquinas in Africa,” that
describes how Aquinas can be
translated into a very different cultural
setting with all sorts of implications for
theological diversity and pluralism. As
such, these essays provide a fitting
finale to “Aquinas’s Search for God.”
15. 15
Course Outline
!
!
Jan 12 Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas’s Life
& Writings
!ONLINE READING: John Cavadini, “Why Study God?”
[course website]
!ONLINE READING: Papal statements about St. Thomas
Aquinas [course website]
!VIDEO: Fr. Robert Barron, “Thomas Aquinas and the
Argument from Motion” (10 minutes, 21 seconds)
!St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae [hereafter,
ST], I.3.1, in Summa Theologiae, Questions on God
[hereafter, QoG], pp. 29-31.
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Describe the subject matter of theological
study
" Locate theology in relation to other disciplines
in a “dialogue with reason”
" In light of the above, explain in a preliminary
way who Thomas was and why he was an
important figure in Christian theology
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Identify the main components and
organization of an article in the Summa
" Distinguish actuality from potentiality in
Aquinas’s discussions of God’s simpleness and
whether God has a body
" Construct an intellectual foundation for future
learning in this class about what it means to
study God
Sister'Madeleva'spoke'of'Saint'
Mary’s'as'“the'home'in'which'we'
honor'his'Summa.”'
16. 16
!
!
A. What God is Not: Divine Simpleness
and Its Implications
!
Jan 14 1. Simpleness
!ST Prologue to Part I, Q. 3 [QoG, pp. 28-29]
!ST I.3.2—7 [QoG, pp. 31-41]
!ONLINE ASSIGNMENT: Look up definitions of form &
matter, essence & existence [course website]
!ONLINE ASSIGNMENT: Also—if you have not already done
so—sign into the PBworks course website and complete the
work found at the “New Students” link under the “Aquinas’s
Search for God” banner. A video tutorial is available on that page
to help you introduce yourself over Voicethread to the rest of the
class.
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Define matter & form, essence & existence
" Identify where these concepts are used in I.3
" Express in your own words what Thomas is
asking as he moves through I.3
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Use new definitions for today to evaluate what
Aquinas means by God’s simpleness
" Assess the role that simpleness plays at the
beginning of Thomas’s exploration of divinity
" Establish the link between God as simple and
God as creator
“We cannot know what God is,
but only what He is not.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
Position Paper due by 5:00pm on Friday, January 16th
17. 17
Jan 19 ! 2. Perfection and Oneness
!ST I.4.1 & 2; I.11.3 & 4 [QoG, pp. 44-48; 109-112]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Recognize how what Thomas says about
divine perfection follows from what he said
about divine simpleness (go from creator #
simple # perfect)
" Explain why if God is perfect, there can be
only one such being (perfection # oneness)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Formulate the relationship between perfection
and change and simpleness
" Trace all of those ideas back to God as creator
" Assess whether God must be perfect to be
God
Jan 21 ! 3. Limitlessness and Existence in Things
!ST I.7.1 & 2; I.8.1—4 [QoG, pp. 69-72; 78-86]
!ST I.104.1 & 3 [Course Reader, pp. 1-5]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Describe how Thomas gets from God as form
to God as limitless (I.7)
" Summarize the argument for why the creator
has to be present in all things (I.8)
" Restate what Aquinas says about whether God
has to keep all things in existence (I.104)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Illustrate with a really big piece of string the
relationship between God’s immanence
(existence in the world) and transcendence
(existence ‘outside’ or ‘above’ the world)
" Formulate the connection between God as
“God must be, and be intimately,
in everything.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
18. 18
creator and God as limitless/infinite
" Evaluate what it means to say that God is
everywhere (omnipresent)
!
B. An Application: God & Evil
!
!
Jan 26 ! 1. St. Thomas on Evil in the World
!
!ONLINE READING: Interview with Fr. Richard Leonard:
“What’s God got to do with it?: Keeping the faith in
times of suffering” [course website]
!VIDEO: Fr. Robert Barron, “The Problem of Evil” (9
minutes, 35 seconds)
!ST I.14.10; I.19.9; I.22.2 [QoG, pp. 184-186, 234-
236, 261-265]
!ST I.47.1; I.48.2 [Course Reader, pp. 6-9]!
!SCG III.71 [Course Reader, pp. 10-12]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Restate the problem of evil as presented by Fr.
Barron in the opening of this video
" Identify some less successful responses to this
problem (see Fr. Leonard) and some more
successful ones
" Summarize what Aquinas is saying about God
and evil
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Probe what Aquinas is saying about the world,
the evil in it, and God’s relationship to both
" Evaluate this in response to the other ways to
address the problem of evil found in the online
reading and video for today
" Suggest examples that defend or challenge
Thomas’s view of how God relates to the
world’s evil
Fr.'Barron'at'Saint'Mary’s'for'the'2011'
Aquinas'Symposium'in'Theology'
19. 19
Jan 28 ! 2. Fr. Brian Davies on God and Evil
!
!Fr. Herbert McCabe, O.P., “Evil” [handout]
!ST I.6.1 [QoG, pp. 63-63]
!ONLINE READING: Interview with Fr. Brian Davies,
“Philosopher-Priest Revisits an Age-Old Question”
[course website]
!Fr. Brian Davies, Thomas Aquinas on God and Evil
[excerpt handout]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Distinguish evil suffered from evil done (Fr.
McCabe)
" Predict the jury’s verdict in the trial that Fr.
McCabe creatively stages with God as the
defendant
" Contrast what Fr. Davies means by God being
good vs. God being morally good
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" As a class, weigh the theological evidence and
reach a verdict in the case against God
" Make Fr. Davies a surprise witness in this case
and predict how his testimony would or
would not sway the jury
" Following from this courtroom drama,
formulate questions to ask Fr. Davies tonight
Symposium on St. Thomas Aquinas
On his Feast Day,
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 7:00 PM
with lecture “Thomas Aquinas on God & Evil”
by Fr. Brian Davies, O.P. of Fordham Univ.
20. 20
C. God & Time:
Eternity as the Address of the Ultimate
Feb 2 ! 1. Unchangeableness (Immutability)!
!ST I.9.1—2; I.14.15; I.19.7 [QoG, pp. 87-91; 195-
197; 230-232]
!ST III.16.6 [Course Reader, pp. 13-14]
! ONLINE READING: Fr. Michael Dodds, O.P., “Of Angels,
Oysters, and an Unchanging God: Aquinas on Divine
Immutability” [handout]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Connect the notions of being changeable,
composite (having parts), potential, and
temporal (existing in time)
" Put in your own words what Thomas is saying
about how an unchangeable God relates to a
changeable creation (in terms of what God
knows or wills, and how to understand God
becoming human)
" Come up with some examples of what God
could not do if God cannot change and think
whether this is compatible or incompatible
with God being perfect (Fr. Dodds)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Assess whether Aquinas’s way of relating
God to time (and all creation in time) makes
sense
" Apply your examples of those things God
cannot do if God cannot change to Fr. Dodds’s
statement that “an inability to change may
also betoken a higher level of being”
" Evaluate whether an unchangeable God is
more or less worthy of worship
21. 21
“Eternity and God are the same
thing.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
Feb 4 ! 2. Eternity
!ST I.10.1—4 [QoG, pp. 92-99]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Distinguish the two components of eternity
found in the definition “the instantaneously
whole perfect possession of interminable life”
" Explain the link between simpleness and
eternity (ST I.10)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Compare existence in time with existence in
eternity
" Construct analogies or examples of what it
would be to be eternal
" Analyze the relationship between God being
the creator and God being eternal so that it’s
apparent why Aquinas thinks the creator of
all things must be eternal
Paper #1 due by 5:00pm on Friday, February 6th
22. 22
!
!
A. Divine Echoes of the Creator in the Creation
!
!
Feb 9 ! 1. Speaking about an Utterly Simple God:
St. Thomas and Analogy
!Fr. Herbert McCabe, O.P., “Signifying Imperfectly” &
“Analogy” [handout]
!ST I.13.1—6, 8, 11 [QoG, pp.138-152; 156-157; 162-
164]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Identify the difficulties in speaking about God
" Restate Aquinas’s position on whether we can
say anything literally about God
" Differentiate analogical language of God from
univocal and equivocal (I.13.5)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Suggest reasons why Aquinas devotes a
question of the Summa to language
" Recognize how God’s role as creator affects
how we use language about God and what we
can mean about what we say
" Evaluate where this leaves us
Feb 11 ! 2. Divine Beauty
!ONLINE READING: Fr. Robert Barron, “To Evangelize
Through Beauty” [course website]
!ONLINE READING: Peter Chojnowski, “The Catholic
Notion of Beauty” [course website]
“We see the necessity of giving to God
many names. For, since we cannot know
Him naturally except by arriving at Him
from His effects, the names by which we
signify His perfection must be diverse.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
23. 23
“How does one determine whether a
law is just or unjust? A just law is a man
made code that squares with the moral
law or the law of God. An unjust law is a
code that is out of harmony with the
moral law. To put it in the terms of St.
Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a
human law that is not rooted in eternal
law and natural law. Any law that
uplifts human personality is just. Any
law that degrades human personality is
unjust. All segregation statutes are
unjust because segregation distorts
the soul and damages the personality.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King,
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
!VIDEO: “Care of Creation: Seen Through the Eyes of
Beauty” (4 minutes, 47 seconds)
!ST I.47.1 (Reread) & 2; I-II.27.1 & 2 [Course Reader,
pp. 6-7, 15-18]
Feb 16 ! 3. Natural Law
!VIDEO: “What is Natural is Good: Natural Law Ethics”
(10 minutes)
!ONLINE READING: “St. Thomas Aquinas and the Natural
Law” [course website]
!ST I-II.91.1 & 2; I-II.94.2 & 4 [Course Reader, pp. 19-
25]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Restate Aquinas’s understanding of law
" In light of that definition, distinguish the
eternal law from the natural law (ST I-II.91 and
online reading)
" Distinguish the different levels of natural law
and what Aquinas says about them (I-II.94 and
video)
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Connect the notion of the good with the notion
of the beautiful (Barron & I-II.27)
" Summarize the points in the material for today
about how beauty is a way to God, and
especially how it functions as a cause of love
" Identify the three criteria of the beautiful
(video & Chojnowski)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Consider those things we call ‘beautiful,’ and
what they have in common
" Reflect on why diversity in creation is
beautiful (I-II.47)
" Assess the theological benefits of speaking
about the beauty of God
Sister'Madeleva'called'beauty'the'most'
tangible'manifestation'of'divinity,'“God’s'
visibility.”'
-
24. 24
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Provide examples of moral rules that you’d
want to claim belong to the natural law
" Analyze factors that could affect human
apprehension of the natural law
" Identify the pros and cons of creating a moral
code around the idea of what’s natural
B. God’s Knowledge, Love & Power
!
!
Feb 18 ! 1. Divine Omniscience: God’s Knowledge
!ST I.14.1. 2, 4, 5, 11 [QoG, pp. 167-177, 186-188]
!VIDEO: William Lane Craig, “How Could God Know the
Future?” (11 minutes, 30 seconds)
!Summa Contra Gentiles (hereafter: SCG) I.60, 66 [7],
67 [Course Reader, pp. 26-29]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Draw the connection between God’s
knowledge and God’s causality in creation
" Apply our previous discussion of eternity to
what Aquinas is saying about how God knows
the future
" Devise another analogy or illustration beyond
the ones Aquinas suggests to depict God’s
knowledge of the future
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Experience the problem of omniscience vs.
human freedom with an amazing coin trick
" Analyze the theological consequences if God
did not know the future
" Evaluate whether the way Aquinas tries to
reconcile human freedom and divine
omniscience makes sense
25. 25
Feb 23 ! 2. Divine Will, Love, and Happiness
!ST I.19.1—2; I.20.1—3; I.21.3 & 4; I.26.1 [QoG, pp.
217-220; 241-247; 255-258; 283-284]
!ST I-II.79.3 [Course Reader, pp. 30-31]
!SCG I.90 [Course Reader, pp. 31-32]
!ONLINE ASSIGNMENT: By the end of the week, I’d like
you fill out the mid-semester feedback form which you
can find on the course website either in today’s class
or in the Sidebar.
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Trace the steps from God’s knowledge #
God’s will # God’s love # God’s love of other
things
" Paraphrase Aquinas’s argument that God
doesn’t love all things equally (ST I.20)
" Locate the source of God’s happiness (SCG I.90
& ST I.26)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Evaluate Aquinas’s move from God willing
God’s self to God willing things other than
God’s self (ST I.19), including willing the
good for those other things (namely, loving
them) unequally
" Investigate the relationship between God’s
goodness and God’s happiness
" In light of previous discussions we’ve had
about the evil and suffering in the world,
consider what to make of God’s eternal
happiness
!
Feb 25 ! 3. Divine Omnipotence: God’s Power
!ST I.19.3, 10; I.25.1—6 [QoG, pp. 221-223; 236-
237; 269-282]
!SCG I.89; I.95; II.25 [Course Reader, pp. 33-38]
26. 26
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Summarize the difference between passive and
active power, and explain why Aquinas holds
that God has the latter but “does not have
passive power at all” (I.25)
" Derive a list of things that God cannot do, and
explain why God cannot do them (try to come
up with some that go beyond Aquinas’s list)
" Decide whether Aquinas’s God has free will
(ST I.19)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Define omnipotence based upon what
Aquinas says in the readings for today
" Determine whether it still makes sense to call
God [a] all-powerful (omni-potent) and [b]
free if God cannot do certain things
" Construct a picture of a God who is bound by
nothing—namely, one who could do anything
that can be spoken
!
Mar 2 ! 4. Creation as Real Relation?
!VIDEO: Fr. Barron on a God who doesn’t need us (9
minutes, 47 seconds)
!St. Thomas Aquinas, On the Power of God, Question
3, article 3 [Course Reader, pp. 39-41]
!ST I.45.2 [Course Reader, pp. 42-43]
!SCG I.37 [Course Reader, p. 44]
!Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J., “One Living God: She
Who Is” (ch. 11 from She Who Is) [handout]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Summarize what Aquinas is saying about
whether God has a real relationship to creation
and why Fr. Barron is so happy God doesn’t
" Explain how Aquinas reasons to the goodness
of God, and what it means that “the good is
diffusive of itself” (SCG I.37)
(continued)
27. 27
" Restate in your own words why Sr. Elizabeth
Johnson thinks that the God of “classical
theism” (roughly: Aquinas’s God) is patri-
archal
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Figure out why God created the universe (!)
" Assess Sr. Elizabeth Johnson’s claim that a
God without real relationship to the world is
patriarchal and turns God into a ‘solitary,
narcissistic being’
" Weigh who makes a stronger case about the
nature of a loving God: Fr. Barron, who says
that “The best news we can hear is that God
doesn’t need us,” or Sr. Elizabeth, who says
that exactly that view of God “invites
widespread repugnance today”
Mar 4 ! 5. God’s Power and Human Freedom
!Fr. Herbert McCabe, O.P., “Predestination” [handout]
!ST I.19.6 & 8 [QoG, pp. 227-230; 232-234]
!ST I.82.1; I.83.1; I-II.79.1 & 2 [Course Reader, pp.
45-51]
!SCG III.89; III.159 [Course Reader, pp. 51-53]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Distinguish according to Aquinas where the
will is free and where it is not free (ST I.82 &
I.83)
" Distinguish according to Aquinas in what way
God is the cause of the act of sin, and in what
way God is not the cause of the act of sin (ST I-
II.79 & SCG III.89)
" Explain according to the analogy Aquinas uses
for this, how human beings can be responsible
for turning away from God (SCG III.159)
28. 28
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Take a position and defend it with reasons
drawn from the readings for today whether
human beings really are free in light of the
infinite power of God
" A popular contemporary notion of freedom is
that the will must be completely sovereign
over its own choices and free of outside
influences so that it is autonomous (literally: a
law unto itself)—this came up in the Barron
video from last time. Predict what Aquinas
would say about this notion of freedom
" In light of this, determine what Aquinas really
thinks about sin and whether it’s a legitimate
exercise of human freedom
“It is requisite for the relaxation
of the mind that we make use,
from time to time, of playful
deeds and jokes.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
29. 29
!
!
A. Human Relationships & the Moral Life
Mar 16 ! 1. Human Goodness and Happiness
! I-II.1.1, 4, 6; I-II.2.8; I-II.3.2 & 8; I-II.4.7 [Course
Reader, pp. 54-63]
! Fr. Brian Davies, ”Happiness” [course website]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Before doing any of this reading for today,
write a definition of happiness
" After doing the reading, compare your
definition with Aquinas’s
" Describe why Aquinas thinks happiness does
not consist in riches, honor, fame, power, etc.
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Establish why Aquinas starts his discussion of
morality by asking about “man’s last end” (I-
II.1) and happiness (I-II.2 & Fr. Davies)
" Analyze the consequences for morality if
there is indeed “one last end of human life” (I-
II.1.4 & I-II.3.8)
" Interpret what Aquinas means when he says
that happiness is “an operation” (I-II.3.2)—
that is, an activity
Mar 18 ! 2. Virtue Ethics
!VIDEO: Ralph McInerny, “Introduction to Moral
Philosophy” on the virtues (7 minutes, 20 seconds)
“Sorrow can be alleviated by
good sleep, a bath, and a glass of
wine.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
30. 30
!Fr. Paul Wadell, C.P., The Primacy of Love [excerpt
handout]
!ST I-II.1.7; I-II.4.4; I-II.5.7; I-II.49.4; I.62.8 [Course
Reader, pp. 64-70]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" The first thing that Prof. McInerny says in his
video is that “Moral virtues are acquired by
repeated acts of a given kind.” For “moral
virtue,” substitute athletic ability or musical
ability and then explain (perhaps from
personal experience) what this means
" Review what virtues are and why they are
necessary for the moral life (Fr. Wadell)
" Summarize why Aquinas thinks that
happiness requires goodness, or what he calls
“rectitude of will” (I-II.4.4 & 5.7)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Take what Aquinas is saying in I-II.1.7 about
people with different last ends and translate it
into talk about virtues and vices
" Describe what it would be like to be a person
of virtue, especially in relation to the last line
of I-II.49.4.ad 3 (“habits are necessary that the
powers be determined to good”), and
especially the last line of I.62.8.ad 3!
" Critique what Aquinas is saying in I-II.4.4 &
5.7 by making the strongest case you can that
virtue is not necessary because vices can bring
happiness too
Mar 23 ! 3. Friendship
!ONLINE READING: Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics,
Book VIII, chapters 1-7; Book IX, chapter 12 [course
website]
“The things that we love tell us
what we are.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
Paper #2 due by 5:00pm on Friday, March 20th
31. 31
!ST I-II.4.8; I-II.28.1; I-II.32.5 & 6; I-II.38.3 [Course
Reader, pp. 71-76]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Identify in the reading from Aristotle (who is
Aquinas’s source in much of what he says
about friendship), the 3 kinds of friendship
and the characteristics of friendship, including
“the essence of friendship”
" Describe how friends help one another
according to the readings from Aquinas for
today (ST I-II.32 & 38)
" Summarize what Aquinas says about what
love is and what love does (I-II.28)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Analyze how good friendships make us better
people
" Interpret the role and necessity of friendship
in heaven (ST I-II.4)
" Apply what Aristotle says about the
characteristics of friendship, and especially
what he says about unequal friendships
(chapters 6 & 7) to whether we can be friends
with God
B. Divine Relationships
Mar 25 ! 1. Charity, Friendship with God, and Grace
!Fr. Paul Wadell, C.P., “Growing Together in the Divine
Love: The Role of Charity in the Moral Theology of
Thomas Aquinas” (“Charity as Friendship with God”)
!ST I-II.65.5; I-II.112.1; II-II.23.1; II-II.23.2; II-
II.24.2 [Course Reader, pp. 77-83]
!SCG IV.22 [Course Reader, pp. 83-85]
“There is nothing on this earth
more to be prized than true
friendship.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
32. 32
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Define grace (ST I-II.112)
" Explain why charity requires faith (I-II.65)
" Explain why charity requires the action of God
to confer grace (that is, why is cannot come
about by our natural powers), and describe
how (and specifically by whom) that action
produces charity as Aquinas sets it out here
(ST II-II.23, ST II-II.24, SCG IV.22)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Analyze what grace does to overcome the
obstacles we identified last time in applying
Aristotle’s categories to friendship with God
" Play out the linkage between charity and faith
in the context of friendship (I-II.65) and draw
conclusions about what Aquinas is saying
about the nature of faith.
" In light of these passages from St. Thomas,
predict what he will say about the persons of
the trinity (particularly the Son and the Spirit)
as it pertains to this theme of friendship
Mar 30 ! 2. The Trinity: Real Relations within God
!
!VIDEO: Fr. Robert Barron, “The Trinity”
!ST I.27.5; I.28.1—4; I.30.1; I.39.1; I.45.6 & 7
[Course Reader, pp. 86-99]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Restate why Fr. Barron says that the trinity is
central to the claim that God is love
" Assign ‘roles’ to the persons of the trinity
based upon God’s knowledge and will/love
(Barron’s discussion of St. Augustine’s analogy
of the human mind as “mirror” of the trinity &
ST. I.45.6 & 7)
" As we saw in a previous class, Aquinas said
33. 33
that God lacks a real relationship to creation.
‘Within’ God, however, real relations exist
according to Aquinas. Diagram the 4 relations
and 2 processions of the 3 persons.
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Decide whether Aquinas’s appeal to relations
to explain the three persons of the trinity
ultimately preserves the simpleness of God
(ST I.30.1.ad 3)
" Relate Fr. Barron’s point that the trinity means
that God is essentially communal (“a play of
lover, beloved, and shared love”)—or as Sr.
Elizabeth Johnson said, “for God as God,
divine nature is fundamentally relational”—to
the theme of charity as friendship
" In light of all this, assess Aquinas’s statement
to the left about the centrality of the Trinity to
Christian faith
C. Friendship & Incarnation
Apr 1 ! 1. Jesus and the Eucharist
a. The Incarnation
!VIDEO: Fr. Robert Barron, “How Can Jesus Be Both
God and Human?”
!ST III.1.1 & 2; III.2.2, 4, 7, 9; III.16.4 & 5 [Course
Reader, pp. 100-112]
!SCG IV. 46 [2] & 54 [6] [Course Reader, pp. 112-113]
!Fr. Paul Wadell, C.P., “Growing Together in the Divine
Love: The Role of Charity in the Moral Theology of
Thomas Aquinas” (“Why Friendship with God is
Inseparable from Christ”) [handout]
b. The Eucharist
! ST III.75.1 [Course Reader, pp. 113-114]
“The Christian faith chiefly
consists in confessing the holy
Trinity.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
34. 34
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Summarize what it means for Christ to be ‘two
natures but one person’ (= hypostasis)
" Explain what God ‘communicated’ through
the Incarnation (ST III.1.1 & 2) and refer back
to the importance of communication for
friendship in II-II.23.1 (Reader, pp. 79-80)
" Related to this, note the places where the
theme of friendship appears in these passages
(SCG IV.54 [6] and ST III.75.1) and state what
these mean in relation to the Incarnation and
the Eucharist
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Come up with a summary or some rules that
capture what Thomas says about how to
speak about the Incarnation (ST III.16.4 & 5)
" Analyze what Aquinas is saying about Christ
and the Eucharist when read in the context of
the theme of friendship to understand Fr.
Wadell’s statement that “Christ makes
friendship with God possible”
" Discuss what the placement of Aquinas’s
Christology in Part III of the Summa Theologiae
might mean: is Jesus an afterthought for
Thomas or the summit of the Summa?!
Apr 8 ! 2. A Suffering God and Jesus’s Crucifixion
!ST III.46.3 & 6; III.48.2 [Course Reader, pp. 116-121]
!SCG III.158 [7] [Course Reader, p. 122]
35. 35
This is the actual crucifix from Thomas’s
room, and the one before which he had the
mystical experience at the end of his life.
!Fr. Michael Dodds, O.P., “Thomas Aquinas, Human
Suffering, and the Unchanging God of Love” [handout]
!Fr. Herbert McCabe, O.P., “The Involvement of God”
[excerpt handout]
!Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J., “Suffering God:
Compassion Poured Out” (ch. 12 from She Who Is)
[excerpt handout]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" As you might expect by now, the theme of
friendship appears in Thomas’s discussion of
the crucifixion (SCG III.158, but see also ST
III.46 & 48). Explain how this theme functions
to illustrate the saving power of Christ’s death
on the cross
" Summarize what Frs. Dodds and McCabe
maintain about Aquinas’s God truly suffering
in the person of Jesus
" Restate Sr. Elizabeth Johnson’s claim that the
impassible (viz., unsuffering) God of classical
theism is “intellectually inadequate and
religiously repugnant”
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Assess what Sr. Elizabeth says is gained
theologically by saying that God, as God,
literally suffers alongside creation
" Assess what Fr. Dodds says is lost by holding
onto this same position
" Debate the views about the suffering of God
as found in Fr. Dodds and Sr. Elizabeth
Johnson
36. 36
!
!
!
!
A. Faith and Reason
!
!
Apr 13 ! 1. Faith and the Theological Virtues
!ST I.12.13 [QoG, pp. 135-137]
!ST I.32.1; I-II.62.3 & 4, II-II.1.1, II-II.1.4, II-II.2.3,
II-II.4.1, II-II.6.1 [Course Reader, pp. 123-135]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Distinguish theological virtues from natural
virtues in terms of how we get them and
where they take us; and distinguish faith from
hope and love
" Trace how faith depends on God’s revelation
in Scripture (ST I.12.13, I.32.1; II-II.2.3, 4.1, &
6.1)
" Explain why faith depends on the will’s
choice, helped by grace (II-II.1.1, 1.4 & 6.1)
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Compare and contrast faith and reason using
the trinity as an example (I.32.1)
" Aquinas offers a much richer notion of faith
than just belief in the existence of God.
Describe some of these deeper textures and
nuances in terms of the source of faith and the
choice of the believer
" Related to this, draw out the implications of
Thomas’s definition of faith as “a habit of the
mind, whereby eternal life is begun in us,
making the intellect assent to what is non-
apparent” (II-II.4.1)
37. 37
Apr 15 ! 2. How Do We Know God? Philosophy and
Theology
!VIDEO: Bishop Kevin Rhoades
(Bishop of Fort Wayne/South
Bend), “St. Thomas Aquinas,
Blessed John Paul II, and Pope
Benedict XVI on Faith and
Reason” (17 minutes, 11
seconds excerpt)
!ONLINE READING: St. John Paul II,
Fides et Ratio, §§43-44
!ST I.1.1—2, 5, 6, 8 [QoG, pp. 3-
6, 8-15]
!SCG I.7 [Course Reader, pp.
136-137]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Explain what Thomas means when he
describes theology as a “science” (ST I.1)
" Rank the three levels of theological authority
that Aquinas describes in ST I.1.8.ad 2
" Describe the relationship between faith and
reason that comes out in these readings and
especially in Bishop Rhoades’s presentation
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Suppose Thomas’s nieces were going off to
college. One wanted to study philosophy,
and the other wanted to study theology. Give
avuncular advice as Uncle St. Thomas about
what each should gain from their respective
courses of study
" Predict the consequences if faith and reason
become completely separated—what happens
to faith? And what happens to reason?
" Contrast this separation with the method
proposed by Aquinas—sometimes called ‘the
scholastic method—and assess whether
theology is truly a science
Bishop'Rhoades'at'Saint'Mary’s'for'
the'2012'Aquinas'Symposium'
38. 38
Apr 20 ! 3. The Five Ways
!
!Rudi te Velde, “On the Five Ways”
[handout]!
!ST I.2.1—3 [QoG, pp. 20-27]
!ST I.46.2 [Course Reader, pp. 138-141]
!VIDEO: “Three Minute Philosophy – St.
Thomas Aquinas” (2 minutes, 48 seconds)
!VIDEO: “The 5 Ways in Context” (6
minutes, 31 seconds)
!See the depiction to the right of St.
Thomas in Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre
Dame on an east nave spandrel mural
(fourth one from the front on your right
side as you’re facing the altar)
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Decide which of the 5 Ways makes the most
sense to you as a proof for God
" Compare what Aquinas is saying about what
reason can prove in ST I.46.2 with what he
seems to be saying in the first 3 of the 5 Ways
" Summarize two contrasting interpretations of
the 5 Ways (te Velde) and why he thinks that
for Aquinas, “natural [that is, philosophical]
knowledge of God is even mandated by
Scripture” in Romans 1:20 (cf. ST 1.2.2). On
this, see also “The 5 Ways in Context” video.
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Locate the 5 Ways against the backdrop of
Aquinas’s theological project (that is, consider
what the proofs in ST I.2.3 mean when read
against what we’ve been discussing in
previous classes about faith and revelation)
" Place a reading of the 5 Ways into historical
context in light of the above depiction of
Aquinas in Sacred Heart Basilica, whose
cornerstone was laid in 1871
" Decide whether the 5 Ways are meant as
philosophical proofs for God “preceding the
theological exposition of faith” (te Velde)
39. 39
Fall'2012'Aquinas'Class'with'2013'Aquinas'
Symposium'Speaker,'Prof.'Lisa'Sowle'Cahill'
B. The Spirit of Thomism
Apr 22 ! 1. Aquinas’s Views of Women
!Elizabeth A. Clark and Herbert Richardson, “Thomas
Aquinas and the Scholastic Woman” [handout]
!ONLINE READING: Thomas’s views of women [course
website]
!ST I.92.1; I.93.4; II-II.26.10 & 11 [Course Reader,
pp. 142-146]
!SCG III.123 [6] [Course Reader, p. 147]
!VIDEO: Lisa Sowle Cahill, “Thomas Aquinas and
Natural Law: Resources for Women’s Equality” (25
minutes, 27 seconds excerpt)
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" Make a list of the views of women you see
coming out of Aquinas’s writings
" Identify any bad biology (that is, incorrect
knowledge of science) appearing in these
readings
" Summarize the order of charity that comes out
in II-II.26
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Evaluate what the list of statements you made
above do to your understanding (let alone,
your appreciation) of everything else we’ve
seen Thomas say this semester
" Assess whether the glass is half-full (Cahill) or
half-empty (pretty much everything else!) on
Aquinas’s view of women
" Identify areas in Aquinas’s writings or
thinking (about anything we’ve looked at
prior to today) that you’d argue could or
would have been different had he taught at
Saint Mary’s College in the year 2015
40. 40
“All truth, whoever utters it, is
from the Holy Spirit.”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
“If anyone wants to write against what
I have said, it would be most welcome.
There is no better way to open up the
truth and to refute falsity than to
answer opponents….”
—St. Thomas Aquinas
Apr 27 ! 2. Aquinas & the Search for Truth
!
!ST I-II.32.8 [Course Reader, pp.148-149]
!Josef Pieper, “Thomism as an Attitude” [handout]
!Fr. Thomas O’Meara, O.P., “Aquinas in Africa”
[handout]
Homework Learning Outcomes:
" View ST I-II.32.8 as an important summary of
the spirit of Thomism
" Summarize how Pieper describes the “attitude”
of Thomism
" Explain how Fr. O’Meara’s African students
saw Aquinas as someone open to new ideas
who accepted the diversity in life
Seminar Learning Outcomes:
" Assess how O’Meara’s essay and ST I-II.32
display the Thomistic attitude Pieper describes
" Interpret the closing image of Fr. O’Meara’s
essay
" Defend a position whether women in college
should find Thomas Aquinas worth studying
in the 21st century
Apr 29 3. Scriptum Pulsum Sancti Thomae de
Aquino (= Aquinas Project Jam)!
!ONLINE READING: Fr. John Kavanaugh, S.J., “Aquinas,
Go With Me” [course website]
wThe one-page online reading from
Fr. Kavanaugh is something to take
with you as the course concludes. It
represents one person’s attempt to
distill into a list the important things
he’s learned from St. Thomas. Your
presentations today will provide
your own version of what ideas from
the course will go with you. There is
no individual or group assessment due
today. You’ll get a grade based upon
your presentation, which will be your
41. 41
individual grade for today: 1 point for the quality of your
presentation as engaging, focused, organized, and accurate; 1
point for the audio-visuals attached to it that are attractive and
supportive of the topic; 1 point for it being apparent that you
worked to prepare a polished presentation; and 1 point for being
under 10 minutes but over 8. I’ll supply the group grade based
upon how well the class does in interacting over each other’s
presentations by asking questions, offering feedback or
comments, etc.
Today in Class we will: bring things to a close today by hearing
from everyone (for approximately 10 minutes apiece) about their
projects and the particular topics on which they’ve focused their
research for the final version of their theology.
!
!
!
'
'
Drawing'by'Ron'Hill,'in'Timothy'Renick,'
Aquinas'for'Armchair'Theologians''
(Louisville,'KY:''Westminster'John'Knox'Press,'2002).'
Final Project due by noon on Friday, May 8th
42. 42
The Tomb of St. Thomas Aquinas
Church of the Jacobins
Toulouse, France
Stay Tuned for the 2016
Symposium on St. Thomas Aquinas
On or About January 28, 2016