Content

The Second Vatican Council (1962 to 1965) remains the defining event in the Catholic Church since the Reformation. The Council “undertook its labors under the standards of ressourcement and aggiornamento. Ressourcement indicated the council’s efforts to rediscover, with fresh eyes, the well springs of the faith, in particular the Scriptures themselves and the reception of and reflection upon the Scriptures by early bishops and theologians of the church…thereby recovering a deeper sense of tradition. By aggiornamento, the council indicated its intention to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world today, addressing the aspirations and concerns of contemporary women and men. The Council itself was able to hold these two movements of rediscovery and renewal in creative tension.” (Robert Imbelli, Rekindling the Christic Imagination, xiii). This unit explores the theological story of Vatican II that grew out of these two movements by examining the theology of key documents of the Council and locate the development of current theology to them. Priority will be given to the four Constitutions of the Council as the interpretative key to the theology of the Council.

Unit code: CT3021Y

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Systematic Theology

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

Examine and explain the meaning and ongoing influence of aggiornamento and ressourcement on Vatican II theology.

2.

Identify the key theological foundations in the four Constitutions of Vatican II.

3.

Critically evaluate the impact of Dei Verbum (Revelation) and Gaudium et Spes (Church in the Modern World) in current theology.

4.

Critically analyse a critical understanding of the five theological themes that run through the sixteen documents of Vatican II.

5.

Evaluate the ecumenical (church uniting) potential of Vatican II theology.

6.

Demonstrate the capacity to research a specific topic in a critically rigorous, sustained and self-directed manner.

Unit sequence

18 credit points in CT

Pedagogy

Blended Synchronous Lectures ans Seminars

Indicative Bibliography

  • Faggioli, Massimo, ed. The Legacy of Vatican II. New York: Paulist Press, 2015.
  • Gaillardetz, Richard R, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Vatican II. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2020.
  • Gaillardetz, Richard R, and Catherine E Clifford. Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 2012.
  • Levering, Matthew. An Introduction to Vatican II As an Ongoing Theological Event. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2017.
  • O'Malley, John W. What Happened at Vatican II. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010.
  • Richard, Lucien, Daniel J Harrington, John W O'Malley. Vatican II, the Unfinished Agenda: A Look to the Future. New York: Paulist Press, 1987.
  • Rush, Ormond. The Vision of Vatican II: Its Fundamental Principles. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press Academic, 2019.
  • Sullivan, Maureen. The Road to Vatican II: Key Changes in Theology. New York: Paulist Press, 2007.
  • Vorgrimler, Herbert, ed. Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II. General Editor Herbert Vorgrimler. London: Burns & Oates, 1967.
  • Wicks, Jared. Investigating Vatican II: Its Theologians, Ecumenical Turn, and Biblical Commitments. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2018.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay - Minor Paper 2000 40.0
Essay - Major Paper 3000 60.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 27 Jun, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-27 15:19:19 +1000