Marriage and Orders (DL9141C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

In the life of the Church these two sacraments are called “sacraments of service.” The unit will study the scriptural foundations of the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders and their subsequent theologies as they emerged in the history of the Catholic Church. Attention will be given to the Scholastic period and the Reformation and the Catholic response formulated in the Council of Trent. A contemporary theology of the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders will be developed through a study of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the magisterium of recent popes. A particular focus of the unit will be the nature of the relationship between these sacraments and the life and vocation of the Catholic Church as a whole.

Unit code: DL9141C

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Liturgy

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

Elucidate the Christological foundations of the Sacrament of Orders and their grounding in the Scriptures, as this is understood in the Catholic tradition.
2.

Give a critical account of the historical and theological development of Church Order from the earliest Christian communities to the principal issues related to Ordained Ministry which emerge at the time of the Reformation.
3.

Analyse in an articulate manner the principal theological themes found in Vatican II’s Presbyterorum ordinis and Pope John Paul II’s Pastores dabo vobis.
4.

Explicate the scriptural foundations for the sacramentality of Christian covenantal marriage
5.

Explain the historical and theological development of the Church’s understanding of the institution of marriage.
6.

Cogently present in written form a theology of Christian marriage as an intimate communion of life and love marked by indissolubility, fidelity and fruitfulness.
7.

Demonstrate the capacity to research an advanced topic in the theology of the sacrament of Marriage or Holy Orders in a critically rigorous, sustained, in-depth and self-directed manner.

Unit sequence

The unit is highly recommended for students completing a Master of Theology (Coursework) degree. It provides a grounding in two of the seven Sacraments of the Church, complementing CT8610C. Prerequisite: CT8010C Prohibited combination: CT2141C/3141C

Pedagogy

The teaching approach is designed to support advanced student inquiry and critical engagement with lectures and course reading materials. Opportunities are provided for advanced interactive modelling and the consolidation of self-reflexive practice

Indicative Bibliography

  • Dulles, Avery R. The Priestly Office: A Theological Reflection. New York: Paulist, 1997
  • Elliott, Peter J. What God Has Joined: The Sacramentality of Marriage. New York: Alba House, 1990.
  • John Paul II. Pastores Dabo Vobis: I Will Give You Shepherds. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, 1992.
  • Kasper, Walter. Theology of Christian Marriage. Translated by David Smith. London: Burns & Oates, 1980.
  • Nichols, Aidan. Holy Order: Apostolic Priesthood from the New Testament to the Second Vatican Council. Oscott Series 5. Dublin: Veritas, 1990.
  • O’Collins, Gerald, and Michael K. Jones. Jesus Our Priest: A Christian Approach to the Priesthood of Christ. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  • Olsen, Glenn W., ed. Christian Marriage: A Historical Study. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 2001.
  • Osborne, Kenan B. Priesthood: A History of the Ordained Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. New York: Paulist Press, 1988.
  • Schillebeeckx, Edward. Marriage: Human Reality and Saving Mystery. 2 vols. Translated by N. D. Smith. London: Sheed & Ward, 1965.
  • Wood, Susan K. Sacramental Orders. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2000.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

2,000-word essay

 2000 30.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

500-word tutorial paper

 500 10.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

500-word tutorial paper

 500 10.0
Essay

3000-word essay

 3000 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 30 Sep, 2018

Unit record last updated: 2019-05-27 14:18:01 +1000