HON 2003: CATHOLIC VISION AND IMAGINATION

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St. John’s University, Queens Campus, Spring 2020

Section 15504: 10:40am - 12:15pm Mon and Thu, SJH 208

Dr. Matthew Lewis Sutton

Associate Professor of Systematic Theology

Office: St. John’s University, Queens Campus, St. John’s Hall B20–27

Student Hours: 8:30 - 9:00am; 1:45 - 2:45pm Mon and Thu, or by appointment

718.990.5052 | suttonm@stjohns.edu | doctorsutton.net

Your Course Website: doctorsutton.net/hon2003

Undergraduate Bulletin: “Prerequisite: THE 1000C. Examines the role of Catholic imagination vis-à-vis culture with particular attention to ways it has been manifested in cultural productions such as art, literature, music, and film. Credit: 3 semester hours."

This course provides the student with a detailed analysis of the catholic vision of the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Readings and artifacts are drawn from Sacred Scripture, councils, theologians, writers, and artists throughout the tradition with specific attention given to the intellectual and spiritual consequences of Catholic doctrine and imagination.

By the conclusion of the course, the student should be able:

  • to articulate characteristic Catholic encounters with Jesus Christ, the Church, Spirituality, Literature, and Art
  • to trace how Catholic doctrine informs, responds, and develops Catholic life in various global cultural settings
  • to compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian belief and practice
  • to analyze the ways in which Catholic imagination creates new cultures of life, spirituality, and beauty

Course Texts: Required:

  • Bible, must be an appropriate translation for academic work, such as the RSV, NRSV, NAB, NABre, NIV, ESV, NKJV. (recommended translation The Ignatius Bible (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition). Second Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780898708349 Paperback or Kindle. If you have questions, see me.
  • Robert Barron, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith. New York: Image, 2014). ISBN: 978-0307720528 Paperback or Kindle
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church: Complete and Updated. New York: Image, 1995. ISBN: 978-0385479677 Paperback or Kindle
  • Shūsaku Endō. Silence. Translated by William Johnston. New York: Picador, 1969. ISBN: 9781250082244 Paperback.
  • Simone Troisi and Cristiana Paccini. Chiara Corbella Petrillo: A Witness to Joy. Translation by Charlotte J. Fasi. Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute, 2015. ISBN: 978-1622823055. Paperback or Kindle

Course Structure:

The course will be structured in three parts. First (Catholicity), we will engage in a detailed study of the meanings of Catholic Vision and Imagination, which we will call Catholicity (catholica), by seeing its origin in Scripture, the Early Church but also contemporary Catholic cultured. Second (Cultures Transformed by Catholicity), we will encounter in a detailed study of the interaction of Catholic Vision and Imagination (Catholicity / catholica) interacting with a specific culture through an examination of Catholic literature. Third (Lives Transformed by Catholicity), we will meet personal lives transformed by a Catholic vision of life and love.

Learning Assessment:

In this course, you can earn a total of 100 points. Progress reports will be emailed to you at the beginning of every month. You earn these points by successfully completing the following:

  • Class Participation: active engagement (questioning, answering, and discussing) = 10 points
  • Encountering Catholicity Assignment Sheets = 40 points (2 points for each)
  • Occasion of Joy Exams = 25 points (2 exams)
  • Occasion of Jubilation Final Paper on the Theology of the Saints = 25 points

Grading Scale:

A = 100 - 93 points (100 - 93%); A- = 92 - 90 points (92 - 90 %); B+ = 89 - 87 points (89 - 87%); B = 86 - 83 points (86 - 83%); B- = 82 - 80 points (82 - 80%); C+ = 79 - 77 points (79 - 77%); C = 76 - 73 points (76 - 73%); C- = 72 - 70 points (72 - 70%); D+ = 69 - 67 points (69 - 67%); D = 66 - 60 points (66 - 60%); F = 59 - 0 points (59 - 0%)

We are at our best when:

  • We act with Academic Integrity, which means no plagiarism, no cheating, no damaging of other people’s work, and no assisting someone else’s dishonesty. Plagiarism is the act of appropriating and using the ideas, writings, or works of another person as your own without giving proper citation to the person who created it. I will follow the university’s procedure for plagiarism and discipline to the highest extent allowable, which can include an “F” for this course and the act of plagiarism noted in your academic file. Any further offenses entail suspension or expulsion.
  • We are Actively Engaged with each other. As a student, you must attend class regularly, attentively, and promptly with readings and assignments completed. As a professor, I must be available to you for encouraging and guiding you to excel in your education. St. John’s College mandates “Regular and prompt attendance is expected of all students and is an individual student’s responsibility. Absence from class does not excuse a student from any work missed. There is no penalty for absence from class considered in itself. Students are, however, responsible for all announced exams and for submitting all assignments given in class at the proper time. Ignorance of such exams and assignments is not an acceptable excuse for failure to complete them.”
  • You are Responsible for Everything said in class. You are responsible for getting class notes from another student. Only after you have received and read those notes can you contact me with further questions about the class.
  • We do not use any Digital Devices inappropriately during class time such as cell phones, text messaging, mp3 players, tablets, or laptops. If you do not follow this policy, you will not be able to earn participation points for the class meeting. If it continues to be a problem, your overall point total will be reduced according to the severity of your lack of engagement. ASK PERMISSION IF YOU NEED TO USE A LAPTOP OR TABLET FOR NOTE TAKING AND READING ASSIGNMENTS.
  • We turn in our Assignments and Papers promptly as directed by the professor. Even if you are absent, you are still responsible for turning in your assignments by the beginning of class or as directed. If your assignment is late, your grade for that assignment will be lowered at least by 10% for each day that it is late. Your grade will continue to be lowered to zero at my discretion until it is submitted.
  • We attend Prepared for all Exams and the Final Cumulative Exam and these should not be missed. If you cannot attend an exam, you must consult me in advance and receive clear approval from me. No make-up exams will be given unless you receive clear approval beforehand or as determined by me. Since the dates of the exams are clearly communicated to you, it is unlikely that you will receive approval.
  • We learn because We Are Human and we desire to know the truth about the divine, the world, and ourselves. We strive for Excellence without Excuses.