Content

The unit will first examine the place of learning in the friars branch of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). The focus will then be on the character of theology in the 13th century in the West, and the contribution of Albert the Great and Aquinas to this enterprise. The Summa Theologiae (Summa Theologica) of Aquinas will be studied. Particular emphasis will be placed on Aquinas’ understanding of the nature of Christian theology, knowing and speaking about God, the virtues, prayer and contemplation. Aquinas’ hymns for the Office of Corpus Christi and the Adoro Te will also be treated. Next the life and times of Meister Eckhart will be introduced. His basic ideas will be addressed: knowing and talking about God, the nature of God, the relationship of God and the world and union with God. Texts related to these themes from Eckhart’s sermons and treatises will be studied. The thought and writings of two of his leading Dominican disciples, Henry Suso and Joannes Tauler, will be briefly explored.

Unit code: CT2603C

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2

Unit discipline: Systematic Theology

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Describe the place of learning for the friars of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) and the structures created to achieve this in the context of theology in the West in the 13th century

2.

Demonstrate a basic grasp of the Summa Theologica, taking into account contemporary views as to its overall plan

3.

Articulate Aquinas’ thought on a particular theological issue

4.

Identify basic themes in Eckhart’s philosophical, theological and mystical thought

5.

Show an understanding of selected texts of Eckhart.

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars, tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

  • Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologiae. 60 vols. Edited by Thomas Gilby. London: Blackfriars, 1964-81.
  • Davies, Brian. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae: A Guide and Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
  • Davies, Oliver, ed. and trans. Selected Writings of Meister Eckhart. London: Penguin, 1994.
  • Eckhart, Meister. The Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart. Translated and edited by M.O’C. Walshe. Crossroad Publishing, 2009.
  • Hackett, Jeremiah H, ed. A Companion to Meister Eckhart. Brill’s Companion to the Christian Tradition 36. Leiden: 2013.
  • McGinn, Bernard. The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart: The Man from Whom God Hid Nothing. Crossroad Publishing, 2011.
  • Murray, Paul. Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism and Poetry. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013.
  • Torrell, Jean Pierre. Saint Thomas Aquinas. Vol. 1. The Person and His Work. Translated by Robert Royal. Washington: Catholic University of America Press, 1996.
  • Tugwell, Simon, ed. and trans. Albert & Thomas Selected Writings. The Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1988.
  • Woods, Richard. Eckhart’s Way. Rev. ed. Dublin: Veritas Publications, 2009.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

2500 word essay

0 60.0
Critical Review

1000 word critical review exercise

0 20.0
Critical Review

1000 word critical review exercise

0 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2015

Unit record last updated: 2021-09-21 14:59:47 +1000