UMS : Unit: CT3141C

Content

In the life of the Church, the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders are called “sacraments of service.” The unit will study the scriptural foundations of these two sacraments 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: CT3141C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Systematic Theology

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.	Explain and elaborate on the Christological foundations of the Sacrament of Orders and its grounding in the Scriptures, as this is understood in the Catholic tradition.
2.	Present and articulate an account of the historical and theological development of Church Orders from the earliest Christian communities down to the Reformation addressing the principal issues related to Ordained Ministry.
3.	Outline and respond creatively to the principal theological themes found in Vatican II’s Presbyterorum ordinis and Pope John Paul II’s Pastores dabo vobis.
4.	Formulate a developed understanding of the scriptural foundations for the sacramentality of Christian covenantal marriage.
5.	Articulate a theologically informed understanding of the historical and theological development of the Church’s understanding of the institution of marriage.
6.	Summarize and assess a theology of Christian marriage as an intimate communion of life and love marked by indissolubility, fidelity, and fruitfulness.
7.	Sustain a theological argument by raising critical questions and taking a personal position which shows consistency and integrity in theological thinking.

Unit sequence

The unit is compulsory for ordinand students and recommended for other students completing a Bachelor of Theology degree. It provides a grounding in two of the seven Sacraments of the Church, complementing CT2121C/3121C and CT2131C/3131C.

Prerequisite: Two levels of Systematic Theology.

The foundational unit on Sacraments and Liturgy is highly recommended.

Pedagogy

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

Indicative Bibliography

Bergsma, John. The Bible and Marriage: The Two Shall Become One Flesh. A Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments. Ada: Baker Academic, 2022.
Francis. Amoris Laetitiae. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family. London: Catholic Truth Society, 2006.
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.
Turner, Paul. Inseparable Love: A Commentary on the Order of Celebrating Marriage in the Catholic Church. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2017.

Assessment

Type	Description	Word count	Weight (%)
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper	500-word tutorial paper	500	10.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper	500-word tutorial paper	500	10.0
Essay	1500-word essay	1500	25.0
Essay	1500 word essay	1500	25.0
Written Examination	1-hour written examination	1000	30.0

Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 13 Jun, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-13 16:38:32 +1000