UMS : Unit: CT9141C

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: CT9141C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Systematic Theology

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.	Elucidate and elaborate on the Christological foundations of the Sacrament of Orders and their grounding in the Scriptures, as this is understood in the Catholic tradition.
2.	Demonstrate a critical understanding and appreciation 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.	Analyse and articulate a theologically informed and critical understanding of the principal theological themes found in Vatican II’s Presbyterorum ordinis and Pope John Paul II’s Pastores dabo vobis.
4.	Explicate and contextualize the scriptural foundations for the sacramentality of Christian covenantal marriage.
5.	Articulate a theologically informed and critical understanding of the historical and theological development of the Church’s understanding of the institution of marriage.
6.	Formulate and express a nuanced understanding of a theology of Christian marriage as an intimate communion of life and love marked by indissolubility, fidelity, and fruitfulness.
7.	Engage in 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 Masters of Theology (Coursework) degree. It provides a grounding in two of the seven Sacraments of the Church, complementing CT8610C.

Prerequisite: CT8100C or equivalent.

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

Bergsma, John. The Bible and Marriage: The Two Shall Become One Flesh. A Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments. Ada: Baker Academic, 2022.
Burke, Cormac. The Theology of Marriage: Personalism, Doctrine and Canon Law. Washington: The Catholic University of America Press, 2015.
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.

Assessment

Type	Description	Word count	Weight (%)
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper	1000-word tutorial paper on Marriage	1000	15.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper	1000-word tutorial paper on Orders	1000	15.0
Essay	2500-word essay on Marriage	2500	35.0
Essay	2500-word essay on Orders	2500	35.0

Approvals

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

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-13 16:52:44 +1000