Paul’s injunction that women remain silent in the Church (1 Cor 14: 34-36) could be said to have led to a significance absence of Women’s Wisdom from the official teaching of the Church over its 2000 year history. Of the 37 Doctors of the Church, only 4 are women, Teresa of Ávila, Catherine of Siena, Thérèse of Lisieux and Hildegard of Bingen, all of whom have only been recognised in the last 50 years. This unit will concentration on the contribution of these women to our theological understanding of God and also explore other important female voices that have been overlooked through the centuries.
Unit code: DS9217Y
Unit status: Approved (Major revision)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit discipline: Spirituality
Delivery Mode: Intensive
Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union
Show when this unit is running1. | Evaluate and articulate the particular challenges facing women in church history, particularly in terms of recognition of their wisdom and capacity for leadership. |
2. | Demonstrate a critical understanding of the context from which these challenges arose. |
3. | Analyse critically the writings, and depiction in art, of the four Women Doctors of the Church. |
4. | Evaluate arguments for and against the addition of other female voices to the rank of Doctor of the Church. |
5. | Formulate a sustained critical argument in response to the unit readings on the contribution of women to theology and church life in the contemporary world. |
1x foundational CH or DS unit
Asynchronous and synchronous lectures, tutorials, and discussion forums
Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Oral Presentation | 1000 | 20.0 | |
Essay | Short Essay |
2000 | 30.0 |
Essay | Major Essay |
4000 | 50.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 28 Jul, 2025
Unit record last updated: 2025-07-28 09:34:06 +1000