Unit information: Vatican II and Post-conciliar Roman Catholic Debates in Theology in 2020/21

Unit name	Vatican II and Post-conciliar Roman Catholic Debates in Theology
Unit code	THRSM0123
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. D'Costa
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit will first explore the documents of the Second Vatican Council to introduce students to some of the key areas in Catholic theology after the Second World War: teachings on religious freedom, ecumenism, other religions, the role and nature of the pope’s authority, and the nature of liturgy.

In the second half of the unit the student will be introduced to key Catholic theologians who have developed the above issue. Students will thus engage with major debates within the largest Christian denomination in the world and have a grasp of contemporary Catholic history and thought.

The aims of the unit are to introduce students to:

a) the key texts of Vatican II and critical commentaries on those texts;

b) to examine some debates subsequent to the Council regarding the critical issues in the Vatican II texts;

c) to develop an understanding of different theological paradigms operating with contemporary Catholicism.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit students should be able to demonstrate:

1. advanced understanding of select teachings of the Council
2. sophisticated knowledge of the genesis of the Council, the discussions at the Council, and the reception of the teaching of the Council.
3. critical and analytical skills to deal with primary and secondary materials
4. a high level of ability in selecting, applying, interpreting and organizing information with sophistication and scholarly rigour
5. advanced application of existing analytical strategies to new evidence with flexibility and creativity
6. the capacity for independent research.

Teaching Information

Lectures / Seminars - 3 hours per week

Assessment Information

One summative coursework essay of 5000 words (100%) (Assessing ILOs 1-6)

Reading and References

The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council :a counterpoint for the history of the Council, Marchetto, Agostino, Chicago : University of Scranton Press, 2010

History of Vatican II edited by Giuseppe Alberigo, Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis ; Leuven : Peeters, 1996-2006. 5 volumes.

Vatican II : Renewal within tradition edited by Matthew L. Lamb and Matthew Levering,. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2008

The nature and mission of theology: Essays to orient theology in today's debates , Joseph Ratzinger , San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 1995

Toward Vatican III: The work that needs to be done edited by David Tracy with Hans Küng, SCM, London, 1998

Vatican II: Catholic Doctrines on Muslims and Jews, Gavin D’Costa, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014