Modules
Year 1
This module provides an introduction to the fundamental questions and major themes of philosophy. Students will engage with a variety of philosophical issues and perspectives, spanning from ancient to contemporary thought.
The ‘history of philosophy’ is designed to instil and understanding of the continuity of human reflection and thought on the absolute, on truth and on the possiibility of knowing it. Philosophical studies als provide fertile soil for dialogue and encounter with non-believers. The thinkers of Asian Minor and Greece promoted philosophizing as an eminently intellectual pursuit. In doing so they contributed enormously to the development of philosophy, science, and civilization. Western philosophy and the successive medieval and modern world owe a lot to Classical philosophy as one of their major roots. Studying the Classical Philosophy is therefore not an antiquarian undertaking but indispensable for the perennial search for truth and a critical evaluation of human thought.
The course introduces the students to critical thinking and its use in evaluating the correctness of reasoning. Topics to be discussed include Simple Apprehension, Judgment and Reasoning. Emphasis is placed on deductive and inductive forms of reasoning. Attention will be given to its application in real life argumentation and persuasive discourse. This course includes the basics of formal logic. Emphasis will be put on the relation between language and logic, and the symbolization of language.
This course is a philosophical investigation of what it means to be human. The aim of the course is to facilitate an appropriate reflection on the core aspects of human identity and living, analyzing both the personal, social and cultural dimensions. We will explore questions of ultimate concern such as: Who am I? What am I? What is life about? Where will it lead? Our study will be rooted in foundational Christian ideas such as our creation in the image of God, the relationship between body and soul, sin and grace, and the resurrection of the body.
This course provides an introduction to the study of the Bible and its historical context through the lens of archaeology. Students will explore the importance of biblical studies and archaeology in understanding the historical, cultural, and religious background of the biblical texts. Emphasis will be placed on developing foundational knowledge of biblical interpretation, archaeological methods, and the relationship between archaeology and biblical scholarship.
This course discusses the object and importance of the philosophy of knowledge, namely: faculties and levels of knowledge: sensibility and reason, singular and universal; problematic of knowledge: being and knowing, truth and certainty, common sense and science; classical theories of philosophy of knowledge: dogmatism and scepticism, idealism and realism.
The course will highlight essential concepts in metaphysics and ontology, the theory of knowledge and consciousness, ethics and political philosophy that were formed especially in Monasteries and Cathedral Schools in the Middle Ages, which enabled the birth of modern Universities in the 11th and 12the century. This intellectual development culminated ultimately in the “explosion” of philosophy/science in the Renaissance and led to the development of Modern Philosophy and Modern times beginning in the 15th century.
Students will learn about topics such as: the moral structure of the human person; methodological questions; values and the value of morality: fundamental issues of axiology; characteristics and classification of values; moral value and spontaneous conscience: obligation; bases of moral value: analyses of the main moral systems; moral objective order: are moral laws universal and immutable? Ethical significance of natural law; the ethics of situations; natural law; subjective moral order; the manipulation of conscience; ethics and religion; morality and happiness; limitations of rational morality.
This course discusses the following topics: the concepts of revelation and tradition from an anthropological perspective; the importance of these categories in theology; the case for a foundational theology; religion and revelation in the history of religions; the Christian notion of revelation; history of the doctrine on revelation; today’s understanding of revelation; revelation in the Creation; revelation as promise and prophecy in the Old Testament; revelation as the fulfillment and the plenitude in Christ; the structures of revelation: fact and word; historicity and sacramentality; signs of credibility; permanence and transmission of revelation in the Church; tradition and witnessing.
The aim of this module is for students to learn the skills of theological thinking and writing good academic English. They will gain the ability to do theological research, write essays and reports for coursework and examinations. The skills that they have learned can then be transferred to their theological studies. At the end of the academic year, students submit a portfolio which is assembled over the entire duration of their undergraduate studies, and is to consist of selected pieces of work that they have produced during their studies.
The study of Ecclesiastical Latin is fundamental for the students of Philosophy and Theology, asit gives them access to the documents and texts produced by the Catholic Church throughout the centuries in their original language. Besides, the study of Latin helps the students to expand their vocabulary and greatly advances their ability to write and speak effectively. This module provides the students with the basics of Latin grammar and vocabulary, enabling them –within one year of study– to read and to translate simple Latin texts. In addition, the students get familiar with the current Latin Order of the Mass.
The study of Ecclesiastical Latin is fundamental for the students of Philosophy and Theology, asit gives them access to the documents and texts produced by the Catholic Church throughout the centuries in their original language. Besides, the study of Latin helps the students to expand their vocabulary and greatly advances their ability to write and speak effectively. This module provides the students with the basics of Latin grammar and vocabulary, enabling them –within one year of study– to read and to translate simple Latin texts. In addition, the students get familiar with the current Latin Order of the Mass.
Year 2
The modern period in philosophy stretches roughly from 1400 to 1800, and is linked in an innovative and fruitful way with the classical and the medieval period of philosophy. During this time gradually philosophy became relatively speaking more autonomous in relation to theology, which led also to the emergence and development of modern science, which also developed in various disciples. Thus, Modern Philosophy is also the attempt to come to terms with the intellectual implications of the Scientific Revolution and the new place of humans and societies within a changing context. It moves from the massive confidence of the first scientists in the human ability to solve scientific issues to the scepticism of Hume and Kant. The metaphysical, epistemological, ethical and political aspects of modern thought will be thoroughly considered throughout this module, especially in relation to the development of scientific knowledge and the ensuing modern transformations of Western and global societies (e.g. Scientific and Industrial Revolution). We will study and analyse basic and representative texts of this period, and pay close attention to their respective argumentative structures, and highlight their logical development of problems and answers.
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the philosophical examination of religious concepts, beliefs, and practices. It delves into the fundamental questions concerning the nature of religion, the existence of God, the problem of evil, religious experience, and the relationship between faith and reason.
This module offers students a historical and systematic approach of the developments in social and political philosophy and how they shape Ancient and Modern China, European and North American social, political, cultural and economical structures, and to a certain extent other countries in Asia. The course also intends to stir reflections on the social and political praxis, on moral correctness, social relationships and so on. Conditions and principles of a just and sustainable society (locally, nationally, globally) are presented and analyzed, based on the inalienable human dignity of human persons and the relevance of the common good for a harmonious development of human societies.
The history and faith of Israel are examined from the earliest beginnings through the reign of Solomon. The text is interpreted with regard to the cultural context of the Ancient Near East. The early prophetic tradition is explored in light of Torah and the historical writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. Special attention is given to the theological significance for Christian faith.
This course explores the foundations of faith as it relates the issue of humanity as an issue of God. Other topics include: Faith and today’s world (secularization, atheism, religious indifference); faith and the meaning of life; faith and biblical witness; dialogic structures of faith; God’s gift and man’s free response; faith as an experience of salvation and as a process of liberation; growth and maturing of faith; the communitarian dimension of faith; faith as knowledge and as an attitude towards life; theology as a reflection of faith; theology as science and as wisdom; theological hermeneutics and faith inculturation; confession of faith, dogma and its interpretation; the plurality of theologies and the unity of faith; the ecumenical challenge; theological reflection in today’s world.
This course is a continuation of History of Modern Philosophy and focuses mainly on European philosophy. It intends to offer an overview of the history of European contemporary philosophy through the study of its most important movements from the very end of the 19th Century to the beginning of the 21st Century. Philosophers such as Shopenhauer, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Husserl, Gadamer, Ricoeur, Wittgenstein, Habermas, Derrida and concepts such as Pragmatism, (neo)Positivism, Phenomenology, Existentialism, Hermeneutics, Structuralism, Postmodernism to name but just a few will be studied in this class. This course thus provides a survey of the traditions, problems and ideas that shaped the 20th century. That century being one of tremendous and traumatic changes, which will alter our consciousness of the world, will lead us, in both the 20th and 21st centuries, to re-consider time, being, subjectivity, knowledge and history.
This module aims to answer fundamental questions about nature. It emphasizes the perennial notions of natural philosophy in the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. We explain the process of change in mobile beings using concepts of act and potency. Next it studies the notions of substance and accidents. Lastly, we examine the notions of form and matter and the substantial synthesis. The module continues with various fundamental questions about contemporary science and philosophy. We investigate the nature of science and how it is related to the philosophy of nature.
This course investigates the structure of being from predominantly Aristotelian and Neo-Aristotelian (Thomistic) perspectives and eventually affirms reasonably the grounding of beings ultimately in a transcendent being. After examining the flaws of certain anti-metaphysical philosophies, the perennial validity of ontology is demonstrated for the sake of understanding the order and nature of things with inevitable reference to human existence and destiny.
This course studies the prophets of Israel and the world in which they lived, from the division of the Israelite kingdom to the Maccabean period, to understand their message as well as the nature of the prophetic tradition and its relevance for the church today.
This course will present an introduction to Greek noun and indicative verb systems and will provide students with basic skills in the translation and interpretation of some simple New Testament Greek texts.
This course will present the grammer of Koine Greek noun and verb systems and will provide students with basic skills in the translation and interpretation of some intermediate New Testament Greek texts.
This module provides an understanding on the Chinese National Culture, it’s History and Philosophy. Furthermore, the module provides an overview of the key features and evolution of the China's political and legal system. There will be several topics covered in this course, including Chinese political ideology and organizations (the Chinese Communist Party and state institutions), legal and judicial systems and institutions, legislative systems and processes (the People's Congresses and the Political Consultative Conferences), and bureaucratic processes. In addition, the course introduces the concept of the One Country Two System and its operation.
Year 3
This course provides an in-depth exploration of a branch of philosophy that seeks to establish the existence and attributes of God through rational arguments based on reason and evidence. The course examines various philosophical approaches, arguments, and critiques related to natural theology, while also considering its historical development and contemporary relevance.
The course explores the development of the poetical traditions in the Hebrew Bible, the wisdom tradition in ancient Israel and in the New Testament. Attention will also be given to the various adaptations of the important and wide-ranging theological topics, including the suffering of the just and prosperity of the wicked on earth (theodicy), the transiency of human life, and the humankind communicate their religious sentiments to God through poetry.
This course introduces students to the History of the early Church. Topics include: Judaism and the Christian faith; first Christian communities; the challenges of Christian expansion; persecutions; organization and Christian life; controversies and doctrinal development; the Church in the Roman Empire and changes under Constantine; monastic life; migrations and evangelization; the Church in the West and in the East.
This course is an introduction to the founding Fathers of the Church from the sub-apostolic period to the end of antiquity. Through readings, lectures, films, and discussions, students will learn the lives, teachings and theological contributions of the Early Church Fathers and ecclesiastical writers.
This course is a theological and historical study of Christian faith in the One and Triune God. The first part of the course handles essential topics of the One God, such as God's existence, His nature/attributes, His wisdom and will, His providence and predestination, etc. The second part of the course reviews the historical development of the doctrine of the Trinity, through which the essential theological ideas and the core theological essence of the Trinity can be revealed.
The first part of the course will focus on introductory issues such as the meanings of the term “gospel”, the literary genre, the formation and historical value of the gospel stories, the synoptic question and the different solutions. The most considerable part of the course will be dedicated to the introductory presentation of the three gospels and the Acts (historical, compositional, structural and thematic issues) and to the exegetical study of selected passages, in order to grasp the literary, narrative and theological articulation of the texts and their contribution to/in the life of faith.
This is a general initiation class on the various currents of Christianity, with particular development in the East and West, from the 7th to the 15th centuries. The main objective is to understand the relationship between the religious factor, in its various components, the gradual emergenc of the schism between East and West and its consequences, and the emergence of medieval Christendom, laying the fountaiotn for modern develoments and time.
This course will exposit the redemptive role of Jesus Christ in the history of salvation by reviewing Jesus's identity in the New Testament, the Christological controversy in the 4th and 5th centuries, the atonement theory, and the beatific vision of Jesus in medieval time. Finally, the course will evaluate the contribution of the current theological interpretations of Jesus's and his meaning for our times.
This module has two parts: Liturgical Theology and the Liturgy of the Hours. With this module we will provide for the students the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding both these two topics: the theology of liturgy and the theolgy and spirituality of the Liturgy of the Hours.
The course covers a variety of topics in moral theology, introducing students to the sources of moral theology and key elements in the Catholic tradition.
This course is an introduction to ancient Greek emphasizing the grammar and vocabulary of the New Testament. Substantial portions of the New Testament are read.
Part One of a two-semester course designed to provide an Introduction to the grammar, syntax and translation of biblical Hebrew. It provides the foundation for proper exegetical study of the Hebrew Old Testament, particularly in a ministerial context. The first semester focuses on the rudiments of Hebrew and beginning translation and vocalization.
This module provides students with an overview of major debates, trends, and factors that influence China's foreign policy. It will help students understand the pillars, principles and actors that shape the Chinese foreign policy. In this regard, the following topics will be explored in the course: the module will examine the actors, principles, constraints, and tools involved in the process of making foreign policy. On the other hand, the module will describe China's relations with the rest of the world through case studies. In order to achieve this, the course combines theoretical lectures, guest speakers, group exercises, and practical workshops. Additionally, this module will prepare students to conduct research on Chinese foreign policy.
Year 4
The central topic of this course is an analysis of the authentic Pauline letters, the situation and conflicts which provoked them, and the theology in and behind them. Other letters attributed to Paul (the “deutero-Pauline” literature) will also be considered.
This is a general initiation class on the various currents of Christianity, with particular incidence in the West, between the 15th and the 18th centuries. The main objective is to understand the relationship between the religious factor, in its various components, and the emergence and developments of modernity, taking into account the features of continuity and rupture.
In today’s world, life seems too busy to pose the question. What does it mean to be human? We only need to be confronted with serious illness, face a death of a loved one, suffer economic reversals, or have our world shaken by catastrophic events--war or a terrorist attack for ultimate questions to arise. Christians raise the question of the meaning of being human in the context of understanding ourselves in relationship with God, with others, and with the world. We will draw upon essential theological concepts--grace, personhood, sin and death, salvation, vocation, and a God who desires to be in relationship with us--as shaped by theologians and in connection with related disciplines.
This course gives first a close reading of the Constitution of Lumen gentium and the related texts (Unitatis redintegratio in particular). Attention will be given to place it in the continuity of the Tradition by studying the major themes which are the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Spirit and the People of God. Then a recapitulation will be proposed by the presentation of the sacramentality of the Church, and the work of the Holy Spirit in and outside the Church. Finally students are expected to come up with their personal reflections on the Church and the Holy Spirit in regard to Ecumenism and Inculturalization.
This module will present the principal elements of eschatology: the coming of Christ in glory, the resurrection of the dead, judgment of human beings, heaven and hell. Since salvation of human beings from sin is a gradual process which will be finally perfected in Christ, the study of the elements will be referred to Christ as the hope of salvation. The module will have two major parts: The first part will cover the topics on the Catholic understanding of the last things (de novissimis): the end of human life, the particular judgment, hell, purgatory, heaven, the resurrection of the dead, the general judgment and the end of the world. The second part of the module will focus on Christ as Christian hope, i.e., the Christological foundation of the topics studied in the first part. Students will consider how Christ the Hope will influence Christians’ present life, orient their attitude towards the end of life and shape their spirituality.
This course will discuss general principles of sacramental theology, the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist according to the Catholic theological tradition. The course curriculum is divided into three sections. The first section investigates the general principle of sacramental theology. The second section considers the history of the sacraments and the development of sacramental theology from the Christian Scriptures (New Testament period) through the Second Vatican Council and current reflections on the renewal of the sacraments resulting from the council. The third section examines various theological and pastoral issues relating to the sacraments, and considers the understanding of the sacraments in Christian faiths other than Catholicism, as well as the promises and challenges of an ecumenical perspective.
With consideration of the context of the historical situation of the community in which and for which the Johannine texts were written, this course offers an examination of the Gospel and Letters of John. Emphasis is given to the theology (Christology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Ethics) of the texts and their significance for contemporary Christian faith.
Students will study in this course topics such as: the Church and the ideologies of the 18th century; the Church in the French Revolution; Church and Liberalism; aspects of Catholic life in the 19th century; new perspectives in the time of Leo XIII; the Church and the two World Wars; aspects of Catholic life in the 20th century; the Church of the II Vatican Council.
This module is an investigation into the ethics of human sexuality, family, marriage, celibacy, and consecrated life in the light of Christian faith. Insights from Anthropology, Holy Scripture & Tradition regarding the nature of human sexuality and love, overview and guidelines by the teaching of the Magisterium, theology of the body, and contributions from the social and health sciences are studied. Particular issues include the vocations to marriage, celibacy, and consecrated virginity, marriage preparation, responsible family planning. Contemporary challenges discussed are: pre-marital relations, contraception, abortion, homosexuality, masturbation, issues in medical and bioethics, etc.). Special attention will be given to the spiritual issues pertaining to sexuality and marriage: Christian theology of the body, spirituality and praxis of natural family planning.
The module aims to introduce to the key principles of Catholic Social Teaching within an interdisciplinary dialogue between moral philosophy, theology, economics, and sociology. The teaching method combines the clarification of key terms with a critical discussion.
This module is intended to be a general introduction to Canon Law –the law of the Latin Catholic Church– and to its predominant pastoral dimension. The module deals first with the fundational elements of canon law and its unique characteristics as eclessiastical law; then, it passes to study those sections of the Code of Canon Law directly related to the pastoral ministry, namely, those that refer to the Teaching and Sanctifying offices of the Church (Bks. III and IV of the Code, respectively). Thus, topics such as the Ministry of the Word, Catechetical formation , Catholic Education, the Celebration of the Sacraments and the Church’s matrimonial law are covered in this module.
This seminar course aims to integrate the theological, pastoral, and spiritual dimensions of pastoral ministry within a Catholic context. Through critical reflection, theological exploration, and practical application, sutdents will deepen their understanding of pastorl theology and deveop the skills necessary for effective pastoral leadersip. The course will draw from Scritpure, Catholic Tradition, magisterial documents, and contemporary pastory theology literature.
Part Two of a two-semester course designed to provide an Introduction to the grammar, syntax and translation of biblical Hebrew. It provides the foundation for proper exegetical study of the Hebrew Old Testament. The second semester focuses on advancing the students’ facility with the language toward more knowledgeable translation and exegesis as preparation for further study and ministerial practice.
The course aims to develop a basic understanding of China’s historical relations with the world. Specifically, it explains the socio-historical environment and cultural identity of Macau, covering key aspects of its development over four centuries. The module will enhance understanding of the key socioeconomic aspects in the relationship between China and the Portuguese speaking world. The course addresses Macau’s past and present, including the basic concepts, theories, principles and spirit of the Constitution and the Basic Law. It covers residents’ fundamental rights and duties, political structure, economy, and culture. Furthermore, key events that have shaped its geographical space, its demography and its plural communities will also be covered. The students will study and explore aspects of the history, economic and administrative development, and the social, cultural and artistic patrimony of Macau through lectures, film, fieldwork, and reading of local writers and specialists who had written about Macau and its people.
