Theological Studies

Academics at Hanover:

Students in Theological Studies explore some of the oldest and most enduring human questions, but they also talk about why these questions still matter.

Theological Studies is one of the oldest academic disciplines, in part because the questions that animate the field are timeless. Many people assume that theology is the language that specific religious communities use to talk to insiders, and that can be true. But theology is also part of our shared cultural language, and that’s how we think about it here at Hanover.

Theology is a storehouse of ideas that have been shaping our politics, laws, literature, and art for centuries. Our courses will take you deep into ancient history, and far into the future, as you learn to better understand how ideas about justice, forgiveness, nature, technology, suffering, health, and power itself have shaped our world (in ways that most people don’t even notice)!

Theological Studies appeals to people who care enough about meaning that they want to build a life, and a career, around it. It draws in people who aren’t ready to accept forms of pre-packaged meaning, and who love to ask questions. These also tend to be people who want to understand what binds people, and communities, together. Majors and minors might go on to careers in ministry or chaplaincy, in a nonprofit, in education, law, or medicine. Whatever path they choose, Theological Studies students know how to have conversations about the things that really matter.

THEOLOGICAL STUDIES AT HANOVER

Discuss some of life’s great mysteries
Explore religious traditions both deeply and broadly
Confront moral questions and learn how to answer them
Participate in conversations about the meaning of life that started long ago and continue in fresh ways today
Understand your own gifts and passions more fully
Engage with inspirational professors who are passionate about their subject

WHAT DO THEOLOGICAL STUDIES MAJORS STUDY?

Theology majors can choose among a wide variety of courses, including:

C.S. Lewis
Faith in Fantasy and Fiction
Early Christianity in Italy
Theology and World Religions
Feminist Theologies
Religion in America
Gender, Sex, and Family
Religious Autobiography
Great Spiritual Questions
Sexual Ethics
Ethics in Medicine
Jesus of Nazareth

RECENT GRADUATES’ CAREER PATHS

Each year, a few students choose Theological Studies to be their major. A larger number of students decide to major in another discipline and to minor in Theological Studies. And many more students sign up for our upper-level classes simply for their own benefit and interest. Here are some of the recent career paths that majors, minors and other interested students have taken:

Research Assistant, Tissue Procurement Lab
Associate Director of a University Press
Internal Medicine Resident
Senior Program Coordinator with an adoption travel program
Corporate attorney
Graphic Designer and Writer
Investment Counselor and Financial Planner
Caseworker with Catholic Social Services
Health Services Clinical Program Coordinator
Marriage and Family Therapist
Neonatal Intensive Care Chaplain
Assistant Professor of Theology
Pediatrician
Museum Curator
State-level Charter Schools Program Manager
Director of Planning and Business Development at a Regional Hospital

GRADUATE SCHOOL AND SEMINARY PLACEMENTS

In preparing for their chosen professions, our students have attended a large number of prestigious graduate programs, divinity schools, and seminaries. Among these are:

Vanderbilt University Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Princeton Theological Seminary
Claremont School of Theology
KU Leuven
Indiana University School of Medicine
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Indiana University School of Law
Indiana University School of Social Work
Case Western Reserve
University of Kentucky, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
University of Notre Dame
George Washington Univ. Trachtenberg Sch. of Public Policy and Public Admin.
George Mason School of Law
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Medical College of Virginia
University of Virginia
Duquesne University
Duke University Divinity School
University of Louisville Law School

COURSES

Number

Name

Units

Description

THS 111 The Theology and Ethics of MLK, Jr. 1.00 This course is a study of the life, ministry, and leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. We will examine the history and theological foundations of the modern civil rights movement and consider King’s legacy, including application of his theological-ethical vision. It is taught during Spring Term and may include off-campus travel. Satisfies the RP CCR. Satisfies the CP ACE.

THS 112 Death & the Afterlife 1.00 This course pursues a number of questions that have long been of theological concern: What is a soul? What happens to us when we die? How can theology help me cope with mortality and grief? What is eternity like? Do I want to be buried? We will examine ancient, medieval, and modern perspectives on such queries, sometimes from several religious traditions. We will also examine the impact of science and technology on these conversations. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 161 Theology and the Human Condition 1.00 Central issues in theology will be raised by asking: What is a human being? What does it mean to be human? Various answers to these questions and the theological frameworks that support them will be examined. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 164 Theological Perspectives - Nature 1.00 Study of central issues in theology through an examination of various concepts of nature, such as those found in the Bible, Origen, Irenaeus, Augustine, and St. Francis. Each concept of nature says something different not just about the natural world, but also about what it means to be human and what our relationship with and responsibility for the natural world should be.

THS 165 Theology and Ethics 1.00 Focuses on topics and texts in ethics and raises questions everyone struggles with throughout life. What is the good life? What does it mean to be a good person? How do we know what the good is? What is the nature of the good? Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 166 Theological Perspectives on Bodies 1.00 Study of central issues in theology through an examination of various perspectives on the meaning of the human body and embodiment. Questions that may be addressed: What does it mean to be embodied? What is the relationship between spirit and body? How do societies interpret bodies? What role do race, gender, sexuality and ability play in these interpretations? How do our actions and our beliefs serve to harm or care for bodies? What happens to the body when we die?

THS 171 Interfaith Encounters 1.00 This course examines the topic of interfaith encounters. We will ask questions about how people encounter the religious "other" and how these encounters transform them. We will explore such as these: How are we supposed to make sense of violence done in the name of religion? What approaches to religious exchange promote peace? How might we engage in productive inter-religious dialogue? What would this dialogue look like?Satisfies the RP CCR and satisfies the W1 ACE.

THS 172 Issues in Religious Ethics 1.00 A survey of issues in the field of theological ethics. Topics will vary from year to year, but will include such things as friendship, love and justice, kinds of oppression, moral decision-making, sustainability, issues at the beginning and ending of life, gender and sexuality, lying and truth-telling, the nature of family, violence and pacifism, informed consent, conversation and community, and what it is that gets us out of bed in the morning. Satisfies the RP CCR and the W1 ACE.

THS 173 Food, Fitness & Faith 1.00 This course will explore the impact that religious traditions can have on the way that we move, and how we fuel our movement. Students will examine a variety of health and fitness trends, and religious rituals, to critically reflect on the many ways that food and fitness intersect with faith, and how these intersections influence our individual and communal well-being. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 222 Medical Ethics 1.00 An examination of major principles and topics in the field of medical ethics. Topics may vary from year to year but will include most of these: definition of death, euthanasia, assisted suicide, organ donation and transplantation, just distribution of medical care, reproductive rights and technologies, medical confidentiality, the nature of suffering and health and the purpose of medicine, genetic testing and therapies, medical research, medical law, the relationship between patients/clients and medical professionals. Content may vary according to students' professional interests. Satisfies the W2 ACE.

THS 223 Religious Autobiographies 1.00 This course will reflect on the role of autobiography in communicating religious identity and will investigate how religious belief and practice intersect with race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality. Throughout the semester we will examine experience as a source of religious knowledge and authority. Students will critically reflect on numerous religious autobiographies as well as write portions of their own autobiographical story.

THS 224 Great Spiritual Figures 1.00 This course will focus on one or more individuals in the history of spiritual reflection who have had a significant impact on the lives of others. Specific figures will differ from year to year. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor.

THS 225 Great Spiritual Questions 1.00 This course will focus on one or more perplexing issues in the history of human spiritual reflection and practice. Specific questions will differ from year to year. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 226 Theologies of Religious Encounter 1.00 From its beginning Christianity has developed in contact with other religions, yet today inter-religious encounter is happening in new and more urgent ways. This course poses critical theological questions about such encounters: Can many religious paths be “true”? If so, how? Does having faith in one religion require us to deny the value and validity of other religious paths? What is the meaning of our neighbor’s faith for our own? Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 227 Feminist Theologies 1.00 This course engages a spectrum of scholars across cultures and religions who use the lens of gender to both claim and critically challenge their religious traditions. Along the way, it considers how key themes in feminist thought—e.g., language, embodiment, experience, power, selfhood/subjectivity, sexuality—have shaped the broader development of contemporary theologies.

THS 228 Race, Ethnicity, and Religion 1.00 This course will investigate how racial and ethnic identities shape religious experience as well as how religious worldviews inform understandings of race and ethnicity. From liberation theology to Rastafarian music, from historical injustices to hope for future justice, we will explore the intersections of race, ethnicity and religion. We will analyze the myths, symbols, stories and histories that have created meaningful worlds for various religious and ethnic groups. Satisfies the CP ACE.

THS 229 Comparative Religious Ethics 1.00 We will begin with two questions that lie behind the project of comparative work in ethics: To what extent are ethical values and responsibilities universal in scope and to what extent are they particular to traditions? Can we do comparative work from inside traditions, or must we attempt to stand outside all of them in order to see them more clearly? Then, using both ancient and contemporary texts and stories, we will examine specific moral issues from the points of view of a number of religious traditions. The final part of the course will focus on the meaning of comparative work for interreligious dialogue and for life together in a fragile world. Satisfies the W2 ACE.

THS 231 Religion & Science 1.00 Despite the fact that religion and science have often been deeply entangled, many people believe that there is a deep-seated tension between the two. This course explores where this idea—that religion and science are engaged in a battle of sorts—comes from. It also explores a range of counter proposals, from a host of different traditions, that bring religion and spirituality into meaningful conversation with scientific knowledge and practices. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 232 Introduction to the Old Testament 1.00 This course examines the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Old Testament), focusing on biblical figures and narratives and on the history and cultural world of the Ancient Israelites. We will explore the various literary genres in the Hebrew Bible, discuss interpretive strategies for reading and understanding the biblical texts, and examine scholarly theories that reflect on how (and when) these biblical texts may have been composed. Partially satisfies the HS CCR.

THS 233 Introduction to the New Testament 1.00 This course examines the history and theology of early Christianity through readings from the New Testament. Students will reflect on the diverse texts of the New Testament—gospel writings, narratives, epistles, and apocalypse—as products of the ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds. In their study, students will develop analytic tools for interpreting the New Testament in their contemporary context. Partially satisfies the HS CCR.

THS 234 The Problem of Suffering 1.00 Virtually no one escapes suffering, a fact that has led many human beings to accept a theological account of their life and has led many others to reject all theological accounts they can imagine; after all, the latter ask, why would we suffer so much if God were actually all-good and all-powerful. After spending some time thinking about what suffering is and its role in our lives, we will examine several possible theological responses to it. At the end of the course, each student will write her or his own carefully constructed response, based primarily on the course materials, to the problem of the meaning and purpose of suffering. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 235 Confronting Addiction in Indiana 1.00 An experiential learning course which examines poverty and addiction in a regional context. Explores religious and philosophical models of community engagement and social justice. Combines theological perspectives with sociological examinations of a regional social problem both inside and outside the classroom. Identical to Soc 235. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

THS 236 Social Justice in Internet Age 1.00 An interdisciplinary course which examines contemporary social justice movements. Explores sociological, religious and philosophical models of social justice. Combines theological perspectives with sociological examinations of Internet activism. Identical to SOC 236. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

THS 237 Religion, Ethics & the Earth 1.00 We are living through a time of environmental change and ecological uncertainty. In the face of this, people around the world are rethinking the way that they relate to the planet and its finite resources. This course reflects on the ethical dimensions of unfolding environmental problems and explores what just relationships between people and their planet might look like. The course introduces frameworks for ethical reflection on the environment and examines these in conversation with religious symbols, narratives, texts, and practices that have shaped (and might continue to shape) the way that different cultures imagine and relate to natural worlds. Each semester this course will focus on a specific theme (such as water, vegetation, creatures, or underworlds). Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 238 Power to the People: Theology Today 1.00 This course will introduce students to major movements in contemporary theology including (but not limited to) feminist and queer theologies, Black and Latin American liberation theologies, and ecotheologies. Satisfies the CP ACE.

THS 239 Sorry, Not Sorry 1.00 Are we obligated to forgive people who cause us harm? What if people who harm others aren’t sorry? What responsibilities do we have for historical injustices and how can we move toward a new future? This class will explore apologies, forgiveness, reparations, and reconciliation through the lens of several different spiritual and philosophical traditions. After investigating apologies and reparations on an individual level, the course will examine apologies, reconciliation, and reparations on an inter-group level, engaging the arguments for and against “land back” movements, truth and reconciliation efforts, and demands for group apologies for historical injustices. Satisfies the RP CCR. Satisfies the CP ACE.

THS 241 Heroes & Villains in Sacred Texts 1.00 This course will examine heroic and villainous figures in religious texts from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course will analyze the relationship between heroic figures and villainous forces as well as the relationship between heroism, power, and gender. The course will provide both religious and non-religious students with an opportunity to reflect on what these ancient and heroic acts and deeds have to say to our modern world. Satisfies the RP CCR.

THS 307 Directed Study .50 .50 unit.

THS 321 Gender/Sex/Fam Judeo-Christian Trad 1.00 This course will examine how believers within the Judeo-Christian tradition have defined, negotiated and debated gender, sexuality, and family roles. We will investigate interpretations of sacred texts, theological conversations, historical shifts and ritual life in Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Mormonism.

THS 325 Contemporary Theology 1.00 A study of some recent developments in Protestant and Catholic theology. Offered alternate years.

THS 326 Sexual Ethics - Christian Trad 1.00 A study of many of the issues in the field of sexual ethics, especially as these have been and continue to be shaped by the history and doctrine of Christianity. One previous THS course and sophomore standing.

THS 327 Faith, Hope, and Love 1.00 This course explores theological, ethical, and practical dimensions of faith, hope, and love, using both historical and contemporary texts drawn primarily from the Christian tradition.

THS 331 Religion in America 1.00 This course focuses on the religious history of America from before the creation of the United States up through the present day. It will explore the beliefs and practices of America’s religious minorities and those of the Christian majority. As we examine various religious faiths, we will investigate what members of each tradition believe, how they practice their faith and what their experience of America was and is. Partially satisfies the HS CCR. Satisfies the CP ACE.

THS 332 History of Christianity 1.00 This course is designed to introduce students to the genesis and spread of Christianity as a global religion. It will focus on internal divisions within the Christian community with an emphasis on debates over orthodoxy and heresy. It will also address Christian encounters with “the other” (other religious traditions, other cultural groups) as it spread its message as a missionary religion.

THS 341 Early Christianity in Italy 1.00 An off-campus course in Italy focusing on the development of Christianity in Italy from the apostolic times through the Renaissance with particular attention to religious figures, religious art and architecture, and religious movements.

THS 355 Jesus of Nazareth 1.00 A seminar focusing on Jesus’ life and ministry. Themes and topics vary from semester to semester.

THS 357 Internship 1.00 Off-campus supervised experience in theology.

THS 412 Theological Studies Seminar 1.00 Integration of the various components of the major and exploration of advanced methods in theological studies. Culminating experience in theological studies. Prerequisite: senior standing.

THS 471 Senior Thesis 1.00 Required of majors; open to minors.