Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius · Courses
SP
5 courses with the subject SP, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
SP 101FOUNDATIONS OF SPIRITUALITY I
This introductory course uses reading assignments, lectures, and class discussions to introduce students to the foundational themes of the spiritual life in the Byzantine Christian Tradition with special attention to the distinctive teachings of the Desert Fathers, of the ascetical writers, and from the Philokalia, and the Eastern Christian traditions that flowed from them. The major themes include creation in the divine image and likeness, life in the Trinity, the nature of the human person, deification, asceticism, and growth in the spiritual life. Students will be expected to develop at least a rudimentary ability to explain these concepts and terminology using the categories of contemporary culture, as well to recognize enough Latin spirituality in order to communicate “East to West,” and vice versa. By the end of the semester, students should be able: • To explain the major concepts and themes common to the Catholic tradition of spiritual theology along with the capacity to articulate the major themes of Byzantine spiritual tradition; • To describe in a general way the major concepts and themes found in patristic and early monastic writings; 81 B.C.S. Academic Catalog – FINAL February 12, 2025
This course continues to survey the foundational themes of the spiritual life in the Byzantine Tradition. Through readings, lectures, and class discussions, the themes of creation in the divine image and likeness, life in the Trinity, the nature of the human person, deification, asceticism, and growth in the spiritual life will be explored. Additional readings will enable students to develop the ability to explain the concepts and terminology of the tradition using the categories of contemporary culture. By the end of the semester, students should be able: • To show the dependence of Byzantine spirituality (teachings and practices) on the Christological and Trinitarian dogmas of the Church; • To articulate the major themes of Byzantine spiritual tradition; • To explain the sacramental mysteries of the Church (Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, etc.) in relation to such dimensions of the spiritual life as purification, illumination, and union; • To draw upon liturgical texts as sources for teaching the spiritual and ascetical elements of the Byzantine tradition. • To outline the history and distinctive practices of Hesychasm and the Prayer of the Heart. 2 hours; 2 semesters
Studies of particular themes, periods, or texts in spirituality may be offered as electives of electives of 2 credits. By the end of such a topics course, students should be able: • To do research grounded in (translations of) the primary sources of Byzantine spiritual theology. • To interpret the spiritual doctrine of classic exponents of the tradition (such as Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil the Great, Pseudo-Macarius, et alia) within the broader context of their philosophical and theological principles and assumptions. • To do research in secondary literature pertaining to Byzantine spirituality. • To compare and contrast distinctively Byzantine themes with other traditions of spirituality. 82 B.C.S. Academic Catalog – FINAL February 12, 2025
This elective course is an exploration of the historical background of Christian art and its theological issues that lead to the veneration of the holy icons in the Eastern Church. In particular, visual aids help illustrate the twelve great feasts of the Byzantine tradition. By the end of the course, students should be able: • To explain the elements of Christological doctrine that underlie Nicaea II's teaching regarding the Orthodox veneration of images. • To defend this teaching against accusations that the Orthodox practice of veneration is idolatry. • To explain the philosophical implications of the relationship between an image and its prototype. • To explain the symbolic forms, structures, and conventions that distinguish theologically authentic Byzantine icons. • To describe and explain the various traditional forms of icons of Christ and the Theotokos. • To explain the meaning of the composition and elements of the icons of the Twelve Great Feasts. 2 hours; 1 semester
This elective course explores the lives and thought of the Fathers of the Church with special attention to their role as pastors and their perennial witness as models of the integration of spiritual, pastoral, and dogmatic theology. By the end of the course, students should be able: • To identify major patristic texts devoted specifically to the ministry and responsibilities of pastors (especially those of Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Ambrose, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great). • To use letters and orations of the Fathers to show the interdependence of dogmatic theology and pastoral concerns. • To describe the ways in which the Fathers bridged the gap between monastic and lay Christian lifestyles. • To compare and illustrate Augustine's teaching regarding preaching and teaching in De doctrina Christiana with actual sermons and letters of the Fathers. 2 hours; 1 semester
