Lay Mission Project

Formation for the mission to the world.

Catholic Social Teaching

Introduction

Welcome to your course in Catholic Social Teaching, in which we will aim to explore the principles of the Church’s thought on social matters. Our primary goal is to establish a solid understanding of these principles in order that we  may apply them, later, to the full range of secular commitments.

To lead us through this course, we are privileged to have with us Russell Hittinger, Warren Professor of Catholic Studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Tulsa.

This course will investigate the roots of the Church’s social teaching, as well as how it has developed in modern history through the encyclical tradition.

Reading

 The major doctrinal texts from the Church’s Magisterium that we will be reading for this course include the following:

Optional resources, for those interested in more focused study:

  • Russell Hittinger, “Introduction to Modern Catholicism,” from The Teachings of Modern Roman Catholicism on Law, Politics, and Human Nature
  • John Locke, “Property,” II.5 from Two Treatises on Government
  • Karl Marx, “Estranged Labor,” from Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 (The Paris Manuscripts)

PLEASE NOTE:

In order to accommodate your calendar, lessons are made available earlier than needed.
Here is a list of the lessons covered at each discussion:

Discussion 1: Lesson 1 and 2
Discussion 2: Lessons 3 and 4
Discussion 3: Lessons 5-7

Moral Theology

Introduction

Welcome to your course in Moral Theology, in which we will begin to dig into the study of the Christian moral life. To lead us through this course, we are privileged to have with us Fr. Michael Sherwin, OP, professor of Fundamental Moral Theology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

This course introduces the moral life in the light of the Christian understanding of the human person and of our human destiny of beatitude in Christ. The main objective is to derive the moral teaching through attention to human agency and responsibility, and to enable participants to apply it especially in their family, secular, and social commitments.

Reading

Throughout this course, you will need access to the following resources:

To delve further into topics of moral theology, the following books are recommended:

If you use the above links to buy from Amazon, a portion of the sale will go to the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology, an institution which has been invaluable in the development of the Lay Mission Project.

PLEASE NOTE:

In order to accommodate your calendar, lessons are made available earlier than needed.
Here is a list of the lessons covered at each discussion:

Discussion 1: Lesson 1 and 2
Discussion 2: Lessons 3 and 4
Discussion 3: Lessons 5-7

Sacramental Life

Introduction

Welcome to your course in Sacramental Life, a fundamental aspect of not only the lay vocation, but the life of any Christian. The purpose of this course will be to reflect upon the seven sacraments in order to enter more deeply into the encounter with Our Lord that each offers us. We will consider how each of the seven sacraments:

  • enables us to recognize Jesus present among us;
  • reveals his relationship to us and to the Father; and
  • invites us to enter into our Lord’s relationship to the Father, and so to see, pray and act with him.

By attending to the real fruits of each sacrament, we also aim to develop the ability to speak of our sacramental life to others, witnessing their centrality in the journey of discipleship and offering them the opportunity to discover the power of the sacraments, as well.

This course is offered by Fr. Michael Sweeney, O.P.

Reading

The reading material for this course will be provided on the course pages. In addition, you will need access to the Bible.

PLEASE NOTE:

In order to accommodate your calendar, lessons are made available earlier than needed.
Here is a list of the lessons covered at each discussion:

Discussion 1: Lesson 1
Discussion 2: Lessons 2 and 3
Discussion 3: Lessons 4 and 5
Discussion 4: Lesson 6 and 7

Scripture II: Witness to Christ of the First Communities

Introduction

Welcome to your second course in Scripture. Building upon what has come before, the purpose of this course is to trace the development of the early Christian witness as it transitions from oral to written form. Beginning with the accounts of Luke, given in both the Gospel and the Book of Acts, and then turning to the tradition of epistle-writing, we will investigate the ways in which the Good News was adapted to new contexts, cultures, and languages.

To lead us through this course, we are privileged to have with us Sherri Brown, professor of New Testament Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, Scripture scholar and author.

Required Reading

To accompany the online component of the course, you will need a copy of the following:

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Faith, Christ, and Paul's Theology of Salvation History

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PLEASE NOTE:

In order to accommodate your calendar, lessons are made available earlier than needed.
Here is a list of the lessons covered at each discussion:

Discussion 1: Lesson 1
Discussion 2: Lessons 2 and 3
Discussion 3: Lessons 4 and 5
Discussion 4: Lesson 6

Ecclesiology and History

Introduction

Welcome to your course in the study of the Church and its history. To lead us through this course, we are privileged to have with us Fr. Joseph Boenzi, SDB, professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology in Berkeley, California, and part time professor at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, Italy.

What does the word “Church” mean? Where did it come from? What does it mean “to be a church,” or “the Church,” or “a part of the Church”?

This course, “Ecclesiology,” or the theology of the Church, will investigate the notion of “Church” from its original appearances in both Scriptural and non-Scriptural sources. It will trace the developments in our understanding of “the Church” up to the present-day, focusing on Vatican II’s project to retrieve the original Scriptural meaning of this term.

Reading

There are no required books for this course.
A highly suggested book to supplement this material is Cardinal Avery Dulles’ Models of the Church.

Models of the Church - Avery Cardinal Dulles

If you use the above link to buy from Amazon, a portion of the sale will go to the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology, an institution which has been invaluable in the development of the Lay Mission Project.

PLEASE NOTE:

In order to accommodate your calendar, lessons are made available earlier than needed.
Here is a list of the lessons covered at each discussion:

Discussion 1: Lesson 1
Discussion 2: Lessons 2 and 3
Discussion 3: Lessons 4 and 5

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