Stage 1
A1020* Introduction to New Testament Greek A
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
This half-semester course introduces students to the basic structures of Koiné Greek. The course will cover the alphabet, very basic vocabulary, verb structures, noun structures and sentence syntax in Koiné Greek. Students will learn to translate simple sentences and to use various lexical aids.
A1030*Introduction to New Testament Greek B
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
This second half-semester course builds on the first half-semester course in Koiné Greek. The course will extend the students’ knowledge of vocabulary, grammatical structures and sentence syntax. Students will be able to translate more complex sentences, including Biblical verses and to use various lexical aids in Biblical Hebrew to elevate their skills in Scriptural exegesis.
A1040 Introduction to Ecclesiastical Latin
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
An introduction to Latin, this course will establish a basic understanding of the grammatical structure of Latin, a basic vocabulary and the basic tools of translation. Students will be introduced to various lexical and grammatical aids and will be able to translate simple passages.
B1000 Introduction to the Old Testament and the Pentateuch
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course introduces the student to the Canon, historical and social background and literary forms of the Old Testament, with a particular focus on the Pentateuch. The course introduces major theological themes of the Old Testament as they are treated across the Old Testament.
B1010 Introduction to the New Testament and Pauline Literature
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course introduces the student to the Canon, historical and social background, and literary forms of the New Testament, with a particular focus on the Pauline Letters. The course examines major theological themes of the New Testament as treated across the New Testament.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course involves a study of the life of the early Church, not simply as something significant in its own right, but also for the foundations it laid for the later development of Christianity. The course examines the way that the early Church related to the Jewish and Hellenistic traditions and it examines how the power of the Roman shaped the early Church. The course also explores the development of Christian understanding regarding the nature of God, the Holy Trinity, the relations between divinity and humanity in Christ, and of the importance of seeing God’s purpose in the world.
L1000 Theology & Practice of Liturgy
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course will examine the Jewish origins of the Christian liturgy and the development of liturgical practice from ancient times up to the reforms mandated by the Second Vatican Council, noting the relationship between the lex orandi and the lex credendi. While the principal focus will be on the Roman Rite, a brief study of eastern rites of the Catholic Church will complete the picture of the Catholic Church’s liturgical practice. The reform of the other liturgical rites (e.g. funerals) in the west will be explored in the light of current pastoral needs. The course will examine the reception of the liturgical reform and emerging questions.
P1010 Introduction to Pastoral Care & Psychology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course examines the role of the psychological sciences in the contemporary practice of pastoral care. It considers the nature of contemporary pastoral care and the ambit and history of the discipline. Students will consider psychology as a body of knowledge that can act as a resource for pastoral practice. The course investigates different anthropologies for how each informs psychological theory; the nature of pastoral psychology and its function as a hermeneutic tool in pastoral engagement and ministry; and psychological perspectives on the pastoral relationship. Finally, the course considers some the main psychological diagnostic categories encountered in pastoral practice, including mental illness, grief, bereavement and depression, addiction, personality disorders, trauma, and suicide. Students will begin to become equipped with the psychological tools to constructively approach such pastoral scenarios.
S1000 Introduction to Spiritual Theology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course will briefly examine how the term “spirituality” is used in contemporary contexts. The biblical sources for Spiritual Theology will be identified. Having considered the development of different spiritual traditions in the history of the church, the course will propose a definition of Spiritual Theology. The course will give students an insight into the methodology of Spiritual Theology. There will be an emphasis on Christian discipleship and the role of the Holy Spirit in the transformation of the baptised, thereby helping students grasp the link between theology and personal growth in holiness. The course will assist students to develop skills in reading spiritual texts.
W1000 Logic & Critical Thinking
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course is a practical introduction to logic, critical thinking and reasoning. Students will learn to critically analyse and evaluate arguments, to construct their own good arguments, and to identify various kinds of arguments, such as deductive and inductive arguments. Students will likewise learn to detect spurious arguments, instances of fallacies and poor reasoning. The course will enhance the ability of students to reason well in their academic life, but also in their chosen vocations outside the academic setting. Examples found in the media, advertising and politics may be considered for illustrative purposes.
W1010 Ancient & Early Medieval Philosophy
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course examines the origins of philosophy in ancient Greece, its development during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and its encounter with Christian thought during the early Middle Ages. The course covers major thinkers from the Pre-Socratics, Plato and Aristotle through to figures such as Augustine, Boethius and Anselm of Canterbury, especially in terms of their impact on the formation of Western thought and society. Key areas of philosophy explored include epistemology, logic, metaphysics, ethics, and social and political philosophy.
W1020 Medieval & Early Modern Philosophy
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course examines the ideas of philosophers from the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, tracing the development of philosophical thought from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. The course covers major thinkers from Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus and William of Ockham through to figures including René Descartes, Baruch de Spinoza and John Locke, especially in terms of their impact on Western thought and society. Key areas of philosophy explored include epistemology, logic, metaphysics, ethics, and social and political philosophy.
Stage 2
A2040 Translating Ecclesiastical Latin
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: A1040
Building on the course Introduction to Latin, this course will advance understanding of grammatical structure of Latin, giving an expanded vocabulary and the study tools of Latin. Students will be encouraged to employ various lexical and grammatical aids and will be able to translate Classical and Ecclesial passages.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: B1000 / B1010
The prophetic literature in the Old Testament contains prosaic and poetic materials associated with Israel’s prophets. This course provides an overview of their literary features, themes, theological perspectives, history and growth, in their historical and cultural contexts. A more detailed study is then done of selected books by a major and a minor prophet.
B2010* The Old Testament Historical Books
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: B1000 / B1010
This course introduces the student to the historical and social background and literary forms of the Old Testament Historical books (Joshua to Nehemia). The course examines major theological themes of the Old Testament Historical Books.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: B1000 / B1010
This course analyses the Synoptic Gospels, their independence from and interdependence on each other, and their witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Topics covered are the birth and death narratives of Jesus and the early life of the Church.
C2000* Introduction to Canon Law & Governance
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
This course introduces students to the study of canon law. It will explore the nature of canon law and the different types of canon law. The course will explain the power of governance and who exercise it. Attention will be given to the specific roles of the pope, the College of Cardinals, the Roman Curia, ecumenical and plenary councils, and the diocesan bishop.
D2000 Fundamental Theology: Faith, Revelation and Theology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: W1010 / W1020
This course introduces students to the study of Theology. It answers the question, “What is theology?” Working with the definition of theology as “faith seeking understanding”, it explores the nature of Christian faith as a response to divine revelation. The course explores the theology of revelation and the theology of faith, as these developed in the Catholic theological tradition and found modern expression in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei verbum. Students will come to appreciate the role of the sensus fidei and the Church’s teaching authority in the expression of Christian faith. By the end of this course, students should have acquired elementary skills in theological method.
D2010 Christology and Soteriology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2000
This course introduces students to the kinds of questions that arise concerning the person, life, work, and significance of Jesus Christ. The course considers answers offered in the Christian tradition and current Christological scholarship. The course covers the Jesus tradition in the New Testament, types of New Testament Christology, the question of the historical Jesus, controversies in the early church and at the time of the Reformation.
D2020 Ecclesiology & Mariology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2000
The formal study of the church begins with the Mission of Jesus sent by the Father for the life of the world and his proclamation of the Kingdom of God being near at hand. This course explores the growth of the early church as reflected in the Apostolic writings and the witness of the early centuries. It reflects on how the Church developed in its self-understanding throughout different historical periods. The formal declarations of Trent, Vatican I and II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church are closely studied along with the major documents of the Magisterium. This course also considers the role of Mary in light of the teaching found in Lumen Gentium as well as key Mariological doctrines.
H2010 Medieval Christian Experience
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course examines the rich diversity that marks the medieval articulation of the Christian vision. The artistic and devotional inheritance of the Middle-Ages is set within the context of the Medieval Church’s urgent need for institutional and theological reform.
L2000* Liturgical Music, Art and Architecture
NZQA Credits: 75 credits
Pre-requisite: L1000
The practice of the liturgy engages not just the mind, but also the senses. This course will consider the place of music, art and architecture and their role in giving full expression to Christian worship. The range of musical forms, both traditional and modern will be examined, with emphasis on the musical setting of liturgical texts. The course will also explore the importance of liturgical space and the relationship between architecture and liturgical styles. A theological understanding of beauty will underpin all consideration of music, art and architecture.
M2000 Fundamental Moral Theology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
This course examines the meaning and structure of the Roman Catholic moral tradition. Themes studied include: history and development of moral theology, the Christian conscience and its formation, discipleship and sin, the magisterium and authority, use of Scripture in moral theology, natural law, the role of moral principles and norms in contemporary moral theology.
P2000* Introduction to Church Administration
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: D2020
This course examines the theory and practice of church administration. Building on fundamental principles of ecclesiology, it covers relevant sections of canon law and civil law. Having studied church structures, the course will develop principles of good governance, and the requirements of good administration. Students will become familiar with responsibilities under civil law, including charity law, employment law, and work health and safety law. The course will also indicate requirements of accountability to various authorities and stakeholders.
P2040 Introduction to Pastoral Counselling
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: P1010
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of pastoral counselling, which an essential element of contemporary pastoral practice. Students will consider what it is that makes counselling pastoral. They will investigate the various dimensions of the counselling relationship, and explore the cost of emotional involvement with others who suffer. This course will help students develop basic counselling skills such as how to listen to, how to interpret, and how to respond to, what is communicated by the sufferer. Finally, the course will consider the role of the psychology of counselling employed as a hermeneutic tool.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: P1010
This course assists students to develop knowledge of the Māori language, culture, religions and skills in the evangelization of the Māori people. It helps students develop an understanding of, and empathy for, the culture, thought patterns and religious motivations of Māori people. It helps students develop into effective religious, spiritual, and pastoral ministers to and for the Māori people.
P2060 Supervised Ministry Practicum & Integrity in Ministry
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: P1010
This course includes both the active practice of ministry, and a sustained reflection on both the practice and theory of ministry. A supervisor and an ordained mentor, or other suitable specialist, oversees reflection in the place of ministerial practice. A classroom-based element allows time for personal, group and academic reflection on the experience of ministry and engages with the theory of ministerial practice. Students gain familiarity with the Church document Integrity in Ministry and through doing so grow in their awareness of the ethical demands of ministerial practice.
S2000* Studies in Spiritual Theology
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: S1000
Through the study of primary texts, this course will introduce students to some of most prominent writings in the Catholic spiritual tradition, such as: the monastic tradition; the Franciscan tradition; the Ignatian school; the Carmelite tradition. The course will help students appreciate some of the sources and methods in the western spiritual tradition and apply them to their own spiritual development.
W2000 Late Modern & Contemporary Philosophy
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: W1010 / W1020
This course examines, in the wake of the revolution initiated in philosophy by Immanuel Kant during the late eighteenth century, various strands of philosophical thought in Late Modern and Contemporary Philosophy. These strands include German Idealism, Romanticism, Phenomenology, Existentialism, Hermeneutics, Pragmatism, Analytic Philosophy, Poststructuralism and Postmodernism. Attention will be given to how the development of philosophy throughout modernity has influenced the way philosophical and other questions are posed, articulated and addressed.
W2010 Philosophy of the Human Person
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: W1010 / W1020
This course examines different theories of human nature, the differences between human persons and animals, and human persons and machines. Other themes include the basic drives or instincts behind human behaviour, the soul, the human capacity for evil, self-identity, mind/body, depersonalisation, personal relationships and freedom.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: W1010 / W1020
Moral Philosophy is the study of how humans approach, understand, justify, and engage moral principles and theories. The course firstly explores metaethical issues of subjectivism, relativism, and divine command. Secondly, it explores normative theories of utilitarianism, deontology, natural law, and virtue ethics.
Stage 3
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: B2000 / B2030
The book of Psalms and the Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament contains expressions of the people of Israel’s faith and worship. This course examines these expressions from the perspective of form, theology, themes, traditions, and the quest for truth and meaning. Wisdom books are selected for detailed study.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: B2000 / B2030
This course involves a study of the New Testament writings associated with the name of John, emphasising the background and theological witness to Jesus of the Fourth Gospel, and considering the ongoing development of the Johannine traditions and community in the Epistles of John.
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: B2000 / B2030
This course introduces the student to the historical and social background and literary forms of Biblical Apocalyptic Literature. The course examines major theological themes of Biblical Literature.
C3000* Canon Law and the Sacraments
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: C2000
This course introduces students to the study of canon law of the sacraments, apart from marriage. The focus will be on Book IV, The Sanctifying Office of the Church. The course begins with the fundamental theological principles that are the foundation of the Church’s law. The concept of a valid and lawful celebration is explained, and the proper ordering the sacraments in the life of the church. Finally, the course will consider sacramentals, the liturgy of the hours, funeral rites and sacred times and places.
C3010* Matrimonial and Procedural Law
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: C2000
This course introduces students to the study of the canon law of marriage, both the substantive canon law and the applicable procedural law. The substantive canon law includes a recognition of the types of marriages, the properties of marriage, impediments to marriage, and canonical form. The procedural law concerns church tribunals, examining the types of cases that come before a tribunal and their possible outcomes.
C3020* Selected Themes in Canon Law
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: C2000
This course enables students to study a selected set of themes within Canon Law. Themes will be chosen by the lecturer to complement prior study in the canonical tradition. Content may include any of Books I through VII.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010
This course investigates the biblical witness to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It discusses the development of the conceptuality of the doctrine of the Trinity and some modern restatements of the doctrine. The course considers the significance of the Trinity in its centrality to Christian life and ministry.
D3010 Creation, Anthropology, Grace and Eschatology
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010 / D2020
This course studies four areas of theology: the theology of creation, Christian anthropology, the theology of grace, and eschatology. After examining the biblical foundations, the course will study the key moments in the theological development of these themes. A close examination will be made of the contemporary context of these questions and the way theologians are addressing them. Finally, there will be a consideration of the way these theologies inform a Christian understanding of the world and thereby inform a dialogue with the world.
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010 / D2020
This course will study the main elements of Catholic Eucharistic doctrine: the presence of Christ in the Eucharist; the sacrifice of the Mass; and the Eucharist as the sacrament of unity. We will examine the Church’s dogmatic definitions against the background of the biblical data and the liturgical and patristic tradition. Students will apply Eucharistic doctrine to the pastoral life of the church.
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010 / D2020
This course will examine the theological evolution of the sacrament of Holy Orders and how this has shaped the theological understanding of the three orders, bishop, priest, and deacon. The teaching of the Second Vatican Council and subsequent church teaching will shine a light on the relationship between the three orders and their specific ministry. Applying the principles of sacramental theology, we will see how these orders are essential to the nature of the church. The course will examine the connection between the theology of holy orders and the life of the ordained. Finally, we will examine how the ministry of the ordained is exercised in a collaborative manner for the sake of the mission of the church.
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: D2020
This course will examine the theological foundations of ministry. Building on Christological and ecclesiological foundations, it will respond to the questions: Why ministry? What is ministry? Who ministers? Where does ministry occur? What is the relationship between ministry and mission? The course will also consider the shape ministry takes in concrete situations.
D3100 Sacraments of Initiation
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010 / D2020
This course studies the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist within the Catholic tradition. It considers the anthropological roots of ritual and examines the Jewish and Christian origins of the ritual practices in the contemporary church. Tracing the influence of historical development and their pastoral and theological consequences in different moments of the Church’s life. The course shows how these impact upon the celebration of the Eucharist, Baptism, and Confirmation today.
D3110 Sacraments of Healing & Reconciliation
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010 / D2020
The experiences of sin, suffering, illness and death are fundamental to every human life. The Church’s ritual responses to each of these experiences mediate the healing and reconciliation offered to sinners and the sick by Christ the physician of our souls and bodies. This course traces the biblical foundations, historical development, theological understandings, canonical interpretations and current ritual practice of the church in its pastoral care of sinners and the sick. Through an in-depth study of the Rite of Penance and the Rites of Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum, the course explores the sacramental theology underpinning the church’s response to the ongoing individual and communal need for healing and reconciliation in today’s world.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: D2010 / D2020
Beginning with baptism as the primary source of vocation and mission in the Church, this course focuses on the sacraments of serving the communion of disciples especially, within the classic tradition, those of marriage and holy orders. Attention is also given to religious life and the ministries of the Church.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: H1010
This course introduces students to a selection of significant authors and literature from the early patristic tradition. Students will be introduced to the culture, spirituality and theology of the Fathers, and particular themes, authors and texts will be examined.
H3040 Reformations: Churches in the 16th Century
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: H1010
The contemporary religious landscape is still marked by the creative, yet destructive, upheavals experienced within the cultural, theological and devotional life of the sixteenth-century Church in Europe. This course examines that abiding inheritance and pays particular attention to the Eucharistic disputes of the Reformation period.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: H1010
The French Revolution and the Enlightenment mark a turning point in the Churches’ relationship with European culture and political thought. This course reviews how the Missionary movement, fundamentalism and the revival in biblical, theological and liturgical studies influenced the Church’s relationship with the modern world.
H3060 The Catholic Church in New Zealand
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: H1010
This course examines the history of the Catholic Church in New Zealand from its origins to the present day. Paying attention to the contexts relevant to New Zealand history and the Church internationally, students will be able to trace and explain the rise of Catholicism in New Zealand, thus providing a context for other theological studies relating to the Church in New Zealand.
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: B2030 + D2000
This course will examine the place of the homily in the liturgical celebration. The primary source for this examination will be the General Instruction on the Lectionary. Students will gain an understanding of the significance of the Liturgy of the Word in all celebrations and the role of the homily in the celebration. Students will gain skills in preparing and delivering homilies in various liturgical contexts, such as Sunday Mass, weddings and funerals.
M3000* Sexual Ethics, Marriage and Family
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: M2000
This course focuses on the theological understanding of marriage, family, divorce, contraception, sexuality and the vocation to holiness in the Catholic tradition. Building on prior studies in fundamental moral theology, the course explores the broader anthropological and theological understandings of human sexuality and their implications for human relationships and sexual behaviour. It also investigates contemporary issues in sexual ethics, including homosexuality, ethical aspects of human development and sexual maturation, and the pastoral application of the Church’s teachings on sexuality.
M3010* Catholic Social Teaching
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: M2000
This course introduces students to the social doctrine of the church. Building on prior studies in fundamental moral theology, the course examines community, sociality, and globalisation with a focus on social justice. It investigates key principles of Catholic Social Teaching — such as common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, the preferential option for the poor — and applies them to concrete ethical situations whilst engaging with broader perspectives in social ethics.
M3020* Bioethics and Healthcare Ethics
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: M2000
This course introduces students to the ethical issues in modern health care practice. Building on prior studies in fundamental moral theology, it will assist the student to be sensitive to a range of bioethical dilemmas that exist in the practice of contemporary medicine and healthcare. It critically relates Christian Anthropology to bioethics and healthcare, and it assists students to evaluate dilemmas in the light of both Catholic and secular principles. The course will help students develop skills in moral decision making in keeping with the tradition of Catholic moral theology.
M3030* Contemporary Issues in Moral Theology
NZQA Credits: 7.5 credits
Pre-requisite: M2000
This course allows students to study in-depth one of a range of contemporary fields within moral theology. Building on prior studies in fundamental moral theology, the course will examine a contemporary field within moral theology (e.g., issues in war and peace studies, or environmental ethics etc) and gain familiarity with Church teaching and the response of moral theology to ethical issues within the field. This course will help students develop the skills to engage complex moral problems using advanced reasoning techniques drawn from the tradition of Catholic moral theology.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: W2xx
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. As such it asks questions about reason, truth and certainty. Epistemology delves into different conceptions of the very notion of “truth”, and how it can be derived. What are our best “ways of knowing”? Are there such things as “facts” or is everything interpretive? Can knowledge be clearly distinguished from belief? The course also examines classical theories on knowledge such as rationalism and empiricism, and the role of language in coming to knowledge and belief.
NZQA Credits: 15 credits
Pre-requisite: W2xx
This course examines issues in Metaphysics as that branch of philosophy which is traditionally concerned with perennial questions about “being” and “existence”. Drawing on seminal figures in the history of philosophy, such as Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, but also on more recent thinkers, key areas covered in the course include approaches to understanding what exists, concepts used to grasp “first things” and the possibility of explaining what is “real”. Specific topics explored include God, the world as a whole and the nature of metaphysical thought. Other related topics, such as the link between metaphysics and other philosophical, scientific or theological disciplines, will be considered.
