NSOM 7395 Theological Studies Capstone
Ordinarily taken in the last semester of graduate study, the Theological Integration Seminar is the final major initiative of the Master of Theological Studies degree. Its purpose is to provide a structure and method for students to integrate theological knowledge with current pastoral practice, contemporary culture, and personal experience. Taught in a seminar format, the course focuses on foundational elements of the Catholic theological enterprise, as suggested by the required titles in the Annotated Bibliography (AB), in the context of ongoing dialogue between Tradition and lived experience. Students are required to select a focus of study and reflection from within the texts of the AB, as well as relevant lived experience. During the semester students will submit a research paper and lead a seminar discussion on that topic. At the conclusion of the semester, each student offers a Lectio Coram, a public presentation of a systematic theological reflection on the student’s pairing of theological topic and relevant lived experience, reflecting on the interplay between doctrine, ministerial practice, culture, and spirituality.