Theology Religious Studies Major

Theology religious studies majors are members of the theological community formed by the department’s faculty and graduate students. The theology religious studies major offers students foundational study in the disciplines of biblical studies, historical theology, and systematic theology.

The theology religious studies major requires 10 courses. It is structured so as to bring together two elements:

1. Content: a consideration of traditional theological themes, such as God, Christ, Church, ethics and liturgy; and
2. Method: various aspects of Christianity are approached through distinct methods, which may or may not be engaged in doing theology per se, but whose end results are relevant to theology

The major is comprised of four required courses, a concentration requirement, and a capstone course.

All Fordham College undergraduates are required to take Faith and Critical Reason (THEO 1000) as well as one Sacred Texts and Traditions course (courses with the STXT attribute code). Although they are part of the Core Curriculum, they also provide a fundamental introduction to the coursework required of the major.

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Select two Christian Thought and Practice courses:		8
THEO 3832	Christian Thought and Practice I
THEO 3833	Christian Thought and Practice II
THEO 3834	Christian Thought and Practice III
Select a concentration and fulfill its requirements:		18 to 24
Theological Studies
Sacred Texts
Faith and Culture
American Catholicism
THEO 3860	Contemporary Conversations in Theology	4

The capstone course, THEO 3860, crowns the requirements for the major by focusing on a common theological theme. The theme of the course and the works utilized will depend on the expertise of the instructor; it includes a 25-to 30-page final paper.

Availability

The major in theology-religious studies is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College at Lincoln Center and Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies at Lincoln Center and Rose Hill. 

Fordham College at Rose Hill students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.

Professional and Continuing Studies students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the PCS Core Curriculum.

Theological Studies concentration

This concentration consists of systematics, ethics, liturgy, and historical courses and fosters critical capacities for thinking about fundamental questions such as God, the human person, truth, and society, as well as questions about how to live. It requires the following:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Select one course with the attribute STOT: Old Testament 1		3
Select one course with the attribute STNT: New Testament 1		3
Select one course with the attribute STSN: sacred texts of a non-Christian tradition 1		3
Complete the remaining Christian Though and Practice course (not taken as a major requirement):		4
THEO 3832	Christian Thought and Practice I
THEO 3833	Christian Thought and Practice II
THEO 3834	Christian Thought and Practice III
Select two general Theology electives 2		6 to 8

1	One of these courses may double count as the Sacred Texts & Traditions (attribute STXT) core requirement. A list of courses with these attributes can be found on our course listings page.
2	A Theology elective is any course with the THEO attribute or any THEO course 2000:4999 or THEO 1050 or THEO 1051.

Sacred Texts concentration

This concentration centers primarily on the textual traditions of Christianity but also allows space for the sacred scriptures of other traditions. This concentration trains its students in the methods of exegesis and scriptural interpretation. It requires the following:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Select one course with the attribute STOT: Old Testament 1		3
Select one course with the attribute STNT: New Testament 1		3
Select one course with the attribute STSN: sacred texts of a non-Christian tradition 1		3
Select three general Theology electives 2		9 to 12

This concentration focuses on the dynamics of religious beliefs and practices as an area of human experience shared across time and cultures and seeks to develop a broader understanding of the phenomenon of religion as practiced by persons of various faiths. It requires the following:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
THEO 3870	Religion as Human Experience	4
Select one course either with the STOT: Old Testament or STNT: New Testament attribute 1		3
Select one course with the attribute STSN: sacred texts of a non-Christian tradition 1		3
Select three general Theology electives 2		9 to 12

This concentration focuses on the theology, history, and practice of Roman Catholicism in the United States. It requires the following:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
AMCS 3981	Catholic Studies Seminar I	4
AMCS 3982	Catholic Studies Seminar II	4
Select one course with the attribute THAC: American Catholicism (listed below)		3 to 4
Select two general Theology electives 1		6 to 8

1	A Theology elective is any course with the THEO attribute or any THEO course 2000:4999 or THEO 1050 or THEO 1051.

Courses in this group have the THAC attribute.

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
THEO 3375	American Religious Texts and Traditions	3
THEO 3874	Religion in America	4
THEO 3993	Wartime Religion in U.S. History	4
THEO 3995	Religion and the American Self	4
THEO 4600	Religion and Public Life	4