Page 219 of Boston College 2006-2007 University Catalog by Boston College University

TH 530 Contextual Education: Supervised Ministry and Professional Development (Fall/Spring: 4) IREPM Course Contextual Education is a four-credit program over one academic year. Students register for Contextual Education during the fall semester. This program provides students with supervised experience in their areas of ministerial specialization. Through supervision in the field, discussion with other participants, reading and theological reflection, students will become familiar with the needs of particular groups of people and will develop models of ministry that are applicable to their own situations. The Department TH 532 Basic Dimensions of Pastoral Care and Counseling (Fall: 3) This course presents the dimension of faith as the distinguishing feature of pastoral care and counseling. It explores the importance of faith for the identity and role of the pastoral caregiver and for the therapeutic change that pastoral care and counseling can facilitate. In a context of human and religious development, this course outlines psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic approaches to pastoral counseling as a ministry of the church. It also considers a number of issues that surface in pastoral counseling: therapeutic alliance, transference and counter-transference, ethics, boundaries, and multicultural perspectives, differences among psychotherapy, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction and diagnosis and referral. John J. Shea, OSA TH 538 Directed Research in Pastoral Ministry (Fall: 3) Directed research courses are an opportunity for students to pursue special scholarly and pastoral interests for graduate credit, with the aid of a faculty advisor. Only those studying for a degree may take directed research. Subject matter and requirements must be designed with the professor and approved by the Institutes Associate Director for Academic Affairs. The Department TH 593 Fostering Faith Across the Life Cycle (Fall: 3) Cross Listed with ED 673 Religious educators and pastoral ministers attend with care to faith growth of the entire Christian community. Psychology and theology provide insights into the process of human maturing and faith development. This course draws on these resources to examine the way in which we can support the faith life for persons of faith at each point of the life cycle. Although the development of children and youth are examined, particular focus is given to points of transition within adulthood. What does it mean to be a person of faith as we mature through early, middle, and late adulthood? Jane E. Regan TH 604 The Practice of Ministry with Youth and Young Adults: Voice, Vision, and Vocation (Fall: 3) The aim of this course will be to explore elements critical to the effective practice of lay and ordained ecclesial ministry, with special attention paid to those who work with youth and young adults. Together we will explore the competencies and foundations (pastoral, theological and social psychological) undergirding the ministers work; become familiar with means for resourcing the empowerment of the minister; and propose strategies for sustaining ones vocation as minister. The Department TH 634 Methods and Management for Religion Teachers (Spring: 3) This is the course that will help the educator look at successful pedagogy for catechesis by exploring the answers to: By what methods can I successfully engage my students in faith learning and the development of their own spirituality? How can I best manage my class and the resistant student? What might I need to know regarding boundaries, commmunication skills, and school law? How can I be intentional and creative in my lesson planning? What can I draw from in pop-culture to excite my students to discover the relevancy of their expressions in lived faith? Jane Ayer TH 644 Foundations of Theology: A Pastoral Perspective (Fall: 3) A graduate-level introduction, this course will provide an overview of contemporary Christian theology, introduce basic theological constructs, consider theological methods, and investigate the sources that contribute to the construction of theological positions. The course is designed to explore foundational concepts of God, Christ, the human, and the world from a pastoral perspective. Paul Ritt TH 647 Sacraments in the Life of the Church (Fall: 3) Offered Periodically This course will offer an introduction to the sacramental life of the church from the point of view of pastoral practice. In the beginning few weeks we will focus on the foundational elements of Roman Catholic sacramental theology. In subsequent 2-3 week segments, various Theology/IREPM faculty will address the sacraments from their areas of expertise. These segments will include sacraments and religious education; sacraments and spirituality; sacraments and ethics; and sacraments and pastoral care. Throughout the course, students will further their experiential knowledge of the Churchs sacraments by participating in the actual liturgical rites. Jennifer Bader TH 656 Psychological Resources for Ministry (Fall: 3) Weekend Course January 19 20, 2007, Friday 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This course will examine some of the theoretical and practical contributions of the psychological sciences to the practice of ministry. Included will be an exploration of adult psychosexual organization (gender and sexual orientation) as it impacts the practice of ministry, as well as some consideration of the psychology of the healing process itself. The course will explore some contemporary psychological images, the vocabulary and concept of psychological diagnosis, and the relevance of social science data and research methods in religion and spirituality. Finally, the course will explore what can be learned from psychology about the ministers own emotional health. John Allan Loftus, S.J. TH 683 Seminar in Pastoral/Practical Theology (Spring: 3) All Christian theology is marked by the pastoral interest of serving the life of the Church in the world. Pastoral theology, however, takes this practical interest as its primary focus, allowing concern for pastoral life to shape its methodology and the issues addressed. This seminar will focus on foundational themes of pastoral theology, including its distinctive methodology, its pastoral hermeneutics, the relationship of faith and culture and the challenge of inculturation, the social sciences as resources to pastoral life, and enabling scholars to do theology in a pastoral setting. Nancy Pineda-Madrid ARTS AND SCIENCES The Boston College Catalog 2006-2007 219

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