M2 Concentration: Interreligious Studies

Master 2 Concentration: Interreligious Studies

Length: 1 year (can be spread over 2 calendar years)

Preparing for degree : Master of Arts in Theology

Entry requirements: MA1 in Religious Studies or MA1 in Theology (or equivalent)

Choose 4 courses and 1 research seminar from below - to be approved by the Director of Studies

YEAR 2 OF THE MASTER’S IN THEOLOGY - CONCENTRATION: INTERRELIGIOUS STUDIES

The second year of The Master’s in Theology (M2, Master 2) - Concentration: Interreligious Studies gives access to the different religious traditions of humanity, with a particular emphasis on the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This study is driven by a reciprocal desire to understand one another, which is necessary for dialogue. Other traditions are also taught, such as Buddhism, Voodoo, Chinese philosophy, etc.

During this year, the student writes a research thesis under the direction of a qualified professor, which he or she is required to defend before a jury. The thesis is to be of 350 000 characters - (including spaces). Successful completion of the Master’s degree would enable students to teach and to go on to PhD studies.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The program is structured into:

an Educational component with specialized courses and interactive online seminars
a Research component with a thesis, supervised by a research director

Courses and assignments	4 courses	24 ECTS
Online seminars and assignments	1 seminar	6 ECTS
Research	1 thesis	30 ECTS

The courses available for the Master 2 in Theology program - Concentration: Interreligious Studies can be seen below, with a detailed description for each one. The student should choose their courses after completing the administrative registration application and this choice will be validated by the Board of Studies.

SEMINARS

The pedagogy of Domuni does not rely solely on reading. The interactive seminars are regularly offered for Master’s students. These are research seminars where students work synchronously: the seminars take place at fixed times and all participants study at the same time. Seminars are an opportunity for real dialogue-based research, led by a professor. The findings from seminars can lead to publication in Telos, the university’s journal.

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE

Each course is evaluated by

- a 10-question quiz

- a long paper (10-15 pages)

At the end of the academic year

- The thesis defense concludes the MA 2.

FLEXIBILITY

In addition to the fact that students can take more time and study one academic year over two calendar years, examinations, since the Covid 19 pandemic, can be done by videoconferencing, in front of the jury. For the thesis defense, assessments last one hour and are recorded. This arrangement helps to protect the environment (by avoiding travel), to save time and money and of course to avoid transmitting the Covid 19 virus.

It is also worth noting that enrollment happens daily. As soon as the registration process is completed, students receive a code that allows them to access the Domoodle teaching platform and begin studying. As mentioned above, each academic year can be spread over two calendar years without the need to re-enroll or pay tuition fees again.

List of Courses

Church History Part I

Christianity is an historical religion; it’s a religion about an historical event: Jesus' life, death and resurrection. But there may be conflicts between the pastoral and the historical points of view.

Church History. Part II

The present course covers the beginning of the modern period, from the 16 th to the 18 th century. This period, especially the 16 th century, is a turning point in the history of Western culture.

Jacques Dupuis' Theology of Religions

In order to have a better understanding of Dupuis’ viewpoints, the study will put side-by-side Dupuis’ ideas and those of pluralism, exclusivism and inclusivism. For this reason, the three approaches to the theology of religions will be briefly discussed. Likewise, the study also briefly presents the understanding of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) concerning the issues raised.

Gerald O'Collins' Understanding of Symbols, Experience and Divine Revelation

An Accommodation for a Christian Approach to the World Religions and Interreligious Dialogue in the Line of Jacques Dupuis

Church History. Part III

African Church History.

We will not engage on a history of the missionary movement in Africa but rather on a history of indigenous forms of Christianity – that is to say the forms of life inspired by Christianity that were accepted, adapted and spread by Africans.

Thomas Aquinas and the Islamic Intellectual Tradition

Thomas never refers to Muslims by their name.

Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels - Part II

This course introduces you to the debates about the meaning of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke/Acts. What were the theological interests of the authors of the Synoptic Gospels?

Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels - Part III

What is the Jesus presented in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke like? How did he understand himself? How did the Evangelists understand him? Is that the same or different to the understanding of the disciples?

Philosophy of Religion

Philosophy of Religion is also known as Philosophical Theology or Philosophy of God. Other names include Natural Theology and Theodicy.

Monasticism in Buddhism and in the Catholic Church

Common elements of Monasticism in Myanmar Buddhism and in the Latin Catholic Church, in preparation for an Interreligious Dialogue : a Comparative Study

The Origins of the Quran I

This course introduces to the history of the text of the Quran, to its language and style, and to the traditional "Qur'anic sciences".

The Origins of the Quran II

This course introduces to the history of the text of the Quran, to its language and style, and to the traditional "Qur'anic sciences".

Ecumenical Hagiology

In the lives of the sains lifes " lives" the Christian vision of God, man, and the world which stand all out very clearly. Men can learn almost as much about the real meaning of Christianity from the legends of the saints produced within the tradition of the Church as from the authentic lives themselves. Through the reading and studying the lifes of the saints who arrived before us in the promised land, we came to know how God works in the daily lives of Christians and how faith can be lived not only in good times but especially during persecution and suffering. This helps us to appreciate more our faith and make us grow in loving our brothers as part of God's providence.

Ecumenical Biblical Hermeneutics

The aim of this first set of readings is to gain familiarity and/or to review the literary history of the Bible: namely, religious, socio-political, cultural factors which shaped the structure and content of both testaments.

Opposition to ecumenism

This course will give students a general exposure to traditional opposition to Ecumenism within the perspective of the three main traditions of Christianity.

Ecumenical Theology

As reasoned discourse about God ecumenical theology is focussing on God’s will for unity among Christians.

Introduction to Catholic Tradition

This course gives a survey on the Catholic tradition by examining a series of documents like Lumen Gentium and other documents of Vatican II.

Introduction to the Protestant Tradition

This course helps us to get in touch and explore with the this 16th century religious movement the originated in western Europe over against the prevailing Roman Catholicism.

Eastern Church history and cultural landmarks

This course will look at some issues of theological controversy between East and West.

Newman's Theory of Doctrinal Development

Application of the Newmanian Criteriology on the Axiom "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus"

A Brief Introduction to and Overview of Classical Religious Hinduism

There are many different spiritual pathways that were born in the Indian sub-continent: Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, for example, and others that came to India such as Christian and Muslim. Hindu spirituality which represents the spiritual quest of the vast majority of the people of India is rooted in the relentless and uninterrupted search of the seers from the Indian sub-continent.

Christian-Muslim Dialogue and Secularization

The aim is to explore some aspects of Christian-Muslim dialogue in Britain, against the climate of rising secularization of European societies and the changing dynamics of institutional religious channels in this context. It will also touch upon questions of faith, belonging and belief, after an in-depth analysis of the challenges secularism represents for inter-faith dialogue given the contemporary popularity of militant atheism.