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MASTER OF ARTS IN LITURGY

MASTER OF ARTS (LITURGICAL STUDIES)

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Academic-Year Program

SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION (LI625)
The sacraments of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist – guide a person into the life of Christ in the communion of the Church. The current Catholic rites of initiation are examined in their theological, historical, canonical, and practical aspects. In particular, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is studied in detail. Special attention 
is given to the patristic documents which constitute the foundation of the revised rites. The Eucharist is explored briefly as the sacrament which concludes Christian initiation. 3 credits

LITURGICAL DOCUMENTATION AND LAW (LI626)

The important juridical and pastoral aspects of the liturgy are covered in this study of book four, De ecclesiæ munere sanctificandi, of the Church’s collection of laws and directives taken from the praenotanda and instructions of the various rites and liturgical actions. Principles for proper interpretation of liturgical law provide a solid pastoral foundation for the
practical application of liturgical law and directives. 2 credits

WORD OF GOD AND LITURGY (LI635)
The reforms of Vatican II called for greater consciousness of the importance of the Liturgy of the Word as reinforced with the 2008 Synod on the Bible. This course explores the relationships between the Sacred Scriptures and the Liturgy. The biblical concept of the “Word of God,” the theological understanding of the Word in patristic and modern writers, the various means of biblical interpretation will all be introduced. Attention will be given to the sacramental nature of the Word of God. Liturgical documents dealing with the importance of the lectionary and homiletics are examined in light of the relationship between word and rite in sacramental liturgy. 2 credits

LITURGICAL YEAR AND LITURGY OF THE HOURS (LI636)
The Church’s theology of time is expressed and examined as context for celebrating the great mysteries of faith. The origins and developments of the major seasons and feasts of the Church year are explored. Emphasis is placed on the theology of Sunday. The development of the Liturgy of the Hours (both cathedral and monastic) is examined, as is the current shape of the Church’s rites for the Hours. The spirituality of the psalms is explored. The roles of Mary and the saints are also treated. 2 credits

SACRAMENTS OF VOCATION (LI640)
The rites of matrimony and holy orders are examined from structural, theological, and historical perspectives. Special attention is given to the sacramentality of marriage as expressed in the consent, the bond, and the covenant. The relationship between marriage and celibacy is explored, and the family as ‘domestic church’ is examined. The pastoral
ministry of the ordained is seen in its ecclesiological context and purpose, with attention given to a proper understanding of hierarchy as well as the relationship between the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood. 3 credits

ART, ARCHITECTURE AND AESTHETICS (LI641)
Sacramental signs form the fundamental medium for worship and its ritual elaboration. Liturgical art and architecture are understood as part of the symbol system of the rite. Moreover, classical aesthetics claims that things are called beautiful in the degree that they reveal the ontological basis upon which they are founded. Symbols, properly speaking, make active and present the reality they signify, and liturgical art and architecture therefore form a sacramental system attuned to the eye. 

 

After a general introduction, the course considers theological aesthetics in the West (Aquinas) and in the East (iconography). Particular attention is given to the implications of salvation history; the tradition of Catholic architecture through the centuries; the foundational Biblical theology of Temple, living stones and Heavenly Jerusalem; the classical
inheritance; modern Liturgical Movement, Vatican II, and post-Conciliar movements; trends in Modernism and Post-Modernism; and recent moves toward a reintegration of tradition in new design. 3 credits

SACRAMENTALS, BLESSINGS AND DEVOTIONS (LI642)
As a complement to the Seven Sacraments, many other rituals and private devotions build up the faith life of the Church. These include rites found in the Pontifical, the Book of Blessings, and the Book of Catholic Household Blessings. The role of devotion and popular piety in the past and the present will be examined by focusing on the example of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 2 credits

SOURCES, PRINCIPLES & METHODS (LI647)
This study of Catholic doctrinal tradition draws upon patristic, medieval, and modern theologians to uncover the fundamental principles of sacramental theology. The nature of sacramental symbol, theories of sacramental causality and efficacy, the institution and number of the sacraments, and sacramental grace are examined in the context of an 
overarching Trinitarian, Christological, and ecclesial framework. Particular attention is paid to the renewed understanding of the role sacraments play in the economy of salvation. 

 

Students are introduced to the primary literary sources for Liturgiology and to various methods of approaching them that are found in secondary sources. The focus is on liturgical documents, although other documents pertaining to the liturgy will also be discussed. The time period under consideration extends from the first centuries of Christianity to the Second Vatican Council. Students will be provided with a history of liturgical books and developments in liturgy as a means of more deeply appropriating the tradition that underlies the liturgical books in use today. 3 credits

SACRAMENTS OF HEALING (LI650)
The two “sacraments of healing” – anointing of the sick and penance – are covered in this course. An examination of the origin and development of the sacrament of penance sheds light on the Church’s revised rites and their theological underpinnings. The rites of the Church’s sacramental ministry to the sick and dying, and her funeral liturgy, are placed in the context of an anthropology which expresses the paschal character and eschatological significance of a Christian’s illness and death. 3 credits

LITURGICAL TRADITIONS EAST AND WEST (LI652)
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the rites and practices of non-Roman western Christian traditions (Anglican and other select Protestant groups), and to the liturgy as celebrated by eastern Christian communities (both Catholic and Orthodox). The origin and historical development of these traditions is considered. Particular attention is given both to distinctive theological themes within these rites and to the manner in which the renewal of western Catholic liturgy is occurring today as a result of contact with the theology and practice of the East. 2 credits

THE LITURGICAL MOVEMENT (LI654)
This course focuses on the Liturgical Movement as it developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and its influence upon the teachings of the magisterium and the Second Vatican Council. Important texts by leading theologians are studied as are official Church documents. The influence and understanding of the movement in recent years is studied, and the postconciliar interest in inculturation is examined and evaluated. 3 credits

RITUAL, SYMBOL AND MUSIC (LI655)
Symbol is the fundamental medium for religion and its ritual elaboration. The nature and function of symbol and ritual in liturgical worship is considered. The following are examined for their relevance to the understanding of Catholic worship: the phenomenology of religion; ritual anthropology; various theories of symbol; language theory. Particular attention
is given to the manner in which modern symbolic studies provide an understanding of the scholastic maxim, “sacraments confer grace by signifying.”

The place of music in human culture is examined from the perspective of a philosophy of aesthetics. The historic role of music in the elaboration of the mysteries of the Christian faith is explained. The official documents of the Church produced during the twentieth century are discussed in detail. The current musical structure of the Roman liturgy is explored, and practical principles for the advancement and management of liturgical music programs are proposed. 3 credits

EUCHARIST: ORIGINS, STRUCTURE & CONTROVERSIES (LI656)
This class begins with a study of the origins of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. It follows the historical development of Eucharistic worship in the patristic period and the middle ages. The revision of the Roman rite following the Council of Trent is considered, along with the transition to the 1970 missal. Students will study the Missale Romanum of 2002 in detail, as well as questions regarding translation of liturgical texts. Knowledge of Latin is recommended but not required.
 

Classic Eucharistic polemics are explored in context: among them sacrifice, communion, epiclesis, memorial, veneration outside Mass, and the foundation of liturgical ministries. Particular attention is paid to Eucharistic controversies regarding the Real Presence of Christ, and an exploration is made of the various theoretical explanations the Church has used to express this dogma of faith. The Church is considered as a Eucharistic community. Ecumenical considerations are also treated. 3 credits

LITURGICAL PREPARATION AND TRAINING (LI658)
Practical and theological questions regarding the collaboration of the non-ordained faithful in the priests’ sacred ministry are discussed and examined. Students study the liturgical and para-liturgical rites at which laity may preside, and the procedures and preparation required for these celebrations. Also treated are the practical matters of organizing and
overseeing the liturgical life of a diocese, parish, community, or other Catholic institution, including the training and oversight of lay liturgical ministry and the organization and operation of an office of worship. 1 credit

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM: MAL (LI681)
Faculty Advisor. 0 credits

THESIS GUIDANCE: MALS (LI769)
The thesis director is chosen and potential thesis topics are discussed and selected. A draft proposal and research schedule is prepared and revised as needed. Thesis writing may begin with the director’s permission. 2 credits

THESIS WRITING: MALS (LI770)
Completion of Master’s Thesis writing with the thesis director. Final draft of thesis must be approved by thesis director and the Academic Director of the Liturgical Institute by March 15 if spring graduation of that year is desired. 2 credits

ONGOING THESIS WRITING (LI771)
Faculty Advisor. 1 credit

THESIS GRADE: MALS (LI780)
Faculty Advisor. 0 credits

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM: MALS (LI781)
Faculty Advisor. 0 credits

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Summers-only Program

SACRAMENTAL AESTHETICS (LI522)
Beauty is the splendor of truth, and the concept of the aesthetic refers to the experience of beauty. Sacramental aesthetics would then treat beauty as the manner in which God’s goodness gives itself and is understood as the truth. Special attention will be given to how this occurs in the liturgical life of the Church. After a general introduction, it considers theological aesthetics in the West (Thomas) and in the East (iconography). 1.5 credits

CHRISTIAN INITIATION (LI525)
The sacraments of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist – guide a person into the life of Christ in the communion of the Church. The current Catholic rites of initiation are examined in their theological, historical, canonical, and practical aspects. In particular, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is studied in detail. Special attention is given to the patristic documents which constitute the foundation of the revised rites. The Eucharist is explored briefly as the sacrament which concludes Christian initiation. 2 credits

LITURGICAL DOCUMENTATION AND LAW (LI526)
The important juridical and pastoral aspects of the liturgy are covered in this study of book four, De ecclesiae munere sanctificandi, of the Church’s collection of laws and directives taken from the praenotanda and instructions of the various rites and liturgical actions. Principles for proper interpretation of liturgical law provide a solid pastoral foundation for the
practical application of liturgical law and directives. 2 credits
 

MUSIC AND WORSHIP (LI527)
The place of music in human culture is examined from the perspective of a philosophy of aesthetics. The historic role of music in the elaboration of the mysteries of the Christian faith is explained. The official documents of the Church produced during the twentieth century are discussed in detail. The current musical structure of the Roman liturgy is explored, and practical principles for the advancement and management of liturgical music programs are proposed. 1.5 credits

LITURGY AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION (LI528)
The Church’s liturgy has always existed in dynamic relationship with the complex currents of culture and history. The interplay between liturgy and culture is of considerable importance in Catholicism today. This course examines the Church’s liturgy in the light of social history, the humanities, and cultural theory. Attention is given to the influences of
modernity and post-modernity on liturgical developments. The postconciliar agenda of inculturation in its various expressions is examined and evaluated. 1.5 credits

WORD OF GOD AND LITURGY (LI535)
The reforms of Vatican II called for greater consciousness of the importance of the Liturgy of the Word as reinforced with the 2008 Synod on the Bible. This course explores the relationships between the Sacred Scriptures and the Liturgy. The biblical concept of the “Word of God,” the theological understanding of the Word in patristic and modern writers, the various means of biblical interpretation will all be introduced. Attention will be given to the sacramental nature of the Word of God. Liturgical documents dealing with the importance of the lectionary and homiletics are examined in light of the relationship between word and rite in sacramental liturgy. 1.5 credits

LITURGICAL YEAR AND LITURGY OF THE HOURS (LI536)
The Church’s theology of time is expressed and examined as context for celebrating the great mysteries of faith. The origins and developments of the major seasons and feasts of the Church year are explored. Emphasis is placed on the theology of Sunday. The development of the Liturgy of the Hours (both cathedral and monastic) is examined, as is the current shape of the Church’s rites for the Hours. The spirituality of the psalms is explored. The roles of Mary and the saints are also treated. 2 credits

PRINCIPLES OF SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY (LI538)
This study of Catholic doctrinal tradition draws upon patristic, medieval, and modern theologians to uncover the fundamental principles of sacramental theology. The nature of sacramental symbol, theories of sacramental causality and efficacy, the institution and number of the sacraments, and sacramental grace are examined in the context of an overarching Trinitarian, Christological, and ecclesial framework. Particular attention is paid to the renewed understanding of the role sacraments play in the economy of salvation. 1.5 credits

MATRIMONY AND ORDERS (LI540)
The rites of matrimony and holy orders are examined from structural, theological, and historical perspectives. Special attention is given to the sacramentality of marriage as expressed in the consent, the bond, and the covenant. The relationship between marriage and celibacy is explored, and the family as ‘domestic church’ is examined. The pastoral
ministry of the ordained is seen in its ecclesiological context and purpose, with attention given to a proper understanding of hierarchy as well as the relationship between the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood. 2 credits

LITURGICAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE (LI541)
Symbol is the fundamental medium for religion and its ritual elaboration, and liturgical art and architecture are understood as part of the symbol system of the rite. The following are examined for their relevance to the proper understanding of Catholic worship: the classical inheritance, ritual anthropology, and theories of symbol and language. The tradition of Catholic architecture through the centuries are examined, including movements in Modernism, Post-Modernism, and recent moves toward a reintegration of tradition in new design. This course will address styles, types, and meanings in sacred architecture and the allied arts with a focus on the developments and movements of the 20th century. The course will use examples from the history of architecture to foster understanding and discussion of the larger theological and philosophical ideas associated with architecture. 2 credits

SACRAMENTALS, BLESSINGS, AND DEVOTIONS (LI542)
As a complement to the Seven Sacraments, there are many other rituals and private devotions that build up the faith life of the Church. These include rites found in the Pontifical, the Book of Blessings, and the Book of Catholic Household Blessings. The role of devotion and popular piety in the past and the present will be examined by focusing on the example
of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 2 credits

SOURCES AND METHODS IN LITURGIOLOGY (LI547)
Students are introduced to the primary literary sources for Liturgiology and to various methods of approaching them that are found in secondary sources. The focus is on liturgical documents, although other documents pertaining to the liturgy will also be discussed. The time period under consideration extends from the first centuries of Christianity to the Second
Vatican Council. Students will be provided with a history of liturgical books and developments in liturgy as a means of more deeply appropriating the tradition that underlies the liturgical books in use today. 2 credits

RECONCILIATION, ANOINTING, DEATH (LI550)
The two “sacraments of healing” – anointing of the sick and penance – are covered in this course. An examination of the origin and development of the sacrament of penance sheds light on the Church’s revised rites and their theological underpinnings. The rites of the Church’s sacramental ministry to the sick and dying, and her funeral liturgy, are placed in the context of an anthropology which expresses the paschal character and eschatological significance of a Christian’s illness and death. 2 credits

LITURGICAL TRADITIONS EAST AND WEST (LI552)
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the rites and practices of non-Roman western Christian traditions (Anglican and other select Protestant groups), and to the liturgy as celebrated by eastern Christian communities (both Catholic and Orthodox). The origin and historical development of these traditions is considered. Particular attention is given both to distinctive theological themes within these rites and to the manner in which the renewal of western Catholic liturgy is occurring today as a result of contact with the theology and practice of the East. 2 credits

EUCHARIST: THEOLOGICAL ISSUES (LI553)
Classic Eucharistic polemics are explored in context: among them sacrifice, communion, epiclesis, memorial, veneration outside Mass, and the foundation of liturgical ministries. Particular attention is paid to Eucharistic controversies regarding the Real Presence of Christ, and an exploration is made of the various theoretical explanations the Church has used to express this dogma of faith. The Church is considered as a Eucharistic community. Ecumenical considerations are also treated. 1.5 credits

THE LITURGICAL MOVEMENT (LI554)
This course focuses on the Liturgical Movement as it developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and its influence upon the teachings of the magisterium and the Second Vatican Council. Important texts by leading theologians are studied as are official Church documents. Finally, the influence and understanding of the movement in recent years will be studied. 1.5 credits

RITUAL, SYMBOL AND WORSHIP (LI555)
Symbol is the fundamental medium for religion and its ritual elaboration. The nature and function of symbol and ritual in liturgical worship is considered. The following are examined for their relevance to the understanding of Catholic worship: the phenomenology of religion; ritual anthropology; various theories of symbol; language theory. Particular attention is given to the manner in which modern symbolic studies provide an understanding of the scholastic maxim, “sacraments confer grace by signifying.” 1.5 credits

EUCHARIST: ORIGINS AND STRUCTURE (LI556)
This class begins with a study of the origins of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. It follows the historical development of Eucharistic worship in the patristic period and the middle ages. The revision of the Roman rite following the Council of Trent is considered, along with the transition to the 1970 missal. Finally students will study the Missale Romanum of 2002
in detail, as well as questions regarding translation of liturgical texts. Knowledge of Latin is recommended but not required. 3 credits

LITURGICAL PARTICIPATION (LI557)
Full, conscious, and active participation in the Sacred Liturgy requires more than “the mere observance of rubrics.” This course provides an in-depth treatment of the biblical, theological and liturgical foundations  for genuine engagement with the liturgical celebration. Approached from the perspective both of ordained ministers and lay faithful, the course unveils the hidden treasures of the liturgy and proposes strategies for liturgical catechesis. 1.5 credits

LITURGICAL PREPARATION AND TRAINING (LI558)
Practical and theological questions regarding the collaboration of the non-ordained faithful in the priests’ sacred ministry are discussed and examined. Students study the liturgical and para-liturgical rites at which laity may preside, and the procedures and preparation required for these celebrations. Also treated are the practical matters of organizing and 
overseeing the liturgical life of a diocese, parish, community, or other Catholic institution, including the training and oversight of lay liturgical ministry and the organization and operation of an office of worship. 1.5 credits

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM: MAL (LI681)
Faculty Advisor. 0 credits

THESIS GUIDANCE: MALS (LI769)
The thesis director is chosen and potential thesis topics are discussed and selected. A draft proposal and research schedule is prepared and revised as needed. Thesis writing may begin with the director’s permission. 2 credits
 

THESIS WRITING: MALS (LI770)
Completion of Master’s Thesis writing with the thesis director. Final draft of thesis must be approved by thesis director and the Academic Director of the Liturgical Institute by March 15 if spring graduation of that year is desired. 2 credits

ONGOING THESIS WRITING (LI771)
Faculty Advisor. 1 credit

THESIS GRADE: MALS (LI780)
Faculty Advisor. 0 credits

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM: MALS (LI781)
Faculty Advisor. 0 credits

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