Bethlehem University - Faculty of Art

The Faculty of Arts offers a bachelor degree in Religious Studies that concentrates on the study of Christianity from a Catholic and ecumenical point of view. It seeks to meet the spiritual and academic needs of all its students, and promotes the study of religion at university level. The program aims at promoting an appreciation of the religious culture of the Holy Land in an ecumenical and interfaith atmosphere. The language of instruction is Arabic, with English as a second language.

A student majoring in Religious Studies needs to earn a total of 122 credits distributed as follows.

The Religious Studies Major consists of 64 credits as in the following schedule.

RELS 101	Introduction to Theology (3)	RELS 302	Islam (2)
RELS 102	Philosophy (3)	RELS 304	Church History III (3)
RELS 104	Bible and Interpretation (3)	RELS 305	St. Paul�s Writings (3)
RELS 200	Synoptic Gospels (4)	RELS 306	Judaism (2)
RELS 206	Liturgy (3)	RELS 307	Ethics II (2)
RELS 208	Old Testament (3)	RELS 401	Christology (4)
RELS 209	Ethics I (3)	RELS 402	Church History IV (1)
RELS 220	Christian Doctrine (4)	RELS 403	Selected Topics (3)
RELS 221	Church History I (3)	RELS 404	Contextual Theology (2)
RELS 226	Church History II (2)	RELS 405	Pastoral Theology (2)
RELS 227	Holy Land (3)	RELS 406	The Church (3)
RELS 301	Johannine Writings (3)

Students majoring in Religious Studies are provided the opportunity to minor in a discipline other than their major field. A student may take a minor program consisting of 18 credits from among the minor programs offered in the Faculties of Arts, Sciences, and Business Administration. A student may also take a minor offered by the Religious Studies Department.

The University Requirements for all Religious Studies students total 34 credits. The Philosophy requirement is met by RELS 102 and the Religious Studies requirement is met by RELS 220, RELS 302 and RELS 306.

Students are accepted to major in Religious Studies after their third semester, provided that they have earned at least 40 credits, and that all of the following conditions are met:

First Year

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

RELS 101

Introduction to Theology

RELS 104

Bible and Interpretation

RELS 102

Philosophy

RELS 220

Christian Doctrine

ENGL 120

English Lang. Skills I

ENGL 121

English Lang. Skills II

ARAB 120

Arabic Lang. Skills I

ARAB 121

Arabic Lang. Skills II

MATH 111

Fundamentals of Math

General Elective

SUMMER SEMESTER			CR
Minor 1	RELS 171	Introduction to Catechetics	1
Minor 2	RELS 207	Catechetics and Old Testament	3

Second Year

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

RELS 200

Synoptic Gospels

RELS 208

Old Testament

RELS 206

Liturgy

RELS 209

Church History II

RELS 221

Church History

RELS 226

Ethics I

SCIE 111

General Science

ENGL 213

English Lang. Skills

General Elective

PSED 101

Physical Education

SUMMER SEMESTER			CR
Minor 3	RELS 271	Catechetics	4
Minor 4	RELS 308	Catechetics and New Testament	3

Third Year

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

RELS 222

Holy Land

RELS 304

Church History III

RELS 301

Johannine Writings

RELS 305

Paul�s Writings

RELS 302

Islam

RELS 306

Judaism

HIST 120

Modern Palestine

RELS 307

Ethics II

CMSR 101

Community Service

ECON 300

Basic Economics

SUMMER SEMESTER			CR
Minor 5	RELS 131	Psych. Found. of Teaching	4
Minor 6	RELS 407	Catechetics and Local Church	3

Fourth Year

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

RELS 401

Christology

RELS 404

Contextual Theology

RELS 402

Church History IV

RELS 405

Pastoral Theology

RELS 403

Selected Topics

RELS 406

The Church

POLS 300

Political Science

Fine Arts Requirement

In addition to the Major in Religious Studies, the Department provides the opportunity for all students to join the program towards a minor in catechesis and the Bible. To earn this minor, students are required to successfully complete all of the following courses (a total of 18 credits).

The Religious Studies Department also makes available for those students in Amman, Jordan, the opportunity to earn a teaching Diploma in Religious Education. This is a two-year program with all of the courses taught in Amman under the capable direction of qualified and experienced teachers. The Diplomas are stamped and accepted by the Ministry of Education in Jordan. To earn this diploma, students are required to successfully complete all of the following courses, a total of 40 credits.

First Year

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

RELS 103

Intro. Religious Education

RELS 124

Methods in Rel. Education

RELS 119

Christian Anthropology

RELS 223

Basic Christian Doctrine

RELS 212

Teaching Old Testament

RELS 224

Theology of the Church

SUMMER SEMESTER		CR
RELS 120	Psychological Foundations of Teaching	3
RELS 221	Church History	3

Second Year

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

RELS 210

Teaching New Testament I

RELS 211

Teaching New Testament II

RELS 222

Christian Spirituality I

RELS 213

Teaching Moral Theology

RELS 274

Curriculum Formation

RELS 225

Christian Spirituality II

RELS 373

Supervised Teaching

SUMMER SEMESTER		CR
RELS 272	Christian Social Teaching	1
RELS 275	Leadership and Ministry in Church	2
RELS 333	Teaching Liturgy	3

The course introduces students to the main areas of Christian theology It encourages thinking in theology which does not separate theory and practice, nor academic and internalized theology. It also introduces students to the study of religion and to the methodology of such a study. It provides a basic knowledge and understanding of the specific characteristics and teachings of the major subsequent courses in Religious Studies.

The course introduces students to Greek philosophy and its development in Arab and European philosophies. It examines the main currents of thought regarding the Christian faith through a historical outline of philosophical thinking from the Middle Ages to the present day. It examines the relation of the Christian faith to philosophical systems and problems.

The object of this course is to present an overall understanding of the meaning, objectives and necessity of education. Further, it is planned that the students become aware of the nature, the elements and objectives of Christian education. We will concentrate on the ways Christian education is conveyed in the parish, family, liturgical services and ministry. We will also study the influence of the society in which we live on the development of human personality, and we will discuss the most important characteristics of Arab society in shaping Arab identity. We will present Dewey�s most significant ideas on education and then principles of critical thinking. We will also study the method of Thomas Groome on faith sharing as a means of religious education today.

This course examines various methods of interpreting the Bible and ways of applying them in concrete situations. To this end the students study logic and historical-critical methods, in addition to methods that are more literary, sociological, philosophical, and theological. Practical application of these methods is centered on the life of David in the Books of Samuel and on the life of Jesus in Mark�s Gospel.

The objective of this course is to know the human person in a Christian way. We will approach this question from three aspects: theology, Christian education, and eschatology. Theology concentrates on the basic human structure in relation to God and human fulfillment in God. In Christian education the emphasis on experience is very important in helping humans to come to their fulfillment in God. Eschatology studies the ultimate destiny of humans.

This course takes the form of a general introductory survey, presenting the fundamental concepts of psychology with greater emphasis on mental functions and personality. It also deals with essentials in developmental theories.

This course is a general survey of the major concepts of the psychology of teaching with emphasis on mental functions and personality. It will also consider essential aspects of developmental theories.

This course presents various methods for religious education: memorization, lecture, questions, discussion, problem solving, etc. In relation to each method the education objectives will be discussed. The students� evaluation of these methods and objectives will be an important aspect of the course. The teacher will help the students to develop their skills in teaching through cognitive and feeling questions. Also the skills of the students will be challenged in the course of the classroom discussions. The students will be also challenged to develop their own abilities and skills in cognition.

Catechetics, as a branch of Theology, will be situated within the larger context of the prophetical mission of the Church to grasp its nature and its function in the growth of the Church. Special attention will be paid to the catechetical mission of the local church in the Holy Land. This course is based mainly on the encyclicals: Evangelii Nuntiandi and Catechesi Tradendae.

This course builds on the foundation course in Biblical Studies (RELS 104) by studying the Synoptic Gospels. It discusses and evaluates the different methods of Biblical criticism: critical-historical and literary methods, psychological and sociological approaches, philosophical and theological approaches. It sets out to ensure that students are sensitive to the relationship between the one Gospel and the four expressions of it. It explores some of the major themes of the Gospels (Kingdom of God, miracles, parables, the Messiah, discipleship, poor and rich, Christological titles) and the particular perspective of each Gospel writer.

This course offers an introduction to various writings of the Bible. Selected texts from the Law, the Prophets, the Wisdom books, and the Gospels, Letters and revelation will be studied in the social and historical context of their composition.

This course offers a survey of Christian Arab Literature in the Middle Ages, before and after Islam. The texts studied include the subjects of philosophy, theology, translations, dialogues, history and poetry.

This course provides an introduction to the pre-Islamic world, the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur�an, "Hadith", and "Sira", followed by the rise of the major Islamic denominations, Sunni and Shi�ites. The formation of the schools of jurisprudence, theology, Sufism and philosophy are also clarified in view of the historical background of the first three centuries of Islam.

This course explores the origin and meaning of the central Christian rituals which are rooted in and expressive of the nature of the human person and the nature and purpose of the Christian community. It provides the foundations for answering the following questions: Why has humankind always made use of symbols and rituals? What does it mean to speak of a sacrament? What is meant by the terms: sacred space and sacred time? What contemporary issues are raised by some of the sacraments? (Baptism of infants, the "real presence" of Christ in the Eucharist, mixed marriages and re-baptism, etc.).

This course focuses on questions raised by the stories of creation, sin and violence, the history of salvation, the election of the Jewish people, the Messianic promises, the covenants, and the role of prophecy and prayer.

This course helps students to understand the diversity and development of ideas of God, the world, and humanity in the course of the revelation in the collection of books in the Old Testament. It situates this revelation in the context of ancient Near Eastern beliefs and civilizations. It discusses and evaluates the different methods of Biblical criticism. It focuses on the gradual revelation of the history of salvation in the stages leading from Abraham and Moses to David and the return from the Exile. It explores such major themes of the Bible as election, covenant, the law, prophecy, wisdom, forgiveness, the Messiah, and the salvation of the nations.

This course explores the nature of morality from a Christian perspective. It provides a basic introduction to the study of Christian ethics. This requires an examination of the sources used by Christians to inform their ethical thinking: the Bible, the tradition of the Christian Churches, and human reason.

This course is an overview of the books of the New Testament as well as a general view of the historical and social background of the New Testament. The four Gospels will have special attention with an emphasis upon the theological interest of each of the authors. The relationship among the Gospels will also be stressed pointing out the difference between the synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John.

This course will present an overview of the Acts of the Apostles and after a brief presentation of the life of Paul, a short review of Paul�s letters. In studying the letters the themes to be developed are: who is Jesus, the Church, and the Christians.

This course is designed to introduce the student to the basic scholarly and theological concepts necessary for a Christian reading of the Old Testament in its historical and literary context. The lectures and discussions focus on the texts of the Old Testament itself and are meant to familiarize the student with the Old Testament as a means of enriching the faith. Among the topics touched upon during the semester are the following: the history of the Israelites and their understanding of that history as the focus of their relation to God, the process of revelation and the process of collecting and recording scripture, the narrative integrity of the Old Testament and the various literary genres in scripture, the notion of prophecy, the developments in the religious experience and understanding of the Israelites, and the relation of the Old Testament to the New Testament, and the advent of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God�s revelation to the Israelites.

This course explores the nature of morality from a Christian perspective. It provides a basic introduction to the study of Christian ethics. This requires an examination of the sources used by Christians to form their ethical thinking: the Bible, the tradition of the Christian Churches, and human reason.

This course introduces the students to the major truths of Christian teaching on God, creation, revelation, redemption, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, the sacraments, Mary, and eschatology.

This course aims to give students an understanding of the development of Christianity as it rooted itself in the Mediterranean world. It considers the interaction of ideas and particular historical settings in relation to the spread of Christianity. It investigates the events which shaped Christian life in the first five centuries and examines Christian self-identity. It considers the writings of several well-known church fathers from these centuries from both the Eastern and Western traditions in their respective contexts. It highlights some of the important theological questions that they were facing.

This course deals with the nature and definition of the spiritual life. Emphasis will be placed on an understanding of God as personal and one with whom a personal relationship is possible. Examples will be studied from the bible, e.g. Abraham, Mary, and the Apostles. Also living in the spirit as presented by Paul will be of central concern. The challenge for spirituality in today�s world will be explored and the students will be challenged to develop a contemporary personal spirituality.

A theological study of basic Christian doctrine with emphasis upon: God, Trinity, Christ, the Holy Spirit, creation, and redemption. The approach will be as historical as possible, showing the development of dogma and bringing out the differences and similarities with the Orthodox and Protestant Churches.

This course is an introduction to theology through a study of the church. The students will be expected to learn the theological method in study of the church. The course will concentrate on the biblical foundation of the church, the apostolic characteristics of the church, and the expressions provided by the church in the world. Attention will be paid also to the mission of the church to build the kingdom of God through the different communities in the church (priests, laity, religious, etc.). Special emphasis will be paid to the unity of the church, relations between the various church communities, the local churches and the universal church. The contemporary question of the relation of the church to the world will be an important aspect of the course.

This course will present the spirituality of Sts. Ephraim, Augustine, and Ignatius Loyola. Specific themes to be developed are prayer, life, and work. Methods of prayer will be particularly developed and attention paid to renewal of the spiritual life. The contemporary challenges of loneliness, emptiness, alienation, and aggression will be considered.

The course aims at presenting the rich heritage of Arab Christian literature which began in the eighth century in Palestine. It reflects on the process of Arabization of theology in the Muslim context and reviews several of the original theological compositions that were written in Arabic.

This course enables the students to know the Holy Places in connection with the Bible in order to include this experience in their lives and in their religious teaching. This course includes an introduction to the spirituality of the Holy Land (nature, dimension, and method of visit), and excursions to the Holy Places (mainly Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Galilee).

This course seeks to focus on methodology in religious education with special attention to the insights of Educational Psychology. Emphasis will be given to catecheses for different age levels and to the use of the full variety of catechetical methods. A survey of available texts and audiovisual materials for catechists will be included. This course will include analysis of taped lessons and participants will be supervised in their presentations to their own classes.

The course provides a basic introduction to Christian social ethics, with particular emphasis given to issues of faith, peace and justice. We will give special attention to the teaching of the Church through the significant social encyclicals. Fundamental theological and moral questions will be considered in the light of special issues facing the local society today in the holy land, including economic, social justice, family, and sexuality.

This course is concerned with developing the skills of the students to form curricula for catechesis in schools and parishes. General and specific educational goals and how practically to achieve them will be noted. Important will be the investigation of how to determine that these general and specific goals meet not only the requirements of the Christian community but also the needs of the students. The selection and organization of the material will be stressed. Content and method will depend on the level of the students for whom the educational material is being prepared. Stress will be paid to developing the sensitivity of the teachers to the performance of their students. The course participants will be asked to prepare a few practice lessons.

This course aims to present and discuss leadership theories. It stresses the importance of leadership and its practice in the Church. This course will be focused on helping the participants to develop their leadership abilities through the study of topics, such as, vision, goals, planning, organizing, performing, and assessing, etc. Attention will also be given to the authority system in the Church as written in the Documents of Vatican 2.

This is a University required course taken by all students in their fourth year. It focuses on the three major religions in the area: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It presents their history, beliefs, moral precepts, feasts and rituals in view of reaching a deeper and unbiased appreciation of their roles in contemporary society.

The course builds on the earlier course on the New Testament, and assesses the contribution of the Fourth Gospel to the development of Christian thought. It examines the Johannine Letters and the Book of Revelation with special attention to the teachings of these works and the contexts in which they were composed.

This course aims at developing the students� understanding of religion and their experience of the study of religion with reference to Islam. It helps students to explore the dimensions of Islam, especially the ritual and ethical dimension, to encounter, study and evaluate important Islamic texts, and to understand Islam as a contemporary and historic phenomenon.

This course addresses the major theological questions raised by certain particular periods in the history of Christianity. It provides a framework of information about the events, personalities and movements associated with Christian theology in those periods, and it promotes a critical knowledge of the literature available on the relationship between Christian thought and practice, and the secular history of the period.

The course promotes an understanding of the contribution of Paul to Christianity. It enables students to appreciate the nature of Paul�s sense of his apostolic authority, and to evaluate the significance of the epistolary communication between Paul and the recipients of the Letters.

This course aims to develop the students� understanding of religion and their experience of the study of religion with reference to Judaism. It helps students to explore the dimensions of Judaism, especially the ritual and ethical dimension, to encounter, study and evaluate important Jewish texts, and to understand Judaism as a contemporary and historic phenomenon.

This course aims at presenting special contemporary ethical problems in personal life, in professions, in national and international communities. It helps students deal with the complex relations between the general background and principles of Ethics I, and the vital realities of modern life in different cultural contexts.

This course deals with questions related to promise and fulfillment, miracles, the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, faith and reason, methods and authority of interpretation, and the relation of the Scriptures to Church tradition.

This course begins with an introduction to the nature of liturgy and its place in God�s plan for salvation of man. The seven sacraments will be studied according to three aspects: biblical, theological, and spiritual. Attention will be given to the way of celebrating each sacrament, the position of Catholic, Orthodox and protestant toward each sacrament. It also stresses the study of liturgy in the East and in the West.

During the course of this program, each student will be expected to teach several topics to his class under the supervision of a staff member. This will occur in courses covering the Old and New Testaments, moral theology, and other topics in Religious education.

This course aims at presenting the history of Christian understanding of Christ, through the issues underlying the major Christological councils, down to the problems and insights of contemporary Christology. It helps students to be aware of the diversity of opinion in contemporary Christologies against the background of the authoritative positions on Christ taken by the Church. It aims at helping the student to develop tools of analysis for evaluating different approaches to Christ, and to explore aspects of contemporary and traditional Christologies which relate to personal and social experience.

The course presents and evaluates the theological and practical perspectives of ecumenical inter-faith dialogue within a historical, social and philosophical framework. It is concerned with local, regional and international initiatives and commitments. It also gives a historical survey of Christian attitudes towards other major world religions, especially Islam and Judaism.

Major students are required to do a dissertation in their fourth year. A student pursues a topic in Religious Studies under guided supervision. Evaluation is on a study of 5,000 words. The precise area to be investigated is arrived at by consultation between the student and an appropriate tutor.

This course aims at exploring the dynamic interaction among Gospel, Church, and culture. It helps students to analyze the social, political, and economic context of theology and to examine a series of "local theologies" within the great Christian tradition.

The course introduces students to the basic theory, principles and attitudes necessary for effective pastoral ministry. By the conclusion of the course students should have a knowledge and understanding of pastoral ministry within an appropriate theological framework: of how social, economic and cultural factors affect the practice of ministry, of the relationships between pastoral ministry and issues of social justice, and of recent literature on the subject.

This course aims at exploring the various stages of the self-understanding of the Christian Church, as expressed by the different churches that we know today. It aims at helping the student to reflect critically on the relation between Christ and the Church, which he has sent into the world to preach and witness to the Kingdom of God. The course presents, from an ecumenical perspective, selected issues of ecclesiology that have a strong influence on the modern world and contemporary regional society.

This course focuses on the concrete problems of the local churches, at various levels of their existence and practice: the family, the parish, the schools and charitable institutions, public life on local, regional and international levels. It is concerned with the programs and books of catechesis used in the area, and with their goals and presuppositions, in view of promoting a better practice of Christian life in the local society.