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Master of Arts: Pastoral Theology

So also I send you.
—John 20:21
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About the Program

In this program, Catholics seeking to serve the Church find the theological, spiritual, pastoral, and human formation they need to implement the New Evangelization.

This degree program is offered on campus and via distance education. Both on-campus and online students will benefit from cohort-based instruction, dedicated faculty advisors, and peer mentors. On-campus students will participate in practicum experiences and online students will complete a capstone project where they will put their theological and practical wisdom to work.

This degree program is intended for men and women who are either active participants in the Church’s mission of evangelization and catechesis or seek to become such. Online students are expected to be active in the life of the Church, either as part-time or full-time employees or as volunteers.

The Catholic Church understands “the study of the sacred page” to be “the soul of sacred theology” (Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum §24), through which the one God and his saving will are disclosed through many books and writings in the biblical canon. In this way, as God’s eternal Word became incarnate for the sake of our salvation in the person of Jesus, God’s eternal truth is expressed in Scripture through human words and writings, which the Church affirms are inspired by the Holy Spirit to make us “wise unto salvation” (see 2 Tim 3:15–17).

Interpreting the Bible, then, calls for serious attention to the Scriptures as historical human texts. “The interpreter of Sacred Scripture, in order to see clearly what God wanted to communicate to us, should carefully investigate what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words” by studying how the texts were written “in particular circumstances by using contemporary literary forms in accordance with the situation of [their authors’] own time and culture” (Dei Verbum §12). In addition, since through the many books and authors of Scripture it is ultimately the one God who is speaking his one Word, the Catholic interpreter must pay no less attention to the voice of God who inspired all the texts and, we believe, has guided and guides the Church to receive them. Hearing and interpreting God’s written Word calls for consideration of the content of the whole biblical canon, the commitments of faith, and the living tradition of the Church (Dei Verbum §12).

The Augustine Institute’s M.A. in Biblical Studies puts the historical, linguistic, and literary tools of contemporary scholarship in conversation with the Church’s theological and exegetical traditions, forming students in the habits of faith and scholarship as they study the sacred page.

About the Program

The mission of Catholic schools and teachers is a participation in the Church’s mission of evangelization and catechesis (cf. Ex corde Ecclesiae, #49). In the present cultural climate, Catholic schools urgently need teachers who are effective witnesses to Jesus Christ and his Church. To that end, Catholic educators require a graduate program that joins the return to classical pedagogical methods to the communication of an integrated theological worldview. The MA in Catholic Education was designed to meet this crucial need in today’s classrooms.

This master’s program forms men and women who will teach in schools across the United States and internationally. Graduates of the program will manifest the knowledge and ability to deploy the pedagogical principles and practices that have been handed down through the ages by the leading educators of the classical and Christian tradition. With each credit hour, they will obtain mastery over the philosophical and theological principles that govern and direct Catholic education.

The Master of Arts in Catholic Education is a 36-credit-hour program available to on-campus or distance students at either a full-time or part-time pace. The program’s admissions requirements are:

  • Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
  • Demonstrable ability to read and synthesize insights into thoughtful written work and expression
  • Employed as an educator at a school or parish, or the aim to be employed as such
  • Strong Catholic identity
  • Commitment to evangelization and the renewal of education
  • 3.25 GPA or higher preferred

To request information about our required courses, academic calendar, opportunities to visit campus, or other questions, please contact our graduate admissions team.

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Courses

The Master of Arts in Catholic Education curriculum includes twelve required courses, each of three credit hours: four courses in theological and biblical foundation, four courses treating the liberal arts and Catholic education, and four classes in classical education or specific teaching areas. Our faculty and staff equip current and future school leaders, whether as a teacher in a public or Catholic school, school administrator, or another role in educational leadership.

Core Theological Courses

Salvation History

+

This course helps students to understand the unity of God’s plan of salvation from Creation to the Second Coming. By a thorough overview of the Old and New Testaments, this course introduces Catholic exegetical approaches and theological interpretation, aiding students in reading Scripture as the Word of God. Students engage some comparative primary texts and grapple with historiographical questions that help them to demonstrate the reliability of the Bible. With a special focus on the themes of covenant and mission, the course illustrates how Jesus fulfills God’s promises and how He invites His followers to share in His work of evangelization.

Rule of Faith

+

This course offers a synthetic introduction to the Christian faith through its central mysteries, in which “God has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:2), and their sacramental, liturgical, moral, and spiritual fullness in the life of theChurch. Students will read from the whole Catechism of the Catholic Church, alongside the Fathers and Doctors of the Church.

Light to the Nations

+

This course journeys from the historical roots of Christianity to modern times with primary sources from the Church’s greatest saints and theologians. Central to this story are basic questions about the nature of the Church and of the spiritual and moral life. The lives and writings of the saints offer the chief examples of the divinized life, for they show us how to obey the Lord’s command, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).

Jesus and the Gospels

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Among all the books of the Bible, the Gospels have “a special preeminence,” according to the Second Vatican Council, “for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of the incarnate Word” (Dei Verbum, 18). This course examines Jesus’ life and mission in light of the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. Students engage insights from historical research into the life of Jesus and the world of first-century Judaism as well as gain a deeper understanding of the Gospels as narrative. In addition, the Gospels are also studied for their perennial theological and spiritual significance.

Core Catholic Education Courses

Catholic Education: Ends, Principles, and Means

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Students will be introduced to the ends, principles, and means of Catholic education, with special emphasis placed upon the human person, the classical liberal arts, and the integration of all learning in the light of the Catholic Faith.

Christian Anthropology

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Students will receive a firm grounding both in philosophical and theological anthropology as well as in what it means to be a human person, with special emphasis on the teachings of Sts. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman.

History of Catholic Education

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Students will gain a knowledge of key figures and schools of education through the centuries and be able to identify how the history of Western education was informed and enriched by the Catholic Church and its influence on society and culture; special attention is given to the teachings of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, Church documents on education, and the rich, centuries-long tradition of Catholic liberal education.

The Art of Teaching

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Student will be encouraged to see and to experience their teaching vocation as the loving formation of their students in moral, intellectual, and theological virtue; students will acquire a firm, experiential knowledge of the best teaching styles, from leading stimulating and productive Socratic conversations to delivering dynamic, engaging lectures (as well as various “hybrid” forms of teaching).

Specialization Areas

Catechetics

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Four courses in which students explore the areas of catechetics appropriate for K-12 Catholic schools and acquire the best methods and skills for teaching the basic truths of the Catholic Faith to their students.  

Humanities

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Four courses to prepare students to teach literature, history, and related subjects from a Catholic perspective and informed by the Catholic tradition.

Classical Pedagogy

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Four courses that will extend the students training in the principles and practices of Classical pedagogy, with special emphasis on the seven liberal arts and the formation in students of a disciplined mind that has learned how to learn.  

Science and Mathematics

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Four courses that begin with a study of the quadrivium and proceed to an integrated approach to mathematics and natural science within a well-ordered Catholic curriculum, with special attention to questions about the relationship between faith and reason.  

Grammar School

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Four courses that prepare aspiring teachers to teach in Catholic grammar schools, with emphasis on the formation of the imagination, the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric), and elementary math and science.  

Four Pillars

Built on the same four pillars as priestly and religious formation, this program offers a comprehensive, integrated training that prepares lay ecclesial leaders to share the truth of Jesus Christ amidst contemporary challenges.

1. Theological Formation:

Students receive a faithful and rigorous theological formation grounded in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, the Church Fathers, the lives and witnesses of the saints, the Second Vatican Council, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This instruction grounds the students in the long theological tradition of the Church with an eye towards the authentic implementation of the New Evangelization.

2. Spiritual Formation:

Through course material, seminars, and practicum experiences, students receive a spiritual formation that enriches their own personal encounter with Christ and prepares them for the challenges and spiritual realities of lay ecclesial service.

3. Pastoral, Evangelistic, and Catechetical Formation:

Grounded in the pastoral vision of the Second Vatican Council, the program offers pastoral and catechetical formation that equips students to hand on the truth of Jesus Christ in this time of the New Evangelization. This formation is centered around sound principles of pastoral care and key methods of authentic catechetical renewal envisioned and articulated by the documents of Vatican II, the writings of St. John Paul II, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

4. Human Formation:

Through coursework, seminars, and practicum experiences, students receive practical and essential human formation that forms them to be effective leaders for the New Evangelization. These crucial skills and dispositions include the key moral virtues for lay ecclesial leadership, communication and management skills, an appropriate awareness and understanding of ecclesial life and structures, and interpersonal skills related to ecclesial life and service.

Three Pillars

The course of study in the Graduate School of Theology leads to the Master of Arts degree in Theology; it is available on our campus in St. Louis or via distance education. The program consists of three pillars:

1. Sacred Scripture

Students learn to express the narrative of salvation history, explain the biblical foundations of Catholic doctrine, interpret the texts in light of tradition, and substantiate the reliability of Sacred Scripture.

2. Sacred Doctrine

Each of our students develops a foundational knowledge of the Catholic Church’s dogmatic, sacramental, moral, and spiritual teaching as exemplified by the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

3. History and Mission

Students come to grasp the main themes of Church history, particularly in the West, with special emphasis on evangelization and on the saints and martyrs as teachers and models.

Programmatic Goals

I. Theology: to demonstrate a foundational knowledge of the Catholic Church’s dogmatic, sacramental, moral, and spiritual teaching, building upon that doctrine as exemplified by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Graduates will be able to analyze, explain, and where relevant defend the following elements of understanding:
II. Spiritual Interiority: recognizing that a mature Christian interior life is both a prerequisite to effective mission and the goal toward which that mission is oriented, as well as an essential part of the methodological structure of all catechetical practice, graduates will be able to explain and defend the following elements of understanding:
III. Pastoral, Evangelical & Catechetical: to demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of evangelization and catechesis, as well as strategies of pastoral care and the ability to develop, to implement, and to assess effective evangelistic, catechetical, and pastoral initiatives in an ecclesial setting which respond to the leading challenges facing the Church’s mission today. Graduates will be able to analyze, explain, and where relevant defend the following elements of understanding:
IV. Leadership: to demonstrate readiness for collaborative work and management in the life of the Church so as to implement effective discipleship strategies. Graduates will demonstrate an articulate understanding of and principled commitment to the following elements:

Concentration Requirements

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology is awarded upon the completion of twelve courses. Nine of the courses are required and three are electives. Full-time students complete the degree in four semesters over two academic years and part-time students typically complete the program in three or four years. In addition, on-campus students have a four-semester “Pastoral Theology Seminar and Practicum.” Online students have a monthly formation meeting by videoconference.

The core courses for the degree program are as follows:

Courses

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology is awarded upon the completion of twelve courses. Nine of the courses are required and three are electives. Full-time students complete the degree in four semesters over two academic years and part-time students typically complete the program in three or four years. In addition, on-campus students have a four-semester “Pastoral Theology Seminar and Practicum.” Online students have a monthly formation meeting by videoconference.

The core courses for the degree program are as follows:

Salvation History

This course helps students to understand the unity of God’s plan of salvation from Creation to the Second Coming. By a thorough overview of the Old and New Testaments, this course introduces Catholic exegetical approaches and theological interpretation, aiding students in reading Scripture as the Word of God. Students engage some comparative primary texts and grapple with historiographical questions that help them to demonstrate the reliability of the Bible. With a special focus on the themes of covenant and mission, the course illustrates how Jesus fulfills God’s promises and how He invites His followers to share in His work of evangelization.

Rule of Faith

This course offers a synthetic introduction to the Christian faith through its central mysteries, in which “God has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:2), and their sacramental, liturgical, moral, and spiritual fullness in the life of theChurch. Students will read from the whole Catechism of the Catholic Church, alongside the Fathers and Doctors of the Church.

Light to the Nations

This course journeys from the historical roots of Christianity to modern times with primary sources from the Church’s greatest saints and theologians. Central to this story are basic questions about the nature of the Church and of the spiritual and moral life. The lives and writings of the saints offer the chief examples of the divinized life, for they show us how to obey the Lord’s command, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).

Jesus and the Gospels

Among all the books of the Bible, the Gospels have “a special preeminence,” according to the Second Vatican Council, “for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of the incarnate Word” (Dei Verbum, 18). This course examines Jesus’ life and mission in light of the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. Students engage insights from historical research into the life of Jesus and the world of first-century Judaism as well as gain a deeper understanding of the Gospels as narrative. In addition, the Gospels are also studied for their perennial theological and spiritual significance.

Pastoral Ministry in the Church

This class answers the question “what is the Church?” from the perspective of mission, starting with the mission of Christ. We will consider the Church as the Body of Christ, the People of God, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Special emphasis will be given to the people who are called to further the mission of the Church and how they work together. The course stresses the primacy of virtuous character in lay ecclesial service.

Mystagogy: Liturgy and the Sacraments

Mystagogy is the ancient practice of learning to “see” the invisible Mystery made present in the visible signs of the sacraments. In this course, the Catechismand other sources of mystagogical practice serve as guides for a deeper knowledge of the plan of God made present in these wonderful gifts. After a theological and liturgical study of Christian worship, we gaze into each of the seven sacramental mysteries, learning to decode the signs they employ to dispose us better to receive what they reveal and communicate. In addition to the Catechism, texts considered include Ratzinger, Spirit of the Liturgy, and Corbon, Wellsprings of Worship.

Moral and Spiritual Theology

Through an investigation of human personhood and the vocation to love and beatitude, this course helps students to understand moral action and the habits of character it establishes. Students examine the Biblical foundation of Catholic moral teaching with particular attention given to the Sermon on the Mount, the new life realized in us by the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the virtues of Christian living. The course treats the dynamics of the moral law, sin, repentance, and grace, as well as prayer and the stages of the spiritual life.

Catechesis in the Mission of Evangelization

This course investigates the principles governing the practice of catechesis – especially as found in John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Catechesi tradendae – and the methods best used to implement these principles in the service of the Church’s mission of evangelization. The Catechism of the Catholic Church will be treated as a synthesis of past catechetical practice and a sure norm for teaching the faith. Attention will also be given to pedagogical methods and the pastoral strategies needed for the effective evangelization and catechesis of adults, youth, and children in our current cultural setting.

Evangelization and the Body of Christ

This class explores contemporary social conditions and proposes evangelizing strategies and pastoral aids to bring those outside the Church or on the margins to Christ and the sacraments. The course also provides a vision for true Christ-centered service in ecclesial communities and structures, including dioceses, parishes, schools, and apostolates.

Graduate Bulletin

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