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Courses

SYSTEMATIC PHILOSOPHY

Propaedeutic year

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (1.5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Gabriel Gauci

The students are introduced to some of the main themes of Greek classical thought, ranging from the first philosophers to Christian thinkers of the first centuries, and related issues which are at the origin of western philosophical thinking. These are: the origin of the universe, diety, existence, human nature, life after death, happiness, goodness.

LOGIC: CRITICAL THINKING (1.5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Gabriel Gauci

An introduction to Aristotelic logic providing students with the most important concepts and procedures in this particular field of knowledge, and also conceptual and practical skills to be applied in further philosophical and theological studies. Particular attention will be given to informal logic and the detection of common fallacies in arguments.

1st cycle

PHILOSOPHY OF KNOWLEDGE (5 ECTS) – Rev. Can Frankie Bajada

  1. Method and History of Epistemology.
  2. Towards truth: Logical and ontological truth in Saint Thomas.
  3. The subjective and the objective poles in knowledge.
  4. The Structure of Consciousness and its relation to reality.
  5. The finality of knowledge.
  6. Critical Examination of the various sources and ways of knowledge: self-knowledge, knowledge of matter; reasoning, memory.
  7. The Problem of Error.
  8. Scepticism and its problematics.
  9. The dynamic character of human knowledge. Limits of human knowledge and their transcendence.

PHILOSOPHY OF BEING (5 ECTS) – Rev. Can Frankie Bajada

  1. Ontology as the study of being as being and as a foundation of philosophy.
  2. Notion, subject and history of Metaphysics.
  3. Being and its Attributes.
  4. Analogy of Being.
  5. The Transcendental properties of finite and infinite being.
  6. Principles of Being.
  7. The predicaments of finite being: form and matter, substance and accident, act and potency.
  8. Causality in the world – Coordination and subordination of causes in the order of efficiency, finality, exemplarity and materialty.
  9. Beyond the crisis of Metaphysics.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD (4 ECTS) – Rev. Can Frankie Bajada

Epistemological status of the world – Man and the world. The structure of corporeal beings – analysis of change. Categories of being. Physical and metaphysical essence of matter. The nature of the world – mathematics, kinetics, dynamics. Some particular problems: the being of the world, natural evolution of the universe, finitude and contingency of the universe, creation. The value of the world – environmental ethics.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Gabriel Gauci

The main objective of this course is to discuss the issue of human nature: whether it is still possible to speak of a substance common to all human beings, and what can we discover and affirm with regards to it, also keeping in view the ethical, social, political, and theological implications of this discussion. The course is divided into two parts. The first consists of a historical overview dealing with the main authors who dealt with human nature and the human being in general. In the second part the main phenomena of human existence will be systematically examined in order to reflect whether they reveal something in common pertaining to every human’s innermost being, beyond cultural, social, and historical structures.

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (3 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Gabriel Gauci

The course is divided into two main sections. The first will be an introduction analysis to the political thought of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Macchiavelli, Hobbes, Marx, and Hannah Arendt. A discussion of some recurrent themes (democracy, authority, justice, common good, migration, and economic development) will follow.

Active participation will be required from students with weekly readings prior to lessons and brief presentations in class.

GENERAL ETHICS (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Christopher Caruana OP

This course will offer a broad and critical introduction to ethics by adopting three areas of study within the scope of moral theory. The first will be an exercise in what are typically metaethical questions: objectivity and subjectivity, practical reason and truth, good and evil, emotivism, nihilism and most of all an analysis of the moral act. The second exercise will focus on evaluating the merits and demerits of Aristotelian, utilitarian / consequentialist, Kantian, natural law and rights-based theories of ethics. Thirdly, a closer examination of ensuing issues within moral psychology and practical reason-based theories of ethics: theory of the will and virtue theory, principles of normativity, instrumental reasoning and the moral conscience.

PHILOSOPHY OF GOD (5 ECTS) – Rev. Can Frankie Bajada

Nature, object and history of Natural Theology. Atheism and its various forms. The proof of God’s existence through reason. Classical arguments for the proof of God’s existence: ontological, cosmological, anthropological, theological, moral, religious experience. Science and the proof of God. Theological language and ineffability of God. Essence and attributes of God: fullness of Being, Simplicity, Goodness, Eternity, Immutability, Freedom. The problem of evil. God’s action – God, man and the world.

HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

1st cycle

I. ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Jimmy Xerri

This will introduce the student to the known beginnings of philosophy, to the transition from myth to rational thought, its first developments and principal actors. The course will cover classical Greek thought from the 6th century B.C to the fourth century A.D.

II. HELLENISTIC-ROMAN PHILOSOPHY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Jimmy Xerri

The chief objective of the course is to show how the social change from City-State to Empire affected philosophy, causing it to sideline metaphysical and physical speculation in favour of the ethical and practical. The course covers the period that stretches from the 4th century B.C. to the 7th A.D., having as its major contents: Stoicism, Epicureanism, Cynicism, Eclecticism, Scepticism, Jewish-Hellenistic Philosophy, and Neoplatonism.

III. MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY I (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Jimmy Xerri

The main objective of this course is to understand how the transition from Patristic to Medieval thought took place and how social and religious factors aided the development of a philosophy which later on found its pinnacle in Scholastic thought. This part of the history of philosophy will take us from the later Church Fathers towards the first period of Medieval philosophy (c. 1000 A.D.). We shall deal briefly of some later Fathers, Boethius, Pseudo-Dionysius, Liber de Causis, the Carolingian Renaissance, Scotus Eriugena, Arab and Jewish Philosophy, Anslem and the reintroduction of Aristotle.

IV. MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY II (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Jimmy Xerri

The course deals with medieval philosophy, from the twelfth century Arab and Jewish philosophers and culminating in the transition period before the commencement of Humanism and the Renaissance around 450 A.D. The course will include treatment of medieval Aristotelianism and the Scholastic philosophy, the Franciscan contribution and Nicholas of Cusa who by some is considered as representing the last stage of Medieval philosophy.

V. THE RENAISSANCE AND EARLY MODERN ERA (3 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Jimmy Xerri

The aim is to study the two centuries (15th & 16th) of the rebirth of classical Greek philosophy. This transitory period will be shown as a wedge and at the same time as a preamble of the following two centuries, of which the course will also treat.

The Renaissance: The idea of a new humanism serving as the background: Erasmus and Thomas Moore; social happenings affecting the rise of a new philosophy; the revival of Platonism, Aristotelism; Nicholas of Cusa, Machiavelli; Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei and the scientific revolution, Frances Bacon; the revival of Scholaticism.

Early modern Period: Descartes; Pascal, Spinoza, Leibniz, British Empiricism, the Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant.

VI. LATER MODERN PHILOSOPHY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Jimmy Xerri

The objective of the course is to cover the main thinkers and schools of thought of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The principal subjects of the course will be: Idealism, Nietzsche, Neo-Thomism, Pragmatism, Analytical Philosophy, Phenomenology, Soren Kierkegaard, the Existentialism of Sartre and Camus, Political philosophy of the Frankfurt School, Postmodernism.

FUNDAMENTAL THEOLOGY

Propaedeutic year

INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY (2 ECTS) – Rev. Can Richard-Nazzareno Farrugia

Main objective: The course aims to provide the students with a historical perspective of the origin and development of Catholic theology that helps them to understand its nature, sources and role in the life of the Church and its importance in the formation for priestly ministry.

The course: Catholic theology and its various specialisations. Criteria towards a correct understanding of theology. The origin of theology in the first centuries of Christianity. Theological thought in the Middle Ages. The renewal of theology in the Modern and contemporary era. The challenges and opportunities for theology in today’s world, in the light of Pope Francis’ magisterium.

1st cycle

DIVINE REVELATION (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Grech

The main objective of this study course is to deepen the understanding of Christian Revelation. Starting from the supernatural reality of Revelation, the course will develop its transmission in the Church through Sacred Scripture and Tradition, together with their theological significance, the relation between them and also with the Church’s Magisterium.

FAITH, REASON AND RELIGION (3 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Christopher Caruana O.P.

This course examines the relationship between faith and reason as developed within the Catholic tradition. Fundamental theology examines the systematic role of philosophy within theology which operates primarily sapientially and logically. Moreover, it also examines the internal coherence and the veracity of theological claims. A close study of major theologians who have contributed to this topic will be examined, particularly St. Thomas Aquinas’s views on the scientific nature of theology. Other specialised themes will be: the logical structure of theological arguments; analogical language; the epistemology of the faith and sources of knowledge and revelation; the question of the formation of theological doctrine; the relationship between theology and science and the irreducible role played by philosophy in arbitrating between the two.

RELIGION AND SALVATION (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Chistopher Caruana O.P.

Learning Objectives: To address from the theological perspective the context wherein salvation emerges as a basic human aspiration; To explore the internal cohesion of all religions at the level of their salvific role; To identify the features which specify the uniqueness of Christ as the sole mediator of salvation as well as the role of the Church and its mission of salvation.

Description: A brief historical excursus of the notion of salvation in Christian theological reflection and in the interaction of the religions of the world. The Catholic / Protestant theological evaluations of non-Christian religions as “means” of salvation. The specificity of Christian salvation as rooted in the uniqueness and normativity of Christ, the sole mediator between God and humankind. The role of the Catholic Church in the mediation of universal salvation.

SPIRITUAL THEOLOGY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Alexander Refalo

The main objective is to help students integrate the theoretical and experimental side of Christian life by providing them with the essential data and principles of spiritual theology. The course discusses Spiritual Theology in terms of its method, sources and relationship with other disciplines. Special emphasis will be given to everyday experience.

The course covers:

  1. The biblical roots of spirituality
  2. A short history of spirituality
  3. The journey toward spiritual maturity.

The lives and thoughts of spiritual writers through the centuries provide good illustrations of the believer’s response to the indwelling spirit of God.

SACRED SCRIPTURE

1st cycle

INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE (4 ECTS) – vacant

The course: Achievement of the human mind apart from Christ. The patriarchal period: Abraham and the environment. The Jews in Egyptand Moses. The formation of the kingdom: Samuel, David, Solomon. Reasons for deportation into the exile of Babylon. During he exile: its positive and negative effects (586-536). The Liberation. Attempt to rebuild the temple. The Greco-Roman World and the religious fact. The Kingdom preached by Christ. Christianity and the Church.

INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT (3 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Sultana

The study of hermeneutics: literary forms. Inspiration and inerrancy. Their effects. Biblical language. The formation of the Canon of the Old Testament. Canonical, deutro-canonical and apocryphal books. The Massoretic Text. Efforts to guarantee accurate transmission. The importance of the Qumran Text. The Septuagint. The translations dependent on the LXX. The Council of Trent. The Vulgate.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PENTATEUCH (4 ECTS) – vacant

The question of authenticity. The origin of the dependent legal collections and codes. The growth of the four sources strata: Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, Priestly. Terminology, content, scope and style. The development from the original law-book to the present book of Deuteronomy. A study of the four other books of the Mosaic era.

THE POETIC AND DIDACTIC BOOKS (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Sultana

The prayer of Israel: introduction to the psalms: terminology and enumeration, authorship and date; compilation and growth of the Psalter; theological ideas. The Canticle of Canticles. Introduction to the Sapiental and Hebrew thought and the relative problematic. The nature of the Book of Wisdom: the problems of happiness and retribution.Readingof selected passages: Ps 1-9;Wis1-5;Wis6-9; Qoh.

THE PROPHETIC LITERATURE (5 ECTS) – vacant

The prophetic charism: Vocation, consecration, mission. The concept of “prophet” in the O.T.: perspectives and interpretation. The books of the later prophets. The prophets before the exile: Amos, Hosea, Michea, Proto-Isaias. Exegesis of the Book of Emmanuel (Is 1-39). The prophets of the 7th century and the beginning of the 6th century. Exegesis of the messianic prophecy in Jeremiah. The prophets of the exile period. Ezekiel: the problem of the vision and symbolic action; the great messianic prophecies. Deutero-Isaias: theology of the book and exegesis of the canticles Ebed-Yahweh. The prophets of the Persian period (538-332). The prophets of the restoration: Aggeus, Zechariah (1-6), Trito-Isaias (56-66). The prophets of the 5th and 4th century: Malachi. The Book of Daniel: literary genre, interpretation, theology of history.

GREEK AND HEBREW CULTURE OF THE BIBLE (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Sultana

Methods of biblical textual criticism. Orthographic errors in the N.T. Greek text. The Jewish Synod of Jamnia. The Targum, the Midrash, the Mishnah. The principal Jewish feasts referred to in the N.T. The feasts of the Passover, of Expiation (Yom Kippur), of the Weeks, of the Booths. The Sabbath. The Archaeology of the Holy Land.

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Mizzi

The main objective of the course is to acquaint the student with the literature of the New Testament, its relationship to the Old Testament, its geographical and historical setting and its relation to Judaism and the Hellenistic Roman environment and provide a reliable chronology for important events in it.

The New Testament is seen in its relationship to the Old Testament and as an ecclesial proclamation of Jesus’ message and the Apostles’ teachings. Attention is given to the geographical aspects of Palestine depicting the physical environment and the biblical geography related to the Gospels and Acts. The historical outlook, of Judaism in the Hellenistic and Roman period, starting from Alexander the Great up to the Second Jewish revolt is covered, thus providing a setting for the study of the Jewish religious environment including the Apocalyptic and the Jewish life and belief in the time of the New Testament both in Palestine and in the Diaspora. The Hellenistic-Roman environment is taken also in account considering the first century A.D. society, pagan religious movements and early Gnosticism. The chronology and the literary forms of the New Testament are also studied.

2nd cycle

SYNOPTIC GOSPELS (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Noel Debono

This course focuses on the Canonical Gospels of the Synoptics tradition and intends to give students some basic tools for their understanding. The introductory part will focus on the origin of the gospels and the transmission of Jesus traditions during the first century, their nature and literary genre, the history of their interpretation and the nature of their literary relationship (the Synoptic Problem). The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are then introduced, with special emphasis on their structure, specific characteristics, historical and social contexts, literary and theological setting, presentation of Jesus the Christ, and teaching on Christian discipleship.

LUKE AND ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Noel Debono

This course will examine the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles as two parts of a unique biblical narrative, which begins with the ministry of Jesus and concludes with the development of the early church from its Palestinian Jewish origins to the wider Roman Empire. With a focus on Luke-Acts as a theological narrative, the course will examine a variety of themes unique to Luke-Acts as well as particular texts in the two-volume work. The work’s literary features, theological perspectives, and historical context will be examined. The contribution of Narrative Analysis to Luke-Acts and the connections between our text and other biblical texts will be highlighted in particular. Throughout the course students will be invited to consider the power of the story to shape individuals and the church today.

THE GOSPEL & LETTERS OF JOHN (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Mizzi

The course aims to develop first-hand familiarity with the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles through various aspects. Acquaintance with the major Johannine issues debated in the contemporary biblical scholarship as well as its relevance and interpretative approaches will be discussed. The influences on the religious thought of the Gospel, the geographicalhistorical value and its symbolism are considered. Other aspects are dealt carefully namely the literary and theological character of the Gospel. Such aspects will also be discussed for John’s Letters. A detailed exegesis of some selected passages will be included.

THE PAULINE LETTERS (I) (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Mizzi

The main objective of this course will permit the student upon reading Paul’s letters, to come in contact with his great personality during his ministry and to develop an appreciation for the major issues in Pauline thought, particularly his christocentric soteriology, anthropology and eschatology. First consideration is given to Paul’s life to situate his letters and his thought in the story of his ministry. A glance is given at the epistolary genre and on contemporary studies of Paul’s letters. A reading of the first four letters of Paul,1 and 2 Thessalonians and 1 and 2 Corinthians discussing issues of authorship, integrity of composition and other problems where necessary. The content and the theological message of each letter is expounded, followed by an exegesis of some selected texts to explore certain Pauline doctrinal themes: Christology (Christ’s role in salvation history), ecclesiology and eschatology.

THE PAULINE LETTERS (II) AND THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Mizzi

The main objective of this course is to allow the student to come further in contact with other important issues in Paul’s thought especially his christocentric soteriology, the effects of the Christ-event expressed in different images (justification, reconciliation, etc.), the situation of humanity before Christ and his moral teachings applied in Christian life. The Letter to the Hebrews provides its dominant theological theme on the priesthood of Christ.

This unit will continue to read the other Pauline letters: Galatians and Romans, the Captivity Letters (Phil., Col., Eph., Phlm.), the Pastoral Letters (1-2Tim., Ti) as well as the Letter to the Hebrews, discussing issues of authorship, integrity of composition and other problems where necessary. The content and the theological message of each letter is expounded through an exegetical analysis, followed by an exegesis of some selected texts to explore certain Pauline doctrinal themes: anthropology before Christ (sin, law and man); in Christ (Faith, Baptism and incorporation in Christ); ethics (Christian life and its demands). Christ’s priesthood in Hebrews,

THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND THE CATHOLIC LETTERS  (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Charles Buttigieg

This biblical course will explore the basic principles of sound interpretations of the Book of the Apocalypse and the New Testament Letters of St. James, First and Second of St. Peter, and that of St. Jude. Course content will begin with the introduction to the book and the contexts of other ancient apocalypses of the Book of Revelation. The authorship, social setting and historical context of the book will then be discussed. The Book of Revelation will be studied through all its chapters, by applying the historical and critical method and by exploring the various traditional interpretations of the ancient Greek and Roman Fathers, being rich in symbolism and metaphors with their prophetic and apocalyptic genres.

With regards James, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude, the contents of each letter will be expounded, with issues surrounding the writing of the letters: the authors, their recepeints, dates, genres, and purpose within a discussion of important options in the interpretation of key passages in the light of Christology, pneumatology, atonement, eschatology, ecclesiology and moral tradition.

DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

2nd cycle

THE MYSTERY OF GOD (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr David Torpiano

This course will elaborate a systematic theological understanding of the mystery of God – the Trinitarian mystery of Love. The course will focus on the gradual revelation of the mystery of the Trinity in the Old Testament and the fulfilment of such revelation in and through Jesus Christ as transmitted to us in the New Testament. Attention will be given to the comprehension of the mystery of the Trinity in the Church during the first three centuries, including the Arian controversy, the Council of Nicea, the Cappadocian Fathers and the formulation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. The developments of the Trinitarian theology in the early Fathers of the Church, with special reference to St. Augustine will be elaborated. The doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas will also be expounded, together with other medieval authors such as Richard of St. Victor and Joachim of Fiore. Furthermore, the theological aspects of the Triune God: internal processions, relationships and persons within the Holy Trinity, will be studied. The course will be concluded with a reflection focussing on the Virgin Mary, model of all the disciples, as an icon of Trinitarian indwelling.

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST (I): Incarnation (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Grech

The objective of this study-unit is to explore the mystery of the Incarnate Word and to enter deeply into questions regarding the identity of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man. Among the themes discussed are the basic New Testament presentations regarding the person of Jesus; the main titles and the controversies which arose in the first centuries; His humanity and divinity; the Incarnation as a Trinitarian event; and further developments up to modern Christology.

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST (II): Redemption (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Daniel Xerri

Main objective: The course aims to give a theological reflection on the mystery of redemption accomplished by Christ in his Paschal mystery.

The course: The human quest for salvation. God the Redeemer as revealed in Sacred Scripture. In Christ, God realizes and transcends the human need of salvation. Development of biblical and ecclesial reflection on the salvific plan of God in Christ: Paul, John, Irenaeus, Augustine, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Gaudium et spes, Redemptor Hominis, and other contemporary theologians. Jesus Christ “mediator” of salvation. The mysteries of the life of Jesus as source of salvation. The Paschal mystery: the passion, death and exultation of Christ. Ascension and Pentecost. Objectivity of the salvation obtained by Christ and the partecipation of man in the mystery of salvation. Unicity and universality of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ.

THE THEOLOGY OF GRACE (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Grech

The notion of ‘grace’ in the Bible: the O.T. background, the N.T. and the beginning of the theological concept. The notion of ‘grace’ throughout history: patristic era especially in St Augustine; scholastic era especially in St Thomas Aquinas; the Reformation, the Council of Trent and its consequences; modern times. The theology of ‘grace’: grace and original sin; justification through grace, the freely-given supernatural grace; grace and human freedom; predestination and the theology of merit; sanctification and the new relation of man with the Trinity.

THE PASCHAL EVENT: Its implications for a theology of history and eschatology (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Carl Scerri

Starting off from Joseph Ratzinger’s argument that ‘the resurrection is an eschatological action of God’, this course will argue that eschatology has to be understood through, and in connection with, the Paschal event. The escathon is not simply the end of time (péras) but the final goal (télos) of creation, and this has been revealed in the resurrection of him who is ‘the first-born from the dead’ (Col 1, 18). An eschatology which has the resurrection of Jesus Christ as its starting point is able to throw a new light on creation, history, Christian praxis and the final beginning itself.

ECCLESIOLOGY (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Grech

The course is intended to offer a primary approach to the reality and mystery of the Church. It will be developed in three parts:

Sacred Scripture: a) the preparation and foundation of the Church; b) the Church in the New Testament; c) the names given to the Church; d) the
sacramentality of the Church.

The development of Ecclesiology: a) the Church as a historical subject; b) the Church in the I° millenium: the model of communio; c) the Church in the
II° millennium: the pyramidal model; d) the Church in the Second Vatican Council, especially in the dogmatic constitution, Lumen Gentium.

Theology: a) why is the Church?: the fundamental dimensions; b) where is the Church?: the constitutive relation between the universal Church and the particular Churches; c) how is the Church?: structures and functions in the light of the Eucharist; the Petrine ministry; synodality and mission of the Church.

MARIOLOGY: Mary “Icon of Mystery” (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Samuel Grech

The main objective of the course is to offer the student how the latest developments in exegesis and theology, based on Sacred Scripture, especially during the last half of the twentieth century, have contributed greatly to the place of Mary in the salvation history. She is the messianic woman that accompanies Christ and the Church, as well as the valuable model in the ecclesial image. The course: the history of both dogma and theology presents the faith of the Church and its enduring attention to the Virgin Mary and to her mission in the economy of salvation. A particular analysis of Chapter VIII of Vatican II “Lumen Gentium”. A doctrinal synthesis about the Virgin Mary in the light of the mystery of Christ and the Church. Other mariological reflections from the Church’s Magisterium, in the catholic theology, in the liturgy and in the ecumenicalmovement and pastoral activity.

CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Grech

The aim of the study-unit lies in studying the truth about man in the light of Revelation. Man, created in the image of God and endowed with his gifts, is called (a) to be his friend and thus the recipient of his love, and consequently (b) to be the steward of creation. The study-unit presents a theology of creation and man’s place in the divine plan. The course seeks to treat various themes, including man’s creation in God’s image, evolution, the gift of human freedom, the complementarity of man and woman, the human soul, the original state of human beings constituted in supernatural grace, the Fall, suffering and death, and the promise of salvation.

THEOLOGY OF THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Grech

History of sacraments. The notion of ‘sacrament’ in the Old and New Testament. The symbolic, Christological and ecclesiological dimension of the sacrament. The sacraments instituted by Christ and number of sacraments. Dogmatic aspect of the sacraments: triple dimension; efficacy; matter, form and minister; character. New prospects in sacramental theology; theological development up to Vatican II; the Church as sacrament.

THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Hector Scerri

The prophetic gestures of Jesus as being foundational to the theology of the sacraments. The sacrament of Baptism and the ôt of justice. The sacrament of Confirmation and the ôt of hope. The contribution of the Church Fathers to the theology of Baptism and Confirmation. The practice of Christian initiation from the early Church to contemporary times. Theological-pastoral debates on Baptism and Confirmation. Christological, pneumatological and ecclesiological aspects. The theology of Baptism and Confirmation as derived from their respective liturgical prayers (lex orandi, lex credendi). The catechesis of Pope Francis on Baptism and Confirmation. Commitment and mission.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Daniel Xerri

Main objective: The course aims to give a theological reflection on the mystery of redemption accomplished by Christ in his Paschal mystery.

The course: The human quest for salvation. God the Redeemer as revealed in Sacred Scripture. In Christ, God realizes and transcends the human need of salvation. Development of biblical and ecclesial reflection on the salvific plan of God in Christ. Jesus as “mediator” of salvation. The mysteries of the life of Jesus as source of salvation. The Paschal mystery: the passion, death and exultation of Christ. Ascension and Pentecost. Objectivity of the salvation obtained by Christ and the participation of man in the mystery of salvation. Unicity and universality of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ.

OF COMPLEX MINISTRIES AND TIMES: The Sacrament of Holy Orders today (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Carl Scerri

This course has the objective to present various hermeneutical keys which elucidate the past, present and, possibly, the future of the sacrament of Holy Orders. Starting off from contemporary issues within the Catholic Church, particularly the problem of clerical abuse and the synodal process, the course seeks to make a historical reading of this sacrament and explain the various changes that it has gone through. Indeed, this is a complex sacrament, for, while anchored in Tradition, it has gone through several important transformations. In seeking to delve deeper into the substance of this sacrament, the course will put forward various interpretations of Catholic ministry and argue that the Christological interpretation needs to be complemented by an ecclesiological and pneumatological reading. It is only in embracing the inherent complexity of this sacrament that one can start to understand its richness and anticipate its future.

THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Borg

The main objective of this course is to deepen the moral experience of the sinful act, of one’s own personal conversion that brings about reconciliation with God (pax cum Deo) and with the Church (pax cum Ecclesia), as found in scriptural, patristic, and theological studies; to bring to light the penitent’s personal penitential process and the Church’s sacramental power to forgive sin in the light of Pope Francis’ Magisterium by dealing with the pastoral aspect of this sacrament and of the Eucharistic liturgies in the life of the Church.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Hector Scerri

This study-unit treats the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick from the point of view of dogmatic theology: its biblical foundations in the New Testament, particularly Jesus’ healing mission and the practice in the earliest Christian communities; the contribution of the Church Fathers; early liturgical texts and sacramentaries; the Magisterium’s documents on the sacrament, particularly Church Councils and Papal pronouncements; and the works of contemporary theologians.

The following aspects are studied: the theology of the sacrament; the minister of the sacrament; the sacrament’s efficacy and its christological and pneumatological dimensions; and pastoral considerations.

MORAL THEOLOGY

1st cycle

BIBLICAL MORAL THEOLOGY (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Sultana

The main objective of this course is to emphasise the use of Holy Scripture in the study of Moral Theology, the relation between right reasoning and Holy Scripture; the latter offers us with a biblical anthropology to better understand Christian morals; to deepen the Christian meaning of the Decalogue, the intrinsic connection between ethics and religion as upheld by the prophets; the Sermon on the Mount; to read the categorical moral norms of the New Testament in the light of the fundamental commandment of the agape. The importance of Holy Scripture in Moral Theology. The Decalogue, its formulation. The prophet’s interpretation of the Decalogue. The Decalogue in the light of Christ’s ethical message. The Sermon on the Mount and the Commandment of Love. Moral issues predominant in the primitive Church.

THE VIRTUE OF RELIGION (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Borg

The main objective of this course is to deal with the first three commandments of the Decalogue with special reference to Sunday Restand the Eucharistic meal; the theological life of the christian as seen in the virtue of Religion; importance is given to Prayer and to Christian cult; popular religiosity and sins of false cult (superstition, satanism) are dealt with. The religious phenomenon and its interpretation. The religious structure of Christian morality. The first three commandments. Sins contrary to the nature of religion: irreligion, false cult. The Lord’s day and the Eucharist. The sacraments: a personal encounter with Christ; signs of the ecclesial community. Special ways of honouring God: prayer, reverence for the sacred, the vow, the Lord’s day.

THE MORAL NORM (3 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joseph Farrugia

The study of Moral Norm will consider an interdisciplinary approach to human nature. This will instil the capacity to discern what is good and evil in the light of human’s ultimate end. The main objective is to develop a comprehensive knowledge of moral norms, considering Divine revelation in Scripture and its subsequent elaboration in the Magisterium of the Church. The traditional concepts of natural moral law and human law will find innovation in contemporary ideologies, particularly postmodernism, and recent Magisterial teaching on moral matters.

THE MORAL CONSCIENCE (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Borg

The main objective of this course is to know how God directs man in the concreteness of His calling through moral conscience, the inner voice that summons us to the Good; to emphasize the interdependence between Christian fundamental option and concrete moral acts in the moral experience of the Christian; to notify the specificity of Christian conscience and the need to form a good Christian conscience.

THE HUMAN MORAL ACT (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Borg

The main objective of this course is to deal with the structure, the presuppositions and the conditionings of the moral act; only the moral act is the act specifically human; to examine the sources of the moral act, namely (a) the material act, (b) the intention of the doer and the free will of the moral agent (c) the conditionings of the intention and free will; to tackle deeply moral principles: voluntary in cause, the principle of double effect, the principle of totality, the lesser evil and the conflict of values.

  1. The human act: the personal actuation of the moral good.
  2. The personal structure and constituent principles of the human act.
  3. Obstacles impairing the human act.
  4. The sources defining the morality of the human act.
  5. The imputability of indirectly willed actions.

THEOLOGY OF SIN (4 ECTS) – Rev. Can Richard-Nazzareno Farrugia

This course has as it’s main objective that of providing a theological understanding of sin in the light of the sources of Revelation and in the context of today’s society characterized by moral fluidity.

The course is divided in four parts: Sin in the light of human experience (experiential, phenomenological, psychological considerations); Sin in the light of Salvation history (biblical-prophetic literature; Christ’s redemptive mystery); Sin in the light of theological reflection (patristic and scholastic thought; Magisterium; classification of sin); Sin in the light of evangelisation (application to pastoral ministry).

2nd cycle

THE VALUE AND INVIOLABILITY OF THE HUMAN LIFE (5 ECTS) – Rev. Can George Frendo

The relation of the human life and its integrity to the moral order. “Thou shalt not kill”: the law and precept in Revelation, and further theological elaboration. The teaching of the Church’s Magisterium. Direct and indirect killing. Killing in the name of society. Killing in a just war. Suicide, abortion, euthanasia. Responsibility for one’s health: treatments, operations, preservation of life, cooperation. Surgery and experimentations on human beings.

RIGHT AND JUSTICE (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Borg

The main objective of this course is to deal with justice from different aspects: social, legal and moral; commutative and distributive justice are extensively treated; the relation between moral order and the juridical order of justice; the biblical and the theological foundation of justice; the social teaching of the Magisterium of the Church is examined.

  1. Right and Justice: the NT message and the socio-economic order.
  2. A sound anthropology as the basis for an integral economic progress.
  3. An analysis, classification and characteristics of justice.
  4. Ownership in general and its different types.
  5. Injustice in general and its different types, reparation.
  6. Church’s teaching regarding the dignity of the human person and his fundamental human rights.
  7. Human solidarity and its relation with the principles of common good and subsidiarity.
  8. The virtue of justice incorporating its relation to Law, Love and Peace.
  9. The social teaching of the Magisterium on Social Justice.
  10. Work in the social teaching of the Church, including duties and rights of workers, trade unionism and workers’ partecipation.

HUMAN SEXUALITY, MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY (I): The Sacrament of Marriage (5 ECTS) – Rev. Can Richard-Nazzareno Farrugia

Since a theological understanding of the sacrament of marriage is pivotal to provide an adequate pastoral accompaniment to families, the course presents the essential properties and characteristics of marriage through an interdisciplinary approach of the anthropological, biblical, theological and pastoral dimensions of Christian marriage. Moreover this course applies the moral teaching on human sexuality (presented in a separate course), understood as a gift from the Creator that enables the human person to fulfil his/her vocation to love, to the reality of marriage and family life. The course is divided into three modules studying the reality of marriage from the perspective of sacramental theology, pastoral-spiritual theology and moral theology, allowing the student to adopt a holistic approach towards the subject.

HUMAN SEXUALITY, MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY (II): Human sexual behaviour: ethical and pastoral issues (seminar) (2 ECTS) – Rev. Can Richard-Nazzareno Farrugia

The seminar intends to address some of the most debatable issues (inside and outside the Church) pertaining to human sexual behaviour, adopting a multi-disciplinarian methodology and taking into account the latest input given by the medical and human sciences. The main issues discussed are masturbation, homosexuality, paedophilia, sexual development disorders and gender identity disorders.

CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ETHICS (5 ECTS) – Rev. Can George Frendo

Christian Social Ethics in a historical perspective, in the biblical, theological and ecclesial contexts. Nature of and distinction between “person”, “society” and “international community”. Ecclesiology and diaconia: rights and duties of the ecclesial community. “The truth will set you free” (In 8,32): Christ himself, the saving Truth. Man who searches for Truth. A phenomenology and a sociology of truth. Truthfulness and discretion in communication. Truth and covenant fidelity. Human honour.

PASTORAL THEOLOGY

1st cycle

PERSONIFICATION OF EVIL (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Marcello Ghirlando OFM

The aim of this course is to give an integral biblical perspective as regards to the idea of the personification of evil in the whole context of revelation and how this was subsequently interpreted by the Church in its theological debates and pastoral praxis vis-a-vis phenomena such as satanism, spiritism, belief in spells, magic practices, etc. This will serve as the basis for subsequent debate as regards the relevance of the specific Ministry of Deliverance and Exorcism in the Christian Churches, with special reference to the Catholic Church. Special emphasis will be laid on the practical application of this ministry.

2nd cycle

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND PASTORAL CARE (3 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joseph Farrugia

The course offers basic knowledge to identify the nature of mental disorders and the sufficient skills to intervene and implement appropriate pastoral care. Students will learn about the different psychic disorders, such as, substance abuse, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, sexual disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, and other psychic conditions related to different age groups. A structural approach will offer a better capacity to diagnose problems, while etiological factors and psychodynamic insights will facilitate a better understanding of people’s conditions.

THEOLOGY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE MAGISTERIUM OF POPE FRANCIS (1.5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr John Curmi

The aim of this seminar is to introduce the students with the Pope Francis’ concept of “People of God”, as it is presently developing throughout his pontificate. This is to be verified mainly through access to the post-synodal exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, other texts and discourses, not disregarding some symbolic gestures and decisions, and also his thought before he was elected pontiff in 2013.

After a brief outline of the Church’s teaching on the laity and the paradigm shift brought about by the Second Vatican Council, the seminar will focus on the Pope’s vision for the Church today, his Argentine background and the Argentine School of Theology, and the characteristics and methodology of the Theology of the People. Furthermore, the seminar will contextualize the evolution and the development of the Theology of the People by presenting the historical-cultural dimension, the Liberation Theology, the Church in Latin America and the preferential option for the poor, and popular spirituality. Finally, the seminar will present the concept of “people” as defined by Pope Francis and his proposal of the culture of encounter.

SACRED LITURGY

1st cycle

SACRED LITURGY (I) (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Ignatius Borg

The main objective of the study of Sacred Liturgy is to gain better and clearer comprehension of the nature of liturgy, in all its fullness and with all its implications. “The Liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows” (S.C.,
10). The following themes will be treated:

  1. Hermeneutics, Etymology and nature of the word “liturgy” in Greek, Roman, and Biblical Background;
  2. An outline of the development of the liturgy through the ages up to Vatican II;
  3. The Theology of the Liturgy;
  4. The Spirituality of the Liturgy;
  5. The pastoral aspect of the Liturgy;
  6. The catechetical aspect.

SACRED LITURGY (II) (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Ignatius Borg

The main objective of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Year is Christ himself in his Church.

The course is divided into two sections. The first is an introduction to the Liturgical Year, which will cover the theology of time, theology of the liturgical year and its spirituality, as well as the Liturgical Year’s evolution over time and its calendar. The second section will focus on the Liturgical Year in particular. As a result, the course will delve deeply into what Sunday is as the Lord’s day; the Paschal Triduum and the Holy Week, Eastertide and Lent; Time of manifestation and Advent; Ferial time and the feasts of Our Lord, of the Mother of God and the Saints.

CHURCH HISTORY

1st cycle

CHURCH HISTORY: Malta and Gozo (60-2000) (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Bezzina

The main objective of the course is to project an overview of the history of the Church in Malta and Gozo from the first preaching of the gospel by Saint Paul the Apostle down to recent times with the aim of prompting participants to widen their knowledge on the development of religious belief in this island nation.
The course opens with an appraisal of the first attestations of Christian belief in Malta, the palaeochristian cemeteries of the late third century, and its further development in Roman and Byzantine times. The Muslims, it was thought, despoiled the islands of their inhabitants and their faith, but recently unearthed evidence points to a Christian community in Gozo with its own bishop. Christianity flourished again in the open during the twelfth century when the islands were occupied by the Normans. It grew further under a succession of European Catholic powers and, eventually, by the religious military order of the Knights of Saint John. The ecclesiastical establishment witnessed a renaissance and the Church permeated the life of all the Maltese. After a short turbulence under the French, the British took Malta under their protection. The period, though not free from friction in Church-State relations, witnessed a steady rise in the population and, as a result, a rapid expansion in all Church activities. Gozo got a bishop again by the establishment of the diocese in 1864. The attainment of nationhood in 1964 coincided with the post-conciliar Church struggling to meet the challenges of the new age.

CHURCH HISTORY (I): Antiqua (30-700) (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Bezzina

The main objective of the study of Church History is to gain a better and clearer comprehension of the Church, an understanding of the present day problems, a deeper concept of the richness and sovereignty of truth, and for an effective apologia of the church.

This first period of Church History discusses the expansion and formation of the Church in the Hellenistic–Roman World. The first period of Church History — known for convenience as Antiqua — examines the expansion and formation of the Church in the Hellenistic-Roman World. Jesus Christ preached a new religion in the Roman province of Judea and his apostles and disciples proceeded with his teachings and even founded a community at Rome, the centre of the Roman Empire. The Roman state persecuted this Church for over two centuries, but with the accession of Emperor Constantine a dramatic change took place, Christianity was first tolerated and then it became the official religion. An ecclesiastical constitution began to develop. Its beliefs were debated in the first ecumenical Councils. Its chief dogma, belief in the Trinity and in Christ as God and Man, was affirmed and clarified in lasting terms. Several forms in its life and liturgy were standardized and were to be retained for the next fifteen hundred years. The bishop of Rome gained primacy over the whole Church. This period comes to an end with the downfall of the Empire.

2nd cycle

CHURCH HISTORY (II): Mediævalis (700-1300) (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Bezzina

The second period of Church History – known for convenience as mediævalis – describes how the Church became the entelechy of the Christian nations of the West; that is, how it grew as the vital principle that guided the development and functioning of the nascent Western states. In the post-Constantine era, Church and State had become part and parcel. This union disintegrated with the downfall of the Roman Empire at the hands of the Germanic tribes that descended from the north of the European continent to occupy the south and the Mediterranean littoral. Through the policy of the popes, the labour of the monks, and the bellicose Franks, a new social order is construed: Christendom. Charlemagne consolidated this order with the foundation of a new holy Empire. This renewed union of the spiritual and the temporal led to many problems and the popes set a reform in motion to regain full liberty for the Church. The foundation of mendicant Orders and of Universities, among others, played an important role in the foundation of a new social order in Europe.

CHURCH HISTORY (III): Nova (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Bezzina

The third period of Church History – known for convenience as nova – tackles the break-up of the western Christian world and the foundation of new missions in many parts of the world. The European social order based on Christendom began to disintegrate at the turn of the fourteenth century. Papal primacy had by that time reached its zenith. However, a rapid decline soon set in when the Hohenstaufen emperors and the French kings began a struggle against the papacy for the leadership of the West. French supremacy in Europe was one important reason behind the seventy-year long recess of the popes in Avignon. This stay did the prestige of the papacy immeasurable damage and contributed to the Great Western Schism when two and eventually three popes fought each other for the control of the Church. The Schism was solved in the Council of Constance, where conciliarism, a doctrine that placed the council above the pope, began gaining ground. The way had been prepared for the Protestant Reformation. Luther is representative of this powerfully growing movement for reform within the Church, but tragically he became a reformer against it and his ideas and movement spread with speed. At long last the Church decided to tackle the problems on a grand scale and hence convened a general council at Trent, a Council whose doctrine and decisions were to prevail within the Church for the following four centuries.

CHURCH HISTORY (IV): Moderna (1800-2000) (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Bezzina

The main objective of the study of Church History is to gain a better and clearer comprehension of the Church, an understanding of the present day problems, a deeper concept of the richness and sovereignty of truth, and for an effective apologia of the church. This fourth period of Church History delves into the historical events that have moulded the present times.
The course opens with an appraisal of the French Revolution. It was the bloody sequel to the age of Absolutism that succeeded to dechristianise European society. The post-Revolutionary period marks the slow but certain subversion of the ancien regime and the old order it embodied and the beginning of a new political and social order that marked a complete break with the past. A new period of Church History – known for convenience as moderna – is ushered in. The ideals of liberalism and democracy swept through the nations in waves. In many countries the rise of secularization put an end to ecclesiastical traditions over one thousand years old. At the same time, the Church had to tackle the social question generated by the industrial revolution and the problems created by the Nationalistic, Totalitarian, and Socialistic regimes. The process of renewal animating the Church since after the French revolution proceeded throughout the eventful nineteenth and twentieth centuries finding a fitting expression in the missionary movement and culminating in a new vision of the Church and the world projected by the second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar Church.

PATROLOGY

2nd cycle

PATROLOGY (I-II): Origins of Christian Literature and Genesis of Theology (I-III Centuries) (5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Krystof Buttigieg

The course is intended to highlight the origin, growth and development of the first Christian communities through an examination of the literary work produced between the I and III century. A special focus will be offered on the early Christian writers indicating their individual biographical characteristics and placing their literary and teaching activity in its proper socio-cultural context. Students will therefore be put in contact with some of the most significant sub-apostolic writings, apologetic works, and anti-heretical literature in order to be acquainted with the notion of Patrology and its related disciplines of Ancient Christian Writings and Patristic Theology. Periodically they will be instructed on a reading program and, possibly exercises, to familiarize them with the main working tools.

PATROLOGY (III): The Golden Age of Patristic Literature (IV – V centuries) (3 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Carmel Refalo

The main objective of the course is to offer an overview of the life, the writings, and the teachings of a selection of the Christian writers during the third and last period of Patrology, referred to as The Golden Age of Patristic Literature (IV-V centuries).
The course is introduced by giving a general prospectus of the life and times in which these writers flourished to place their literary activity and teaching in its proper historical context. This is followed by a glance at the most representative (1) Greek writers; (2) Antiochene and Syrian writers; and (3) Latin writers. The writings and teaching of these Fathers are examined for their cultural, spiritual and apostolic richness, qualities that make them great teachers of the Church in both past and modern times.

CANON LAW

1st cycle

GENERAL NORMS (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Trevor Sultana

This course has a twofold objective: to provide an introduction to the legal science and to Canon Law in particular, and to define certain key juridical concepts and important canonical legal institutes that are indispensable for a pastoral functionary in order to understand, interpret and apply Church law. Once the sources of law are identified and the powers of those who are entitled to act within the canonical legal system are determined (legislative, executive and judicial), other juridical principles are explained and elucidated by cross-references from the same code of Canon Law. Particular attention is given to the ten directive principles that the Bishops’ Synod, held in 1967, proposed for the revision of the Code.

2nd cycle

THE HIERARCHICAL CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Edward Xuereb

The main objective: According to Pope John Paul II, the (new) canonical legislation is to “be an effective instrument by the help of which the Church will be able to perfect itself in spirit of the Second Vatican Council, and show itself ever more equal to carry out its salvific role in the world.” (Sacrae disiplinæ leges, AAS 75, 1983, pars II, p.XIII) A profound study of the the new Code of Canon Law will make one aware that there should be no conflict between the rigour of ecclesiastical discipline and the healthy freedom of Christian community.
The course: In Bk II we can observe an internal arrangement which touches from top to bottom the hierarchical structure which is at the service of the pastoral ministry of the Church. The class syllabus does not cover all the jurisdictional entities which form the “totum” of that hierarchical structure. However, a very wide and solid explanation of that structure is given during the course. As a matter of fact, the canons re. “The Supreme Authority of the Church”, “Particular Churches” and those which deal with the parish and the office of its Pastor are all given particular attention: they are vital and important structures through which the Church continues that ministry which was given to Peter and the Apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION AND OTHER SACRAMENTS (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Trevor Sultana

Duties and rights of the reconciled Christian. The minister of the sacrament of reconciliation: faculties, delegation, suspension, reserved sins, etc. Abuses by the minister: solicitation, absolution of his accomplice in sin. The sacramental seal: duty, nature, subject, violation. Duties of the minister: doctrine, instruction, spiritual judgement, human qualities, correction of defects in administration. Norms for a collective confession and absolution. Other sacraments: baptism, confirmation, holy orders, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE (5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Trevor Sultana

Marriage and its canonical legislation. The jurisdiction of the Church. The nature, purposes and properties of marriage. Pastoral care and marriage preparation. Impediments: in general and in particular. The matrimonial consent and its eventual vices. The canonical form of marriage. Mixed marriages and other specific cases. Separation and convalidation of marriage.

ECCLESIAL COMMUNION AND SANCTIONS (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Curmi

As the title of this course suggests, an introduction to Book VI of the Code of Canon Law aims at defining the pastoral significance of canonical penalties, in that they are meant to seek only the spiritual integrity of the whole church and the good of the offenders themselves. The transgression of certain important and delicate values in the life of the Christian community calls for immediate disciplinary measures; otherwise, the communio in the Church would suffer. The Church’s inherent right to have it’s own penal laws rests not only on the classical principles underlining social philosophy but also on theological and ecclesiological tenets. However penal law remains a positive law, and as in the case of all man-made-laws, throughout the ages the way sanctions were formulated and applied has evolved. The canonical system is different from other similar civil systems not only in the type of penalties it contemplates, but also in what amounts to offence, the processes for the declaration or imposition of penalties and how the latter are extinguished.

CANONICAL PROCESSES (1.5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Curmi

The main objective of this introductory course is to set forth the basic principle and procedures involved in canonical trials. Bearing in mind the important distinction between a judicial and an administrative process, various selected issues are addressed.

The course specifically examines: various matrimonial processes; the process concerning the clerical dispensation from the obligation of the priesthood; penal application by administrative or judicial process.

PSYCHOLOGY

1st cycle

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (4 ECTS) – vacant

The course: What is educational psychology? What makes a good teacher? How did Plaget view cognitive development? What kind of early childhood education do children need? How do children develop during the elementary years? What is the impact of culture, socio-economic status, ethnicity and race on the student’s learning. Achievement and social experience. What is learning? What behavioural learning theories have evolved? Some principles of behavioural learning. Effective instruction; direct instruction. The co-operative learning used in instruction. How do humanistic approaches differ from direct instruction? Accomodating instruction to individual needs. Motivating students to learn. Classroom management. The educator and human relations.

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY (3 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joseph Farrugia

Students will be introduced to theoretical reasoning about personality. Different theories of personality will be discussed to trace the underlying anthropological constructs. Students will acquire sufficient skills to scrutinise the different personality models at the core of political, social, economic and religious claims.

PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION (2 ECTS) – vacant

The psychological nature of religiosity. History (W. James, S. Freud, C.G.Jung, G. Allport). The nature of the religious attitude. Human development and religion. Religiosity during the stages of human development. Moral development (Piaget, Kohlberg). The psychology of worship, sin and conversion.

GROUP AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joseph Farrugia

This course highlights the different psycho-social dynamics present in social groups, specifically in local communities and religious organizations. Students will be able to analyse group formation stages and the respective emergent roles. The course will present specific group characteristics, the relevant unconscious dynamics and the resultant implications on leadership and group efficacy. Pastoral implications will be considered towards the end of the course so that students can identify the constitutive elements or religious groups.

INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGY (2 ECTS) – vacant

Introduction (origins and divisions of Psychology; Psychology and the other disciplines on man; method in Psychology). Motivation, feelings and emotions; perception, conflict and frustration; defence mechanisms. Three accounts of human development: Learning’s theory, Piaget’s theory, Freud’s theory.

2nd cycle

PSYCHODYNAMICS OF FAMILY LIFE: A systematic perspective (2 ECTS) – Mr Karl Wright

The main objective of the course is to become familiar with some basic psychological tools in order to have the ability to interpret experiences of family members, individually and relationally, in the context of Christian anthropology and evangelical family values. This may lead to a deep understanding of the family dynamics in the light of Christian marriage and at the same time may offer concrete suggestions in favour of authentic relations. The course: The family today; stages in the family life-cycle; multi-layered relationships in view of the different roles in the couplehood & the parenthood; negotiating differences and facing family crisis & conflicts; dialogue, mature love, well-being and professional support.

HUMAN AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joseph Farrugia

The Thomistic statement gratia supponit naturam will serve as a guiding principle during the course. The course will inspire participants to assimilate and integrate the gospel values in their personality structure. This implies a transition from an idealistic state of values proclamation to an existential state of living the proclaimed values. The course will initially offer a bird’s eye view of different elements present into the human psyche. We will study the different predisposition of human nature: the levels of psychic life, the propensity of emotional and rational judgment and the structure of the self. Subsequently we will present the three processes that effect human and spiritual growth: compliance, idealization and internalization.

AUXILIARY COURSES 

Propaedeutic year

METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH TOOLS (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Joseph Bezzina – Rev. Can Emmanuel Saliba

The main objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary tools and techniques related to academic research, with particular reference to the areas of sociology and theology. The course is divided in two modules.

Module 1: Research Tools in Theology
The main objective of this module is to train participants in researching and writing a paper related to theological themes according to scientific norms. The module guides the student in researching Theology-related themes and to present such research in a proper scientific work. This is achieved in four steps. First, the course explains the way to go about in choosing the right theme for a paper; secondly, it indicates the main sources of the various branches of Theology, sources that have to be consulted before initiating a specific research; thirdly, it illustrates the method to be followed in the citation of bibliographical references in a coherent manner; and, finally, it describes the technicalities that have to be adhered to in the presentation of the research in a scientific and methodological way.

Module 2: Techniques in Social Research
The main objective of the study of the techniques used in social research is to gain a better and clearer understanding of the methods and techniques used nowadays to understand, judge and interpret repeated phenomena in today’s society. This module aims at enabling our students by giving them particular skills to know and interpret the main social trends in today’s reality. Contents: Sociology and social research; The theory behind social research; The process of social research; Hypothesis and documentation; Methods of obtaining data: census, questionnaires, interviews, case analysis, participant observation, life-histories; Limits and adjacent problems; Working on data obtained: statistics and conclusions.

1st cycle

CHURCH COMMUNICATION (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Daniel Sultana

The course aims at giving students a basic understanding of communication in general, and specifically that of the Church as an institution with a specific identity and mission.

Therefore, it will study the nature and characteristics of institutional communication; the key theories regarding the processes of creation of public opinion; the structure and role of news agencies; media relations; the presentation of topics regarding faith in a persuasive manner; and the specific languages used by the main media.

ISLAM: AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joe Ellul O.P.

A survey of the main elements that constitute Islam as a religion, as a civilization and as a culture. Topics that will be discussed: a community; a prophet; a book; a belief; a moral code; a mystical tradition; a political movement.

THEOLOGY OF ECUMENISM (2 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Carmel Gauci

The Theology of Ecumenism: a rediscovery of unity – as a given possibility. The response of our “Ecumenical Faith”: hope in God. The Ecumenical Movement as a healing process. The Church as a Sacrament of Unity. The Ecumenical Movement in the Catholic Church: its beginnings, Vatican Council II. The Catholic theological concept of the Unity of the Church. Differences between the Catholic Church and other Christian Churches.

THE THEOLOGY OF THE MISSIONS (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Bernard Falzon MSSP

  1. The theological foundations of mission:
    • Biblical foundation of mission
    • Doctrinal foundations: Missio Dei and Missio Ecclesiae
    • Soteriology
  2. The missionary activity of the Church:
    • Theology of religions
    • Inter-religious dialogue
    • History of mission
    • Inculturation
  3. New evangalization:
    • The concept of new evangelization
    • Crisis of cultures and crisis of faith
    • Secondo annuncio
    • Creative minorities: a way forward for the Church in Europe?

CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY (2 ECTS) – vacant

A study of this course aims principally to inspire deep reflection on the Gospel message through the help and examples lived by the first witnesses of Christ. The eloquent features of Christian life in the first centuries offer also a perennial school of faith, hope and charity. They also revive one’s religious identity on a sort of spiritual journey in matters of liturgy, catechesis, administration, community and pastoral life.

The course: Different periods of Rome’s sacred monuments, especially the catacombs. Literary sources: Biblical, Patristic, and other Christian literature. Archaeological studies through the ages. Origin of different Christian cemeteries. The Church’s property. The tombs of the martyrs: rites, beliefs and organizations. Funeral inscriptions: Christian invocations, sacraments, dogmatic truths, biblical paintings, etc. Transportation of martyrs from the cemeteries outside the city. Rome’s favourite places of prayers and pilgrimages with sound inspirations for the new evangelization.

INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE CHURCH (3 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Effie Masini

Introduction: social teachings of Jesus and the Early Church; overview of the history of the Social Teaching of the Church.

The dignity of the human person and fundamental rights: duties and rights; insights of St. Thomas Aquinas; international conscience about fundamental human rights; teachings of the Church.

The basic principles of the social teachings of the Church: solidarity; common good; subsidiarity.

The virtue of justice: justice and law; types of justice; social justice; justice and peace; justice and social charity.

Work, trade-unions and industrial relations: definitions, nature and division of labour; technology and digitalisation of work; unemployment; duties and rights of employers and workers; interests in industrial relations; worker’s participation.

The international community: organisation; rights of peoples; colonialism and post-World War II developments; international relations today; peace initiatives; the contribution of the Church in international issues today.

Highlights from the social documents of the Universal Church: a detailed study of Gaudium et Spes, Caritas in Veritate as well as excerpts from Pope Francis Encyclicals.

THE CHURCH AND THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY (3 ECTS) – Rev. Can Emmanuel Saliba

The main objective of the study of the Church and the Political Community relations is to understand the different methods used in governing a society, whether it is ecclesiastical or civil. This course leads to a better understanding of the Church in the Absolute, Liberal and Democratic State, by evaluating the separatist, collaborative and concordative regimes. Moreover, the course also covers Church and State relations in Sacred Scripture, in the teachings of the Holy Fathers, philosophers, and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, especially with regards to Religious Liberty, the presence of the Church in the international community, and the Church’s role in building and safeguarding peace.

SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Renato Borg

A general introduction regarding the Sociology of the family and especially presenting some of the key concepts and applications in family sociology. Basically this course is based on Pierpaolo Donati’s sociology of the family especially the importance he gives to the conjugal family as an irreplaceable resource for the Society. The centrality of the family, understood as a union between a man and a woman, a place of life and love in which children are welcomed and educated. The course tries to present the most significant correlations between the various socio-cultural family structures, the quality of their lives, their opinions and human relationships and how this reflects on the meaning of these relationships and on the effects produced in society by the establishment of the family.

CURRENT SOCIAL ISSUES (4 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Effie Masini

Work and Economy: nature of work from a christian perspective; work and the economic processes; industrial relations. Free-Time and Leisure: nature of free-time; God’s plan; moral aspects of leisure activities. A case-study: tourism (internal and external). Ecology: nature and ecology; main ecological problems; a biblical perspective; man and nature in the teaching of the Church. Youth: in a changing society; frustrations and expectations; a case study (voluntary work). Emargination: nature of emargination; biblical aspect; crime and deviance; educational dropouts; the sick and the aged.

2nd cycle

CATECHETICS: A LIFE-LONG JOURNEY (4 ECTS) – Rev. Can Simon Mario Cachia

The main objective of the study is to identify the approaches that the Universal Church – and the Church in Malta and Gozo – has taken throughout history and is currently employing and/or may adopt in the present to accompany all members of the People of God.

The course: The study also comprises the analysis of the revised Directory for Catechesis as well as the Church’s Magisterium regarding catechesis.
Catechetical methodology with regards to certain categories such as children and preadolescents, adolescents, youth, adults and persons with special needs will also be analyzed. The role of the catechist within the ecclesial community is also to be tackled.

CONSECRATED LIFE (2 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Marcello Ghirlando OFM

Participants will be introduced first and foremost to the current challenges Consecrated Life in its various expressions (Religious Life, Secular Institutes, Individual Consecration) is facing in Europe. Is there a future for Consecrated Life in the Church? A brief historical outline regarding the development of Consecrated Life will prepare participants to understand the foundations of this charism in the Church. Special reference, as regards contemporary Consecrated Life, will be given to Vatican Council II decree Perfectae Caritatis and Pope John Paul’s Vita Consecrata. Emphasis will be made to the eminent Founders of differentcharismatic movements of Consecrated Life and their contribution to the sanctity of the Church. Reflection will also be centred on the theology of Consecrated Life as understood by the Universal Church and the recent practical indication published by the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecreated Life.

CATHOLIC CELIBACY (seminar) (2 ECTS) – H.L. Mgr Anthony Teuma

The main Objective of the seminar is to reflect about sexuality from psychological, Christian and priestly point of view. It considers sexuality as part of the energy and power that enables the priest in his love of God and self donation to his brethren.

The Course/ The relevance of priestly celibacy today. The meaning of human sexuality. Celibacy and Psychology: its meaning, dynamics and function. The biblical foundation of priestly celibacy. Relationship and intimacy. Healthy and unhealthy ways of coping with the celibate option. Celibacy as a lifelong process. Priestly celibacy in church documents.

SPIRITUALITY OF THE CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD (1.5 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Daniel Xerri

Main objective: The course aims to reflect on the true identity of the Catholic Priest and on the spirituality intrinsic to it, in the light of his mission in contemporary world.

The Course: Identity of the Catholic Priest. The triple function deriving from such identity: prophetic, cultic, pastoral. Consecration and mission. Trinitarian, cristological, pneumatological and ecclesiological dimensions of the priesthood. Spirituality of the diocesan priest. A holistic spirituality: human, christian, priestly. The triple promise of the priest: priestly celibacy, obedience and prayer (Liturgy of the Hours). Spirituality of communion. The practice of certain virtues: pastoral charity, poverty, humility. Suffering and true joy in the life of the priest. Spiritual fatherhood. Mary in the life of the priest

CHURCH MUSIC (I) (1.5 ECTS) – Rev. Fr Joseph Mercieca

The aim of this programme is to provide a context and content for students to be able to acquire knowledge and deepen their understanding and appreciation of Gregorian chant: the official and proper chant of the Roman Latin Catholic Church. The programme places special emphasis on the study of the history of liturgical music and the theory and practice of Gregorian chant, comprising textual understanding of the liturgical literature.

CHURCH MUSIC (II): Voice technique and interpretation (1.5 ECTS) – Ms Georgina Gauci

The aim of these sessions is to provide the students with a holistic approach to singing. Mainly the course focuses on the most important technical aspects but also on the psychological and spiritual elements of singing. The students are encouraged to develop their individual identities and unique sound which allows them to project themselves freely and truly in the art of singing.

LANGUAGES

Propaedeutic year

LATIN LANGUAGE (I) (8 ECTS) – Mr George Francis Vella

The chief aim of this course is to give the student the ability to read and write both Classical and Church Latin, thus enabling him to handle classical works and ecclesiastical writings, including typical liturgical texts, official Church documents and theological literature.
During the first year, the course comprises introductory study-units focusing on grammar, syntax and literature.

1st cycle

BIBLICAL HEBREW (4 ECTS) – Mr Daniele Pariente

During this course students will learn the basis for the introduction to the language of Biblical Hebrew. Learn the Hebrew alef-bet, and vowels. Learn basic vocabulary and grammar; Hebrew Verbs, nouns and adjectives. Learn to read and write. A Weekly Torah-Old Testament reading of selected passage/sentences from the Torah, translation and explanation. Learn the Jewish calendar and holydays. Enhance students the desire to learn in the future more advanced Hebrew courses.

LATIN LANGUAGE (II) (6 ECTS) – Mr George Francis Vella

The chief aim of this course is to give the student the ability to read and write both Classical and Church Latin, thus enabling him to handle classical works and ecclesiastical writings, including typical liturgical texts, official Church documents and theological literature.

During the second year, the course is set to focus more on literature and philological analysis.

NEW TESTAMENT GREEK (3 ECTS) – Rev. Mgr Anthony Mizzi

This course is a basic introduction to New Testament Greek designed to introduce students to the essential grammar and vocabulary with subsequent study in morphology, syntax and exegesis. The grammar and vocabulary learnt by doing exercises will be integrated with biblical examples from selected texts from the Gospels of John and Mark, thus enabling students to understand enough Greek to read, analyse and translate simple passages from the New Testament. Reading aloud the Greek text will be encouraged.

List of Courses
  1. SYSTEMATIC PHILOSOPHY
  2. HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
  3. FUNDAMENTAL THEOLOGY
  4. SACRED SCRIPTURE
  5. DOGMATIC THEOLOGY
  6. MORAL THEOLOGY
  7. PASTORAL THEOLOGY
  8. SACRED LITURGY
  9. CHURCH HISTORY
  10. PATROLOGY
  11. CANON LAW
  12. PSYCHOLOGY
  13. AUXILIARY COURSES 
  14. LANGUAGES