The St. Bernard’s Course Catalog is a document of record issued every academic year containing information related to the courses offered throughout the curriculum. This document sets out the “beating heart” of the School: its mission to form and to educate takes place primarily in the classroom, in the midst of an encounter between faculty and students as they seek together ever greater knowledge and love of God. To view our 2025 - 2026 Course Catalog, click here.
The location of a course is designated below by one of two geographic areas, indicating the location from which the live course is taught. Students who are within commuting distance to that location are encouraged to attend class in person. All Catholic theology courses online can be accessed synchronously for those unable to attend in person or not in commuting distance. Live course times are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Further details on distance learning can be found here.
Spring 2026 Courses
January 5th - April 24th, 2026
(Note: Add/drop deadline is January 30th)
ROC (Rochester Campus)
A203: New Testament (Matthew Ramage, Ph.D.)
New Testament will introduce students to the literature, history, and theology of the New Testament. It focuses on key books of the New Testament with a primary focus on Jesus of Nazareth, the four canonical gospels, and the development of early Christianity.
3 credits | Online
Every other Wednesday, 6:30 — 9:30pm EST, 1/14, 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22
B/C350: Philosophy for Theologians (Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D.)
This course introduces the basic principles, language, and approaches that philosophy has historically contributed to the approach to and service of theological study and reflection. The course prepares students to engage in theological discourse, fostering the logical, epistemological, ethical, and metaphysical framework necessary to the approach, understanding, development, and maintenance of theological positions consistent with the Catholic intellectual tradition.
1 credit | ROC and Online
Every other Monday, 6:00 — 8:00pm EST, 2/2, 2/16, 3/2, 3/16, 3/30, 4/13
B/C410: Patristics: Introduction to the Church Fathers (Siobhan Latar, S.T.D.)
This is an introductory course on the writings of the Fathers of the Church and their important contribution to the formation of orthodox Christian theology. The focus of the course is to introduce these early Christian theologians as the great teachers of Christian doctrine and highlight their contribution through the Fathers’ explanation of the Christian dogma, and their refutation of heresies. Students will study patristic texts arranged historically and through the common classifications of the Fathers. For example, the Apostolic Fathers, the Apologists, the Latin Fathers, the Alexandrians (both the Fathers of Alexandria, such as Clement of Alexandria, and the great teachers such as St. Athanasius and St. Cyril of Alexandria), and the Cappadocian Fathers (i.e. St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus).
3 credits | Online
Mondays, 6:30pm — 8:30pm EST, 1/5, 1/12, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/13, 4/20
C/D334: Catholic Bioethics at the Middle and End of Life (Amanda Achtman, Lic.)
This course examines a range of issues and controversies, from the determination of death itself, to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, advance directives, hospice and palliative care options, organ donation, extra/ordinary care, and artificial nutrition and hydration. Topics are grounded in a broader discussion of Church views on suffering and death. Additional cutting-edge bioethical issues such as gender dysphoria, artificial wombs, CRISPR gene editing, and COVID-related ethics, are considered, alongside classic landmark ethical cases, and helpful narratives from the rich history of Catholic health care. Secular bioethical frameworks and arguments are examined. Issues are considered in a highly practical light, with emphasis given to real-world applications in pastoral, academic, and health care settings.
3 credits | Online
Tuesdays, 6:30pm — 8:30pm EST, 1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/24, 4/7, 4/14, 4/21
C/D365: Theology of the Body: Sexuality and the Sacred (Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.)
Today we find ourselves struggling to understand and navigate everything that has to do with gender and sexuality. Why is this? Why is life in the body so hard? In fact, we live in the wake of a profound modern divorce between God and his creation, meaning and matter (Descartes), that has facilitated the vast expansion of man’s technological mastery over his world (Bacon). And even as post-modernity has decried modernity’s worst fruits—world wars, the arms race, the destructive global consumerist culture—we find ourselves nevertheless unable to re-discover the inherent purpose of the material order. A struggle to impose meaning has ensued—with the body as its most sensitive battleground. This course seeks to understand the malaise in which we find ourselves and to explore in depth an answer that has been proposed from the heart of the Church. In Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, we will consider the human body as “sacramental” and the human person as inherently structured to express and receive love. We will discover a corresponding depth in the vocations to marriage and celibacy. And we will consider what this means for our experience lived “in” the body and not despite it.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Mondays, 6:30pm — 8:30pm EST, 1/5, 1/12, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/13, 4/20
C215: Introduction to Theological Studies (Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.)
This course orients students to the various aspects of Catholic theological studies and the way Catholic theology functions in the faith community. Key issues such as faith, revelation, Scripture, tradition, the magisterium, and theological method are explored with an eye to how they are integrated into the entire discipline of theology. The course aims at helping to develop a framework in which to understand how one engages in theological reflection. Specific theological terms will be defined and discussed. (Formerly "Orientation to Theological Studies")
3 credits | ROC and Online
Every other Thursday, 6:00pm — 9:00pm EST, 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9, 4/23
C228: Ecclesiology and the Theology of Ministry (Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.)
A historical and theological overview of the Christian understanding of ecclesiology and ministry, with the Second Vatican Council as a primary point of reference. Topics include: the foundations of ecclesiology and ministry in the New Testament, the expressions of ecclesiology and ministry in the history of the Church, Apostolic succession, the nature of and relationship between the hierarchy and the laity, the local and the universal Church, and the Church and the world. Ecumenical engagement will also be addressed through the course. (Formerly "Theology of Church and Ministry")
3 credits | ROC and Online
Every other Thursday, 6:00pm — 9:00pm EST, 1/8, 1/22, 2/5, 2/19, 3/5, 3/19, 4/16
C344: Mary, Mother of God (Matthew Kuhner, Ph.D.)
An introduction to Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. The course will explore Mary’s historical and theological significance from a Catholic perspective, providing an overview of her role in Scripture, doctrine, and devotion. Particular attention will be given to dogmatic formulations and artistic expressions over the centuries.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Every other Tuesday, 6:00pm — 9:00pm EST, 1/6, 1/20, 2/3, 2/17, 3/3, 3/17, 3/31, 4/14
CP605: Beyond Deception: Logic and the Freedom of the Mind (Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D.)
An examination of the three activities that define reason (Understanding, Judgment, and Discursive Reasoning), and the development and practice of the techniques that perfect them (definition, the judgment of truth and falsity, the manipulation of propositions, and the formation of a sound argument). The course considers the defects that commonly affect sound reasoning (fallacies), the distinction between sound and cogent reasoning (deductive vs. inductive reasoning) and the criteria that govern the difference between the two, and lastly what constitutes Normative Persuasion Dialogue and how such is to be distinguished from other speech acts.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Wednesdays, 6:00pm — 9:00pm EST, 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22
CP651: Philosophical Anthropology (Marco Stango, Ph.D.)
This course investigates the philosophical discussion surrounding the human person. We appeal to the major writers on this subject with an emphasis upon the Socratic, Platonic, Aristotelian, Augustinian, and Thomistic traditions, engaging primary original texts themselves and also their incorporation into modern models of the human person, particularly the personalism of St. John Paul II. Among the aspects considered in this course are the following: what is meant by “body” and “soul”; how has relation that exists between the two been articulated; how do we distinguish and understand the difference between the human person’s animality and his rationality; how do we describe human cognition, choice/free will, the human person’s affective life, and the social and spiritual aspects of our humanity; what is meant by the human person being made to the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27); and can it be shown that the human person survives his death?
3 credits | Online
Every other Tuesday, 6:00pm — 9:00pm EST, 1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 2/24, 3/10, 3/24, 4/7, 4/21
CP671: Classic Texts in Catholic Philosophy (Marco Stango, Ph.D.)
This course introduces the students to a close reading of classic works from the Catholic philosophical tradition. For this reason, the works that may be studied include texts from the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary age. According to the model presented in Fides et Ratio by St. Pope John Paul II, “faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” The classics of philosophy selected for this course are examples of the attitude described in the encyclical letter, either because they present an understanding of reason that is open to faith or because they present in an exemplary way the modality in which philosophical reason works once informed by faith. This course is the capstone course for the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy, and the Spring 2026 iteration of the course will deal with Hans Urs Von Balthasar’s Truth of the World, the first volume of his Theo-Logic.
3 credits | Online
Thursdays, 6:00pm — 9:00pm EST, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23
Fall 2025 Courses
August 25th - December 12th, 2025
Application deadline for Fall is August 15th; add/drop deadline is September 5th.
ROC (Rochester Campus)
A202: Old Testament (Matthew Ramage, Ph.D.)
Introduction to the Old Testament introduces exegetical methodology and theology of the Old Testament. Students will consider the fruits and the assumptions of exegesis, using and examining its methodologies both as helpful tools and as products of a particular era. Hebrew poetry and narrative, ritual and ethical instruction, prophecy, historiography, and novella will be analyzed as literature, and students will also examine the development of traditions within the texts of the canon. Since Sacred Scripture is double-authored by both man and God and interpreted in the context of the Catholic Church, this course will also emphasize the theology of the Old Testament, with a special focus on the People of God, and will cover spiritual readings of the Old Testament from the Church Fathers to present.
3 credits | Online
Every other Wednesday, 6:30 — 9:30pm EDT, August 27th, September 10th, September 24th, October 8th, October 22nd, November 5th, November 19th, December 3rd
B/C354: In the Heart's Place: Reading St. Augustine of Hippo's Confessions (Marco Stango, Ph.D.)
The course will be a close reading of St. Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions. The aim of the course is twofold: to introduce the main concepts and themes of Augustine’s Christian thought as it is genetically presented in the Confessions, including, but not limited to, language, human questioning, human knowledge, time and eternity, the problem of evil, memory, creation, and friendship; to evaluate the reasons for the enduring presence of Augustine’s thought in some contemporary thinkers, such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Luc Marion, and others.
3 credits | Online
Thursdays, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, August 28th, September 4th, September 11th, September 18th, September 25th, October 2nd, October 9th, October 16th, October 23rd, October 30th, November 6th, November 13th, November 20th, December 4th, December 11th
C/D460: Faith, Fiction, and Film: The Drama of Belief (Matthew Kuhner, Ph.D.)
“Every genuine art form in its own way is a path to the inmost reality of man and of the world. It is therefore a wholly valid approach to the realm of faith, which gives human experience its ultimate meaning” (Pope St. John Paul II, Letter to Artists, 6). This course will explore how the art forms of fiction and film approach the realm of faith, reverencing its mystery and disclosing its richness. Beginning with a theological discussion of the relationship between Catholicism and art, the course will move to enjoy and reflect upon recent examples of fiction and film that have explored the drama of belief. Works of fiction by Flannery O’Connor, Fyodor Dostoevsky, T.S. Eliot, Madeleva Wolff, Robert Frost, Georges Bernanos, Jessica Powers, Anton Chekhov, and films by Karen Blixen and Terrence Malick will be explored.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Every other Wednesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, September 3rd, September 17th, October 1st, October 15th, October 29th, November 12th, December 3rd, December 10th
C217: Fundamental Moral Theology (Taylor Patrick O'Neill, Ph.D.)
This course introduces the field of moral theology. Students will contemplate the purpose of moral theology in the life of the Church, its methods, and the problems it addresses. Topics will include happiness, action theory, sin, conversion, vice and virtue, and methods of moral decision making.
3 credits | Online
Every other Wednesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, September 3rd, September 17th, October 1st, October 15th, October 29th, November 12th, December 3rd, December 10th
C226: Liturgical and Sacramental Theology (Rev. Anthony Barratt, S.T.L., Ph.D.)
An historical, anthropological, and theological investigation of Christian worship and sacrament with special attention to the Roman Catholic Sacraments of baptism and Eucharist; historical overview of liturgical practices, texts, and theology from Jewish and Scriptural origins to the 20th-century reforms of the Second Vatican Council; basic principles of liturgical and sacramental theology; and groundwork for interpreting liturgical documents and ritual texts from pastoral practice, multi/inter-cultural concerns, and ecumenical considerations. (Formerly “Worship and Sacraments”)
3 credits | Online
Every other Wednesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, September 3rd, September 17th, October 1st, October 15th, October 29th, November 5th, November 12th, November 19th
CP601: Introduction to Catholic Philosophy (Marco Stango, Ph.D.)
This course centers the student upon the discipline of philosophy as it has been developed and practiced within the Catholic intellectual tradition. The methods particular to philosophical investigation will be examined as the philosopher seeks to articulate the nature of wisdom, how it can be attained, and especially incorporated into the entirety of one’s life. The student will understand the differences between philosophy, the sciences, and theology, as well as their respective complementarities, with a focus upon the supportive and illuminative role that philosophy plays in theological education.
3 credits | Online
Every other Tuesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, August 26th, September 9th, September 23rd, October 7th, October 21st, November 4th, November 18th, December 2nd
CP614: Epistemology (Eric Manchester, Ph.D.)
This course will consider the nature of knowledge, whether the human mind can know things as they really are, the twofold nature of human cognition (normative and empirical/rational and sensual), the relationship between the human person’s empirical and normative knowledge, the different kinds of knowing as well as their degrees, the different approaches to truth, belief, and error, and the metaphysical underpinnings of different approaches to the aforementioned concerns.
3 credits
Every other Wednesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, August 27th, September 10th, September 24th, October 8th, October 22nd, November 5th, November 19th, December 3rd
CP631: Metaphysics (Marco Stango, Ph.D.)
This course examines the basic concerns and principles that undergird the whole of reality and guide the way by which we think of the ultimate things to which the mind can aspire: existence, essence, the categories of being, the transcendentals, the analogy of being, and the existence and creative activity of God. This course acts as a capstone study to the whole of philosophy and is preferably engaged upon at the end of one’s certificate/degree studies.
3 credits | Online
Every other Tuesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, September 2nd, September 16th, September 30th, October 14th, October 28th, November 11th, November 25th, December 9th
D214: Spiritual Formation (Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.)
This course seeks to approach the world of prayer in its unity with lived experience. Beginning with a consideration of the witness of the Son of God who “teaches us how to pray” in and through his relationship to the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, we will then move to consider the lives of various saints, including Ignatius of Antioch, Anthony of the Desert, Benedict of Nursia, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, Therese of Lisieux, Charles de Foucauld, Madeleine Delbrel, and Tagashi Nagai. The attention to each figure will include both an awareness of their place in the history of Catholic spirituality and a consideration of their contribution to the life of prayer. Asynchronous lectures will focus on particular topics in the “practicum” of prayer, including spiritual direction, prayer to Mary, lectio divina, meditation, and contemplation.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Every other Thursday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, August 28th, September 11th, September 25th, October 9th, October 23rd, November 6th, November 20th, December 4th
D218: Pastoral Ministry in the Parish: Approaches to Faith Development, Cultural Challenges, and Community Engagement (Jessica Cole, D.Min.)
This course examines a variety of issues surrounding pastoral care and ministry in the parish. We will examine the theology of pastoral ministry, as well as exploring stages of faith development, ministering to Gen Z, family ministry, Eucharistic affiliation, and the current USCCB Strategic Initiatives.
3 credits | Online
Every other Tuesday, 6:00 — 9:00pm EDT, August 26th, September 9th, September 23rd, October 7th, October 21st, November 4th, November 18th, December 2nd
W500: Academic Research and Writing (Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.)
This course is intended for students who have never written or have been long removed from the task of writing a research paper. It will focus on research methods and techniques with an emphasis on: selecting a topic, identifying sources, as well as writing and grammar principles and style. Students will be afforded guidance and suggestions on how to compose a research document written on a scholarly level. Students will also receive helpful information for constructing theological questions and arguments.
1 credit | ROC and Online
Every other Monday, 6:00 — 8:00pm EDT, August 25th, September 8th, September 22nd, October 6th, October 20th
