The Master of Theological Studies For The New Evangelization

“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3: 15-16)

During his landmark visit to Poland in 1979, Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed, “A new evangelization has begun.” The pontiff’s words, rooted in the Second Vatican Council’s renewed emphasis on the work of evangelization, would echo and reecho in years to come, leading Pope Benedict XVI to declare in 2013 a “Year of Faith” focusing on the “New Evangelization” — an outreach to baptized Catholics who have fallen away from the faith and a heightened commitment to proclaiming the beauty of the gospel to an increasingly secularized world.

In response to the calls of recent popes to engage in the work of new evangelization, The Theological Institute of Saint John’s Seminary offers laypeople, deacons, and religious the opportunity to pursue a Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) degree with a concentration on this important apostolate.

Whole Person Formation

As is typical of an M.T.S. degree, the Master of Theological Studies for the New Evangelization is an academic degree designed to expose students to the broad parameters of Catholic theology while enabling them to focus on a particular topic that is of interest to them. This degree is ideal for men and women working in other professions who seek to augment their primary skill set with a grounding in theology so as to more effectively evangelize the fields of culture, work, politics, and family. It might also serve as a steppingstone to doctoral studies, or as a means of preparation for persons interested in working in Catholic educational institutions, diocesan offices or non-profit organizations.

The M.T.S., unlike the M.A.M. degree, does not have as its chief aim the formation of men and women for lay ministry in the Church. However, like the M.A.M. degree, the M.T.S. for the New Evangelization seeks to provide students with a well-rounded, “whole person” Catholic formation in the intellectual, apostolic, spiritual, and human spheres. Indeed, this is what makes the Seminary’s M.T.S. degree unique among other M.T.S. programs. The work of evangelization is not simply a matter of engaging the intellect; hence the need for men and women who undertake this work to be prayerful, balanced, and capable of engaging the heart as well as the head. A contemporary evangelizer must be equally dedicated to both halves of the injunction which is set forth in 1 Peter 3:15–16: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.”

Spiritual formation for M.T.S. students takes place through communal prayer and exposure to classic Catholic spirituality. Participation in the Evangelizing the Culture requirement, through which students undertake a project to develop the practical skills of evangelization, promotes apostolic formation. Human formation takes place through workshops and exposure to sound psychological principles that promote greater maturity, prudence, and capacity for self-gift.

A keystone of the M.T.S. formation program is two semesters of the monthly Formation Colloquium. The multi-faceted formation of the Colloquium seeks to integrate the four dimensions of formation and exposes students to a wide range of theological, philosophical, literary, artistic, psychological, and apostolic concepts through reading, discussion, and lecture. The Formation Colloquium meets nine times over one year. Students must also participate in two semesters of monthly formation sessions in conjunction with the M.A.M. Degree Program in order to complete the degree requirements.

Intellectual Formation

The academic program of the Master of Theological Studies for the New Evangelization provides a comprehensive exploration of the truths of the Catholic faith. In addition to the Formation Colloquium, the M.T.S. degree requires twelve courses — comprised of eleven core courses and one elective. Philosophy, Scripture, the Church Fathers, and St. Thomas Aquinas will serve as touchstones throughout the sequence of M.T.S. courses. An M.T.S. student can complete the degree in two years if he or she attends full-time. A student may also fulfill the degree requirements over a longer period of time, attending courses part-time.

Students must either submit to comprehensive examinations or successfully defend a master’s thesis prior to the completion of their degree.

The required courses for the M.T.S. program are listed below. All M.T.S. students should confer with the Director of The Theological Institute of Saint John’s Seminary to determine the actual order and sequence of course completion, which ensures that students fulfill the intellectual expectations of the M.T.S. Program.