THMT610 CREATION AND ESCHATOLOGY

How does Christian faith invite us to understand both the universe as God’s creation, and the relationship between “this world” and “the world to come”? How does such an understanding affect the way we live and work in the world? Special attention is given to traditional themes of death, judgment, heaven, and hell; the significance of Christian faith in bodily resurrection; and the biblical and theological basis for concern for the environment. This course explores key biblical texts, Christian doctrine, and contemporary theologies. Some of the key texts that will be explored throughout this course are Pope Benedict XVI’s (Joseph Ratzinger’s) Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life and Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Si. At the end of the course, a student should have a basic ability to speak and write both about Christian faith in God as Creator, and in Catholic eschatological hope in a way that is informed by Church teaching and theological scholarship.