Living Theology Course 2021
The three courses below were given on Zoom in May 2021 during 'Lockdown.'
We are delighted to make them available to you now for further study. Please note each course needs to be taken in order.
The courses are freely available, though if you find them helpful, then a donation towards our costs would be greatly appreciated - click here if you would like to donate.
God and Creation
Fr. Nicholas King SJ
In this course we shall look at whether a belief in God as creator should make a difference to the way we treat our planet, our common home.
Dr. King will consider the following three topics through the lens of Scripture.
- The Goodness of Creation
- The Ecstasy of Creation: God is at Work
- God in Creation: the Vine as Symbol
Nick King SJ, Jesuit priest and is tutor and fellow in New Testament Studies and Dean of Degrees in Oxford University. He has worked for many years on Living Theology.
YouTube Videos
Study Notes
Mercy and Solidarity
Fr. Michael Kirwan SJ
Pope Francis' notion of 'integral ecology' stresses that the social, political, economic and ecological crises are intertwined. We have to think about them together. The COVID pandemic has surely demonstrated this. Overcoming COVID means battling not just against a virus, but also against ancient and deeply ingrained habits of fear, tribal prejudice, and self-interest. Among these ingrained habits, the need to find scapegoats whom we can blame for what has gone wrong, is as strong as ever. Drawing on René Girard's theory of social formation, and on the teachings of Pope Francis, these talks will look at mercy and at brotherly and sisterly solidarity, as the 'vaccines' we need to protect ourselves ... from ourselves.
Michael Kirwan SJ is a Jesuit of the British Province, currently living in Ireland, where he teaches and researches Catholic Theology at Trinity College, Dublin. He is interested in the work of the French cultural theorist, René Girard, and in political theology.
YouTube Videos
Study Notes
Love as Neighbour
Dr Jan Jans
"Love your neighbour as yourself" is considered by many to be central to Christian ethics.
Dr Jan Jans will consider how Scripture, especially the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke can be legitimately used as a foundation for ethics today. We shall do this with particular reference to Pope Francis' use of this parable in Fratelli tutti.
Dr Jans is a moral theologian who has worked in the Tilburg (Netherlands) Faculty of Theology and the Tilburg School of Humanities, as associate professor. He has also brought his lively style of presentation to students in Louvain-la-Neuve,(Belgium), South Africa and the Philippines.
