THE SACRAMENTS OF RECONCILIATION AND ANOINTING
TRS 641C
Spring 2009
Caldwell 451 Dominic E. Serra
Tuesday - ThursdayOffice 424
11:10 - 12:25(202) 319-6519;
SYLLABUS
The purpose of this course:
This course will examine the liturgies of Christian repentance and reconciliation and those of anointing and pastoral care of the sick as they manifest themselves in various parts of the world throughout our Church's history. Attention will be paid to the distinct factors contributing to the development of these liturgies in the major Ritual Families. This study will prepare the class to understand the Church's teaching on these sacraments and to distill from the rites and euchological texts the theological meaning of Penance and the Anointing of the Sick in order to enrich the contemporary Church with pastoral action formed by the tradition. A brief confessional practicum will acquaint the students with the principles and practice of guiding the penitent.
General outcomes of this course:
1. The student will gain a knowledge of the Church's varied tradition of Christian Penance and Anointing as well as an appreciation of the complexity of the evolution of their rites and euchological texts and of their theological and pastoral implications.
2. The student will develop a theological understanding of the sacraments of Penance and Anointing based on the scriptural, historical, and doctrinal evidence arrived at by applying the methods of liturgical research and theological analysis and will be able to articulate the relationship of this theological understanding to pastoral practice.
3. The student will understand the relationship of Penance to Initiation and of both Penance and Anointing to the Eucharist and to ecclesiology.
4. The student will begin to reflect critically upon current theology and pastoral practice regarding the sacraments of Penance and Anointing.
The structure of this course:
The course will consist of lectures which will invite participation and will involve the students in guided discussions based on the assigned readings.
Expectations:
1. It is expected that students will have read the materials critically so as to be able to raise questions and to offer opinions about their content during class sessions.
2. Each student will complete three assignments:
A. Select two articles dealing with some particular aspect of reconciliation. Draw the method and ideas of the two authors into dialogue with each other and offer your own observations and critique. The selection of articles must be approved beforehand. A good source of articles is Reconciliation: the Continuing Agenda – Recommended books below. (6-8 pages). (20%). Due on February 26.
B. Choose one element in the Rite of Penance or its praenotanda and explain how our study of the history of the ritual and of its theology has contributed to your understanding of this element. (E.g. – absolution formula, imposition of the hand, satisfaction, confessor’s ministry, etc.). (4-5 pages) (15%). Due on March 26.
C. Choose one element in the Ordo of the Anointing and Pastoral Care of the Sick or its praenotanda and explain how our study of the historical development of the ritual and its theology has contributed to your understanding of this element. (E.g. – a significant euchological text such as the blessing of oil or the formula of anointing, the communion rite for the sick, the rite of viaticum, etc.). (4 - 5 pages) (15%).
Due on April 30.
3. Each student's knowledge will be examined during final exam week. (50%).
Required texts:
Dallen, James. The Reconciling Community: The Rite of Penance. Pueblo, 1986.
Gusmer, Charles W. And You Visited Me: Sacramental Ministry to the Sick and the Dying. Pueblo, 1990.
ICEL. The Rites of the Catholic Church, Vol. 1. New York: Pueblo Publishing Company, 1990
(Rite of Penance, 519-629; Pastoral Care of the Sick, 761-908).
Recommended:
Kennedy, Robert J. Reconciliation: The Continuing Agenda, Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1987.
Larson-Miller, Lizette. The Sacrament of Anointing the Sick. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2005.
Course Outline and Reading Assignments
Penance in the New Testament and Patristic Era in Both East and West.
Week 1 (Jan. 13, 15). Introduction and Contextualization.
The New Testament and the Post-Apostolic Age.
Dallen, 1-28
Week 2 (Jan. 22). The First Three Centuries
Dallen, 29-55
Week 3 (Jan. 27, 29). The Fourth and Fifth Centuries. The Sacramentaries.
Dallen, 56-99 (NB- Jan 27 = short class because of St. Thomas Mass)
The Middle Ages.
Week 4 (Feb. 3, 5). The Sacramentaries, The Pontificals: A Closer Look.
Week 5 (Feb. 10, 12). Reconfiguration of the Shape of Penance in the West:
Celtic Penance. Theological and Pastoral Shifts.
Dallen, 100-138
Week 6 (Feb. 17, 19). Modern Confession. New Theological Issues. Scholasticism.
Dallen, 139-167.
The Reformation and Trent.
Week 7 (Feb. 24, 26). The Reformation and The Council of Trent.
Dallen, 168-201. <First paper is due 2/26>
<Spring Recess>
The Modern Period.
Week 8 (March 10, 12). The Vatican II Reform.
Dallen, 204-297
Paul VI, Paenitemini (Apostolic Constitution on Christian Penance), February 17, 1966 in Documents on the Liturgy: 1963-1979. pp. 936-943.
Rite of Penance in The Rites. Pueblo, 1990, pp. 517-629.
Week 9 (March 17, 19). The Vatican II Reform, continued.
Dallen, 298-407
Week 10 (March 24, 26). The Vatican II Reform, continued.
The Byzantine Churches. The Oriental Churches.<Second Paper due 3/26>
Penance in the Lutheran and Anglican Churches.
Dallen, 298-407Preparation for the Practicum.
Week 11 (March 31 & April 2)
Week 11 (Evening of April 1 or 2 or 3). Proposed dates for Confessional Practicum.
The practicum replaces two classes scheduled between 3/26 and 4/7 (TBA).
The Anointing and Pastoral Care of the Sick.
Week 12 (April 7). History of the Rites and of their Theology.
Gusmer, 1-48
<No Class on Holy Thursday, April 9>
Paschal Triduum
Week 13 (April 14, 16). History and Theology continued.
Liturgical Texts of the West.
Liturgical Texts of the East.
Texts supplied in class
The Vatican II Reform.
Week 14 (April 21, 23). The Rites for the Sick.
Gusmer, 51-98
Rites, 761-874
Week 15 (April 28, 30). The Rites for the Dying.
Gusmer, 99-138
Rites, 875-908
Present and Future. <Third paper is due 4/30>
Gusmer, 139-202