Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) will begin offering courses leading toward the M.A. in Pastoral Studies via online distance-learning beginning with the Fall Semester. Students can take all or part of the 36-hour master's degree program through online courses.

Founded in 1964, IPS is one of the first and most prestigious education-for-ministry programs in the nation. It is one of the few university-based programs that offers an online curriculum identical to its on-campus courses. Students can pursue courses in Chicago daytime and evenings during the week, on weekends, and through intensive courses during the summer. Students are able to take as many as three courses online each semester. The courses are also available for non-degree seeking student.
 

The structured on line curriculum, designed to provide a solid first-degree experience in education for ministry, includes courses in scripture, pastoral theology, and ministerial skills, as well as concentrations in Youth Ministry, Spiritual Direction, Life-long Adult Religious Formation, Social Justice Ministry, and Healthcare Ministry. Required courses include:

IPS 570  Introduction to Theology and Ministry
IPS 402  Church and Its Mission
IPS 417  The Literature of Ancient Israel
IPS 416  Christian Origins: An Exploration of the New Testament
IPS 530  Christian Doctrine and Its History: Grace, Christ and the Spirit
IPS 541  Liturgy and the Christian Sacraments
IPS 553  Christian Moral Theology and Ethics
IPS 555  Human Person and Psychological Development

 

CHURCH AND MISSION
(IPS 402-001)
Class number: 9462
Online*
*NOTE:  Required synchronous online sessions, Wednesdays, 8:00a.m. - 9:00a.m. CST
Instructor:  Heidi Russell
Based on the postmodern encounter of religion and science and the new view of cosmology that has resulted, this course proposes a new paradigm from which to understand the church and its ministries. This course involves us in communion as the heart of church, with attention to authentic human development. It examines the relationships of community and institutional structure and highlights the mission of the church to society. We focus on the church as an evolving experience of reform and its aftermath. Jesus to Augustine, Christendom, Tridentine Reform and Vatican II are the historical periods that anchor this course. The church is both product and transformer of culture--each age bringing new challenges. Entering as we are the third millennium this course will look at four contemporary themes: Feminization, Spiritualization, Globalization and the Next Generation seeing Catholic identity (one, holy, catholic and apostolic) from the perspective of a new (quantum) cosmology or story of the universe. We’ll explore how existing resources can be used to respond creatively to best teach and minister in new times, and identify new resources as needed.
Required Texts:
-----Gaillardetz, Richard R.  Ecclesiology for a Global Church: A People Called and Sent. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2008.
-----Karkkainen, Veli-Matti.  An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives.  InterVarsity Press: September, 2002.
-----Wessels, Cletus.  The Holy Web: Church and the New Universe Story. Maryknoll, N.Y.:  Orbis Books, 2000.

SPIRITUAL PATHS AND WORLD RELIGIONS
(IPS 403-001)
Class number:  6024
Online* 
*NOTE:  Required synchronous online sessions, Tuesdays, 6:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.  CST
Instructor:  Heidi Russell
Greater knowledge and understanding of religious and spiritual traditions is an absolute necessity today. Recent international events, the cybernetic age, and worldwide immigration patterns as well as the frequency of interfaith marriages and the popularity of interfaith prayer services contribute to a developing new context for church ministers and service professionals. This course, in addition to presenting the origins, histories, beliefs, scriptures, and rituals of the world's religions, focuses on enhancing spirituality and renewing religious identity in the contemporary world. Resources available to parish ministers, hospital chaplains, religious educators and social service professionals will be highlighted as part of this course.
Required Texts:
-----Beversluis, Joel, editor.  Sourcebook of the World's Religions: An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality (Third Edition).  Oxford University Press, USA, February 11, 1999. (Paperback)
-----Eastman, Roger, editor.  The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions (Third Edition). 
-----Kung, Hans.  Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions.  Continuum International Publishing, August 31, 2006.  (Paperback)  note: the listed price by the publisher is $44.95.
Students are encouraged to buy used copies of all of the above through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Borders, etc. They are all available for about $20 a piece used.

HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS AND SYSTEMS THINKING
(IPS  463-001)    
Class number:  9471 
Online
Instructor: Daniel Lunney
     The Healthcare Environments and Systems Thinking in Healthcare course will prepare professionals in healthcare ministries to understand the dynamics, systems, relationships, roles, regulations and history of healthcare systems in order to work effectively within their particular healthcare environment.
     The Healthcare Environment and Systems Thinking in Healthcare course will be an seminar course which will focus on the following topics:
          • an overview of the healing mission of the church
          • an overview of the development of the US healthcare systems
          • an overview of systems thinking, strategic planning and continuing quality improvement
          • study of The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 (including Advance Care Planning)
          • study of HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) as related to 
             spiritual care (ethical, legal aspects)an overview of the models of spiritual care
          • an overview of the role of spiritual care within healthcare systems
          • an overview of the role of mission integration within healthcare systems
          • an overview of the role of the ethics committee and ethics consultation
          • an overview of the interrelationship between healthcare professions and the relationship between
             healthcare and community clergy and faith communities.
     Upon Completion of the course, the students will have the ability to:
          • Promote the integration of Pastoral / Spiritual Care into the life and service of the institution in
            which it resides.
          • Establish and maintain professional and interdisciplinary relationships.
          • Articulate an understanding of institutional culture and systems, and systemic relationships.
          • Support, promote, and encourage ethical decision-making and care.
          • Document one’s contribution of care effectively in the appropriate records.
          • Foster a collaborative relationship with community clergy and faith group leaders.
Required Readings:
-----Ackoff, Russell and Emery, Fred. On Purposeful Systems: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Individual and Social Behavior as a System of Purposeful Events. Aldine Transaction, 2005.
-----Cohn, Jonathan.  Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis---and the People Who Pay the Price.  Harper Perennial, 2008.
-----Graves, Joel Curtis. Leadership Paradigms in Chaplaincy. www.Dissertation.com, 2007.
-----Shea, John.  Spirituality and Health Care: Reaching toward a Holistic Future.*  Park Ridge Center, (2000).  *Please note that this book is out of print.  There is a pdf version of the book available online used with the permission of the author.
Click here for a copy of the syllabus.

INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY AND MINISTRY 
(IPS 570-001)
Class number:  7546
Online*
*NOTE:  Required synchronous online sessions, Mondays, 7:00pm – 8:00p.m. CST
Instructor: Eileen Daily
An introduction for ministry students, this course sets the tone for the interplay between tradition and ministry, theology and practice. Students focus on method and skills, learning to think critically about the tradition and relate it effectively to ministry contexts today. The course has three parts: 1) What is theology? 2) Exploring theological method, and 3) Theology of ministry. Students reflect on the importance of critical theory for theology and examine various theological methods, each emphasizing the interplay between experience and tradition. The major theological shifts introduced by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) lead into the course focus on ministry. How do we understand the task of ministry today? Connecting our own charisms with the needs of the faith community in service to the reign of God, ministry is both universal (a mandate given in baptism to all the baptized) and skilled profession. The course concludes with a section on theological reflection and practical theology-how do we think on our feet as pastoral theologians and ministry professionals, relating the tradition to our own experience and to our ministry contexts?
Required Texts and Equipment:
-----Ford, David F.  Theology: A Very Short Introduction.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.  I
-----Kinast, Robert L. What Are They Saying About Theological Reflection? New York: Paulist Press, 2000.
-----McKim, Donald K.  Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms.  Westminster.  Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. 
-----Osborne, Kenan B., OFM.  Orders and Ministry: Leadership in the World Church. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2006.
-----Online section additional required course need:  microphone and headset (no particular model)

CHRISTIAN ORIGINS:  An Exploration of the New Testament
(IPS 416-001)
Class number:  5594
Online*
*NOTE:  Students are required to meet online every Wednesday evening, 7pm – 8pm  CST
Instructor:  Robert Ludwig
     The focus of this course is the faith experience that stands at the beginning of the Christian tradition.  What happened in Galilee twenty centuries ago?  How was it interpreted by the first Christians?  What was that world like—in the Jewish homeland, and in the larger Mediterranean world?  In order to understand what happened and how it was interpreted, what do we need to know about the Jewish context of Christian beginnings—about what is known as “the Second Temple period” or “Post-Exilic Judaism,” about the Roman occupation of the Jewish homeland and its social, economic, and political impact on the Jewish people?  What about the translation of the message of Jesus and the communities that believed in him into the larger Greco-Roman world?  How was Jesus interpreted in the communities that Paul founded and supported?  Finally, what does knowing about Christian origins—understanding the New Testament texts in their original context—mean for our own faith and our work in ministry today?
     This course serves as an introduction to and an overview of the New Testament.  Students explore the world of Jesus and his interpreters from both an historical and a biblical perspective and learn about the religious and cultural world of Palestinian Judaism during the Roman occupation.  The course considers the life and teachings of Jesus in Galilee in the twenties; the beginnings of the Christian movement in the revelatory experience of Christ risen, the experience of the Spirit sent, and the preaching of the gospel focused on his life, death, and resurrection; the missionary movement of the Church into the Greco-Roman world (the life and writings of the apostle Paul); and finally the development of the four canonical gospels, each with their unique portrait of Jesus Christ and the path of discipleship.  Throughout the course, students make connections between then and now, Christian origins and our world of faith, practice, and ministry today.
Required Readings:
-----Ehrman, Bart D.  A Brief Introduction to the New Testament, 2^nd Edition.  Oxford University Press, 2009. [Available through Loyola Bookstore or at Amazon.com]
-----Ludwig, Robert, Instructor’s Essays [Available at the cost of duplication from the IPS office by contacting Susan Ozuk (312/915-7400 or sozuk@luc.edu)]
-----New Testament Texts (Any Contemporary Translation)
-----Excerpt from J.D. Crossan, “Jesus and the Kingdom of God,” from God and Empire (2007)—Will be mailed to students with the Instructor’s Essays.
Click here for a copy of the syllabus.

CHRISTIAN MORAL THEOLOGY AND ETHICS
(553-001)
Class number:  9466 
Online*
*NOTE:  Required synchronous online sessions, Thursdays, 7:00p.m. - 8:00p.m. CST
Instructor:  Eileen Daily
     This course examines the fundamental insights of Christian ethics as they relate to everyday living as disciples of Christ and citizens in this time/place. Topics covered will include: history of Christian ethics, formation of a Christian ethical community discipleship, theological anthropology (including human dignity, rights, agency, freedom, natural law, stages of moral development and commitment), models for decision-making, resources for ethical living (Catholic traditions, the scriptures, human experience, social & human sciences), conscience, methods of ethical thinking, (social) sin, conversion and virtue. These foundational issues and Catholic social teachings will be integrated with pastoral application through the use of case studies on economic justice, violence, human sexuality, environmental justice and biomedical ethics.
Required Book and equipment:
-----Ahearn, David Oki and Peter R. Gathje, Editors.  Doing Right and Being Good: Catholic and Protestant Readings in Christian Ethics.  Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2005.
----- Microphone and headset (no particular model)
Strongly Recommended:
The following set of 10 films is required viewing in the course between 9/7 and 10/9.  Students who do not want to spend the money to buy the set on DVD should check their local library systems.  The whole set will be available on reserve at Lewis Library on the Water Tower Campus for those who have time to watch them on campus.  The films are in Polish so students who purchase them in a format other than the one recommended should make sure that they are getting one with English subtitles (unless they understand Polish).  The set will NOT be available for purchase in the bookstore.  It IS available through Amazon or the set MAY be available through your NetFlix or Blockbuster subscription.  
-----The Decalogue (Special Edition Complete Set).  Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski.  ASIN: B00009Y3OK
-----Other assigned texts will be made available as handouts or online. 

THE THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING
(IPS 404-001)
Online
Class # 
Instructor:  Daniel Lunney

THE LITERATURE OF ANCIENT ISRAEL
(417-002)
Online
Class #
Instructor: 
This course is an introduction to the Old Testament, the sacred literature of both Christians and Jews. We will examine texts from the Pentateuch, the historical and the prophetic books, and the wisdom books.that contain the record of Israel’s relation with its God, a record that for Christians forms the prelude to the Christ event. In order to reconstruct the meaning of Old Testament texts for their original audiences, we will employ the methods of modern critical biblical scholarship. The aim of our efforts to recover the ancient cultural, religious, and literary contexts of the Old Testament is the authentic appropriation of this literature in our present-day contexts of pastoral ministry and personal spiritual growth.

CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY: TRANSFORMING OUR PAINFUL EMOTIONS
(IPS 4___-001)
Online
Class # 
Instructors:  Evelyn and James Whitehea

PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
(IPS 485-001)
Online
Course #
Instructor:  Eileen Daily

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE AND ITS HISTORY: Grace, Christ and the Spirit
(IPS 531-001)
OnlineClass #
Instructor: Heidi Russell
Today many Christians have little or no understanding of how the New Testament experience became translated into Christian doctrine; many have little or no insight into how Christian theology today understands the dynamics of sin and grace, the notion of salvation, the role of Jesus Christ as understood by Christian faith.  This course is an overview of fundamental Christian theology--from the New Testament, to Augustine, to Aquinas, to Karl Rahner--focused on the core doctrines of grace, Christ, and Trinity.  Students will pursue an understanding of the experiential foundations of core Christian doctrine and see the evolution of interpretation from early centuries to the present.  Much of the course will explore contemporary, pastoral understandings of Christian doctrine.  We will move between experience and doctrine and back to experience, helping students gain insight into both as they come to understand the dynamic process that leads from experience to doctrine-and, in theology, back again to experience and to ministry.  What theologians refer to as "soteriology"--theology of salvation--is the heart of this course, which will involve significant reading and writing assignments as well as in-class discussions.  This is a basic theology course for anyone involved in Christian ministry.

LITURGY AND THE CHRISTIAN SACRAMENTS
(IPS 541-002)
Online
Course #: 
Instructor:  Heidi Russell

HUMAN PERSON AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
(IPS 555-002)
Online
Class #
Instructor: 
Human beings are created to grow and mature into their full humanity. Every phase of life carries particular psychological and spiritual agendas with which the minister needs to be acquainted. While each person is unique, our developmental story from birth to death is also our universal human story with particular variations, sharpened around gender and cultural differences. We will explore these differences even as we seek to discover reliable markers for ministry to persons throughout the life cycle. The role of the minister in pastoral care and counseling situations with persons at different phases of life's journey will be our primary focus.

FIELD EDUCATION I
(IPS 580-001)
Online
Course #
Instructor:

   To apply for admission to IPS, please contact:

Ryan Hoffmann
Phone: 312.915.7484
E-mail: rhoffm4@luc.edu