Communication Theology: A Sample Syllabus

Course Goals

This course is exploring a relatively new arena of thought: the conceptual links, or bridges, between the fields of theology and communication. While such concepts will be somewhat theoretical, our goal is to build the ideas from solid readings and from practical human experience. Near the end of the course, we will identify components of a Communication Theology.

Major Course Themes

  • God’s self-communication in Scripture and history

  • Models of Church and appropriate communication styles

  • Reception and dialogue in the Church

  • The Church as communio – a communion

  • God language and woman’s experience

  • Evangelization: Is the “Electronic Church” or the Internet the answer?

  • How do we communicate spiritually?

  • Churches and Public Relations 

Course Requirements

  1. There will be about 45 pages of reading for each c1ass discussion. Multiple copies of articles will be on reserve in the library for student use.

  2. Each student will read a book in connection with a research project and do a book summary. An Executive Summary will be done for classmates. 

  3. There will be a research paper (12-15pp) and a brief oral discussion on your topic. An Executive Summary of your findings will be distributed. The Instructor will provide a list of topics and you may select one.

  4. Students will do one additional short outside reading assignment and summarize its content (1-2pp) for classmates.

  5. Instructor files and some books will be available for research projects.

Course Calendar

[Readings are specified below for each class.]

Class #1: Overview of course/requirements by instructor; introductory lecture

Film that demonstrates most of the themes of the course in storytelling format: A Man for all Seasons, Oscar-winning film about Thomas More

Class #2: God’s self-communication in history - revealed in Scripture

From Retrieving Fundamental Theology: The Three Styles of Contemporary Theology, by Gerald O’Collins, S.J.:

  • Chp. 1, pp 7-15, “Catholic Theology Since 1965”

  • Chp. 3, pp 40-47,”Fundamental Theology”

  • Chp. 4, pp 48-62, “Die Verbum”

From Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, Ed. Austin Flannery, O.P.:

  • pp 750-765, ”Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation”

Class #3: Experience and Symbols in God’s dialogue with humanity, Gerald O’Collins, S.J. 

  • Chp. 8, pp 98-107       “God’s Symbolic Self-Communication”

  • Chp. 9, pp 108-119     “Experience and Symbols”

  • Chp. 10, pp 120-128   “The Revelation of Love”

From Granfield:

  • Chp. 1, pp 1-18,”The Theology of the Church and Communication” by Patrick Granfield

Class #4: Models of Church and Appropriate Communication Styles

From Models of the Church, Avery Dulles, S.J.: 

  • Chp. 1, pp 15-33,”The Use of Models in Ecclesiology”

From Catholic Mind, Vol 69 (Oct 1971):

  • pp 6-16,”The Church IS Communication” (Dulles)

From The Reshaping of Catholicism, Avery Dulles, S.J.: 

  • Chp. 7, pp 110-131,”The Church and Communications: Vatican II and Beyond”

Class #5: Dialogue & Reception: Communication Concepts

From Granfield:

  • Chp. 6, pp 96-102, ”Dialogue as a Model for Communication in the Church” (Hermann Pottmeyer) 

From The Reception of Vatican II, ed. Alberigo, Jossua, Komonchak:

  • Chp. 2, pp 27-43, “A New Phase in the Reception of Vatican II: Twenty Years of Interpretation of the Council”

Unpublished Pottmeyer manuscript, “Reception and Submission – Contemporary Aspects of the Rediscovered Reality of ’Reception’”