Thanks to the generous support of the Knights of Columbus Finger Lakes Chapter, St. Bernard's is delighted to offer the opportunity of auditing one summer course for free. We are a Catholic graduate school committed to featuring courses that enhance the truths of our faith, and as such, wish to share our offerings with as many people as possible.
The location of a course is designated below by one of four geographic areas, indicating the location from which the live course is taught. Students who are within commuting distance to that location are encouraged to attend class in person. All Catholic theology courses online can be accessed synchronously for those unable to attend in person or not in commuting distance. Live course times are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST/EDT). Further details on distance learning can be found here.
Summer 2025 Courses
May 12th - June 27th (Session I) | June 30th - August 15th (Session II)
Application deadline for Session I is April 25th; application deadline for Session II is June 20th.
Add/drop deadlines are May 19th [Session I] and July 7th [Session II].
ROC (Rochester Campus)
Session I
B/C360: Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae (Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D.)
A consideration of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas through an examination of the nature, structures, and materials of the work of his maturity, his Summa Theologiae. Through a close reading of portions of this text, this course will cover issues central to both theological thought and the fully lived vibrant Christian life, specifically the nature and extent of God’s revelation to us through Sacred Scripture, the nature and limits of our understanding of God’s existence and nature, the work of creation, the establishment and nature of the human person, his place within creation, and the return that the human person makes to God (in Whom his happiness consists, considering the means both natural and supernatural by which this return is affected). The sum of these considerations will show that St. Thomas’s treatments of these perennial concerns (and others) continue to influence strongly people both within and outside the Faith, and these across all social strata and profession and not just simply theologians and philosophers.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Wednesdays, 6:00 - 9:00pm EDT, May 14th, May 21st, May 28th, June 4th, June 11th, June 18th, June 25th
CP613: History of Philosophy: Modern and Contemporary (Matthew Pietropaoli, Ph.D.)
With regard to the modern era, this course will survey the main philosophers of the rationalist, empiricist, and Kantian traditions, from Descartes through the nineteenth century. This will introduce the student to the authors of the 19th and 20th century studied in the contemporary era who respond to the major themes/positions of the modern era. It is with regard to the latter that this course explores the two major school of philosophy in the contemporary era, namely analytic philosophy, on the one hand, and phenomenology and existentialism, on the other.
3 credits | Online
Tuesdays, 6:00 - 9:00pm EDT, May 13th, May 20th, May 27th, June 3rd, June 10th, June 17th, June 24th
Session II
A205: Introduction to Biblical Studies (Matthew Ramage, Ph.D.)
The sequence of Sacred Scripture courses at St. Bernard’s is meant to instill habits and skills of reading the Bible that will nourish the spiritual life of the student and candidate for ministry. This first course lays a foundation for all other Scripture courses. It intends to head off simplistic and hackneyed interpretations of Dei Verbum and instead to pursue the development of a rigorous ecclesial hermeneutic. Students will learn the practical building blocks and essential theoretical principles for a Catholic theological approach to the interpretation of Sacred Scripture. Topics treated include biblical geography, biblical history, biblical languages, biblical narrative, the framework of theology, textual criticism, historical criticism, biblical canon, patristic interpretation, the four senses of Scripture, philosophical hermeneutics, and Dei Verbum.
3 credits | Online
Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30pm EDT, July 2nd, July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd, July 30th, August 6th, August 13th
C/D375: Atonement: Soundings in Biblical, Trinitarian, and Spiritual Theology (Margaret Turek, S.T.D.)
The theme of atonement takes us to the very heart of the mission of Jesus Christ. It should be cause for concern, then, that a conspicuous characteristic of much of contemporary theology and catechesis is the absence of efforts to understand the Cross of Christ as a work of atonement. This course examines the central importance and perennial value of the mystery of atonement in the face of the modern aversion to it. Rooted firmly in Sacred Scripture and drawing insights from the writings of Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II, as well as Hans Urs von Balthasar and St. Therese of Lisieux (among others), the course aims to elucidate the Cross event as a dramatic epiphany, shaped in response to sin, of the staggering love of God for us, while we were yet sinners. In addition to exploring the atoning work of Christ in view of its closeness to and distance from the old covenant history of eliminating sin, the course uncovers resources and unfolds implications for a renewed spirituality of atonement in which we personally participate in the atoning mission of Christ.
3 credits | Online
Wednesdays, 6:00 - 9:00pm EDT, July 2nd, July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd, July 30th, August 6th, August 13th
C/D397: The Whole Breadth of Reason: Faith, Science, and Technology (Siobhan Latar, S.T.D.; Apolonio Latar, S.T.L.)
Are faith and science compatible? What is the appropriate way to respond to the exponential growth of technology in our time? This course is designed to provide an understanding of science and technology within the intelligence of faith. Students will learn how having a Christian philosophical foundation allows for a truer vision of science and technology in contrast to contemporary naturalistic worldviews. It will offer a framework for students to think about and relate to modern technologies and contemporary issues, in order to have “the courage to engage the whole breadth of reason” (Pope Benedict XVI, “The Regensburg Address”). Topics will include, but are not limited to: scientism, the nature of science, contemporary medicine, genetic engineering, and artificial intelligence.
3 credits | Online
Tuesdays, 6:00 - 9:00pm EDT, July 1st, July 8th, July 15th, July 22nd, July 29th, August 5th, August 12th
CP621: Philosophy of Nature (TBD)
This course offers an examination of the ancient and medieval accounts of the natural world, specifically their understanding of nature, change, space, time, purpose, chance, and the principles upon which they rest. This is perhaps the most fundamental of all philosophy courses and, together with logic, establishes the vocabulary basic to the whole of the Catholic philosophical tradition.
3 credits
Dates TBD
D210: Lord, Teach Us to Pray: An Introduction to Prayer and Discernment (Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.)
What is prayer? How does one pray? What is discernment? Is it possible to discover God’s will and respond to it? What does it mean to make “spiritual progress”? This course attempts to answer these questions by drawing on classical texts from Scripture and Tradition. The emphasis throughout the course will be on both theology and practice, as students bring their own lived experience into dialogue with the witness of Jesus, Mary, and the saints.
3 credits | ROC and Online
Mondays, 6:00 - 9:00pm EDT, June 30th, July 7th, July 14th, July 21st, August 4th, August 11th
