College of Philosophy and Letters
Leadership
Randall S. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Dean
Description
Founded in 1889, Saint Louis University’s College of Philosophy and Letters oversees undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs for students preparing for priesthood or lay Catholic ministry. Programs include a B.A. and B.S. in philosophy for ministry, a certificate in philosophy for ministry, and a certificate in foundations of Christian service.
Following recent congregations of the Society of Jesus, curricular and capstone requirements for the bachelor’s programs for Jesuits and the two certificate programs have been structured to help students engage issues of faith and justice in dialogue with culture.
Programs in the college also include an archdiocesan concentration in the B.A. Oriented toward reflection on the relationship between faith and reason, this program satisfies undergraduate requirements for archdiocesan seminarians.
A bachelor’s degree from the College of Philosophy and Letters provides the early academic formation of students preparing for Catholic ministry and priesthood. The college is concerned with both the undergraduate training appropriate to the bachelor’s degree and the implementation of ecclesiastical requirements for religious and seminarians at the collegiate level.
The bachelor’s degree in the college offers four concentration options. The concentrations in humanities, language, and math/natural sciences conclude with a capstone focused on a particular context of ministry. The archdiocesan concentration concludes with a capstone on faith and reason.
The certificate in philosophy for ministry is designed primarily for post-baccalaureate students preparing for eventual ordination. As such, its requirements follow ecclesiastical standards for the philosophical training of students studying for the priesthood. Although this certificate presupposes a previous degree, its requirements may be satisfied by undergraduate coursework. The certificate in foundations for Christian service is a flexible, 15-16 credit program for religious and lay students who desire philosophical, theological, and other relevant disciplinary background for intelligent reflection on contexts of possible ministry.
The Master of Arts in Philosophy and Theology for Ministry provides interdisciplinary foundations for intelligent ministry in the Church and further divinity studies required for ordination. For future priests, the degree also offers the opportunity to satisfy one year of the four years of graduate theological studies required for ordination.
PLJ 1010 - Ecclesiastical Latin I
3 Credits
Elementary introduction to the Latin language, including grammar and vocabulary. Special attention is given to the place of Latin as the language of the Roman Catholic Church, and to its use in the texts of the Roman liturgy, Church documents, and the Church Fathers.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 1020 - Ecclesiastical Latin II
3 Credits
Elementary introduction to the Latin language, including grammar and vocabulary. Special attention is given to the place of Latin as the language of the Roman Catholic Church, and to its use in the texts of the Roman liturgy, Church documents, and the Church Fathers.
Prerequisite(s): PLJ 1010
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 1050 - Catechism I: Catholic Doctrine
2 or 3 Credits
This course is a comprehensive treatment of the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic Church. Highlighting the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part One: The Profession of Faith), the class examines the meaning of faith rooted in the Scriptures and Catholic Tradition.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 2000 - Introduction to Philosophy
1-3 Credits
This course introduces students to important philosophical themes and to the practice of closely reading philosophical texts through an engagement with historical and contemporary sources. Offered in spring.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 2010 - Ecclesiastical Latin III
3 Credits
Broadens and deepens skills gained in Ecclesiastical Latin I and II, with a focus on the documents and special vocabulary of the Holy See. (Offered occasionally)
Prerequisite(s): PLJ 1010; PLJ 1020
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 2020 - Ignatian Humanism
3 Credits
This course explores the Ignatian spiritual tradition as a distinct form of Christian humanism. Attentive to the writings of St. Ignatius Loyola, the impact of Renaissance humanism, and the emphasis on a faith that does justice, this course reflects on the pioneering attempts of Jesuits to navigate a variety of challenges, including the relationship between science and religion, missionary activity and interreligious dialogue, poverty and the protection of the vulnerable, and more. Accordingly, the course engages the life and work of Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Robert de Nobili, Matteo Ricci, Edmund Campion, Teilhard de Chardin, and Alfred Delp.
PLJ 2050 - Catechism II-III
2 or 3 Credits
This course is a comprehensive introduction to parts II and III of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on sacraments and the moral life.
Prerequisite(s): PLJ 1050
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 2800 - Biblical Greek I
3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
Introduction to the basics of biblical Greek. (Offered occasionally)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 2930 - Special Topics
1-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 2980 - Independent Study
1 or 3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 3000 - Logic and Epistemology
3 Credits
An introduction to an Aristotelian account of logic and the acts of the mind and to the nature and possibility of knowledge, with a focus on developing and articulating a realist philosophy that provides a foundation and guiding inspiration for future courses and studies. Offered in fall.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3050 - Liturgy and Sacraments I: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
2 or 3 Credits
This course presents the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist as liturgical celebrations and rites that ‘actualize’ Christ in his Salvific Event.
Prerequisite(s): PLJ 1050
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3055 - Liturgy and Sacraments II: Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Marriage
2 or 3 Credits
This course studies the sacraments of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Marriage.
Prerequisite(s): PLJ 1050; PLJ 3050
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3060 - Introduction to Scripture: Biblical Hermeneutics and Salvation History
2 Credits
The course expounds on the basic concepts and criteria used in Biblical Sciences: Word, Revelation, transmission, Truth in Scripture, Canonicity, authenticity, integrity, Magisterium, tradition.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3100 - Ancient Philosophy
3 Credits
An historical introduction to the thought and texts of principal Greek and Roman philosophers from the Pre-Socratics to the Neo-Platonists, with special emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. (Offered every Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3150 - Philosophy of Nature
3 Credits
An introduction to the Aristotelian philosophy of nature (investigating change and motion in sensible bodies) and to the philosophy of science (investigating the significance and practice of scientific inquiry), especially in relation to Catholic belief and practice. (Offered every Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3200 - Medieval Philosophy
3 Credits
An historical introduction to the thought and texts of principal philosophers of the medieval period, with special emphasis on Augustine and Aquinas. (Offered every Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3300 - Philosophical Anthropology
3 Credits
A comprehensive examination—through a critical engagement with historical and contemporary sources—of the nature of the human person as an incarnate being possessing freedom, subjectivity, and powers of knowing. The course includes both Thomist and personalist perspectives. (Offered every Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3350 - Ends and Meaning in Ignatian Spirituality
3 Credits
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola provide a means for making decisions in a way that is consistent with our convictions and the pursuit of the common good. They offer us a practical guide for how to put our ideals into action that respects reality and the people whom our decisions impact. In this course, we will first explore these principles and their relationship to the broad knowledge-base students have acquired at the university. We will develop vision statements for post-undergraduate life that 1) use knowledge gained in university courses and student life, 2) apply principles of discernment, and 3) acknowledge the challenges and possibilities presented by a diversity of experience and opinion. Throughout the course we will explore, through the Ignatian paradigm, the question of how we can make decisions that are consistent with personal conviction and the common good of the communities to which we belong.
Prerequisite(s): Minimum Earned Credits of 60; (CORE 1000 or UUC Ignite Seminar Waiver with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500*
* Concurrent enrollment allowed.
Attributes: UUC:Collaborative Inquiry
PLJ 3550 - Church History I
2 or 3 Credits
Introduction to the patristic foundations of the Catholic Church. (Offered in Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3555 - Church History II
2 or 3 Credits
A survey of the history of the church from Benedict of Nursia to the present day. (Offered in Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3660 - Topics in Sacred Music
2 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
Course addresses themes connected with the appreciation, history, and meaning of music, with emphasis on sacred music. (Offered occasionally)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3665 - Music for Worship
1-2 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
Course focuses on the application of music theory in practice, with a view to preparing students to lead or participate in music for worship. The course is tailored to the individual needs of the students enrolled in the course.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 3930 - Special Topics
1-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 3980 - Independent Study
1 or 3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 4000 - Metaphysics
3 Credits
An introduction to the foundation of philosophy, the science of being, emphasizing an Aristotelian-Thomistic perspective while also addressing modern and contemporary views. Offered in fall.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4050 - Christian Prayer
1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
This course covers the basics of spiritual theology, prayer and its development and presents the insights of some of the spiritual masters, ending with a treatment of some contemporary issues regarding spirituality and prayer.
Prerequisite(s): PLJ 1050
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4100 - Modern Philosophy
3 Credits
A historical introduction to the thought and texts of principal philosophers of the modern period (17th through 19th centuries), with special emphasis on Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Hegel, concentrating on their metaphysical and epistemological arguments. (Offered every Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4250 - Natural Theology
3 Credits
A continuation of the study of metaphysics, treating the subject of being in relation to its principle and end, God as Subsisting Infinite Being and First Cause, and the nature of human knowledge of Him. (Offered every Fall)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4310 - Ethics
3 Credits
This course introduces ethics by beginning with Saint Thomas’ account of the final end, action, virtues, and law as found in his Summa Theologiae. The course will conclude with Pope John Paul II’s intervention into moral theology, Veritatis Splendor. (Offered every Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4350 - Social-Political Philosophy
3 Credits
An historical and systematic introduction to the study of the human as a social-political being, focusing on such topics as the nature, origin, and purpose of political order and its relation to transcendent truths, with readings from historical and contemporary sources. Offered in spring.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4800 - Contemporary Philosophy
3 Credits
An historical introduction to the thought and texts of principal philosophers of the contemporary period (19th century to the present), focusing especially on their metaphysical and epistemological arguments. (Offered every Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4900 - Integration Seminar
1-3 Credits (Repeatable up to 12 credits)
In this course students integrate philosophy with knowledge in other fields of study. The course may be offered as a self-contained study of the connections between philosophy and other fields, or offered as an inter- or cross-disciplinary supplement, taken in tandem with one or more other courses.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4930 - Special Topics
1-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 4960 - Capstone Project
3 Credits
Students write a capstone paper that integrates multiple sources of knowledge-philosophical, theological, ministerial, and other relevant disciplinary perspectives-in addressing a challenge presented by a context of ministry with which they have some direct personal experience.
Prerequisite(s): PHIL 1700 and PHIL 2050; PHIL 3250*, PHIL 3300*, PHIL 4500*, and PHIL 4600*
* Concurrent enrollment allowed.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4965 - Philosophy Capstone: Faith & Reason
2 or 3 Credits
This course provides a capstone to the philosophy curriculum by considering themes from various parts of philosophy as focused in the prism of the relation between faith and reason and by building connections to the study of theology. The primary text for the course will be Pope John Paul II’s Fides et ratio and key topics will include the relation of faith and reason and the threefold character of philosophical inquiry as realist, metaphysical, and sapiential. (Offered every Spring)
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 4980 - Advanced Independent Study in Philosophy and Letters
1 or 3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 5800 - Ignatian Discernment in Jesuit History
3 Credits
e and constant adaptation mark the entire course of the nearly five hundred years of Jesuit history. Tracing the Society’s history offers a practical course in Ignatian discernment, marked as this history is by the constant need to adapt spiritual ideals to ever-changing realities. In this course, we will explore the development of Jesuit ministry, governance, education, and formation in the light of the paradigm for discernment laid out by the Spiritual Exercises. By so doing, Jesuit history will offer a catalyst for discussion about contemporary questions facing the world, the Church, and the Society.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
Attributes: Philosophy & Letters
PLJ 5820 - The History of the Practice of the Spiritual Exercises
3 Credits
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola cannot be fully understood apart from the history of their practice. The published text of Spiritual Exercises is an indispensable guide to the giving the Exercises, but the meaning of the Spiritual Exercises is most fully expressed in the way they are lived by those who experience them. Jesuits have utilized the text of Spiritual Exercises in different ways at different points in the Society’s history, adapting to the contingencies of the eras through which the Society has lived. In this course, we will explore the practice of the Spiritual Exercises as it changed over the history of the Society. In this way, we will seek to understand both the internal dynamics of the Exercises and the way the practice of the Exercises has shaped, and been shaped by, the history of the Church and the Society.
Restrictions:
Enrollment limited to students in the Coll. of Philosophy Letters college.
PLJ 5900 - Integration Seminar
1-3 Credits (Repeatable up to 12 credits)
In this course students integrate philosophy with knowledge in other fields of study. The course may be offered as a self-contained study of the connections between philosophy and other fields, or offered as an inter- or cross-disciplinary supplement, taken in tandem with one or more other courses.
PLJ 5930 - Special Topics
1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)
PLJ 5960 - Capstone Project
3 Credits
Students write a capstone paper that integrates multiple sources of knowledge-philosophical, theological, ministerial, and other relevant disciplinary perspectives-in addressing a challenge presented by a context of ministry with which they have some direct personal experience.
PLJ 5980 - Graduate Independent Study in Philosophy and Letters
1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)