Mater Dei Institute

The Programme

Are you interested in studying Theology? Have you questions about the Church, the Bible, the Mass, Parish Pastoral Councils, Evangelisation, Ethics or Morality?

“Many say to me that they have lost confidence and even reject what they call “the Church as an institution”, but that they still hold and cherish the message of Jesus. But where do they turn to find that message? They will not find it in popular culture. They will not keep it hoping that their knowledge of Jesus acquired as a child or in school will keep their faith alive as they face the challenges of adult life”

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Chrism Mass 2010

A new Vision of Church

One of the challenges of adult faith is the expression of that faith in the life of the church community. For many this expression of faith is found in parish ministry. Key to good ministry is good theology. This programme will enable participants to grow in their knowledge and understanding of current issues in faith and theology. The programme seeks to respond to the diversity of parish ministries and will be of particular relevance for those involved in:

• Ministries of Welcome
• Children’s Liturgy
• Baptismal Teams
• Ministers of the Word
• Justice Programmes and Social Outreach Programmes
• Finance Committees
• Parish Councils
• School Boards of Management
• Ministers of the Eucharist
• Sacramental Preparation – Eucharist, Confirmation and Marriage
• Bereavement Ministry
• Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Part-time, Flexible Modular Learning

This unique Modular programme is available on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 9pm and on eight Saturdays throughout the academic year.

The programme enables participants to:

• engage in part-time Third Level study at their own pace
• accumulate credits that can lead to different Level 8 awards (each module is delivered over six Thursdays or two Saturdays at MDI and each module is worth 5 ECTS credits)
• attend classes at MDI or at a local Outreach Centre (email mary.jones@materdei.dcu.ie for further information)

The programme is intended for people from a broad range of backgrounds, who wish to begin or continue the study of theology.

The programme seeks to offer students a clear understanding of the foundational teachings of Christianity in the following areas: Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, Scripture, and Liturgy. As such, it would be of particular interest to adults who wish to find out more about the origins of the Christian faith and its relevance in today’s world.

Modules

Modules on the various awards include:

CERTIFICATE

Experiential and Theological Reflection
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* Foundations in Christian Morality
* Liturgy
* The Living Parish
* Gospels and Acts
* Reading the Old Testament
* Christology
* Theology of the Sacraments
* Prayer and Spirituality
* Academic Writing Skills

DIPLOMA

Engaging with the Questions of Others
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* Facilitating Individual and Group Learning
* Learning Across the Lifecycle
* Social Teaching of the Church
* Paul - Apostle to the Gentiles
* Psalms, Wisdom and Prophets
* Relationships and Sexuality
* Women and Scripture

BACHELOR

Facilitating Theological Educational Agency
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* Educational Agency and Lifelong Learning
* Religious Learning in a Digital Age
* Discipleship and Ministry
* Leading Worship
* Coordinating and Writing a Research Project
* Issues in Christian Ethics
* Primary and Post-Primary Religious Education
* Voices in Irish Theology
* Placement
 

AWARDS

Certificate in Theology and Lifelong Education (60 ECTS Credits - 12 taught modules)
Diploma in Theology and Lifelong Education (120 ECTS Credits - 24 taught modules)
BA in Theology and Lifelong Education (180 ECTS Credits - 36 taught modules)

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this programme the graduate will be able to:

• demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of the key themes in theology and lifelong education
• with a sensitivity to particular religious traditions, intercultural dialogue and interreligious encounter engage with the sources, beliefs and practices
• critique the intellectual foundations of theology, adult learning and religious education
• demonstrate the appropriate professional skill necessary to organise and communicate theological content in the context of the lifelong education of others in a responsible and accountable manner
• as an agent of lifelong education, initiate and structure a dialogue between contemporary life experience and the Christian tradition building on theological and ethical foundations,
• respectfully and in solidarity with others, be an educational agent for personal, communal and societal transformation

Entry Requirements

• Application to the programme is based upon maturity of years.
• Applicants must be aged 23 or over on the 1st January in the year of application.
• As part of the application process, the relevant life work experience of the applicants and previous studies undertaken will be reviewed to determine eligibility for the programme.
• Application will be made directly to the Institute.

Want to find out more?

To make an appointment with the Programme Coordinators Dr John Murray and Dr PJ Sexton to discuss the programme in further detail please contact Mary Jones:

• mary.jones@materdei.dcu.ie
• 01 8086513 (9am to 2pm)

Application

An application form may be downloaded here.
Closing date for applications is 16th April 2012.

For further information contact:

TLE Admissions,
Mater Dei Institute of Education, Clonliffe Road, Dublin 3.
E-mail: mary.jones@materdei.dcu.ie
Telephone: 01 808 6513

Resources

Please find below some theology websites that you may find useful for your own research. Most of these have links to other websites and collections of resources.

• Irish Theological Association – has lots of links to other websites
   www.theology.ie
• Internet Theology Resources from Saint John's School of Theology, Collegeville, Minnesota
   www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/itr/
• Theology Library at Springhill College
   www.shc.edu/theolibrary/
• Full theological texts available online
  www.religion-online.org
• Theology Today – Princeton University
   theologytoday.ptsem.edu
• Catholic Ireland – a website of the Catholic church in Ireland
   www.catholicireland.netcms/
• Homepage of Gerard Hall, Head of the School of Theology, Australian Catholic University
   dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/gehall/
• Vatican II Voice of The Church - a site which allows one to access all the Vatican II documents, and gives other information also. It seems to have many other good and "sound" links.
   www.vatican2voice.org/default.asp
• CiNews - The Webportal for Christians. Lots of links to stories of interest both generally and theologically.
  www.cinews.ie
• The Catholic Communications Office - Good links here also, pertains to Irish Church.
  www.catholiccommunications.ie
• The Catholic Church in England and Wales - links for liturgy.
   www.catholic-ew.org.uk/
• Website of the National Catholic Reporter, John Allen gives updates on the Church universal, does have a particular focus on the Church in the US. Good analysis generally.
  www.ncrcafe.org
• Bibles on-line, different translations, plus audio.
   www.biblegateway.com/versions/
• Bible - New revised standard version
   www.devotions.net/bible/00bible.htm
• Internet Christian Library - Lots of documents from the early Church.
   www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html
• Vatican radio website, some might like to listen.
   www.radiovaticana.org/inglese/enindex.html