CSP 231 Becoming Holy
How does someone become holy? In this course, students engage the virtues— as theological/philosophical ideas, as ways of being depicted in art, and as values exemplified in the particular lives of Catholic saints—in order to answer that very question. This seminar interrogates saints, both canonized and living in our midst, as an entry point into a larger reflection on how particular lives connect to a universal Church, as well as how virtues might help us in our own journeys in becoming holy. After opening the course with discussions about sanctity and saint-making, students will be immersed in a study of virtues contextualized in lives of saints located around the globe. Students will encounter and conduct an interdisciplinary study of the biographies and contexts of key historical figures that will challenge assumptions, as well as broaden perspectives about what the word “Catholic” means. The Greek word catholicam means universal. In the end, they will consider how collectively these lives form the communion of saints. How might Catholicism make a universal impact? How do we see the universal in particular lives? Students will learn how to identify as well as shape a life worth living, and perhaps, even how to become holy.