The Core is an opportunity to inquire into the fundamental aspects of being and our relationship with God, nature and our fellow human beings.
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Theology is the study of God and His works insofar as God has communicated these truths through Divine Revelation (Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition). Theologians employ reason as illuminated by faith in order better to fathom God’s revelation. They do so in fidelity to the perennial teachings and Magisterium of the Church. More than an essential discipline in the liberal arts, theology has a higher and more comprehensive aim. It fosters an ultimate unity in our understanding and helps us, as no purely human discipline can, to see and fulfill the meaning of human existence. There are four interrelated sub-disciplines in this field: biblical, historical, systematic, and moral. Majors and Graduate Students acquire and practice the theological habitus (skillsets) of thought, argument, and expression concerning the splendor of divine truth.
At UD, inquiry into God and his works begins especially in the core courses, Understanding the Bible and Western Theological Tradition. Theology majors are further inducted into this enterprise with upper-level courses, comprehensive exams, and a senior thesis. (Beginning Fall 2025, Senior majors will take Senior Seminar, 4347.)
Beyond these Core courses, undergraduate majors in theology also take courses in Systematic Theology, Moral theology, the Old and New Testaments, and elective courses. Theology majors also take, together as seniors, a Senior Seminar (3 credits), a Senior Thesis (3 credits), and comprehensive exams.
Students apprentice great theological masters of the tradition—from biblical authors, saints and doctors, and other great thinkers up to our own times—as they seek to contemplate in an intellectual manner the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, and salvation history. This apprenticeship is both intellectually rigorous and faithful to the deposit of Catholic faith and the magisterium. The sequence of required courses and electives fosters a biblically and historically rich understanding, a systematically precise reflection, and a morally sound grasp of living life well.