Theology 101

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CHRISTIANITY
SERIES

As a thoughtful Catholic, you have asked the big questions about God, faith, purpose, and meaning. Since the age of the apostles, great scholars and lay Christians alike have prayerfully reflected upon these topics. But until now most of our 2,000-year-old Christian theological tradition was accessible only to professionally theologians. Now, celebrated theologian and award-winning professor Fr. Richard Lennan distills the essence of this tradition, making it accessible to you. This engaging, 12-lecture audio course gives you a thorough overview of the history, fundamental elements, and present forms of theology. Under the guidance of Boston College's Fr. Richard Lennan, you will gain invaluable insights into your own faith. Through examining the workings of theology—its tasks, methods, and goals—you will discover the profound relationship between the activity of theologians and the everyday world of living faith. Learning about theological topics will help you deepen your relationship with God and answer Jesus' call to discipleship in our own time. Join Fr. Lennan on this fascinating and insightful journey through our religious tradition. "Catholic Theology 101" will enrich your mind and inspire your spirit. This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.

7 days free, then $2.99/month

12 Episodes

Internationally best-selling author, renowned professor, and the "dean of American Catholic Historians," Fr. John O'Malley presents his monumental course on the papacy. This masterpiece series covers the most fascinating history in the Western world. Now you can trace the amazing history of the papacy, the oldest still-functioning institution of any kind in the Western world, in 36 erudite lectures. By focusing on popes that shaped vital moments in global history, you will gain a deep understanding of the people, issues, and ideas that gave us the Catholic church and our world. The story features both trouble and triumph—and Fr. O'Malley deftly tackles both aspects—but above all, it tells of resilience. You will be enthralled as you listen to Fr. O'Malley explains how pope after pope responded to challenges from barbarians, "Christian" monarchs, disgruntled bishops, and, above all, the faults and failures of human nature in order to guide Peter's bark through the rugged seas of time.

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HISTORY
Gain fresh insights into the New Testament in this life-changing course by a celebrated Bible translator and Oxford professor. Perhaps no other text has so greatly influenced Western civilization as the New Testament. And yet, it also remains widely misunderstood, even among lifelong Christians. Now, "The New Testament: A Bible Study Course" answers your most important questions about its 27 books. Brilliantly presented by Fr. Nicholas King, these 36 engaging lectures give you access to modern scholarship on the New Testament. Fr. King's original translations breathe new life into the words you have so often heard and studied, accurately conveying the mood of the original documents. After a fascinating general introduction to the New Testament, you will take a fresh look at the Pauline epistles. You will enjoy four lectures on each of the Gospels before looking at Acts of the Apostles, the general epistles, and Revelation. Finally, you will consider the important themes of Christ's Resurrection, divine inspiration, and the necessity of the Old Testament. Above all, you will gain a fuller sense of Jesus as a devout Jew who was telling the old story of God and the People of God in a new way. And as Jesus preached, the gospel message is open to all. This scriptural journey will fill you with the excitement that pervades the writings of the New Testament. Embark on it today.

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CHRISTIANITY
"The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola" has been one of the greatest classics of Western spirituality for more than 400 years. Whether you are discovering it for the first time or you are an expert seeking fresh insight into the Exercises, you will profit from this unique new series. Your guide is Fr. Brian McDermott, S.J., former academic dean of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. A spiritual director for 35 years, he has been Jesuit tertian director for the Maryland and New York Jesuit provinces since 1996. "The Exercises" have guided countless Jesuits, other religious and lay people into a profound experience of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It gained immeasurable success by staying close to the life of Christ, as revealed in the Gospels, and inviting believers to accompany Jesus in his being born, his ministry, his passion and death, and resurrection. These 18 lectures will introduce you to the powerful dynamics of this timeless classic. Drawing on his own experience of directing the Exercises, Fr. McDermott will guide you into the riches of this text with expert commentaries and relevant contemporary theology. Ignatius' imagination was orderly and vibrant. Because of his conviction that believers are best able to grow in their spiritual lives through a combination of structure and flexibility, he developed his Exercises to offer both strengths. You'll explore the series of progressive and cumulative prayer exercises, through which the believer experiences all the most important 'moments' of the Christian journey.

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CHRISTIANITY
How do you find God? When your soul longs for the spiritual, how do you find the time to turn within? Now, this profound series invites you to look to the contemplative tradition for inspiration and answers. Prayer is one of the most essential acts of the Christian life. In this spiritually edifying 24-lecture series, you will join celebrated author and Pauline sister Kathryn James Hermes, F.S.P., in exploring the tradition of contemplative prayer. Regardless of your level of experience, you will find nourishment in this unique series. Sr. Hermes weaves together various strands of Christian living into a tapestry of spiritual development and Christian maturity. In these presentations, you will find new horizons of contemplative living in today's society. You will explore a variety of practical teachings on contemplative prayer from saints and the Catholic tradition that will help you develop your own spiritual life. You will explore what the ancient mystical tradition of the Church means today in our ever-changing world. You will also learn how to avoid the pitfalls of merely tacking prayer onto your routine, or being too busy for prayer altogether. Instead, you will find paths to inner peace when your heart needs healing. This is a truly essential course for all Christians wishing to live prayerfully.

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CHRISTIANITY
From the best-selling author of "The Return of the Prodigal Son," essential listening for Christians, Catholics, and all spiritual seekers. We lead our spiritual lives in relationship with others. A faithful community gives us opportunities to worship, share burdens, offer forgiveness, and celebrate life. Wherever he went, Henri Nouwen created such communities, and within them, he offered spiritual direction. Available as an audiobook for the first time ever, "Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith" is part of The Nouwen Trilogy. These convenient audio sessions let you adopt Nouwen as your personal spiritual director. As you listen, you will come to see the spiritual life as he did: a transformative journey that takes on meaning through interpersonal connections. Each session was carefully prepared by Dr. Michael Christensen, an award-winning professor of Christian ministry and practice, and Dr. Rebecca Laird, who was Nouwen's student at Yale Divinity School. Each volume of The Nouwen Trilogy collects Nouwen's unpublished homilies, interviews, classes, and speeches, as well as excerpts from his published writings. Editing these works into a cohesive and definitive guide to the Christian life, Drs. Christensen and Laird memorialize his popular teachings. With Nouwen's guidance, you hold the key to true and lasting spiritual transformation.

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CHRISTIANITY
Explore the Fourth Gospel with one of Catholicism's leading biblical scholars. From the time of its first appearance, the Gospel of John has gripped the imagination and the hearts of Christians. Composed towards the latter part of the first century, the so-called "Spiritual Gospel" presents a compelling and distinctive portrait of Jesus and His mission. Now you can explore this powerful portrayal of Jesus with Rev. Donald Senior, one of the world's top biblical scholars, as your personal teacher. You will explore the remarkable philosophical and theological understanding John kindled. Inspiring and beautifully written, the Gospel of John will move you to encounter the Word of God anew. John the Evangelist paints a powerful portrait of Jesus Christ. Distinctive from the synoptic gospels in both style and substance, John reflects a unique type of Jewish literature and contains perhaps the most developed theology in the New Testament. As you move through its powerful Christological themes, you will truly see Jesus as the incarnate Word of God. Throughout the millennia, mystics and ordinary Christian disciples have been drawn to this gospel. It expresses, in powerful words and symbols, the heart of Christian faith: that in Jesus the eternal Word of God has become incarnate. In contemplating the person of Jesus, the Risen Christ, the disciple encounters the human face of God. Encounter the Word of God in the Gospel of John today.

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