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Birmingham Program Site
Programs and courses available in Birmingham
Spring Hill College offers theology programs in cooperation with the Diocese of Birmingham.
The Spring Hill college theology program has been offered in the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama since 1991.
The program provides a study of all major areas of theology in the Catholic tradition. It is ecumenical in perspective and designed for persons with varying levels of previous theological background.
Graduate degrees in theology as well as a Certificate of Theological Studies (CTS) are offered. The CTS is for those who do not hold a college degree. It is also possible to build upon the CTS to obtain the Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree in theology. Audits are available for those not seeking a degree or certificate.
Courses are taught in the Diocesan Office Building (2121 3rd Avenue, N) in downtown Birmingham by Spring Hill faculty and qualified adjuncts from the local area.
Graduate Programs
- Master of Theological Studies
- Master of Pastoral Studies
- Master of Arts in Theology
Undergraduate Programs
- Certificate of Theological Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Theology
Tuition
Course Offerings
Spring 2010
THL589/499 (Pastoral)
Christianity and Film
Dr. David King
6 Saturdays - Dec. 5, 12; Jan 9, 23, 30; Feb. 13 (9am-4pm)
Course Description:
St. John's description of the Word, that "the light shines in darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it," has profound symbolic and literal implications for the cinema, perhaps the 20th century's most popular and relevant art form. Though all of us are accustomed to finding God in the movies through Biblical epics, biographies of Jesus, and pious portrayals of religious figures, discovering a deeper sense of mystery in film is more difficult to see. This course will examine ways in which film also incorporates principles of transcendence, spirituality, and the sacramental. We'll closely examine five international films, seeking to discern how film depicts spiritual presence even when literally it appears to be absent.
This film course will explore the connections between spirituality, transcendence, and theology in cinema. Particular emphasis will be placed on five modern international films which demonstrate the spiritual aspects of the motion picture.
About Dr. David King:
Dr. David King is Associate Professor of English and Film Studies at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. He has lectured and published widely on Catholic writers, filmmakers, and artists and is particularly interested in the sacramental aspects of film and literature. Dr. King's most recent work on Thomas Merton is featured in a forthcoming commemorative issue of CrossCurrents.
Textbook(s):
Christianson, Eric S., et al. Cinema Divinite: Religion, Theology, and the Bible in Film . London: SCM Press, 2005
All students will also need to purchase or rent a DVD or videocassette copy of Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ.
THL564/363 (Historical)
American Religious History
Fr. Christopher Viscardi, S.J.
6 Saturdays - Feb. 27, March 13, 20; April 10, 17; May 1
(9am-4pm)
Course description:
The religious history of what is now the United States of America is a rich and complex story, characterized by an exceptional degree of diversity as well as powerful commonalities. This course will not be a survey of the last three hundred years, but rather a study of the principal developments of religious experience and religious thought of the history of our nation and a consideration of their impact on American culture today. Major topics include the development of New England Puritanism in colonial America, the emergence of evangelical revivalism in the early republic, and peculiar experiences of Catholic Americans and contemporary religious issues.
About Rev. Christopher Viscardi, S.J.:
Fr. Christopher Viscardi, S.J., completed his doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, in the area of spirituality. His dissertation was a study of the conversion theology of Jonathan Edwards, the New England Puritan and spiritual leader, generally considered America’s greatest theologian. Since 1979 Fr. Viscardi has been at Spring Hill College, where he is currently chair of the department of theology. Over the past few years he has been working on a history of the Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity of Spring Hill College, from 1830 to the present, based on his sabbatical research in the Jesuit archives in Rome, Paris, New Orleans and Spring Hill College. It will be a case study in the religious history of the American South.
Summer 2010
Summer Institute of Christian Spirituality
Scholarships/Grants Available
Christopher Viscardi, S.J. Scholarship
Spring Hill College offers the Christopher Viscardi, S.J. Scholarship for students in its theological studies program. [ more info]
For more information contact:
Office of Lay Ministry
Post Office Box 12047
Birmingham, AL 35202-2047
Phone (205) 838-8300
Fax (205) 836-1910