The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the M.A. Thesis entitled “THY KINGDOM COME: A Regnocentric Approach in Designing the Theology 11 Syllabus of the Loyola Schools” by MARK CHRISTIAN RAY G. GARCIA on 26 September 2023, Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., at DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., LST. The Board of Examiners is composed of Fr. Arnel Aquino, S.J., S.T.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Fr. Oliver Dy, S.J., S.T.D., Ph.D., and Rachel Joyce Marie Sanchez, Ph.D. The M.A. Thesis Adviser is Raymond Aguas, Ph.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Theological Studies with a field of specialization in Systematic Theology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: This thesis explores the possibility of using a regnocentric approach in designing the syllabus of Theology 11, an undergraduate course taught in the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools. Given the recent implementation of the Ateneo’s revised core curriculum in 2018, the thesis looks into the insights of liberation theologian Jon Sobrino, S.J. to help make the course more relevant and responsive to the context of young people today.
To pursue this endeavor, the thesis first investigates the context of young Filipino Catholics. Looking at recent studies from sociology, one sees the rise of “Creative Catholicism” among young people. It seems that young Filipino Catholics are redefining their understanding of the Christian faith. For most of them, right living is becoming more important than right believing. Similarly, the thesis also considers the background of Theology 11. As a relatively new course, it has taken into account feedback from past theology courses but also faces challenges in terms of overall design and responsiveness to students.
Thus, the thesis proposes a regnocentric approach in designing the Theology 11 syllabus. Considering the context of both young people and the course itself, the thesis argues that Sobrino’s insights on the reign of God can prove to be helpful in making the course more meaningful for students. For Sobrino, it is when one places primacy on the reign of God in theology that one understands how to live following the example of Jesus Christ. One understands further what right living entails. By drawing from Sobrino’s works then, the thesis presents both an approach and a sample syllabus that is centered on the reign of God.
