Note:  Students may use the following list or, using this list as a guide, prepare a comparable list with the approval of the director and reader, subject to the guidance of the Pontifical Degrees Committee.   

Choose two (out of four) historical periods.

  1. Patristic

    1. J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, rev. ed. (New York: HarperCollins, 1978).

    2. Justin Martyr, First Apology, trans. Leslie Bernard (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1997).

    3. Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus Haereses, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I (Peabody, MA: Hendrikson, 1994), books 3-5.

    4. Athanasius, Letter to Marcellinus and Vita Antonii (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1980).

    5. Augustine, De Trinitate, trans. Edmund Hill, 2nd ed. (Hyde Park: New City Press, 2012), books 1-2, 4, 8-9, 15.

    6. Boethius, Theological Tractates, trans. H. F. Stewart, E.K. Rand, and S. J. Tester (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978).

    7. Christology of the Later Fathers (specifically, Cyril of Alexandria, 2nd Letter to Nestorius, 3rd Letter to Nestorius, Formula of Reunion; Pope Leo, Tome; Definitio Fidei of Chalcedon), ed. Edward R. Hardy (Philadelphia: Westminister Press, 1954).

    8. John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith, trans. Frederic H. Chase, Jr. (Washington, D.C.: CUA Press, 1958), books 1, 3, 4.

  2. Medieval

    1. Edward Grant, God and Reason in the Middle Ages (Cambridge University Press, 2001).

    2. Anselm, Proslogion, Gaunilo’s critique, and Anselm’s Response (82-122) and Cur Deus Homo (260-356) in The Major Works, trans. Davies & Evans (Oxford University Press, 1998).

    3. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Grace and Free Choice, trans. Daniel O'Donovan (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1998).

    4. Hugh of St. Victor, Didascalicon, trans. Franklin Harkins, in Interpretation of Scripture: Theory (New York: New City Press, 2013), 63-201.

    5. Bonaventure, Breviloquium, trans. Dominic Monti (St. Bonaventure, NY: The Franciscan Institute, 2005).

    6. Thomas Aquinas, Compendium of Theology, trans. Richard Regan (Oxford, 2009).

    7. Duns Scotus, Four Questions on Mary, ed. and trans. Allan Wolter (St. Bonaventure, NY: The Franciscan Institute, 2000).

    8. Bonaventure, Commentary on John, prologue & chap 1, in Works of St Bonaventure, Vol XI. (St Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute, 2007); Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John, prologue & chap 1 (see http://dhspriory.org/thomas/english/SSJohn.htm#02).

  3. Reformation/Early Modern

    1. Stephen Ozment, Age of Reform: 1250-1550 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1982).

    2. Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, Ratio seu methodus compendio  perveniendi ad veram theologiam. Paraclesis, id est, exhortatio, ad studium evangelicae philosophiae.  Available in English translation through ProQuest: The Ecumenical Theology of Erasmus of Rotterdam: A Study of the "Ratio Verae Theologiae," trans. Donald Conroy (University of Pittsburgh: ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1974).

    3. Martin Luther, The Freedom of a Christian, in Luther’s Works, vol. 31 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1957), 327-77; The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, in Luther’s Works, vol. 36 (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1959), 3–126; Treatise on Good Works, in Luther’s Works, vol. 44 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1966), 15-114.

    4. Protestant Confessions: Confessio Augustana: “The Augsburg Cofession,” in John H. Leith (ed.), Creeds of the Churches, 3rd ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1982), 63-106; Confessio Helvetica posterior: “Second Helvetic Confession,” in Leith (ed.), Creeds of the Churches, 131-191; The 39 Articles of Religion, in Leith (ed.), Creeds of the Churches, 266-280.

    5. Johannes Eck, Enchiridion of Commonplaces Against Luther and Other Enemies of the Church, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1979); sections on Church and Its Authority; Councils; Primacy of Apostolic See; Faith and Works; Sanctification; Free Will.

    6. Doctrinal Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent, in Norman Tanner, ed., Decrees of the Ecumenical Council, Vol. 2 (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1990), Sessions 4-7 (663-681, 684-686), 13-14 (693-698, 703-713), 21-25 (726-728, 732-737, 742-744, 753-759, 774-776, 796-797).

    7. Roberto Bellarmino, Disputations about Controversies of the Christian Faith against the Heretics of This Age (Ingolstadt, 1581-1593), trans. Peter L. P. Simpson, section on First General Controversy: On the Word of God, Written and Unwritten www.aristotelophile.com/Books/Translations/BellarmineControversyOne.pdf 

    8. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, in Collected Words, Vol. 2, trans Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 1980).

  4. 19th/20th Centuries

    1. Gerald McCool, Catholic Theology in the Nineteenth Century (New York: Seabury, 1977).

    2. J. S. Drey, A Brief Introduction to the Study of Theology, trans. M. Himes (Notre Dame: Notre Dame Press, 1994)

    3. Matthias Scheeben, Mysteries of Chritianity, trans. Cyril Vollert, (St Louis: Herder, 1951), §§ 1-31; 50-68.

    4. John Henry Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (Shepherdstown, WV: Patmos, 1975; available on line: www.newmanreader.org).

    5. Vatican I, Dei Filius, Aeterni Patris

    6. Alfred Loisy, The Gospel and the Church, trans. B. Scott (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1976); Pius X, Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907).

    7. Henri de Lubac, Catholicism, trans. L. Sheppard and E. Englund (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988), 13-136, 217-245.

    8. Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum, Gaudium et Spes.

    9. Karl Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith, trans. W. Dych (New York: Seabury, 1978), 1-175.

Choose one thematic area from Systematics STL Comps List.
Choose the books on the STL listed for either:
  1. Foundational Theology
  2. Trinity and Christology
  3. Ecclesiology and Sacramentology
  4. Anthropology and Eschatology