Inspired by new book, Theology 1001 explores beyond Scripture

When people meet at a party, one of the first questions is often, "So, what do you do?" There's a natural tendency to define ourselves - and therefore others - by our jobs, to assume that our identity is largely defined by the 9-to-5. But what if the question were instead, "Who are you?" Or, more boldly, "Who are you becoming?"

While that might feel a bit intense for small talk, it's the perfect opening question for Theology 1001: Foundations in Theology - Finding God in All Things.

A growing number of instructors of Theo 1001 at Marquette are opting to adopt a common syllabus based on the new book, "Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction to Catholic Theology" co-authored by Rev. Ryan Duns, S.J., associate professor and chair of theology in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences and Dr. Conor Kelly, former department chair, now associate vice provost for faculty affairs.

"Our goal is not to indoctrinate you or, as students often fear, to shove religion down your throat," Father Duns writes in the book. "Our goal, instead, is to help you raise and then to better answer two deeply human questions: Who am I? and Why am I here?"

"Instead of telling students what to think, we try to begin with questions they're already asking."

"Instead of telling students what to think, we try to begin with questions they're already asking," says Rev. Joseph Simmons, S.J., assistant professor of theology and a current co-instructor of the course. "The goal is to make Theo 1001 formative rather than performative - a course that shapes how students think about, discern and imagine their futures."

Learning to Look Along the Beam of Light

The class, required for all first-year Marquette students, begins with that loaded question: "Who will you become?"

There's no single correct answer, of course. It's a question that invites students into new ways of seeing themselves and the world they live in.

"We are seeking to invite students into a transformative intellectual and spiritual journey - one that could be a defining moment of their time at Marquette," Father Duns emphasizes.

Students arrive with expectations that are often shaped by prior Catholic schooling or by assumptions about required theology courses, but many leave surprised," says Dr. Matthew Neujahr, associate teaching professor in theology and current co-instructor with Father Simmons.

"For some, it's their first encounter with academic theology," Neujahr says. "For others, it's familiar, but approached in a way that's more personal and intellectually challenging."

Father Simmons explains how the course creatively approaches Catholic and Jesuit pedagogy by incorporating fiction, poetry and different genres alongside scripture.

"We teach texts that aren't overtly religious but are clearly shaped by moral or religious imagination," he says. "Encouraging students to explore connections to biblical themes gives them another way into the material."

C.S. Lewis is one example of such an application.

"Lewis suggests that you can look at a beam of light, or you can look along it and see the light illuminates the world differently," Simmons says. "Our class looks along the beam; it stipulates certain beliefs as true and explores what follows from them."

The teaching methods come as a surprise to some students.

"I expected it to be scripture-heavy," says Luke Claerhout, a sophomore studying history and international affairs. "We did read scripture, but we also read everything from C.S. Lewis to St. Augustine to MLK and even fiction."

Chuddy Okenyi, a first-year political science major, noted the emphasis on class discussion.

"The structure was unique: two small-group discussion days and one lecture a week," he says. "All my other intro classes were mostly lectures."

Reimagining a Core Course

In 2018, as Marquette launched its new Core Curriculum, Kelly and Father Duns saw an opportunity to rethink Theo 1001 from the ground up.

"Instead of organizing the course by subdisciplines like ethics, scripture, systematics or history, we structured it around the four weeks of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola," Father Duns explains. "That aligned the course more intentionally with Marquette's Jesuit mission,"

Then the pandemic hit. Large in-person lectures weren't possible, so they restructured again.

"I was reading a lot about Ignatian discernment at the time," Father Duns says. "So, we reframed the class as an invitation for students to learn and practice it. Because we couldn't teach in the same way, we began writing chapters for students, which eventually became the book."

A Required Course Students End Up Appreciating

Many students describe the course as reshaping not only what they think theology is, but how they make decisions.

"What stuck with me most was learning how to use discernment," says Claerhout. "I still think about the Ignatian ideas of consolation and desolation when I'm making decisions - asking myself which outcome will be most life-giving for me."

Course evaluations yield a similar sentiment among students: "This wasn't what I expected - but I'm glad I took it."

"I really expected the introductory theology course to be like the theology classes I had taken at my Jesuit high school, but in our discussions, I felt like I could actually voice my opinion on social and political issues connected to the readings," Okenyi says.

Tristen Yang, a junior economics and English major, was even inspired by the course to pick up a theology minor. "Theo 1001 offers a chance to explore what you think isn't 'for you,'" he says. "If you come in with an open mind, you'll probably learn something about yourself."