Although a theology senior seminar is offered every semester, this year's seminar took a different turn in light of recent events, because the course centered on Pope John Paul II. Through extensive research, the students of Theology Senior Seminar II carefully examined different aspects of Pope John Paul II's papacy and his approach to modern culture.
The course is a capstone for previous coursework, and focuses on one topic and a final research paper to be presented at a symposium. The Undergraduate Theology Symposium: Exploring the Thought of John Paul II will be held on April 19 and 26 in Pere Marquette Gallery (DuBourg Hall) from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
This semester, the sole focus of the course is the life and impact of the late Pope John Paul II.
"We have read different books the pope has written and we are trying to understand who he was as a person, as a pope and as an intellectual," said senior R.J. Sak.
Each student examined a different aspect of the pope's life and conducted extensive research concerning this particular angle. The students will bring all of these aspects together to find a common thread to present at the symposium.
Since John Paul II's death, much media attention has been given to the political issues surrounding his teachings and writings. This class, however, takes a more objective approach to presenting the controversial issues that the pope encountered in the course of his life.
"Students researched topics like sexuality and the family, the AIDS epidemic in Africa or basically any major issue that the pope has dealt with," said Sak.
These issues carry weight, because the Catholic Church maintains that birth control should not be used under any circumstances, including marriage, and that even with the AIDS epidemic in Africa, condoms should not be distributed. Although these ideas seem traditional, the students have found his stance interesting.
"When you look at what is said in [the pope's] writings and examples, I find a lot of truth in his works. Many people say that he is not practical and is out of touch with reality, but the other possibility is that he is so radically different from where we are in today's world and society, that we can't comprehend his teachings in the 30-second sound bytes as the media presents them," Sak said.
Through their research, many students concluded that the pope's message on controversial issues applies to our modern society.
"Through rigorous study of John Paul II's writings, I am pleased to say that I am intrigued and at times blown away at how thoughtful, in touch and in tune this pope is with the needs of not only the church, but the modern world," said senior Lindsey Fox.
Fox focused her research of the pope on women's involvement in the Catholic Church. Traditionally, many people feel the church limits the position of women, especially in our radically changing culture; however, Fox found that John Paul II embraced change for women in the church.
"Through his holistic interpretation of the basic dignity of every person, he values women in a way that no pope before him has previously done. Through his writings on women, I believe that he is laying the foundations for a radical change in the attitudes that are taken in the church with regards to women. This foundation must be laid before a radical change, such as the ordination of women, can be accomplished," said Fox.
In addition to examining how the pope approached women in the church, Sak focused his research on the pope's attitude towards suffering. As John Paul II was sick for many years, this provided an interesting angle to explore.
"We [as humans] have a tendency to hide or deny in ourselves a sense of suffering. We say 'out of sight, out of mind,' but the pope embraced his suffering," said Sak. "He didn't want people to be afraid of him as he suffered and died; instead, he wanted people to live it alongside him."
Seeing how death is the number-one fear of Americans, this provided an unusual attitude on the subject of death and suffering.
"His view is very romantic. He is saying that he's vulnerable, frail, weak and just the average person, and don't be afraid to stay with him as he suffers," said Sak. "He chose to celebrate death, which is very healthy and counter-cultural."
John Paul II attempted to differentiate between the culture of death and the culture of life, and encourage others to live their lives fully-and not in fear.
The concepts of human suffering and women in the church are two of the aspects to be presented at the theology symposium on April 19 and 26. The symposium will focus on unveiling deeper aspects of the pope's life as opposed to simply discussing the events surrounding his death.
"[John Paul II] offers a wealth of wisdom that isn't presented in the headlines or articles," said Sak. "You have to get into his writings and experience it."
