FCLC Honors Program: History, Theology, Philosophy Seminars

My very first class at Fordham was with Dr. Telly. I remember being scared and anxious about the college classroom experience, but the moment Dr. Telly began speaking, I was put at ease. I clearly recall being inspired by his intelligence and kindness within minutes. My honors theology class gave me many fond memories, and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the subject. In fact, because of Dr. Telly and his class, I am now considering a theology minor. Katie Ott, Class of 2017

Honors Theology

This course intends to understand the forms of faith and non-faith in contemporary Western cultures through an analysis of three processes or events that have been used to define the present situation:  secularization, post-Holocaust, and postmodernism. The first section of the course hopes to answer the question of the nature of faith and non-faith in cultures shaped by these processes or events. The course will then attempt to understand the meaning of faith within the Christian tradition. The course seeks to answer the question of whether religious faith makes any sense, i.e., is 'reasonable', in a secular, post-Holocaust, and postmodern culture.

Honors Philosophy

How do we know the world and the universe? What is virtue or human excellence? What do we know of causality? What do we know about science? How are we sure? What is good? What is evil? Participants in this course will explore philosophical theories of knowledge and moral action, including reflection on the nature of ethics as well as scientific knowing.

Honors History 

The study of European history has typically focused on the experience of its Christian majority. Indeed, in the recent debates in Europe about its historical identity, many voices argued for grounding the European constitution in Christian values. This course explore the history of European society and culture from the early modern era through the 20th century not just through the traditional lens of Europe’s Christian majority, but also through Europe’s religious and ethnic minorities.