Department of Theology and Philosophy

Critical reflection on the human experience

About the Department Theology and Philosophy

The disciplines of theology and philosophy provide distinct, yet complementary, foundations for your search for truth and meaning in the light of human experience. Each enables you to examine your relationships with God and transcendent reality, with culture and social constructs, and with the world and its inhabitants, human and non-human alike. Guiding your education is a faculty committed to discovering the relationship between the study of theology and philosophy and the pursuit of transformative action, especially as found in the Roman Catholic intellectual tradition, Catholic Social Teaching, and Dominican heritage.

In addition to our undergraduate programs in theology and philosophy, we invite you to explore our graduate programs in theology and ministry with their distinctive synthesis of academic rigor and ministerial formation.

Our Master's degrees in Practical Theology and Ministry and in Pastoral Ministry for Hispanics prepare you for pastoral ministry as well as for further academic study.

Our Doctor of Ministry program enables experienced ministers to integrate advanced academic insights and enhanced pastoral skills into their ministerial leadership. In conjunction with our graduate programs, Barry University’s Institute for Hispanic/Latino Theology and Ministry provides you with the necessary background to be part of the growing dialogue with the cultural and theological world of Latinos.

Consider joining us as we foster Barry’s Mission of “individual and communal transformation where learning leads to knowledge and truth, reflection leads to informed action, and a commitment to social justice leads to collaborative service.”

Core Commitments

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    Inclusive Community

    Barry is a global, inclusive community characterized by interdependence, dignity and equality, compassion and respect for self and others. Embracing a global world view, the University nurtures and values cultural, social and intellectual diversity, and welcomes faculty, staff, and students of all faith traditions.
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    Collaborative Service

    Barry is committed to serving local and global communities through collaborative and mutually productive partnerships. The University accepts responsibility to engage with communities to pursue systemic, self-sustaining solutions to human, social, economic and environmental problems.
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    Knowledge and Truth

    Barry promotes and supports the intellectual life, emphasizing life-long learning, growth and development. The University pursues scholarly and critical analysis of fundamental questions of the human experience. In the pursuit of truth, the University advances development of solutions that promote the common good and a more humane and just society.
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    Social Justice

    Barry expects all members of our community to accept social responsibility to foster peace and nonviolence, to strive for equality, to recognize the sacredness of Earth, and to engage in meaningful efforts toward social change. The University promotes social justice through teaching, research and service.

Programs

  • Theology (BA)

    A Bachelor of Arts in Theology offers student the ability to combine their career goals with their faith. Acquire a foundation in Christian thought and practice, and gain an understanding of how the religious system influenced the world.

  • Philosophy (BA)

    A Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy strengthens students' ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret events and situations that happen throughout the world. Students will learn how to read critically, apply logic, write well, think strategically, and critically examine your own beliefs and judgment.

  • Theology (MA)

    Program designed for students seeking a degree in preparation for teaching theology in secondary school systems, assuming the position of Director of Religious Education, pursuing further study in doctoral programs, and seeking personal enrichment in theology.

  • Pastoral Ministry for Hispanics (MA)

    The purpose of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry for Hispanics is to prepare lay ecclesial ministers and to provide focused theological reflection on Hispanic cultural contexts and social realities currently challenging the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian communities.

  • Practical Theology and Ministry (MA)

    The Master of Arts in Practical Theology and Ministry is designed to equip students for competent leadership in communities of faith. The program is an advanced degree in theology and integrates theological formation with a lived practice of ministry.

  • Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)

    The Doctor of Ministry degree provides advanced theological reflection on and understanding of ministerial praxis and leadership through the study of practical biblical, systematic, sacramental/liturgical, and moral theology.

  • Certificate in Liturgical Studies

    The Certificate in Liturgical Studies provides specialized instruction and professional preparation for those desiring to deepen and expand their understanding of the Christian sacramental and liturgical tradition.

  • Certificate in US Hispanic/Latino(a) Theology

    The Certificate in US Hispanic Latino Theology and Ministry program is designed for personal enrichment and a greater understanding of the realities of the Hispanic Latino(a) Catholics.

News

Top Stories

  • Gloria L. Schaab publishes new book on the Holy Spirit October 25, 2021

    Gloria L. Schaab, SSJ, Professor of Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology and Philosophy, has published a new book on the Holy Spirit. Entitled "Liberating Pneumatologies: Spirit Set Free".

Department of Theology and Philosophy

Lecture Series

Undergraduate Students Honor Societies

About the Institute The Institute for Hispanic/Latino Theology and Ministry

The mission of our Institute is to prepare leaders to serve the Church and the Hispanic/Latino community in South Florida and throughout the United States. Through the Department of Theology and Philosophy, we offer our students the joint benefit of theological education and ministerial formation that critically engages praxis of the Hispanic/Latino community.

We are a welcoming and supportive community of learners. Barry has an outstanding faculty dedicated to providing one-to-one attention to students fostering academic, personal and ministerial growth. South Florida provides an unparalleled cultural context for Hispanic/Latino studies and our students are from diverse cultural backgrounds, faith traditions and ministerial positions.

The Institute for Hispanic/Latino Theology and Ministry was founded to respond to the needs of the emerging Church by preparing leaders and ministers to serve the Hispanic/Latino community.

Located in the Department of Theology and Philosophy at Barry University, the Institute prepares leaders from throughout the United States and within the local community to serve the Hispanic/Latino Church in a variety of ministerial positions.

The Institute focuses on three areas:

  • Academic course offerings on topics that critically engage the theological and ministerial praxis of the Hispanic/Latino community.
  • Contributions to the U.S. Hispanic/Latino theological discourse through research, publications and participation in professional associations.
  • Ministerial formation programs that assist professionals serving the Hispanic/Latino community in developing ministerial identity through intellectual and spiritual formation.
About the Institute

Graduate Programs in Theology and Ministry Educational Effectiveness

The Educational Effectiveness of the Graduate Programs in Theology and Ministry is demonstrated best by the intentional education and formation of lay ecclesial ministers prepared to contribute fruitfully to their communities of faith through theological reflection, praxis, and leadership.

Department of Theology and Philosophy Faculty

The odds are definitely in your favor at Barry University. Our student-faculty ratio is only 15:1. That means you get personal attention and guidance, and nobody gets lost in the shuffle. Even more impressive, over 80 percent of our faculty hold a PhD or the highest degree available in their field of expertise.

We seek out professors who are not only great teachers, but who love what they do. Their passion, enthusiasm, and inspiration are contagious, and there's no better way to keep young minds excited about learning and discovering. Beyond each teacher's area of expertise, our faculty is committed to promoting equality, social justice, altruism, diversity, and humility. Through education, everyone can have a voice.

Theology and Ministry Programs Accreditation

The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (www.ats.edu) accredits Barry University's Department of Theology and Philosophy graduate programs through 2028.

The following graduate programs in Theology and Ministry are accredited by ATS:

  • Master of Arts in Theology
  • Master of Arts in Practical Theology and Ministry
  • Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry for Hispanics
  • Doctor of Ministry
Association of Theological Schools

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