This is my last full year at the Angelicum, doing the license in sacred theology (STL) in dogmatics and fundamental theology. My primary focus: the Trinity. When I complete the STL, I will be equipped to teach on the university level, both graduate and undergraduate courses, anywhere in the world, including the pontifical university system.
The comprehensive exams that I will take are comprised of an oral faculty examination of my own composition of course outlines and bibliographies, as though I were teaching those subjects, plus a mock lecture on one topic. It is truly a teaching degree, comparable to a Ph.D. in the U.S. in the sense of equipping a person to teach even on the graduate level. Pursuing this degree was not immediately attractive to me, because I already love teaching philosophy. I wondered why I would change fields, so late in life. But I perceived three answers to that question.
(1) The STL education is designed for academics, whereas the STB level is oriented for ministry. The STB guides a person so that they can discern orthodoxy from heterodoxy. A person with the STB is prepared to teach catechesis well and do missions. But the STB is not designed for a person to really penetrate the topics, becoming conversant, and able to explore theological questions. In the STL, we move from comprehension to critical thinking and development. The latter is obviously more satisfying to me.
(2) It has become clear to me that if I were to teach in the future, I would cherish the opportunity to teach in a seminary. My favorite class I ever taught was about 10 years ago: it was an epistemology class that I taught to a class of seminarians. All my other courses were to lay people, regular college students, even if there were a few seminarians in the class. Teaching in a way geared exclusively to seminarians was the high point of my teaching career. It has become clear to me that, with an STL in theology, I would be equipped to teach only seminary from now on: to reach my high point and remain there indefinitely. That is extremely encouraging to me.
(3) Lastly, I had a deeply moving prayer experience, the summer after I completed the STB. I felt the strong message to go back to the Angelicum for the STL and study the Trinity. Long story short, I followed that direction, and am so glad I did.
This is an arduous year of full-time studies, but I am enjoying every minute of it. Most days I think: "I'm elated." Elated! That's a good place to be.
