[PLACEHOLDER – UNDER CONSTRUCTION]
Updated on August 20, 2025.
Core Materials
- GitHub Folder
- Students and colleagues are welcome to make pull requests for all course materials in GitHub, including syllabi.
- Syllabus:
Dr. Stephan’s Lectures
Odysee Video Lecture Playlist (Full)
- Students may elect to download the Odysee desktop or mobile application from lbry.com and/or to subscribe to my channel.
Getting Started
Doing the class:
- What is this Faith, Reason, and Revelation class?
- Faith, Reason, & Revelation: Syllabus and Class Bones (Fall 2022)
- Faith, Reason, & Revelation: Surveying the Survey (Fall 2022)
- (online and asynchronous) How do I do this online and asynchronous Faith, Reason, and Revelation class?
Assignments:
- (online and asynchronous) What are Dr. Stephan’s class study groups?
- What are Dr. Stephan’s one-on-one meetings / oral exams?
- Partner/Trio Formal Debates
- Cumulative Essay Assignment: Faith, Reason, & Revelation in Mark’s Gospel
- How can a new undergraduate student write a successful theological essay? Deep Essay Writing Guide
Unit 1: What are faith and reason?
1. Introductions
Doing theology:
- What is Catholic theology? 30 Minute Guide
- How to Read and Think like a Theologian
- The Best Free Computer Resources for Catholic Theology
Using reference materials:
- How do I use the Catholic Study Bible?
- How do I use the Catechism of the Catholic Church? 5 Minute Guide
- Oxford Reference Website: Theology & History Usage Guide
2. What is faith?
- Faith and Reason: Friends or Foes?
- MLK’s “I have a dream” Speech (historical audio recording, public domain)
3. What is reason?
Unit 2: Apparent Clashes of Faith and Reason
1. Genesis and Creation
- Genesis and Creation: Genre Matters
- Creation(ism) and Evolution(ism): Five Minute Breakdown
- Genesis 1-3 Theological Dive: Why did God create us? What does it mean that we are fallen?
2. Sin
- What is original sin? CCC 385-390 & 396-421 Deep Dive
- Am I a sinner? What is sin? St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, I-II, Q. 71, A. 6
3. The Problem of Evil
Unit 3: Revelation
Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth
- Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth: Reading Guide and Introduction
- Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth: Close Reading, Part 1 (1:1-11 and 1:12-6:9)
- Ecclesiastes/Qoheleth: Close Reading, Part 2 (6:10-12:14)
Jesus and Gospels
- Who did Jesus claim to be? An Introduction to Jesus’s Profession(s) about Himself in the Gospels
- Who are the Fathers of the Church?
- What are the Gospels? 1 Hour Introductory Guide