VATICAN II: COUNCIL, CONTROVERSY, CONVERSION, AND COMMUNION

A six-week course on the Second Vatican Council with Mark Brumley

This course runs Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM PT (San Francisco) on October 5, 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9.

Session 1 (October 5): Getting Started Vatican_II_Session_1_outline

Why Vatican II?
What Vatican II Really Said: An Overview of Vatican II and Common Myths about It
Why It Matters Today
Reading for the next session: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)

Session 2 (October 12): Working on Worship: Reform of the Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

Liturgical worship: how and why did Vatican II “reform” the Liturgy?
Key ideas of Vatican II on Liturgy
Common Myths about Vatican II and the Mass
Reading for the next Session: Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation)

Notes for Session 2 from Mark Blumley: Vatican_II_Session_2_outline

Session 3 (October 19): It’s a Revelation (Dei Verbum)

How God talks to us and our response to him
The Catholic Church, Tradition, and the Bible (Is the Catholic Church ‘biblical’?)
The Church goes to Bible Study
Reading for the next session: Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church)

Session 4 (October 26): Figuring Out the Church (Lumen Gentium)

Mysterious Church, and Catholics, other Christians, other believers, and non-believers
Hierarchy, laity, everyone called to holiness, and religious life
The Pilgrim Church and Mary in the Mystery of Christ and the Church
Reading for the next session: TBD

Session 5 (November 2): The Other Things (Decrees and Declarations)

Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches
Bishops, Priests, Laity, Religious Life, Ecumenism, Missions, and the Church and Non-Christians
Social Media, Christian Education, and Religious Freedom
Reading for the next session: Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World)

Reading List for Session 5: (the bold items will be the focus)

Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches: Orientalium Ecclesiarum
Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops: Christus Dominus
Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests: Presbyterorum Ordinis
Decree on Priestly Training: Optatam Toitus
Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity: Apostolicam Actuositatem
Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life: Perfectae Caritatis
Declaration on Religious Freedom: Dignitatus Humanae
Decree on Ecumenism: Unitatis Redintegratio
Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions: Nostra Aetate
Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church: Ad Gentes
Declaration on Christian Education: Gravissimum Educationis
Decree on Social Communication: Inter Mirifica

Session 6 (November 9): The Church in the World as it is Today (Gaudium et Spes) and the Enduring Legacy of Vatican II