Manila

Me in a gentler sort of mood...

Taken not too long ago. And now my hair is growing long again. I'm told I need to upload a picture this way so I can also post it in my profile. In any case, I rather like this pic because it does show me in a gentler mood!!!

Rizal and the Emergence of the Filipino Nation

This will be my second semester of teaching the Rizal course to Ateneo students. Last semester was a bit difficult. it was first time to teach it. I need to evaluate the whole experience and redesign my syllabus for the course. I rather liked some of the papers submitted to me. Still, I know I need to tighten the syllabus a bit, considering that the semester is rather very short.

Again, watch this post.

Theo 273 Modern Church History

I will be posting very soon the syllabus for this course on Church History. It is going to be a very short semester. I am therefore resigned to not being able to cover even half of what is usually covered. I am therefore inclined to pick and choose the topics I would most probably be dealing with. I am thinking of short-circuiting the cluster of topics associated with the Catholic Reform, Protestant Reformation, and the Catholic Counter-Reformation. I would like to touch on Vatican I, the Modernist Crisis, and la nouvelle theologie...

Watch this post...

Burghardt on Loving the Church

I LOVE THIS CHURCH

In the course of a half century,
I have seen more Christian corruption
than you have read of.

I have tasted it.
I have been reasonably corrupt myself.

And yet, I love this Church,
this living, pulsing, sinning people of God
with a crucifying passion.

Why?

For all the Christian hate,
I experience here a community of love.

For all the institutional idiocy,
I find here a tradition of reason.

For all the individual repressions,
I breathe here an air of freedom.

For all the fear of sex,
I discover here the redemption of my body.

In an age so inhuman,
I touch here tears of compassion.

In a world so grim and humorless,
I share here rich joy and earthy laughter.

In the midst of death,
I hear an incomparable stress on life.

For all the apparent absence of God,
I sense here the real presence of Christ.

-- Walter Burghardt, S.J.

Course Syllabus for Theo 275

Course Number: Theo 275

Title: Philippine Church History

Semester: 1st

School Year: 2006-2007

Instructor: Antonio F. B. de Castro, S. J.


A. Course Description: Theo 275 deals with the study of the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines, with particular attention paid to the following issues: the religious basis of Spanish colonization and the Patronato real; the evangelization of the Philippines; jurisdictional conflicts of the 17th century and their effect on the development of a Filipino clergy; the anti-friar movement; the Church and the creation of a national consciousness; the Church and the Revolution; the Church and the American regime; the Filipinization of the Church.


B. Course Objectives: the course is designed to enable the student to attain an impartial and honest view of the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines from the 16th to early 20th centuries through a judicious and critical use of primary source materials, a more than ordinary acquaintance with the secondary literature, an informed discussion of some of the nodal points of controversy in this history, and an adequate consideration of historical methodology as this is applied to the history of a religious institution in the Philippines.


C. Course Outline:

I. Introduction: Methodological Questions and Presuppositions; Current State of the Literature; Importance of the Study of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines for a more adequate understanding of the overall history of the Philippines

II. The Spanish Church in the Indies: The Age of Discovery, the Papal Bulls, Justice to the Indians, the Patronato real de la Iglesia de las Indias

III. Christianity Comes to the Philippines: Pre-Hispanic Filipino religion, the beginnings of Evangelization, the Organization of the Church, 1579-1595

IV. The Struggle for Justice: Augustinians versus Spanish Conquistadores, the Synod of Manila, Bishop Salazar as Champion of Filipino rights, the Acceptance of Spanish Sovereignty

V. Evangelization: Methods and Motives, Obstacles to Christianization, Adaptation to Filipino Culture, Building the Christian Community, Success of the First 50 Years

VI. Obstacles and Setbacks to Evangelization: Resistance in the South, the Dutch Wars (1600-1648), Disruption of the Christian Communities in Luzon, the “Moro Wars” in the Visayas

VII. Jurisdictional Struggles: Church versus State, Bishops versus Religious Orders, Episcopal Visitation Enforced

VIII. The Established Church, 1620-1760: Education, Works of Charity, the Church in Manila, the Church in the Provinces, Missionaries and Vernacular Literature, the Church and Material Development, Missionary Outreach

IX. Development of a Filipino Clergy: Initial Obstacles, Hesitant Beginnings (1720-1767), Twisted Growth (1767-1820), Political Suspicion (1820-1872), the Nationalist Clergy (1849-1872)

X. The Church and Filipino Nationalism: Nineteenth Century Religious Conditions, the Anti-Friar Character of the Nationalist Movement, Church Policy of the Revolutionary Government, the Filipino Clergy and the Revolution

XI. The Church in Disarray: a Church without Leadership (1899-1903), the Coming of Protestantism, the Aglipayan Schism

XII. Adjusting to a New Order: Reorganization of the Church (1903-1910), the Church on the Defensive (1910-1925), Adaptation and Resurgence (1925-1941), War and Destruction (1941-1945)

XIII. General Conclusions and Areas for Further Study and Research


D. Required Readings:

John N. Schumacher, Readings in Philippine Church History, Quezon City, 1987.

Horacio de la Costa, Readings in Philippine History, Makati, 1992.


E. Suggested Readings: I no longer give out a bibliography. But you can check out the reserve shelf for Theo 275 in the LST Library...


F. Course Requirements:

1) one final oral examination

2) one long paper on a topic to be approved by the professor

3) class recitation


G. Grading System:

1) S.T.B.: number grades (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4, inc.);

2) M.A.: letter grades (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, inc.);

3) long paper: 40 pts; final oral exam: 40 pts; class recitation: 20 pts.


H. Classroom Policies:

1) Dress code must be observed in class.

2) Class attendance is the student’s responsibility.

3) Rule on plagiarism will be strictly enforced.


I. Consultation Hours: every afternoon, M-W-F and by appointment for other days.


Prepared by:
Antonio F. B. de Castro, S. J.
Associate Professor, Church History
Loyola School of Theology
Ateneo de Manila University
13 June 2006
http://logoispermatikoi-musings.blogspot.com/

Urban Contradictions

This picture was taken by Diane, a Gomburza colleague, after we attended the Earth Day Mass presided over by Cardinal Rosales of Manila. We had breakfast at Tapa King, right beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It was a beautiful day. I was struck however by this: imagine moving from the garbage dumpsite that was Smokey Mountain to Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard... The contradiction could not be greater, at least for me who also used to work at Payatas, another garbage dumpsite. And on certain Sundays, I preside at mass with the community of Kristong Hari of Montalban, where a new dumpsite has just been put. I seem to have a predilection for or connection to dumpsites... I hope to put up the photo that was taken of the Gomburza group at Smokey Mountain... Smokey Mountain is being repristinated as a habitat for urban poor. In any case, there are things to be experienced in dumpsites, and musings to be made over their existence...

Greetings

It is 9:37 a.m., 24 May 2006, and I have just created my own blogspot... I don't know what drove me to do this, but I guess it must be because oftentimes I feel the need to write my thoughts down, to give free reign to my musings and capture them in something like a page, to freeze them as it were, and to allow them to have a life of their own... Those ellipses, I just love them... (there they go again...) It is as if there is no waking moment that does not carry with it the promise of some thought, some insight, that could take flight and soar... and maybe even fall flat. But such is the risk of anyone who allows his reflections to run their course... In any case, if you do happen to wander into the sometimes rarefied corners of my mind (and my heart too), then be kind, and consider that I speak no definitive truth...

Logoi spermatikoi, seeds of the word spread abroad -- to steal something from Justin the Martyr, Christian apologist of the 2nd century -- seems an appropriate way to describe these musings. For words do have a life of their own, and life would not be meaningful without words... Logos refers to reason as well; the hope is there that my words partake of the dignity of reason. Still, words rise from deep wells of silence. I must say therefore that, from silence to silence, words are iconographic of reality... Without being unreasonble, my words hope to transgress reason and cross over boundaries and extend horizons...

Comments, i.e., your own musings, are most welcome...