Catherine of Siena Virtual College

Here one finds complete course outlines for existing and forthcoming courses.

This course examines the sources (Quran and Hadith) and the practice of Islam with a special emphasis (a) upon how women have shaped and continue to shape Islam and (b) upon current issues wherein Muslim women are re-examining their traditions. This course takes non-Muslims into the heart of Islam and allows them to build bridges of solidarity with Muslim women. Muslims, meanwhile, will find a fresh ways of appreciating and evaluating their local Islamic traditions.

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This course focuses upon the integral role that "acting justly" plays in the self-understanding promoted by the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith traditions.  Guided by the feminist writing of Dr. Mary Grey, this course enables participants to rediscover the pivotal role that peace-making, doing justice, and sharing resources have with the prophetic spirituality of the Abrahamic faiths.  3 cr.hrs. 

Gender based theories of violence against women focus on a prevalent belief system across cultures and religious systems where males are understood to be superior to women and entitled to maintain their authority over women using a variety of controlling and coercing means, including violence. The gender-based analysis recognizes the ways in which women have been conditioned to accept this belief system and the importance of educating women and men to the dangers and limitations of gender role conditioning. This course connects many forms of male violence against women, such as domestic violence, trafficking, female foeticide and infanticide, dowry deaths, and more. The contributions of Dr. Angelika Riyandari of the Catholic University of Soegijapranata in Semarang and other Asian and African scholars will be used to develop this course.

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All ages and cultures have used story as a means of telling new generations about the past and educating children about desired codes of behavior. Story telling seems to have been important to human beings even before writing became a means to preserve these tales.  Accordingly this course will begin by examining the oral and written narratives used by mothers to inculturate their daughters.  You will learn to decipher the hidden wisdom and to discern the social conditioning implied in stories such as "Little Red Riding Hood."  Then, once learned, these skills will be applied to modern English literature designed for children.  Overall, this course will enable women to recover their past in order to better design the future for their mothers, sisters, and children. Cross-cultural component=+4  3 cr.hrs. Dr. Pat Pinsent 

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This course has the following learning objectives: (a) to trace the historical stages of development in women’s involvement in Christian ministry; (b) to become aware of the various social and cultural prejudices that gradually caused the ban on women’s ministerial leadership to be enshrined in Church law; and (c) to be prepared to assess the correct rules of assessing what is, and what is not, genuine Christian Tradition. 3 cr.hrs. Dr. John Wijngaards   The required text, The Ordination of Women in the Catholic Church, is available used at www.amazon.com.

Women Writing for (a) Change is a creative writing class that supports the lives of women for whom writing is, or is becoming, an important creative and spiritual practice. This class is designed to provide a safe and supportive space for women who want to explore their writing voice. Women are encouraged to tell their stories in whatever written form they wish to pursue, whether it is fiction, poetry, journal, essay, or drama. This opportunity to write, listen and be heard among a diverse, international, and intercultural community of writers gives voice to the depth and breadth of each woman’s story. 4 cr.hrs.  Note: This course involves an online writing circle once each week.     

This course enables you, in the safe company of other women, to explore how to hear and respond to your own inner voices in the face of religious, cultural, and family expectations. This five-week course uses case studies and women-to-women interaction by way of illustrating the innovative learning style of Catherine College. Inter-cultural component = +8 Dr. Nirmala Draksha 1 cr.hr.  Note: This five-week course is especially designed for those who want (a) to explore their readiness for online learning and (b) to taste the innovative and interactive learning at Catherine College. ..

This course develops your managerial skills. It is designed to coach you in the basic skills that will be useful to you when planning projects or undertaking leadership responsibilities. 2 cr.hr. Dr. Nirmala Draksha  Note: This course runs for seven weeks; our other courses run for ten weeks.

For those who have enjoyed reading Milavec's book, please consider sharing your thoughts, feelings, and personal stories at this exchange center. Persons distressed by what they have read are especially welcome. The website features open discussion, published reviews, insightful commentary, and spiritual nurture. Be my guest!

I am interested in bringing together a group of scholar/teachers to search for St Francis of Assisi in as rich a historical context as possible, to know him as he was understood by his companions and near contemporaries.  -- Dr. William Cook

We are living in the second generation wherein Christians and Jews are able to engage in open and probative dialogue across the boundaries. Yet, on both sides, people come to the table with unexpressed suspicions, fears, and prejudices. The objective of this course is to create a safe place whereby the "tough questions" can be asked, where a whole new level of probative responses, challenges, and gut-feelings can be explored.