PAURASTYA VIDYĀPĪTHAM Pontifical Oriental Institute of religious Studies VADAVATHOOR, kOTTAYAM-686010 THEMES FOR m.Th. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMinations Revised in February 2013 Group A: Sacred Scripture 1. What are the different interpretations on the identity of servant of Yahweh? (Mulloor) 2. Sermon on the Mount is not a new Law but the fulfillment of the Old. Discuss (Vadakkedom) 3. Beatitudes: Eschatological promises or ethical guidelines. Discuss (Vadakkedom) 4. Jesus with his disciples on the Way to Jerusalem (in Luke’s Gospel) as a model for the pilgrim Church as the Way in the Acts of the Apostles. (Mekkattukunnel) 5. Theology of Johannine Passion Narrative: Characteristics and Peculiarities (Therath) 6. Acts of the Apostles presents an ecclesiology centered on Logos. Explain. (Mekkattukunnel) 7. Give exegetical explanation of the short historical credo. (Puthiyidom) 8. Explain the background and theology of 1Cor 15:3-5. (Puthiyidom) Group B: Patrology and Church History 9. Explain the characteristic features of the early Syriac theology with special reference to the contributions of Ephrem the Syrian? (Kuzhuppil) 10. Spiritual Theology of St. Ephrem. (Paikatt) 11. Liturgical and Catechetical Homilies of Eastern Fathers: 1) Significance of Mystagogy in Christian life; 2) History of Mystagogical commentaries: various Schools; 3) Catechetical Homilies of Theodore: Baptism and Eucharist; 4) Liturgical Commentaries of Narsai and Gabriel Qatraya. (Alencherry) 12. The two jurisdictions of Padroado and Propaganda at work in the Syro-Malabar Church in the 19th century. (Puliurumpil) 13. The different schisms in the Syro-Malabar Church as part of her struggle for autonomy. (Puliurumpil) Group C: Liturgy 14. The Christian Eucharistic anaphora is the outcome of a gradual, structural and theological evolution of the Jewish Berakah prayer, taking elements also from tefillah and shema. Explain this statement with special reference to the development of the anaphora of Addai and Mari. (Maniyattu) 15. The Syro-Malabar Qurbana is essentially the celebration of the raza of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Explain with examples from the Qurbana how the liturgical assembly is enabled in the Qurbana to participate in the Paschal Mystery of Christ. (Maniyattu) 16. Explain the importance of the liturgical year, its general history during 1-6 centuries, the relevance of Jewish, Egyptian, Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the formation of the East Syrian calendar through the Cathedral and Monastic systems. (Moolan) 17. Explain the historical and theological importance of nine liturgical seasons together with the system of fasts, feasts and commemorations celebrated throughout the liturgical year. (Moolan) 18. Explain the importance and the formation of the liturgy of the hours together with its constituent parts (psalms, scripture lessons, prayers, verses, antiphons, responsorials and hymns), set times of different hours and the biblical background. (Moolan) 19. Explain the relevance of early documents and the contributors of prayers and hymns in the East Syrian liturgy of the hours together with the structure and theology of Ramsa, Lelya and Sapra in use today. (Moolan) Group D: Spirituality 20. "Early Monastic-Hesychast Spirituality and Mysticism" Explain. (Paikatt) 21. Monasticism is not an exclusively Christian phenomenon. Christian Monasticism has its roots in the strong ascetically oriented early Christian communities. Christian Monasticism which was originated in the form of Anchoretism with its great representative St. Antony the Great, was later developed into cenobetism under the leadership of St. Pachomios, St. Basil the Great and the Syrian monastic Fathers, represent the basic features and traditions of Eastern Christian Monasticism. (George Thomas) Group E: Theology 22. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit, amidst many theological errors, was well-defined by the Fathers of the Church in the Council of Constantinople. However the doctrine was a point of serious discussion in the following centuries centering mainly on the issue of the ‘Filioque’. (Puthiyaparambil) 23. The Christian is justified through faith in Jesus Christ, by which the presence of the Risen Lord is ‘immanent’ in him and the Person of the Holy Spirit ‘indwells’ in him and thereby he becomes the Son of the Father. (Puthiyaparambil) 24. Throughout the centuries among the Fathers of the Church, Anthropology was discussed in terms of Image Theology. From Hellenistic speculations in the beginning the discussion turns towards the teachings of the Bible that tells about man’s participation in God’s goodness as the image of God. The possibility for deification is open to man by the redemptive work of Christ and by the deifying activity of the Holy Spirit. (Puthiaparambil) 25. The unity of the Church in the Bishop. (Palackal) 26. Eucharist and the unity of the Church. (Palackal) 27. The studies made by Ernst Troeltsch, Arnold Toynbee, Karl Gustav Yung and others show that religious pluralism is a positive value of the modern culture. Though we have both exclusive and inclusive attitudes in Old Testament and in New Testament, Jesus’ open attitude towards other believers must become the guideline for Christians in their attitude towards other religions. (Kundukulam) 28. The clarification of preliminary notions, the different approaches, the early Christological heresies and the teachings of the first ecumenical Councils are the prerequisites for an adequate understanding of the different Christological trends in India. One cannot ignore the fact that the Hindu interpretations of Christ have paved the way for an Indian approach to Christology. Though there are differences of opinion regarding the interpretation of the mystery of incarnation and the uniqueness and universality of Jesus Christ, the Indian theologians have succeeded in interpreting Christ and the mysteries of Christian faith taking concepts from the rich philosophical, cultural and religious heritage of India. (Chalakkal) 29. Indian ecclesial realities are the areas which the Church in India as a divine and social entity has tried to respond. The Church’s response entails its rootedness in the Sacred Scripture, Fathers of the Church and Magisterium. Some of the challenging realities in India are: the question of religious pluralism, hierarchical ecclesiology, Church and democracy, Church and politics etc. What do you think about ‘the Indian ecclesial reality’ that invites your theological response? (Vadakkumcherry) 30. The mutual encounter of Spiritual traditions of Hinduism and Christianity as envisaged by Abhishiktananda and Bede Griffiths and its relevance in Indian pluri-religious and multi-cultural context. (Kuriathara) Group F: Ecumenism and Canon Law 31. “A specific task of the Catholic Eastern Churches is to manifest to the separated brethren that Church Unity can be achieved without the particular Churches losing their individual characteristics”. State the ecumenical Vocation of the Catholoic Oriental Churches according to Vatican II and the ecumenical Relations among the churches of Syriac traditions in India. ( Karukaparambil) 32. Explain the dualistic character of the Eastern and Western way of religious life reflected in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches on Monks and other Religious as well as Members of other Institutes of Consecrated Life. (Thalachelloor) 33. Explain: Superiors of Religious Institutes; external and internal and their rights, obligations and qualities. (Thalachelloor) 34. The canonical evolution of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in the history of Roman Curia. (Vattappalam) 35. The present competence of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches on the basis of the Apostolic Constitution ‘Pastor Bonus’. (Vattappalam) 36. The Synodal structure of the governance in the Eastern Churches; the expression of the real nature of the Church. Prove its theological, historical and juridical aspects.(Kaduppil) ***** PAGE 2 THEMES FOR M.TH. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS