Units timetabled for 2013 and 2014 are provisional only, and details of semester and time will change. The official timetable for each year is released on 1 September of the prior year.

Archived unit descriptions for 2011 are available here.

Canon Law for the Laity

Unit Code: 
DCL301
RTI: 
United Faculty of Theology
Unit Value: 
15 points

This unit studies the basic principles of canon law as applied to the individual person, to the sacraments of initiation and marriage, to relevant diocesan and parish structures, and to lay associations.

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate place of law in an ecclesial community
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of canonical interpretation
  3. Apply these principles to aspects of the life and structures of the Catholic Church that are of particular relevance to lay people
  4. Apply the canons on rights in the church to aspects of the life of the Catholic Church that involve disputes or alleged injuries.
Lecturer/s: 
Geoffrey King
Timetabling
Semester: 
Semester 1
Day: 
Thursday
Time: 
2:15 - 5:15
Location: 
Jesuit Theological College
Unit Frequency: 
Biennial
Years Offered: 
2011
Years Offered: 
2013
Unit Fields
Courses: 
Graduate Diploma in Theology
Courses: 
Master of Divinity
Courses: 
Master of Theological Studies
Field: 
Field D Theology: Mission and Ministry
Disciplines: 
Canon Law
MDiv Field: 
Christian Life and Ministry
Department Name: 
Department of Moral and Practical Theology
Unit Level
GradDip Field: 
Elective
MDiv Type of Study: 
Specialised
Prerequisites: 

30 points of Foundational study in each of Biblical Studies and Christian Thought and History.

Mode of Teaching: 
Semester
Teaching Methods: 

3 hours of lectures and seminars per week for 12 weeks

Workload
Number of timetabled hours per week: 
3
Expected personal study hours per week: 
9
Total workload hours per week: 
12
Total workload hours for unit: 
144
Assessment
Assessment TypeWeightingLearning Outcomes Assessed
Assessment Type: 

1 x 3000 word essay

Weighting: 
40%
Assessment Type: 

3000 words of written tutorial papers

Weighting: 
60%
Recommended reading: 

* = set texts recommended for purchase

  • The Code of Canon Law in English Translation. Sydney and London: Collins, 1983.
  • Beal, J. P., Coriden, J. A., Green, T. J. eds. New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law. New York: Paulist Press, 2000.
  • Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, The Canon Law: Letter and Spirit. Sydney: E. J. Dwyer, 1995.
  • Coriden, J. A. An Introduction to Canon Law. New York: Paulist Press, 1991.

© United Faculty of Theology, 2008-2012.