Johnson, Joseph B. teaches at Ateneo de Manila University. Across 25 comments from students, they hold a rating of 3.2 out of 5. Students score them 3.4 out of 5 on clarity, 3.4 out of 5 on grading fairness, 3.0 out of 5 on workload and 2.3 out of 5 on willingness to retake. Of those comments, 11 read positive, 4 read mixed, 6 read neutral and 4 read negative. They are listed for 6 sections this term.
Johnson, Joseph B.
Ateneo de Manila University · 25 comments
What students said
positive 11
neutral 6
mixed 4
negative 4
Johnson, Joseph B.3.2
Background
Depends on youEducation · Career · Courses · PublicationsShowHide
Depends on youread from published reviews and public records · medium confidence
Take him for THEO 13 if you will read every session, write essays that explain church reasoning to a stranger, and can sit with Catholic teaching on marriage and vocation without turning the exam into a personal argument. Lean away if you need a light, bonus-padded core, cannot hold back disagreement on gender and sexuality, or are protecting QPI on a stacked semester. Teaching quality is not the dispute — load, grading hardness, and content frame are.
Suits
students from a religious-school or already-devout background who want the church’s reasoning laid out
students who will read long packets and turn lecture into a thesis
writers who define terms and give examples without assuming the grader knows them
Look elsewhere if
students who want a light THEO 13 or a quiz-bonus rescue
students who will not hold back personal disagreement on gender, sexuality, or divorce in a graded essay
students stacking a heavy semester who cannot absorb 7–8 long readings per exam
JCL · Instructor
Canon law (marriage law, lay preaching at Eucharistic liturgies, civil church law, ministerial exception) · Theology of marriage (marriage, family, vocation, human sexuality in a Catholic perspective)
Education
JCL Canon Law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
MA Society, Law and Religion, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven · 2014
BA Theology and Religious Studies, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven · 2011
THEO 13 Johnson, Joseph B Review
Just wanted to write a review since it seems his format is a bit different this year compared to years prior.
Most say he's a terror but honestly it was not as bad as I thought and I'd argue that he's very receptive to feedback to make his class more manageable.
Based on previous accounts of people that got him, his coursework this year consists of 10 quizzes (w/ bonus on random days usually not related to the lesson), 2 written unit exams (2 essays only, no more multiple choice), and a final oral/written exam. He did not offer any exemptions for people with a B+ standing since I don't think it was possible this year for that to happen before the final examinations.
He essentially expects you to come to class having done the reading assigned for the day, which is planned out in a GSheet. There are also highlighted ones in yellow meaning they're important for examinations and usually a quiz too, averaging about 14 pages of a book. I admit he doesn't really discuss it in class and usually expounds and applies the reading instead to an IRL context. Even for a morning asf class, he makes it very lively.
I also don't think he's as bad as people make him out to be. He's quite gracious with his students and constantly checks in on us to reassure if we don't understand the course content to consult with him. I wasn't even the best student because I'd be late and fall asleep sometimes, but if you do the bare minimum of listening in class (NO PHONES!), reading + make notes of the important readings, and also get help when you genuinely don't understand, it's a manageable class.
For his quizzes, I found some notebookLM quizzes asking for application of the reading very helpful. For the written unit tests, it's all about being very thorough by going straight to the point, explaining the relevant term, and applying it to his question.
For his oral, I'm ngl I was terrified because everyone I talked to cried after his oral from the past semesters. He can smell when you don't really understand what you're talking about. (1) Fundamentally understand the terms covered in class for unit 1 and 2 — prepare like a glossary with definition and applications. (2) Our oral were thesis questions given a head of time and we roll a dice. I notice he LOVES it when you get straight to the point here. Attack on what the relevant topic is (ex. Contraception, marriage, etc). Map out a framework for the overarching concept and break it down to related concepts then IRL application. He'll give you a yellowpad to organize your thoughts for this. I studied about a week before, reading all important readings and got the biggest academic comeback of my life.
Hope this helps! Just wanted to put this out there that he is really just a chill guy who isn't preying on your downfall to fail lol. B+ with effort still haha and makinig even if it gets boring!more
Jolly Yak
Goat, grades grasp, not your opinions
positive
CourseTHEO 13
Retake?Yes
LeniencyYes
johnson's the goat actually, despite what people say about him being conservative. the way he put it, "i grade you on your grasp of the material, not your personal opinions." Its true theo 13 touches upon contentious topics especially in the 2nd half. Learning about church teaching includes learning the *reasonings* that the church/theologians have for certain beliefs, which can make u uncomfortable. But mr johnson makes it clear that hes saying, "this is what the church teaches," not "i insist that you believe this." he expects u to know and apply the church's reasoning in essay portions of LTs, but he wont ask u for ur personal identity/morality or judge u for it.
that aside, some more reasons to pick johnson:
- WILL NOT COUNT YOUR CUTS/TARDINESS
- Assessments are only LTs and there are 4.* Multiple choice section is 50 points but has 8 points' worth of bonus questions that are within the same topic coverage. Extra bonus points beyond 50/50 carry over to future LTs. Essay always asks you to pick one of 3 questions, so it's likely u know how to answer one of them.
- *There's also a final exam but u can be exempted if ur pre-final grade is at least B+ i think. Then ur pre-final grade will be ur final grade.
- Gives online not-graded optional practice quizzes early before each LT, for most of the readings. BTW some practice quiz items show up in the LTs (!!!)
- Small bonus points can also be obtained in multiple ways including a couple essay homeworks like the post-recollection essay, and 5-point trivia quizzes on random days.
- Super organized class sched given in advance, but he can still adjust it toward the end if the class goes off pace.
- Classes are interesting bc he doesnt just repeat the reading; he points out whats important, gives clarifying examples, or talks about stuff not in the reading but relevant to the LT. In the latter case he makes sure not to rush it.
- Sometimes gives the class his personal Word notes about the reading.
- Open to questions and gives pretty clear answers.
johnson is A-able. I just had to skim each reading the day before it's discussed in class, listen in class, and do practice quizzes when i had time.more
Dapper Kite
A-able if you actually do the readings
positive
4.0 attainableYes
WorkloadHeavy
Definitely A-able. I got an A hehe. Just diligently read the readings. I know it's super a looooooot but most of the exam questions are taken from them.
Other tips:
- Make sure your reading is active not passive. Take notes per paragraph (explain in your own words) or every few paragraphs and highlight the most important sentences so that when you review, you don't have to go through the whole thing all over again
- you're given a lot of material to go through. Divide your time wisely so that you don't accidentally spend too much time on one section
- if concepts are given, know how to define them. Feynman's technique worked for me because it revealed if I really understood the concept or not
- honestly, I found that his lectures did not really match the readings and barely anything he said in his lectures showed up. By near sem end, I was using my cuts to buy time to read the readings. But actually there was one time he mentioned something in the lecture and it was one of the essay questions so take turns cutting with your friends then share notes
When I took him, he had this thing where if you get high enough, you don't have to take an oral exam or smthn like that.more
1 replyHide replies
Anonymous
ooh thanks for this! may i know when you took his class? was it recently lng?
All comments
Anonymous
Cite the text, not your opinion, even if you disagree
And he also says his questions aren't asking you about your opinion. Even if you don't agree with what its saying, cite the text / biblical or canonical reference and the points its making to create your answer. I often separate myself from my answer by using "according to..." repetitively hahamore
Lively Falcon
positive
Johnson +1000000
Dapper Finch
Great prof who really improved over the years
positive
Retake?Yes
Johnson is great. He really improved over rhe years!
Daring Heron
If you value your IPS, avoid
negative
Retake?No
if you value ur IPS, avoid sir johnson lol
Anonymous
long readings every session, otherwise RUN
negative
Retake?No
WorkloadHeavy
if u wanna read long ass readings every session and u want a prof whos so anal retentive abt his schedule, go pick johnson. otherwise, RUN FAST14wLikeReply
Anonymous
my point was that comparatively between the past semester exams, barring bonus
my point was that comparatively between the past semester exams, barring bonus, were still shorter. Last semester it was OUT OF 50 WITHOUT BONUS and now it is OUT OF 60. Thanks for reading.more
Golden Quail
Catholic HS background cuts a lot of the work
agree to having a solid background in catholic theology from high school!! i have good scores in his exams but i can say thats at least half bc my hs was very catholic, and that rly lessened a good amt of work in understanding his readings and exam questions.more
Noble Yak
A-able with effort, readings almost every meeting
positive
WorkloadHeavy
A-able with alot of effort. Baseline grade is around B. IMO as much as you make it an effort to read the readings, you'd eventually get burnt out cuz he requires new readings almost every meeting, and Germain Grisez isn't the easiest thing to read. From my experience his examination content primarily comes from the lectures more than the readings. When I had him for AY2526-1S, he didn't distribute his slidedecks to students so I really suggest to not cut his classes. I heard his class policies got a little more lenient but really if you get him try to focus on writing notes on the lecture content and use the readings as supplement cuz not everything in the readings are essential and most of the concepts are interconnected anyway. For the essay components of his exams and for the oral exam, he appreciates comprehension and really good understanding of the topics; try to make declarative statements about the topics and lessen using examples or analogies cuz he WILL nitpick on them.
ayun lang op hehe glmore
Anonymous
wag na mangarap sis jkss
wag na mangarap sis jkss
Anonymous
Interesting class, readings can feel like a chore
positive
Yep. Profs to pick reviews are old. His readings can be a bit chore like at worst. Genuinely interesting class that answers what Catholicism thinks of whatever questions. No need to read into the material too much the night before cause he explains it in class and he’s very much open to questions after class.
He really asks for bare minimum things for students… Just feels like standards have gone downmore
Happy Bison
If you treat it like a major, then sure
if you treat it like a major then sure
Anonymous
Read everything and explain terms like a stranger
positive
Agree with last comment. Read all the readings. When you write your essays for class, don't assume it's Mr Johnson checking it; he always says pretend like you're explaining to someone you don't know. Explain all terms, give examples. Yun lang and you're set. Yap it up!more
Anonymous
Do the readings, not as bad as the reviews say
mixed
4.0 attainableYes
LeniencyYes
can vouch, hes not as bad as all the reviews say. coming from someone who doesn't necessarily like theo, it's not too bad of a class. you honestly don't have to listen in class as long as you read every required reading and/or quizzed readings. he isn't a harsh grader either (for the 2 LTs and the oral), and the 10 quizzes are pretty easy to perfect if you read the readings and know them by heart.
although yeah he does still have the tendency to be a sassy kinda conservative white man. but if you only care about grades and can look past that, he isn't a bad prof to take.more
Lucky Otter
Nice, but don’t get on his bad side
mixed
he’s nice but he can be a sassy white man sometimes. js don’t get on his bad side haha
Lively Bison
Alright if you play along; skip if progressive
mixed
WorkloadLight
Johnson is an alright prof so long as you are able to pretend you care about any of the teachings well enough. As a teacher he’s not that bad— the readings are easy to parse through and he knows how to keep people engaged during lecture. But if you are a progressive person and have a hard time holding back your opinions, I would suggest taking a different class. Very very questionable things to be said about women’s rights and the nature and validity of LGBTQIA+ people. Sometimes so absurd I can’t help but wonder if it’s ragebait. Just act like you care about what he says, do the readings, and you’ll honestly be fine. He can be sort of condescending sometimes so just be aware. Other than that, though, he’s an okay prof. I guess.more
Anonymous
Not a terror, conservative but respectful and kind
positive
my review as a gay and religious student (also kind of a bum in class):
people say hes very traditional and make it sound worse than he actually is. although his views are conservative, you can see where its all rooted in, and he explains it well. he isnt one to convince you of his beliefs nor discount yours. i didnt always agree with him but he always respected that. he always said THE main point of his lectures was that he wanted us to follow what our conscience truly says, whether or not it agrees with him/others.
i felt very seen in the class, hes very funny and most times not boring. he was very open to discussions and very very kind when i had troubles with my attendance/missing quizzes. and you can see he truly cares about the students.
i wouldnt categorize him as a terror prof. i mean hes not all rainbows nd sunshine but hes quite linient w everything esp if u show that ur putting in effort.
only thing i didnt like fr his class were all the readings. it was a lot... but if u actually want interesting lectures (at 8am..), substance, and a prof who cares, go for it!
I enjoyed a lot, just wished i did my readings earlier so they didnt pile all up in the end.more
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Clever Osprey
agree so much with this as an LGBTQ student as well <3
Anonymous
Essays expect a lot even when prompts look simple
neutral
LeniencyNo
WorkloadHeavy
i feel like his class is best if youve had a solid background in catholic theology from grade school and highschool. the readings are long, but pretty digestible, and the exams are confusing but also manageable especially if you listen to his discussion and examples, since most of his questions are situational.
his essays tho, 💀💀. the prompts seem simple and straightforward but he expects a LOT in those essays, so u really gotta pick which question to answer properly and be able to answer the question in detail, and provide an example related to your answermore
Gentle Llama
A-able if you work a thesis from lecture
4.0 attainableYes
Johnson is A-able if you pick up points from his lecture and work out a thesis around it
Anonymous
Extremely heavy, run unless you're that demographic
negative
Retake?No
WorkloadHeavy
extremely heavy class. the people who like him are a very very specific demographic of people so please beware & run.
Witty Yak
Long exams need memorize-and-apply
neutral
Also the long exams require you to memorize and apply the lessons in the reading.
