Syllabus: Spring 2004
RELN 200-1, Moral
Theology Seminar
3 Credit Hours
I. Basic Information.
Instructor: Mr.
Robert Kloska
Office: Campus Ministry Office (across from dining room) 239-8365; e-mail: rkloska@hcc-nd.edu
Office Hours: Mon and Wed.
Required
books: Catechism of the Catholic Church; Mere
Christianity (C.S. Lewis); Back to Virtue (Peter Kreeft); Humanae
Vitae (Pope Paul VI); Evangelium Vitae(Gospel
of Life - Pope John Paul II)
II. Aims Of The Course.
The primary
purpose of this course is for the student to be able to understand and
articulate fundamental Christian moral principles. The framework for the
investigation will be constructed both from sacred scripture and sacred
tradition. Fundamental moral concepts such as freedom, responsibility, law,
justice, conscience, virtue, sin, grace, mercy, passion, and authority will be
considered in this light. The relation between moral principles and particular
judgments about what actions are good and what actions are evil will also be
examined by applying these principles to specific contemporary issues such as
abortion, human sexuality, capital punishment, etc.
This course
will be a seminar. It will require reading assignments and active participation
in classroom discussions. By the end of
the semester, the student should be able to critically and competently discuss
(both orally and in writing) contemporary moral issues in light of the principles
considered in the class discussions and readings.
Transferable skills: The student should also be able to
recognize and use multiple ways of thinking, ask relevant questions,
distinguish among fact, opinion and judgment , make connections among subjects,
constructively critique society, analyze, interpret, and appreciate thoughts
and works of others, speak effectively, prepare and deliver effective oral
presentations, demonstrate listening skills, defend a position, point of view,
or an interpretation, demonstrate proficiency in reading competently in the
various disciplines, understand the religious and moral wisdom of the past and
present in the context of Judaeo-Christian
traditions, articulate how Catholic teaching provides a foundation for understanding
contemporary issues, analyze contemporary issues in an effort to distinguish
what is good, just, and true from what is evil, unjust, and false, develop
respect for cultures, races, and religions, interact and cooperatively work
with others, use a word-processing program for papers, write effectively, and
refine her writing.
Grades will be determined by class
participation (which includes scrupulous attendance), daily written
assignments, and a number of synopsis/reflection papers. Standard Holy Cross
grading scale will be used.
IV. Absences and Work Missed Due to
Absence.
School policy regarding class attendance will be
applied. No student is allowed more than
two absences for any reason except extreme and unexpected emergencies. Three absences should earn the student an
“FA” grade.
Daily
reading assignments cannot be made up for any reason. The lowest daily assignment score may be
dropped. The Midterm and Final Exam can
only be made up in extreme cases if the student contacts the instructor before
the exam or within a reasonable amount of time after the exam (usually one
hour). Papers are due at the beginning of class on the date
assigned. Papers more than five minutes
late will be considered one day late and will be marked down a full letter
grade. Every additional day will result
in a markdown of half a letter grade per day.
You are expected to keep a copy of any paper you turn in and should be able
to furnish it upon request. You may turn
in your paper early.
V. Cheating
Besides publicly disgracing your personal honor and the honor of your family name, any sort of academic dishonesty will result in sanctions so severe that you will wish that you had never been born. J
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Date |
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# |
Pgs. |
Assignment Due |
Class Topic |
Class Resources |
|
1-13 |
T |
1 |
|
Nothing Due |
Syllabus |
|
|
1-15 |
R |
2 |
51 |
Mere Christianity 3-54 |
Right and Wrong as Clue to
Meaning in the Universe What Christians Believe |
http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/conscience.htm
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|
1-20 |
T |
3 |
61 |
Mere Christianity
55-116 |
Christian Behavior |
Catholic Peace Fellowship http://www.nd.edu/~mbaxter/cpf |
|
1-22 |
R |
4 |
56 |
Mere Christianity
119-175 |
Beyond Personality: First
Steps in the Doctrine of the Trinity |
Into the Wardrobe: A |
|
1-27 |
T |
5 |
14 |
Mere Christianity Paper CCC
#1691-1761 |
Image of God; Beatitude,
Freedom; Human Acts |
Sweatshops: http://www.sweatshopwatch.org
|
|
1-29 |
R |
6 |
22 |
CCC
#1762-1876 |
Passions; Conscience;
Virtues; Sin |
How to be happy every day
of your life. Morality, Freedom and Conscience http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=2921
|
|
2-3 |
T |
7 |
13 |
CCC
#1877-1948 |
Human Community; Social
Justice |
Faithful Citizenship: A
Catholic Call to Political Responsibility http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/faithfulcitizenship03.htm
|
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2-5 |
R |
8 |
23 |
CCC
#1949-2051 |
Moral Law; Grace and
Justification; Church and Authority (Apostolic Succession) |
|
|
2-10 |
T |
9 |
51 |
Back to Virtue
19-70 |
The problem, what is at
stake, and the 4 Cardinal virtues |
|
|
2-12 |
R |
10 |
61 |
Back to Virtue
71-132 |
Virtue and Beatitude |
|
|
2-17 |
T |
11 |
44 |
Back to Virtue
133-177 |
Beatitudes and the Seven
Deadly Sins |
|
|
2-19 |
R |
12 |
18 |
Back to Virtue
177-195 Back to Virtue Paper |
Conclusion |
|
|
2-24 |
T |
13 |
31 |
CCC #2052-2195 |
Commandments 1-3 |
|
|
2-26 |
R |
14 |
27 |
CCC
#2534-2557 The Overspent
American – Introduction (on reserve in library) |
10th
Commandment: Greed and Consumerism FRONTLINE: “Merchants of
Cool” |
Merchants of Cool: Click on
“Tour this Landscape” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/ The Overspent American: |
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3-2 |
T |
15 |
27 |
“Simplicity” by
Peter Kreeft |
Consumerism |
Affluenza the Disease: http://www.pbs.org/kcts/affluenza
|
|
3-4 |
R |
16 |
13 |
Paper on Consumerism CCC #2380-2391 |
FRONTLINE: Let’s Get
Married |
Divorce Wars (Frontline,
1986) |
|
3-16 |
T |
17 |
8 |
“Does divorce
make people happy?” & “Hardwired for Connection” See websites in right
column. |
Marriage, divorce, kids and
the fabric of society. |
Does divorce make people
happy? http://www.americanvalues.org/html/r-unhappy.html
Read press release & executive summary in the report. Hardwired for Connection: |
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3-18 |
R |
18 |
5 |
Paper on Divorce Theology of the
Body Handout |
Theology of the Body: Lisa
Marino |
|
|
3-23 |
T |
19 |
50 |
“Of Human Life” and Chaput’s
Letter |
Video: Contraception: Why
Not? (Dr. Janet Smith) |
|
|
3-25 |
R |
20 |
16 |
CCC
#2331-2379 & CCC #2514-2527 |
6th & 9th
Commandment; Human Sexuality |
|
|
3-30 |
T |
21 |
48 |
The Gospel of
Life 3-51 |
Sexuality, Purity,
Pornography |
FRONTLINE: American Porn http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/porn/
MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail |
|
4-1 |
R |
22 |
39 |
The Gospel of
Life 52-91 |
Life Issues |
|
|
4-6 |
T |
23 |
48 |
The Gospel of
Life 92-140 |
Abortion-related Video |
Kreeft Handout: the most
important issue of our day |
|
4-8 |
R |
24 |
48 |
The Gospel of
Life 141-189 |
Living the Gospel of Life Alternative: Capital
Punishment; Just War |
|
|
4-13 |
T |
25 |
13 |
CCC
#2196-2257 Paper on a Life Issue |
4th Commandment:
Family, Marriage and Divorce |
|
|
4-15 |
R |
26 |
22 |
CCC
#2401-2463 Why Work?:
Dorothy Sayers |
7th Commandment:
Stealing Economics / Catholic Social
Justice |
|
|
4-20 |
T |
27 |
9 |
CCC #2464-2513 |
8th Commandment:
Truth, Media, Art FRONTLINE: Does TV Kill? |
|
|
4-22 |
R |
28 |
12 |
Ecological
Teachings |
Environmental Video |
|
|
4-29 |
T |
29 |
12 |
Web Site
Visitation on Sustainable Development |
20/20 New Urbanism Video Urban Planning and the
human person Kathryn Schuth:
The City as a Place of Redemption |
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|
|
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FINAL: Paper and Presentation |
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