Summer 2014/Pasadena

ET501

Sanders

ET501: CHRISTIAN ETHICS (4 Units: 120 hours). Ron Sanders.

DESCRIPTION: Following Jesus in our contemporary context is complex. We often face decisions and questions that the writers of Scripture did not address. This introduction to Christian ethics aims to equip students to develop a concrete method to approach ethical decisions grounded in the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament. The course will begin with a historical and philosophical survey of the issues related to doing Christian ethics in a pluralistic culture; we will then explore the relevance of the teachings of Jesus for Christian ethics focusing on The Sermon on the Mount, and move outward to incorporate the corpus of the New Testament. It will also seek to recover the prophetic stream of Christian ethics as we reflect on contemporary social issues from diverse perspectives.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students successfully completing this course will be able to: (1) explain how the Scriptures inform Christian ethics; (2) articulate an understanding of how culture and other variables shape one’s own theology in critical dialogue with various viewpoints; (3) articulate how Christian ethics relates to biblical faith; (4) apply the teachings of Jesus and other biblical authors to concrete contemporary ethical issues; and (5) exhibit the ability for effective ethical reasoning with other issues that lie beyond those explicitly studied in class.

COURSE FORMAT: This class will be conducted as a hybrid+ course with 9 weeks of online instruction totaling approximately 15 hours and one week of classroom instruction totaling 25 hours, aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar. It will include recorded audio and video lectures, forum discussions, group projects, small group interactions, online quizzes. In addition to longer-‐term projects a typical week’s required activities and interactions will include the following:

• Read the assigned texts according to the reading schedule provided (approximately 80 pgs. per week. 4 hrs.)

• Listen to audio lectures (approximately 5 hours of online lectures over the length of the course in addition to the in-class lecture material)

• Engage in the class forums each week (300--‐word Initial post, 1 hr.)

• Respond to two other students’ posts (100–150 words, ½ hr.)

• Take a short reflective reading quiz each week on the assigned reading (250–500 words, ½ hr.)

• In class lecture (25 hours)

REQUIRED READING:

Approximately 1200-1300 pages of required reading (depending on which parallel-track reading you choose).

Hays, Richard. The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation, A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. Harper Collins, 1997. ISBN: 978-0060637965, Pub. Price $26.99 [Parts I, II, & sections of part IV, 252 pp.].

Sider, Ron. Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America. Baker, 2007. ISBN: 978-0801066139, Pub. Price $20.00 [352 pp.].

Stassen, Glen and David Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. Intervarsity Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-0830826681, Pub. Price $35.00 [283 pp. assigned plus a selected chapter of various lengths for group presentation (approximately 20-30 pages)].

Wright, Christopher J.H. Old Testament Ethics for the People of God (part I). IVP Academic, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839612. Price $35.00 [102 pgs.] (On E-Reserve).

PARALLEL TRACK READING: Students must choose one additional work from the following, according to their interest.

Cahill, Lisa Sowle. Sex, Gender and Christian Ethics. Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0521578486, Pub. Price $36.99 [348 pp.].

Gushee, David P. Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust: Genocide and Moral Obligation. Paragon Press Dist. By Bloomsbury, 1994. ISBN: 978-1557788214, Pub. Price $16.95 [272 pp.].

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love. Fortress, 1981. ISBN: 978-0800697402, Pub. Price $20.00 [192 pp.].

Park, Andrew Sung. Racial Conflict and Healing: An Asian American Theological Perspective. Wipf and Stock, 2009. ISBN: 978-1608990498, Pub. Price $23.00 [182 pp.].

Rasmussen, Larry. Earth Community, Earth Ethics. WCC Publications, 1996. ISBN: 978-1570751868, Pub. Price $30.00 [376 pp.].

Yoder, John H. The Politics of Jesus. Eerdman’s, 1994. ISBN: 978-0802807342, Pub. Price $22.00 [270 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Class attendance and participation in forums (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2].
2. Electronic quizzes based on reading schedule (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2, #3]
3. Précis on parallel track reading (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #5].
4. Group Project (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #4, #5}
5. Final paper on suggested topics (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4, #5].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Christian Ethics (ETH); meets MAT requirement and Seminary Core Requirement (SCR) for other MA degrees.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.