DESCRIPTION:

A study of urgent ethical issues in the church's ministry to persons caught in the cross-pressures of secular society, with concentration on Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship, family ethics, the economic debate and welfare reform, racism, nationalism, Christian community, and an authentically transformationist understanding of the church's mission in the world.

Persons of compassion see serious problems in how our society is shaping people, but we do not all see the same causes of what is wrong. Christians know we are called to be faithful disciples in this society, and to make disciples who do the teachings of Jesus. How can we understand and practice discipleship in this society?

Lectures, discussion, some small-group work.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Cost of Discipleship Macmillan, pp. 37-220.

Clapp, Rodney. Families at the Crossroads. InterVarsity Press.

Copeland, Warren. And the Poor Get Welfare. Abingdon.

Hauerwas, Stanley and William Willimon. Resident Aliens. Abingdon.

Sojourners magazine. America's Original Sin. Sojourners.

Stassen, Glen, Diane Yeager, and John. H. Yoder. Authentic Transformation. Abingdon.

Yoder, John Howard. Body Politics. Discipleship Resources.

Reading assigned texts; class participation; optional service project; scheduled brief-essay quizzes and short reflection papers; a paper of about 10 pages, double-spaced.

None.

Meets M.Div. core requirement in Ethics (ETH).

None.