Spring 2013/Fuller Online
ET501
Rector
ET501: CHRISTIAN ETHICS (4 units). Laura Rector.
DESCRIPTION: This introductory course in Christian ethics seeks to shape Christian disciples for moral engagement by emphasizing the concrete meaning of Jesus’ teachings and actions for Christian living. It does so by developing the critical thinking skills used in moral analysis and by teaching a method that encourages repentance, personal and communal growth, and compassion for others’ suffering. The class follows an agenda set by the Sermon on the Mount, covering contemporary social issues.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Students will learn to more adequately articulate complex moral realities in order to strengthen, encourage, and teach the body of Christ and to bear witness to others by living the gospel in their communities.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will (1) develop critical thinking skills needed to analyze both their own and others’ methods of making moral decisions; (2) be prepared to dialogue in an informed, thoughtful, compassionate manner with others about personal and social moral issues; (3) learn a method of moral reasoning that allows them to analyze issues beyond those covered in the course; (4) be encouraged to integrate biblical and theological reflection with experiential knowledge.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.
REQUIRED READING:
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. W.W. Norton, 2006. ISBN: 978-0393329339, Pub.price: $15.95 [176 pp.].
De La Torre, Miguel A. Christian Ethics from the Margins. Orbis, 2004. ISBN: 978-1570755514, Pub.price: $24.00 [147 pp.].
Sanders, Cheryl. Empowerment Ethics for a Liberated People: A Path to African American Social Transformation. Fortress, 1995. ISBN: 978-0800629175, Pub.price: $18.00 [115 pp.].
Stassen, Glen, and David Gushee. Kingdom Ethics. InterVarsity Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0830826681, Pub.price: $28.00 [382 pp.].
Selected articles on E-Reserve [60-90 pp.].
Your choice of ONE of the following:
Cho, Wha Soon. Let the Weak Be Strong: A Woman’s Struggle for Justice. Meyer Stone, 1988. ISBN: 978-0940989375. Publisher out of stock. Available at Amazon starting at $0.90 [168 pp.].
King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love. Augsburg Fortress, 1981. ISBN: 978-0800614416, Pub.price: $24.00 [154 pp.].
Marshall, Christopher D. Crowned with Glory and Honor. Herald, 2001. ISBN: 978-1931038041, Pub.price: $13.95 [128 pp.].
Walzer, Michael. Exodus and Revolution. Basic Books, 1986. ISBN: 978-0465021635. Pub.price: $16.00 [149 pp.].
Toyama, Nikki, et al, ed. More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations,
Relationships, Leadership, and Faith. Intervarsity, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830833719, Pub.price: $12.80 [202 pp.].
Wright, N. T. Evil and the Justice of God. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830833986, Pub.price: $14.40 [165 pp.].
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Class participation in online forums, reading reflection discussions, group work, quizzes, and module activities (30%).
A four-hour observation of ethics in practice at a nonprofit organization along with a three-page, single-spaced reflective summary OR a three-hour ministry project, along with a one-page, single-spaced ministry plan and one-page, single-spaced follow-up analysis (20%).
A five-page, single-spaced paper comparing Appiah’s book and the book of your choice (see list above) with one another, using the methods for ethical analysis presented in the required reading (25%).
A group wiki on a social ethics topic from the class (25%).
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Christian Ethics (ETH); meets MAT program requirement and Seminary Core Requirement (SCR) for other MA degrees.