Summer 2015/Fuller Online

ET501

Rector

ET501: CHRISTIAN ETHICS (4 Units: 162 hours). Laura Rector.

DESCRIPTION: A foundational course in Christian ethics that studies Christian vision, values, and convictions shaping moral agency, decisions, and practices. Seeking a holistic Christian ethics that aids personal spiritual-moral growth, ecclesial practices, and the enhancement of social justice to serve the triune God who revealed in Jesus Christ as Lord in all of life and ministry, the course studies different methods of ethical reasoning, authority of Scripture, formation of moral agency, norms of love and justice, together with the issues of economic, racial, and ecological justice, sanctity of life, sexual faithfulness, violence and peacemaking with a special attention to global and pluralistic contexts of Christian ministry today.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will demonstrate that they (1) understand core Christian moral convictions, vision, values, virtues of Christian faith (e.g., the kingdom of God, the Ten Commandments, covenant, the Sermon on the Mount, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, love and justice, human dignity, nonviolence, etc.); (2) have learned the basic skills of critical moral description, analysis, and ethical reasoning; (3) understand and can assess different ethical views and assumptions besides their own; (4) have gained competence in teaching Christian ethics in their own particular social contexts and in articulating their moral convictions in the public realm in conversations with others; (5) have learned how to identify and apply core Christian vision, values, and virtues to major contemporary ethical issues.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. 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: Approximately 1,200 pages of required reading.

De La Torre, Miguel A. DoingChristian Ethics from the Margins, 2nd Ed. Orbis, 2014. ISBN: 978-1626980754, Pub. Price $35.00 [147 pp. assigned].

Smedes, Lewis. Mere Morality:What God Expects from Ordinary People. Eerdmans, 1989. ISBN: 978-0802802576, Pub. Price $22.00 [243 pp. assigned].

Stassen, Glen, and David Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. InterVarsity Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-0830826681, Pub. Price $32.00 [382 pp. assigned].

West, Traci. Disruptive Christian Ethics: When Racism and Women's Lives Matter. Westminster John Knox Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0664229597, Pub. Price $30.00 [179 pp. assigned].

Selected articles on E-Reserve. [45 pp. assigned].

Choose ONE of the following:

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love. Fortress, 2010. ISBN: 978-0800697402, Pub. Price $24.00 [192 pp.].

Lee, Hak Joon. The Great World House: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Global Ethics. Pilgrim Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0829818215, Pub. Price $25.00 [256 pp.].

Niebuhr, H. R. The Responsible Self. Westminster John Knox, 1963. ISBN: 978-0664221522. $30.00 [200 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Ethics. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815015, Pub. Price $16.99 [384 pp.].

Davis, Ellen. Biblical Prophecy: Perspectives for Christian Theology, Discipleship, and Ministry. Westminster John Knox, 2014. ISBN: 978-0664235383, Pub. Price. $40.00 [304 pp.].

Hays, Richard. The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. Harper Collins, 1997. ISBN: 978-0060637965, Pub. Price $26.99 [528 pp.].

Isasi-Diaz, Ada Maria. En La Lucha/In the Struggle. Fortress, 1993. ISBN: 978-0800635992, Pub. Price $23.00. [280 pp.].

Kunhiyop, Samuel Waje. African Christian Ethics. Hippo, 2009. ISBN: 978-0310590606, Pub Price $15.99 [416 pp.].

Marshall, Christopher D. Crowned with Glory and Honor. Cascadia, 2002. ISBN: 978-1931038041, Pub. Price $13.95 [160 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 [152 pp.].

Sider, Ronald. Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America. Baker, 1999. ISBN: 978-0801066139, Pub. Price $25.00 [352 pp.].

Thurman, Howard. Jesus and the Disinherited. Beacon Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0807010297,Pub. Price $16.00 [124 pp.].

Wright, Christopher. Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. IVP Academics, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839612, Pub. Price $32.00 [520 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Weekly lessons including audio files, videos, prezis, teacher’s posts, other directed learning activities [15 hours].

2. 250 to 350-word weekly posts and 3 100-word weekly replies (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5]. [29 hours].

3. 1,200 pages of required reading. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [60 hours].

4. 2,000-word term paper comparing 2 Christian ethical perspectives analyzing a variable that affects the outcome of moral issue within the student’s context (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-2, 4-5]. [16 hours].

5. Group project totally 4 single-spaced pages per member broken into smaller assignments, helping students grow in specialized knowledge of a specific topic and apply class concepts to a topic not covered by lectures (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [16 hours writing; 10-12 hours group interactions/editing].

6. An Ethics in the Real World Project that includes a 4-hour observation with 2-page, single-spaced write-up at a non-profit or the execution of a 3-hour ministry project with 1-page plan/1-page follow-up analysis to help students apply class concepts beyond the classroom with plan/follow-up analysis (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [12-14 hours, including travel time].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the C4 or TH5 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets ETH in the 144 MDiv Program. Meets MAT program requirement and Seminary Core Requirement (SCR) for other MA degrees (Winter 2010). Requirement in Christian Ethics emphasis and Just Peacemaking emphasis.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.