Spring 2013/Pasadena

ET528

Lee

ET528: CREATION CARE AND SABBATH ECONOMICS. Hak Joon Lee.

DESCRIPTION: In a time of unprecedented ecological crisis that threatens the sanctity of God’s creation, all Christians are called to the faithful stewardship of creation care. This course studies the theological and ethical grounds and directives of creation care and Sabbath economics that inform our personal and corporate responsibility as the stewards of God’s creation. The study includes 1) an analysis of the detrimental impact of global capitalism on the ecology and 2) an exploration of appropriate spiritual formation, communal practices, and public policy proposals of creation care and the Sabbath economics in local, national, and global contexts.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: A looming ecological crisis is about to profoundly alter our economic and social landscapes. Many Christians are ignorant, confused, or misguided about even the most basic scientific facts on ecological threats. This course will help students to increase their eco-literacy on the distress of the earth and its causes, to appreciate the ecological sensibility and richness of the Scripture and the Christian tradition (the Sabbath, Jubilee, stewardship, covenant) and to understand that creation care and Sabbath economics are integral to their spirituality and ministry as God’s good stewards of the earth.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will demonstrate that they have (1) increased their eco-literacy in understanding ecological issues and challenges posed by industrialization, urbanization, and the free market economy; (2) gained an appreciation of the ecological riches and heritages of the Scripture and theological traditions; (3) acquired the skills necessary to understand and assess different ethical views and assumptions on the ethics of creation care and Sabbath economics; (4) developed competence in teaching the ethics of creation care in their own local settings and in articulating their moral convictions in the public realm; (5) grasped the practical implications of being good stewards of God’s creation and understand the resources of the Christian faith to carry out the responsibility.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will meet once weekly in a three-and-a-half-hour session for discussion and lecture.

REQUIRED READING:

Bouma-Prediger, Steven. For the Beauty of the Earth. 2nd edition. Baker Academic, 2010. ISBN: 978-0801022982, Pub.price $24.99 [170 pp. assigned.].

Gudorf, Christine E. and James Huchingson. Boundaries: A Case Book in Environmental Ethics. 2nd Edition. Georgetown University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1589016361, Pub.price $29.95 [200 pp. assigned].

Hessel, Dieter and Larry Rasmussen, eds. Earth Habitat: Eco-Injustice and the Church’s Response. Fortress, 2001. ISBN: 978-0800632953, Pub.price $21.00 [200 pp. assigned].

Rasmussen, Larry. Earth Community, Earth Ethics. Orbis Books, 1996. ISBN: 978-1570751868, Pub.price $30.00 [350 pp. assigned].

Wirzba, Norman, ed. The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry. Berkeley: Counterpoint, 2003. ISBN: 978-1593760076. Pub.price $15.95 [200 pp. assigned].

Course Packet (accessible electronically) [approx. 80 pages].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Bahnson, Fred and Norman Wirzba. Making Peace with the Land: God’s Call to Reconcile with Creation. Intervarsity, 2012. ISBN: 978-0830834570, Pub.price: $15.00 [182 pp.].

Bauckham, Richard. The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation. Baylor, 2010. ISBN: 978-1602583108, Pub.price $24.95 [176 pp.].

Berry, Wendell. Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community. Pantheon, 1993. ISBN: 978-0679756514, Pub.price $14.00 [208 pp.].

Brower, Michael and Warren Leon. The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices. Three Rivers Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0609802816, Pub.price: $15.00 [304 pp.].

Jenkins, Willis. Ecologies of Grace: Environmental Ethics and Christian Theology. Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0195328516, Pub.price $35.00 [376 pp.].

Koetje, David, ed. Living the Good Life on God’s Good Earth. Faith Alive Resources, 2006. ISBN: 978-1592552924, Pub.price $13.99 [80 pp.].

McKibben, Bill. Hope Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the EarthMilkweed, 2007. ISBN: 978-1571313003, Pub.price $15.00 [232 pp.].

Rasmussen, Larry. Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key. Oxford University Press. 2012. ISBN: 978-0199917006, Pub.price $45.00 [480 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Attendance, completion of weekly assigned readings before class, and participation in discussions.
  2. Two take-home essay exams (15 points each; total 30 points).
  3. One half-hour in-class essay quiz on assigned texts and lectures (15 points).
  4. A final term paper (55 points).

(Total: 100 points=100%)

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.