Spring 2016/Pasadena

ET501

Lee

ET501: CHRISTIAN ETHICS (4 Units: 160 Hours). Hak Joon Lee.

DESCRIPTION: A foundational course in Christian ethics that studies core Christian ethical vision, values, and convictions (telos, norms, and virtues) shaping and guiding Christian moral agency, decisions, and ecclesial practices. Taking the doctrines of the Trinity and covenant as its theological foundation, the course discusses the methods of ethical decisions, 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, 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 (the kingdom of God, covenant, 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; and (5) have learned how to identify and apply core Christian vision, values, and virtues to major contemporary ethical issues.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: 1,090 pp. required.

De La Torre, Miguel A. Christian Ethics from the Margins. Orbis, 2014. ISBN: 978-1570755514, Pub. Price $35.00 [220 pp.].

Hollinger, Dennis. Choosing the Good: Christian Ethics in a Complex World.Baker Academic, 2002. ISBN: 978-0801025631, Pub. Price $28.00 [140 pp. assigned].

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love, 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 2010) ISBN: 978-0800697402, Pub. Price $24.00 [180 pp. assigned].

Stassen, Glen, and David Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. InterVarsity Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-0830826681, Pub. Price $40.00 [400 pp. assigned].

Course Packet (accessible electronically) [Approx. 150 pages].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Allen, Joseph L. Love and Conflict: A Covenantal Model of Christian Ethics. University Press of America, 1995. ISBN: 978-0687228065, Pub. Price $54.00.

Brueggemann, Walter. The Covenanted Self. Fortress Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0800631765, Pub. Price $19.00.

Clark, David K., and Robert V. Rakestraw. Readings in Christian Ethics. Vols. 1-2. Baker Academic, 1996. ISBN: 978-0801020568, Pub. Price $36.00.

Gorman, Michael. Inhabiting the Cruciform God. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009. ISBN: 978-0802862655, Pub. Price $24.00.

Migliore, Daniel. Faith Seeking Understanding. Eerdmans, 2004. ISBN: 978-0802827876, Pub. Price $28.00.

Niebuhr, H. R. The Responsible Self. Westminster/John Knox, 1963. ISBN: 978-0664221522, Pub. Price $30.00.

Smedes, Lewis. Mere Morality:What God Expects from Ordinary People. Eerdmans, 1989. ISBN: 978-0802802576, Pub. Price $20.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 1,150 pp. of required reading [76 hours].

  2. Attendance and participation in discussions (5%). [30 hours].

  3. Two take-home essay exam on assigned texts and lectures: 4.5 pages, double-spaced (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome # 1-3] [11 hours].

  4. One half-hour in-class essay quizzes on assigned texts and lectures (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-3]. [3 hours].

  5. Ethical analysis of a movie utilizing and comparing any two ethical methods that you have learned in class: 5 pages, double-spaced (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-3, 5]. [10 hours DLAs]. 

  6. A final term paper: 12 pages, double-spaced (45%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-5]. [30 hours].

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.


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.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.