DESCRIPTION:

Together we shall read appreciatively and critically some of the primary sources in Christian ethics that have proved themselves in the laboratory of history. We shall compare how the readings deal with five perennial themes in Christian ethics: each author's experience of conversion: how each relates forgiveness to regeneration; love and justice; secularization; the lordship of Christ and the mission of the church in the world. The readings follow each other as a running dialogue/debate on these themes. We shall emphasize the period from the Reformation to the present.

One major way of validating different understandings of Christian faith is by their ethical fruits, by testing them in the laboratory of history. The classics in Christian ethics provide a profound source for theological ethics. We shall seek to appreciate and test these different and profound ways of understanding Christian discipleship by their fruits in the churches. Thereby we should be able to make our own grounding for the Christian life and Christian character more solidly grounded and more profound, in order to be able to spread the word and the life of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lectures and discussion, and optional group presentations. Class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

Anabaptist and Puritan writings: short selections on reserve in library.

Bartleman, Frank. writings on reserve in library.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Ethics. Simon and Schuster Trade, 1995.

Calvin, John. On God and Political Duty. Bobbs-Merrill.

Dillenberger, John. Martin Luther. Doubleday, 1961 (portions).

Pope John XXIII. Peace on Earth. U.S. Catholic Conference.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love. Fortress, 1981.

Lester, Muriel. Ambassador of Reconciliation: A Muriel Lester Reader. Ed. Richard Deats. New Society Publishers, 1991.

Niebuhr, Reinhold. Leaves From the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic. Westminster, 1990.

Reading and analyzing assigned texts; class participation; scheduled brief-essay quizzes and/or short reflection papers.

None.

Elective.

None.