Houston Graduate School of Theology PH 551 Christian Ethics Spring 2018, Thursdays, 6:45-9:15 PM Dr. James H. Furr, President & Professor of Church and Culture jfurr@hgst.edu or 713-942-9505 x 122 Houston Graduate School of Theology equips women and men to be ministers and messengers of God s mission of reconciliation through academic excellence, personal transformation, and leadership development I. Course Description A study of ethical systems and theories in light of biblical and traditional Christian perspectives and moral norms, with reflection upon several contemporary social issues. II. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: A. Describe the major developments of ethical thought in historical context through the class paper, mid-term exam, and final exam. (MDiv-2; MAML-1) B. Identify and describe the major ethical perspective from the major philosophical or universal perspectives, from the perspective of minority or subversive groups, and from historical faith or ecclesial traditions through the class paper, mid-term exam, and final exam. (MDiv-2; MAML-2) C. Define and demonstrate use of the primary methods of ethics or the questions Christian ethics asks through the class paper, mid-term exam, and final exam. (MDiv-2; MAML-2) D. Summarize the essential questions and contentions related to the ethical issues considered in course reading assignments and class discussion through the class paper, mid-term exam, and final exam. (MDiv-2; MAML-1; MAML-2) III. Texts and Course Schedule Required Textbooks: Volf, Miroslav, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. Public Faith in Action: How to Think Carefully, Engage Wisely, and Vote with Integrity. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-58743-384-9 Wells, Samuel. A Nazareth Manifesto: Being With God. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley Blackwell, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-4706-7326-3 Wells, Samuel, and Ben Quash. Introducing Christian Ethics. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. ISBN 978-1-4051-5276-1
2 Class Date Reading Assignments Assignments Due Jan. 18 Introduction to Christian Ethics & Course Overview Jan. 25 Wells & Quash, Chapters 1-2 Feb. 1 Wells & Quash, Chapters 3-4 Feb 8 Wells & Quash, Chapters 5-6 Feb. 15 Wells & Quash, Chapters 7-8 Feb. 22 Wells & Quash, Chapters 9-10 March1 Wells & Quash, Chapters 11-12 March 8 Mid-term Exam March 15 Spring Break March 22 Wells, Chapters 1-7 March 29 Wells, Chapters 8-12 April 5 Wells, Chapters 13-16 April 12 Volf & McAnnally-Linz, Chapters 1-8 April 19 Volf & McAnnally-Linz, Chapters 9-16 April 26 Volf & McAnnally-Linz, Chapters 17-25 Class Paper May 3 Final Exam The professor reserves the right to adjust the schedule and topics as the course develops. IV. Course Requirements A. A Mid-term Exam in class will cover assigned readings through March 1. Students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of the content of the assigned text integrated with presentations by the professor, class discussion, and application to the student s life and leadership. (30 % of total grade) B. A Class Paper is due near the end of the semester. Students will succinctly describe what they perceive to be the most critical ethical issue of our generation providing appropriate and adequate rationales. The completed assignment will adhere to the following guidelines: 3000 words, double-spaced pages; 12-point Times New Roman font; one-inch margins. (40% of total grade) C. A Final Exam in class will cover assigned reading from March 22 through April 26. Students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of the content of the assigned texts integrated with presentations by the professor, class discussion, and application to the student s life and leadership. (30 % of total grade) D. Student Workload Expectations Total 145 hours Class time 45 hrs. Reading 60 hrs. (880 pages @ 15/hr.) Mid-term Exam 10 hrs. Class Paper 20 hrs. Final Exam 10 hrs.
V. Course Grading Scale The following grading system will be used for this class, remembering that and A is a superior work, B is above average, C is average work, D is poor work, and F reflects failing work. B+ 89-87 C+ 79-77 D+ 69-67 A 100-94 B 86-84 C 76-74 D 66-64 F < 60 A- 93-90 B- 83-80 C- 73-70 D- 63-60 3 VI. Classroom-related Academic Policies A. Regular attendance and regular submission of assignments on due dates in the syllabus is expected. The following guidelines have been approved for inclusion in all HGST syllabi and reflect standards for all courses: Fall/Spring semester 15-session course 3-absence maximum Summer term 8-session course 1-absence maximum (equals 4 hours). 6-session hybrid 1-absence maximum 4-session hybrid 0-absence maximum If a student reaches the designated number of absences, the student will no longer be allowed to stay in the class. The student does have the opportunity to appeal to the Academic Dean and should assume responsibility for scheduling that meeting as soon as possible. B. Work is expected on the due date. Late papers will receive no less than a one-letter grade reduction. C. Turnitin.com 1. All written assignments are subject to required submission to www.turnitin.com to check for originality and style. The assignments that are required for submission will be described in the syllabus. 2. Students will create an account at www.turnitin.com. After doing so, the student will join the course page with the code and password supplied by the instructor. A list of assignments and due dates will be available on the course page. 3. Students will submit assignments by the due date and time and will be required to submit the assignments in a hard copy format as well. D. Electronic Equipment Usage in Classrooms It is expected that students will use technology (cell phones, laptop computers, ipads, etc.) during classes only for the purposes of class work. Therefore, students should turn off cell phones and refrain from texting and using laptop computers during classes except for the purposes of taking notes or doing research specifically authorized by the course instructor. Students who have emergency needs not covered by this policy must ask for an exception from the course instructor. E. Please review the Academic Catalog for policies regarding Incompletes and Plagiarism. For more information on HGST and area Library Services, please download the Library Handbook from the HGST website.
4 VII. Notes for Writing Assignments All writing assignments should conform to Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8 th Edition. This includes matters of style and format. The instructor requires the use of footnotes for documentation when more than one resource is cited. The student must number pages. According to Turabian, page numbers appear in the upper right hand corner, except on pages with major headings (titles). Margins should be one inch on all four sides, except where major headings (titles) require a two-inch top margin. Critical, or formal, writing differs from colloquial writing or spoken English at several points. The student should note the following guidelines for critical writing. The instructor expects students to follow these guidelines strictly for academic-style assignments. Failure to do so will be penalized. Avoid first- or second-person references, both singular and plural ( I, we, or you ). Keep the written projects objective and professional. The student must remember that imperative forms are second person. Never use contractions. Avoid passive voice construction (i.e., The student should write God chose Joshua rather than Joshua was chosen by God. ). Some exceptions are necessary, but limiting the use of passive voice is a good policy. Be sure that number and tense always agree (i.e., Do not write in one place that Brueggemann argues... and at another place Brueggemann argued... ). Subjectverb agreement is imperative. Spellcheck! Spellcheck! Spellcheck! Grammar check works as well! All pronouns should have clear antecedents. Avoiding it is and there is in the paper removes much of the ambiguity of pronoun usage. Sentence fragments are unacceptable. Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate. VIII. Bibliography Beauchamp, Tom L. Philosophical Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982. Birch, Bruce C., and Larry Rasmussen. The Bible and Ethics in the Christian Life. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1989. Cone, James. Black Theology and Black Power. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997. Grenz, Stanley. The Moral Quest: Foundations of Christian Ethics. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1997. Gushee, David. P. The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Center. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2008. Gutierrez, Gustavo. A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation, rev. ed. London: SCM Press, 1988; translation copyright 1988 by Orbis Books.
5 Hauerwas, Stanley. The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christian Ethics. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1983. Hauerwas, Stanley, and Samuel Wells, eds. The Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics. Oxford; Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Hays, Richard. The Moral Vision of the New Testament. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996. MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue. 2 nd ed. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984. Milbank, John. Theology and Social Theory, Beyond Secular Reason, 2 nd ed. Oxford; Malden MA: Blackwell, 2006. Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture. New York: HarperCollins, 1951, 2001. Niebuhr, Reinhold. An Interpretation of Christian Ethics. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1963, 1987. O Donovan, Oliver. The Desire of the Nations. Cambridge; NY: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Ruether, Rosemary Radford. Sexism and God-Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology. Cambridge: MA: Harvard University Press, 1993. Stassen, Glen H., and David P. Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2003. Troeltsch, Ernst. The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches. Vol. 1. Trans. Olive Wyon. New York: Macmillan Company, 1931. Verhey, Allen. Remembering Jesus: Christian Community, Scripture, and the Moral Life. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 2002. Wells, Samuel. Improvisation. London: SPCK; Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2004. Wogaman, J. Philip. Christian Ethics: A Historical Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 1993. Wogaman, J. Philip, and Douglas M. Strong, eds. Readings in Christian Ethics: A Historical Sourcebook. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. Wright, Christopher J. H. Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 2004. Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus, 2 nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994. ------. The Priestly Kingdom. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984.