THO 3309 (H 2012)—Contemporary Moral Issues in Eastern Theology
SbDcn. Dr. Brian A. Butcher
Class Meets – Guigues #202: Mon 5:30-8:30 pm; Office Hours – Laframboise #237: by appointment (bbutcher@ustpaul.ca)
DESCRIPTION
This course explores the nature of an Eastern/Orthodox Christian approach to ethics, in terms of its sources, methods and applications. The specific moral issues to be considered include sexual ethics; abortion & embryonic stem cell research; reproductive technologies; human cloning; physician-assisted suicide & euthanasia; capital punishment; the morality of war; environmental ethics; and social ethics.
OBJECTIVES
ü To probe the unique theological contours of Eastern/Orthodox Christian Moral Theology
ü To discern the actual ethical standpoints of contemporary Orthodox and Eastern Catholic believers
ü To examine in depth a topic of personal interest, as well as develop a greater awareness of, and critical perspective toward, the range of potential ethical concerns
EVALUATION
- Class Participation 5%
- Reflection Paper (500 words)† 5%
- Reading Quizzes (2 x 5%) 10%
- Research Paper (2500-3000 words)† 30%
- Oral Presentation of Research (15-20 min.) 10%
- Final Oral Exam 40%
†May be submitted on-line, as attached MS Word (97-2003 compatible) file, formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Marks will be deducted for grammatical/orthographic errors. Please (have a peer) proofread!
REQUIRED TEXTS*
v Vigen Guroian, Incarnate Love: Essays in Orthodox Ethics, 2nd ed. (University of Notre Dame Press, 2002), henceforth IL
v John Breck, The Sacred Gift of Life: Orthodox Christianity and Bioethics (Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1998
RECOMMENDED TEXTS*
Ø Joseph Woodill, The Fellowship of Life: Virtue Ethics and Orthodox Christianity (Georgetown University Press, 1998)
Ø Vigen Guroian, Ethics after Christendom (Wipf & Stock, 2004), henceforth EC
*Available for purchase in the Librairie Saint-Paul/Canterbury House Bookstore
| DATE | TOPIC | READING/ASSIGNMENT |
| Jan. 9 | Introduction | |
| Jan. 16 | Sources, Methods, Themes I | v IL: Introduction & Chs. 1-2, “The Shape of Orthodox Ethics” & “Love in Orthodox Ethics,” 1-48 Ø EC: Ch. 1, “Is Christian Ethics Any Longer Possible?” 11-28 |
| Jan. 23 | Sources, Methods, Themes II | v Breck, Introduction & Ch. 1, “The Theological Foundations of Orthodox Christian Ethics,” 5-54 Ø EC: Ch. 3, “The Bible in Orthodox Ethics,” 53-82 µ REFLECTION PAPER DUE |
| Jan. 30 | Sexual Ethics I Divorce, Contraception, Homosexuality | v Breck, Ch. 2: “Sexuality, Marriage & Covenant Responsibility,” 55-126 |
| Feb. 6 | Sexual Ethics II Topics cont’d from Jan. 30 | v IL: “An Ethic of Marriage & Family,” 102-40 v Breck, Ch. 3: “Procreation & the Beginning of Life,” 127-44 Ø EC: “Family & Christian Virtue,” 102-32) |
| Feb. 13 | Sexual Ethics III: Abortion, Embryonic Research, Reproductive Technologies, Cloning | v Breck, Ch. 3, “Affirming Life’s Sacredness” & Appendix 1 (145-202 & 259-64) |
| Feb. 20 | Study Week | NO CLASS |
| Feb. 27 | Physician Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia | v Breck, Ch. 5: “’A Blessed Pascha,’” Summary & Appendices 2-3 (203-258 & 265-82) Ø EC: “Death and Dying in the Orthodox Liturgical Tradition,” 175-99 µ RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE & BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE |
| Mar. 5 | Capital Punishment War | Alexander Webster, “Justifiable War as a ‘Lesser Good’ in Eastern Orthodox Moral Tradition” in Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 47, no. 1 (2003), 3-57 Full-text available on-line through ATLA database (access through Allie Library website, on library computers); hard-copy in library also |
| Mar. 12 | Environmental Ethics | v EC: “Ecological Ethics,” 155-74 µ STUDENT ORAL PRESENTATIONS |
| Mar. 19 | Varia | µ STUDENT ORAL PRESENTATIONS cont’d |
| Mar. 26 | Social Ethics Politics & Economics | v IL: Chs. 7-8, “The Problem of a Social Ethic” & “Orthodoxy and the American Order,” 141-188 Ø EC: Ch. 4, “The Struggle for the Soul of the Church,” 83-101 |
| Mar. 30 | | µ RESEARCH PAPER DUE |
| Apr. 2 | Conclusion | v IL: Ch. 3, “Liturgy and the Lost Eschatological Vision of Christian Ethics” & Ch. 5, “Seeing Worship as Ethics” (49-61 & 75-101) Ø EC: Ch. 2, “Tradition and Ethics,” 29-52 µ READING QUIZ #2 |
| | | µ ORAL FINAL EXAM |
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