| CODE | MRT1250 | ||||||
| TITLE | Seminar: Scripture and Moral Theology | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Moral Theology | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit seeks to respond to the exhortation done by the Second Vatican Council to return to the Sacred Scriptures for moral and ethical discernment (Optatam Totius, 16). The first part of the study-unit examines various methods theologians have used to mine the Scriptures for moral insight. These have varied from the practice of proof-texting, to the comprehensive tradition of the Catholic Church (including "extra-scriptural" sources, the role of the local and universal Church, and the Magisterium), to alternative hermeneutical approaches such as feminist and liberation theology readings. In the second part of the study-unit key Biblical texts that are traditionally considered to have moral import (including the Decalogue, the Sermon on the Mount, and Paul's paraenetic discourses) are analysed in the key of virtue ethics. The third part of the study unit will consider specific contemporary moral issues (such as poverty, patriarchy and misogyny, migration, and euthanasia) seen in the light of the Sacred Scriptures. This study-unit is delivered in seminar style, meaning that there will be six sessions of four hours each. Students will be given texts to read in advance, on which they have to prepare a seminar paper, and which will then be discussed during the seminar sessions. Study-Unit Aims: - to introduce students to different methodologies for using the Sacred Scriptures for moral formation; - to equip students with tools for drawing moral interpretations from the Scriptures; - to enable students to reflect critically on important Biblical texts of moral import; - to help students engage in the pastoral application of Biblical texts of moral import; - to help students reflect on contemporary social issues enlightened by the Sacred Scriptures. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - list the different methodologies used to interpret the Sacred Scriptures for their moral implications; - analyse Biblical texts that are known for their moral import; - identify the pitfalls of prooftexting and fundamentalist or puritanist readings of the Bible. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - adopt the Bible as the Word of God that animates the life of the Christian; - interpret Biblical texts of moral import using the hermeneutic of the Catholic Church tradition; - adopt pastoral implications for the use of Biblical texts in the contemporary social realities - argument for a scriptural basis for morality. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Essential texts: - Chan, Yiu Sing Lúcás. Biblical Ethics in the 21st Century: Developments, Emerging Consensus, and Future Directions. New York: Paulist Press, 2013. - Chan, Yiu Sing Lúcás, Daniel J. Harrington, and James F. Keenan. The Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes: biblical studies and ethics for real life. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. - Harrington, Daniel J., and James F. Keenan. Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. - Pontificia Commissio Biblica. Bible and Morality: Biblical roots of Christian conduct. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2008. Further reading: - Chan, Yiu Sing Lúcás, James F. Keenan, and Ronaldo Zacharias. The Bible and Catholic Theological Ethics. Maryknoll, NY, Orbis Books, 2017. - Curran, Charles E., and Richard A. McCormick. Readings in Moral Theology No. 4: The Use of Scripture in Moral Theology. New York: Paulist Press, 1984. - Green, Joel B., Jacqueline E. Lapsley, Rebekah Miles, and Allen Verhey. Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011. - Spohn, William C. Go and Do Likewise Jesus and Ethics. New York: Continuum, 2007. - Tillmann, Fritz. The Master Calls: A Handbook of Christian Living. London: Burns & Oates, 1962. - Verhey, Allen. Remembering Jesus: Christian Community, Scripture, and the Moral Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005. (N.B.: Texts that at first blush appear to be dated are considered to be classic texts that students would miss out on if they are not included in the reading list.) |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar and Independent Study | ||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Carlo Calleja |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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