COURSE SYLLABUSCOURSE TITLE: CHRISTIAN ETHICS

COURSE CODE/CREDITS: Philosophy 5/Theology 3

But only God who created man to His own image and ransomed him from sins, provides a fully adequate answer to questionsrevealed in Christ His Son who became man. Whoever follows after Christ, the perfect man becomes himself more of a man.

COURSE SYLLABUSCOURSE DESCRIPTION

The course deals with the study of man as a moral being called by God to respond in freedom and responsibility to attain the fullness of life in Christ. It seeks to familiarize the students with the foundations of morality that would equip them with principles and guidelines to confront contemporary moral situations. This also deals with the challenges of Christian Discipleship and the Christian invitation to moral growth through the study of grace, sin, conversion and virtues.

COURSE SYLLABUSGeneral objectives:

At the end of the course, the students are expected to: Establish the link between the external ritual expression of Christian faith and authentic discipleship following Christ in action (ECCE: Moral Law Nos. 5& 6) Acquire ethical and religious values which would affect changes of attitude, behavior and values (CA # 60) in the light of contemporary moral problem.

COURSE SYLLABUSB. Specific ObjectivesAt the end of this course, students are expected to:Acquaint themselves with the moral dimension of the Christian Faith;Trace the roots of contemporary moral situations;Acquire facility in making moral-decisions, through the study of the human person as moral agent;Understand the DECALOGUE in the light of some of todays moral issues.Appreciate the challenges of Christian Discipleship.Value Christs invitation to grow morally through the study of the role of grace, sin, conversion, and virtues.

COURSE OUTLINEIntroduction: Understanding Contemporary Moral SituationsA. Moral Situations: An OverviewB. Contemporary Moral Trends and Their RootsC. Notions of Morality1. Popular Notions2. What Morality Is: Clarifications and TermsD. Understanding Christian Morality

COURSE OUTLINEII.Man as a Moral BeingA. Man: The Image of God1. Man as Body-Soul Unity a. Human Needs: Hierarchy of Needs b. Needs as Values2. Man as a Person a. Intelligent and Free b. Endowed with dignity and Inalienable rights c. Always an End, Never as Means

COURSE OUTLINEB. Man the Traveler: In Pursuit of His Goal1. End/Purpose of Man a. Different Theories of the God and Happiness b. The Ultimate Happiness: The Supreme Good2. Pathos of Man: Wounded (fallen) but Healed (redeemed)3. Historical ManC. Man Being For Others1. To be Oneself2. To be with and for Others3. To be with and for God

COURSE OUTLINEII.Man as a Moral Agent: Responsible for his/her ActsA. The Human Acts1. Human Acts and Acts of Man2. Constituents of Human Acts a. Knowledge b. Freedom c. Voluntariness3. Impairment/Obstacles of VoluntarinessB. Sources of Morality1. Object2. Intention3. CircumstancesC. Interrelations of the Sources of Morality: Toward Personal Integrity

COURSE OUTLINEIV.Norms and Guidelines for Moral ManA. The Objective Norm: Law1. Eternal Law2. Natural Law3. Human Law4. Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount: Basic Christian CharacterB. The Subjective Norm: Conscience1. Definitions a. As Moral Faculty b. As a Moral Judgment2. Theories of Conscience3. Kinds of Conscience and their Binding Force

COURSE OUTLINE4. Development of Moral Conscience5. The Christian Formation of ConscienceC. Concrete Guidelines for Making a Moral Decision

V.Christian Discipleship: The Way Towards Christian MoralityA. Living Authentic Human Life: Christ as a ModelB. Responding to Christs Commandment of Love (Agape)C. Living the Life in the Spirit

COURSE OUTLINEInvitation to Christian Growth and perfectionA. Sin as an Obstacle to Moral Growth1. Nature of Sin a. Biblical Views of Sin b. Theological Reflection on Sin c. Moral, Grave and Venial Sin2. Kinds of Sin a. Different Kinds of Internal Sins b. Sins of Omission and Commission c. The Capital Sins

COURSE OUTLINE3. Sources of Sins a. Impact of a Sinfully Distorted World b. Temptation4. Responsibility for Sins of Others and Sinful Cooperation a. Seduction b. Scandal c. Cooperation in the Sins of OthersB. Conversion: The Continuous Process for Growth1. Mans Need for Conversion2. Nature of Conversion3. Conditions of Conversion4. Fruits of Conversion5. Sacramental Enactment and Realization of Conversion

COURSE OUTLINEC. Virtues: Habits for Effective Christian Living1. Nature of Virtues2. Systems of Virtues a. Primacy of Charity b. Diversity of Virtues3. Fundamental Requirements for Virtue a. Moral Knowledge and Prudence b. Love of Moral Value c. Dominion Over Passions

COURSE OUTLINED. Christs Invitation to Perfection1. Defective Ideals2. The Call to Perfection in Holy Scripture a. Old Testament b. New Testament3. Essence and Universality of the Call to Perfection a. Nature and Perfection b. Universality of the Call to Perfection c. Manifold Realization of the Common Call to Holiness4. Pathways to Holiness

COURSE OUTLINEVII. The Decalogue in the Light of Current Moral Problems5th Issues on Life and the Body6th Issues on Sexuality7th Issues on Management of Resources8th Issues on Truthfulness

MORAL SITUATION: AN OVERVIEW

Change is happening very fast.

We live in a planetary society or global city.

So much progress in science and technology.There is a shift from homosapiens to technosapiens.

Our mission must be different and should make a difference because we are in a world that is different.

Our mission to uplift morality today must be done with bold humility. We must be brave, strong and yet humble.

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Theology is life not anymore a faith seeking understanding.You cannot stop the modern technology of information. Internet does not expect borders. We have to join the 21st century in our mission .For the church to continue to exist in the 21st century she must not remain inward looking but also outward looking. Globalization is something to be addressed. It cannot be stop so we continue with our mission to shape the world and morality.Secularization is an independence of culture from religion which means that we have a new God and that God is science. Statistically, according to CBCP survey only 7 percent from 10% goes to church today because of secularization. We have to discover a theology of science and technology.

In globalization theres no more boundaries, so we do not other the others, do not descriminate the others. Remain being a good catholic, let them be attracted by your charity, your lived faith. Dont convert them . Let them be inspired by your life and God will convert them.Vatican II says all religions are ways to God. Therefore dont make a fence, dont look down at other religions.MORAL SITUATIONS TODAYIndications of immoralities.Indications of demoralizationIndications of Moral Upliftment.

extraordinary increase and gravity of threats to lifeContemporary Moral Trends

THE THREATS TO LIFE DIRECTLY AFFLICT THE WEAK AND THE DEFENSELESS

THREATS TO LIFE

THOSE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO LIFE ITSELF

WHATEVER VIOLATES THE INTEGRITY OF THE HUMAN PERSONmutilation, torments inflicted on body and mindTHREATS TO LIFE

WHATEVER INSULTS HUMAN DIGNITYSubhuman living conditions slavery imprisonment human trafficking disgraceful working conditionsTHREATS TO LIFE

ALL THESE ARE:Poisons to human societyAgainst the order of reason

THEY ARE:Expanding with new prospectsOpened up by scientific technological progress

IRONYProgress in science and technology/ Regress in moral life

Expanding with new prospectsOpened up by scientific technological progress

IT IS GRAVE AND DISTURBING THAT CONSCIENCE IS DARKENED BY WIDESPREAD CONDITIONING

AS A RESULT,IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL SYMPTOMATIC OF MORAL DECLINE

MAN FINDS HIMSELF LOST

THE CHRISTIAN IS CONFRONTED BY RADICAL MORAL QUESTIONS:WHAT MUST I DO?HOW DO I DISTINGUISH GOOD FROM EVIL?

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