TS 505
Faculty Information:
DesAnne Hippe, Ph.D.
Note: Please put TS 505 in the subject line of any message you send so that it is correctly routed and consequently does not get overlooked.
262-896-1604 (home)
Office Hours: See the Faculty Info. tab for details.
Course Description:
“A study of the ethical dimension of Christian theology. This class begins with an analysis of theoretical ethics, terminology, approaches, and biblical bases, and then concentrates on the application of ethical theory to specific ethical issues facing Christians today.” (Bethel Catalog).
Course Objectives:
This course is designed to assist the successful student to utilize the intellectual discipline of theology to passionately pursue and deepen a relationship with the God who first pursued us and continues to meet us where we are. We pursue God through theological discipline so that we can continue to grow in our journey to know God, love God, and serve God more fully in a broken world. In order to assist you in this journey, this course will give you the opportunity to develop your ability to:
1. Discuss knowledgeably certain leading terms, theories, thinkers, and foundational issues in the field of ethics in general and Christian ethics in particular.
2. Understand and explain the specific ethical issues considered in the course, indicating the basic problem or question, the various aspects of the problem, proposed solutions, and the contributions of Scripture, history, theology, philosophy, science, and experience to the debate.
3. Appreciate the variations in ethical reasoning and the variations in the issues themselves among different ethnic groups and cultures worldwide, so that we are aware of the need for continual contextualization as we “do ethics” among other cultures, whether in this country or elsewhere.
4. Understand ethics not as an appendage to theology but as a vital starting point and guiding principle (as well as the culmination) of all proper theologizing, Scripture study, and vibrant living (1 Pet. 1:13-16; 2 Pet. 1:2-11).
- Use sound theological research, insight, and discipline to negotiate challenging issues and to inform and enhance ministry and spiritual formation.
Required Texts:
Books:
Clark, David K and Robert V. Rakestraw, editors. Readings in Christian Ethics, Volume 1: Theory and Method. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994. ISBN 0-8010-2581-8
Clark, David K. and Robert V. Rakestraw, editors. Readings in Christian Ethics, Volume 2: Issues and Applications. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996. ISBN 0-8010-2056-5
Reuschling, Wendy Corbin. Reviving Evangelical Ethics: The Promises and Pitfalls of Classic Models of Morality. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-58743-189-0.
Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. ISBN: 0226823377.
Zehr, Howard. The Little Book of Restorative Justice. Intercourse, Pa: Good Books, 2002. ISBN: 1561483761
Articles:
These articles are available on-line through the websites listed below or through Bethel’s library website.
Christians for Biblical Equality: Statement on Men, Women, and Biblical Equality: http://www.cbeinternational.org/new/about/biblical_equality.shtml
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Danvers Statement:
http://www.cbmw.org/about/danvers.php
King, Jr., Martin Luther. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/popular_requests/frequentdocs/birmingham.pdf
Li, Jason. “Fostering Constructive Dialogue in the Racial Arena, 2003.” BARRC paper, Bethel College and Seminary, St. Paul. Available on Blackboard.
Moessner, Jeannne Stevenson. “One family, under God, indivisible.” Journal of Pastoral Theology 13, no. 2 (2003): 51-65.
Volf, Miroslav. “The Gift of Infertility.” Christian Century 122, no. 12 (2005): 33.
Course Requirements:
Each of the following assignments is designed to help you to master the Course Objectives.
1. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
a. You will be assigned 5-6 articles/chapters from the assigned texts to analyze and present during the Intensive Week.
b. For guidelines, look under Course Documents.
2. READINGS:
a. In addition to the readings you are assigned for the Descriptive Analysis and Presentation, you should complete 600 pages of reading from the assigned textbooks.
b. You will record your reading in two separate reading logs, completing half of the reading before the Intensive Week, and half of the reading after the Intensive Week.
c. With the exception of Week 1 readings, which are mandatory, you may choose which readings you would like to do. You should choose your readings from at least two different assigned textbooks.
d. For the first reading log of 300 pages, do the following:
i. Note the title of each article or chapter read.
ii. Note the final total of all pages read.
iii. For each article or chapter, list one substantive question or observation you have as a result of your reading. These may be used during the Intensive Week discussions.
iv. Due: Friday, April 17.
v. Note: If 300 pages are not completed at this time, they may not be made up in the second log.
e. For the second reading log of 300 pages, just record the total number of pages read.
i. Due: May 29
2. ON-LINE PARTICIPATION AND ASSIGNMENTS:
a. For this portion of your grade, you are required to participate in at least 4 weekly discussions in the Discussion Board as follows:
b. Everyone is to participate in Weeks 1, 7, and 10 Discussion Boards, as these provide a forum for introductions, Intensive Week processing and closures in the course.
i. You may choose any other week in which to participate according to the following guidelines (you are welcome and encouragedto participate more if you so choose, but only one will count for your grade).
ii. For each week that you participate, you should enter the Discussion Board area and respond to the question(s) or observations posted that week.
iii. In order for this to be a forum for productive discussion, you should make at least one substantive post no later than the Wednesday of that discussion week (midnight, Central Standard Time). Initial posts made after this date will accrue late penalties.
iv. In the spirit of true discussion, you may not go back and “make up” posts for weeks past and have this count for your grade.
v. As this is a forum for conversation, you should interact with at least one classmate’s post by the end of the week—no later than Sunday before the new week begins. As with a face-to-face (or phone) conversation, you should see both discussion threads (the one you started and the one started by your classmate with whom you chose to interact) through to their natural ends.
vi. In terms of grading, full credit will be granted to substantial posts that (a) make obvious connections to the assigned material, (b) reflect new insights, integration, and application to ministry and/or spiritual formation, and (c) adhere to guidelines i-v above.
3. VOCABULARY QUIZZES
a. Part of becoming conversant in any academic discipline involves having a working understanding of the technical terms commonly used in that discipline.
b. To this end, I will ask you to demonstrate a mastery of key vocabulary terms on a series of 4 multiple choice quizzes administered in the Blackboard environment.
c. These are “closed book” quizzes.
d. Look under “Course Documents” for the lists of terms for which you will be accountable.
e. I will announce when each quiz becomes available for you to take. At that point, you may take the quiz whenever you choose up until the given deadline for the specific quiz. After the deadline, the quiz will no longer be available—no exceptions. Please be sure, therefore, to plan for the unexpected. Allow yourself sufficient time to take the quiz should you encounter technical difficulties or unanticipated life happenings. The specific time and date when the quiz will shut down can be found in the Assignments section, as well as next to the quiz itself under “Course Documents.”
4. INTEGRATIVE ASSIGNMENT: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
a. The annotated bibliography is designed to allow you to explore a vexing ethical issue that has relevance for you personally or for your ministry.
b. For guidelines, look under Course Documents.
c. Note: For students beginning seminary in the 08-09 year: In addition to submitting this assignment to me, you are also required to upload your assignment to your Integrative Portfolio once the Integrative Portfolio technology is introduced.
5. INTENSIVE WEEK
Attendance at and active participation in all Intensive Week classes scheduled by the InMinistry staff for this course are expected and required in order to pass this course. Please plan your travel schedule accordingly.
Time Allotment:
Reading / 30 hoursOn-line Participation / 4 hours
Vocabulary Quizzes (4) / 6 hours
On-Campus Intensive / 30 hours
Descriptive Analyses and Presentation / 10 hours
Integrative Review of Literature / 25 hours
Total
/ 105 hoursCourse Grading:
Readings—15%
On-line Participation—10%
Vocabulary Quizzes (4 @ 5% each)—20%
Descriptive Analysis and Presentation—25%
Integrative Review of Literature—30%
Basic Housekeeping
Academic Course Policies:
These are available through Blackboard. You are responsible for the information contained therein. If you have a question about a particular policy, please ask.
Written work:
· Minimal guidelines:
o Be sure to use proper documentation and format according to Turabian.
o On all papers, please use a standard 12 point font (such as Times New Roman) as well as 1” margins.
o Be sure that you put your name on your paper.
o All papers should be submitted as specified in the Assignments section.
o As per seminary guidelines, you should use inclusive language in all assignments and discussions.
· Please note that agreeing or disagreeing with my view will not affect your grade.
· Your writing should be grammatically correct, well-organized, concise, and readable. I expect that you will word process at least a couple of drafts.
Correspondence and Office Hours:
· Unless otherwise specified in an Announcement, I will be available for “Office Hours” during the times listed under Faculty Information, during which time I will respond to email, check Discussion Boards, etc.
· Due to the amount of emails that come into my box, please be sure to put TS505 in the subject line of any message that you send to me so that your message can be appropriately routed and I can respond to it in a timely manner.
Late Policy:
· Assignments are due on the day they are due, following Central Standard Time. E.g., if an assignment is due on a Tuesday, it should be submitted no later than that Tuesday, 11:59 p.m. CST. Assignments submitted after this time will be considered as late.
· With the exception of the Descriptive Analysis, which will not be accepted late, late assignments will be penalized a full letter grade for each day late.
· After 5 days, no late work will be accepted.
· If you truly have an unforeseen emergency that necessitates turning in an assignment late (death in the family, serious illness, etc.), please contact me as soon as possible so that we may make accommodations. Vacations, heavy workload, ministry commitments, busy schedules, poor planning, and so forth will not be considered as an emergency, so please plan according.
· Note that computers are notorious for crashing, loosing files, etc. when papers are due. Therefore, please be sure to always save a backup of your work and put it in a safe, accessible place (including your Discussion Board contribution, which I encourage you to write and save off-line). Neglecting to do this and consequently loosing your work will not be counted as an emergency excuse for handing in an assignment late.
Academic Integrity:
While I trust that everyone enrolled in this course will hold themselves to the highest academic ethical standards, it is incumbent upon me to forewarn everyone that any student involved in academic dishonesty will fail the assignment and/or the course and be reported to the proper seminary authorities. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty (see Bethel catalogue)—lack of knowledge will not be considered a reasonable excuse. Any student suspected of cheating or plagiarism will be asked to prove the work is his or her own.
Copyright Notice:
Materials used in connection with the course may be subject to copyright protection. In general, you may not copy, save, download, print, duplicate or send multimedia or electronic material for use outside of this course without permission of the instructor. Copying small amounts of such material for research, criticism, or inclusion in a project or presentation should be discussed with your instructor and the source must be acknowledged.
Major Due Dates at a Glance:
April 17: Reading Log #1
April 27: Descriptive Analyses (Bring all copies to the Intensive Week)
May 10: Last day to take Vocab. Quiz #1
May 17: Last day to take Vocab. Quiz #2
May 24: Last day to take Vocab. Quiz #3
May 29:
· Reading Log #2.
· Integrative Review of Literature.
· Last day to take Vocab. Quiz #4
Weekly Schedule/Assignments:
Week 1:
Read:
· Week 1 Announcement
· Syllabus and assignments
· Jason Li article
· Reuschling, Introduction and Chapter 1
Prepare:
· Vocab. Quiz 1
· Begin researching Review of Literature Topic
· Be sure that you can access all articles.
Record: Information for Reading Log #1
Post: Discussion Forum #1 (required)
Week 2:
Read:
· Week 2 Announcement
· Readings for Descriptive Analyses
· Required readings of choice
Prepare:
· Vocab. Quiz 1
· Review of Literature
· Descriptive Analyses
Record: Information for Reading Log #1
Post: Discussion Forum #2 (opt.)
Week 3:
Read:
· Week 3 Announcement
· Readings for Descriptive Analyses
· Required readings of choice
Prepare:
· Vocab. Quiz 1 and 2
· Review of Literature
· Descriptive Analyses
Record: Information for Reading Log #1
Post: Discussion Forum #3 (opt.)
Week 4:
Read:
· Week 4 Announcement
· Readings for Descriptive Analyses
· Required readings of choice
Prepare:
· Vocab. Quiz 2
· Review of Literature
· Descriptive Analyses