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Social
Justice and the Church
Prof. Randall Smith Office: Hughes House, Rm 206 rsmith@stthom.edu |
Required Books:
There are two required books for this course. As you can see from the schedule of classes, we will be bouncing back and forth between the two. The two books are these:
1. Careful reading of each assignment before the class for which it is assigned. Be ready for a short reading quiz before each class.
2. Active participation in class.
3. Daily reflection papers of approximately 800 words in length. The paper should be submitted at the beginning of the class when it is due.
4. Mid-term and comprehensive final exams comprised almost entirely of essays.
5. NB: No computers or cell phones are allowed in this class. Period. Don't bring them. Don't open them. Don't look at them.
Grading:
Daily Reflections: 20% (we will drop your three lowest scores)
Mid-Term Exam: 25%
Final Exam: 30%
Quizzes: 15% (we will drop your three lowest scores)
Class Participation: 10%
Policy on Attendance:
Please be
forewarned that more than three absences will result
in a decrease of one-third of a letter grade.
Further absences will result in further proportionate
decreases. After
six absences, you will be excused from further
attendance in an official way (by which I mean, you will suffer the academic
equivalent of being fired).
Please
also take note that I make no distinction between
“excused” and “un-excused” absences. You may excuse
yourself for whatever reason you deem important enough
to miss class. I realize that there are certainly times
when attending class is not the most important thing in
your life. On
the other hand, since you are enrolled, attending class
is not unimportant if you are to get the educational
benefit for which you are paying. Quite frankly,
my experience has been that when a student exceeds three
absences, his or her grade is headed downward
precipitously no matter what I do.
1. Introduction: Gaudium et Spes, Preface and Introductory Statement --- Questions to Guide Your Reading
2. Historical Context: Russell Hittinger, “Introduction to Modern Catholicism,” --- Questions to Guide Your Reading
3. Gaudium et Spes, ch. I, “The Dignity of the Human Person” and ch. II, “The Community of Mankind”
4. Gaudium et Spes, ch. III, “Man’s Activity Throughout the World” and ch. IV, “The Role of the Church in the Modern World”
5. Compendium, 1-25 (Introduction and Part One, ch. 1: God's Plan of Love for Humanity)
6. Compendium, 27-47 (Part One, ch. 2: The Church's Mission and Social Doctrine)
7. Compendium, 49-69 (Part One, ch. 3: The Human Person and Human Rights)
8. Compendium, 71-91 (Part One, ch. 4: Principles of the Church's Social Doctrine)
9. Benestad, 35-80 (Part One, ch. 1: The Dignity of the Human Person, Human Rights, and Natural Law)
10. Benestad, 81-112 (Part One, ch. 2: The Meaning of the Common Good)
11. Benestad, 113-142 (Part One, ch. 3: Seeking the Common Good through Virtue and Grace)
12. Benestad, 143-167 (Part One, ch. 4: Seeking the Common Good through Justice and Social Justice)
13. Compendium, 95-114 (Part Two, ch. 5: The Family, the Vital Cell of Society)
Mid-Term Exam
14. Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens; Marx's Theory of Alienation
15. Compendium, 115-138 (Part Two, ch. 6: Human Work)
16. Compendium, 141-161 (Part Two, ch. 7: Economic Life)
17. Benestad, 315-341 (Part Three, ch. 5: The Economy, Work, Poverty, and Immigration)
18. Compendium, ch. 8, "The Political Community," I, II, and III and "Subsidiarity" in Benestad, 278-280
19. Compendium, ch. 8, "The Political Community," IV, V, and VI
20. Compendium, 197-210 (Part Two, ch. 10: Safeguarding the Environment)
21. Compendium, 213-224 (Part Two, ch. 11: The Promotion of Peace)
22. Benestad, 403-426 (Part Four, ch. 12: Just War Principles)
23. Compendium, Part Three, ch. 12, "Social Doctrine and Ecclesial Action"
There are two required books for this course. As you can see from the schedule of classes, we will be bouncing back and forth between the two. The two books are these:
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (available on-line and in-print)Course Requirements:
J. Brian Benestad, Church, State, and Society: An Introduction to Catholic Social Doctrine (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011)
1. Careful reading of each assignment before the class for which it is assigned. Be ready for a short reading quiz before each class.
2. Active participation in class.
3. Daily reflection papers of approximately 800 words in length. The paper should be submitted at the beginning of the class when it is due.
4. Mid-term and comprehensive final exams comprised almost entirely of essays.
5. NB: No computers or cell phones are allowed in this class. Period. Don't bring them. Don't open them. Don't look at them.
Grading:
Daily Reflections: 20% (we will drop your three lowest scores)
Mid-Term Exam: 25%
Final Exam: 30%
Quizzes: 15% (we will drop your three lowest scores)
Class Participation: 10%
Policy on Attendance:
Academic
Accommodations:
In accordance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the University of St. Thomas will provide academic accommodations to ensure access for students with disabilities.
Students with disabilities who require accommodations for this class, must register with the Office of Access & Disability Services (ADS) and provide documentation of a disability to determine what accommodations are most appropriate. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and disability accommodations are not provided until a Course Accessibility Letter has been provided to the instructor.
For questions regarding academic accommodations and accessibility, please contact the Office of Access and Disability Services by email at ACCESS@STTHOM.EDU, or visit the ADS website at STTHOM.EDU/ACCESS.
Office Hours:
In my experience, students rarely come to listed "office hours." So I don't set them. I am, however, always willing to talk to students at length about pretty much any question they might have. So, if you send me an email at rsmith@stthom.edu, or see me after class, we can arrange to meet at almost any time when I am not in class teaching. My flexibility is much greater than just the one hour per day when I might be found sitting in my office (which I never do). So please feel free to come see me. We will arrange a time that is mutually convenient.
Schedule
of Class Meetings and Reading Assignments:In accordance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the University of St. Thomas will provide academic accommodations to ensure access for students with disabilities.
Students with disabilities who require accommodations for this class, must register with the Office of Access & Disability Services (ADS) and provide documentation of a disability to determine what accommodations are most appropriate. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and disability accommodations are not provided until a Course Accessibility Letter has been provided to the instructor.
For questions regarding academic accommodations and accessibility, please contact the Office of Access and Disability Services by email at ACCESS@STTHOM.EDU, or visit the ADS website at STTHOM.EDU/ACCESS.
Office Hours:
In my experience, students rarely come to listed "office hours." So I don't set them. I am, however, always willing to talk to students at length about pretty much any question they might have. So, if you send me an email at rsmith@stthom.edu, or see me after class, we can arrange to meet at almost any time when I am not in class teaching. My flexibility is much greater than just the one hour per day when I might be found sitting in my office (which I never do). So please feel free to come see me. We will arrange a time that is mutually convenient.
1. Introduction: Gaudium et Spes, Preface and Introductory Statement --- Questions to Guide Your Reading
2. Historical Context: Russell Hittinger, “Introduction to Modern Catholicism,” --- Questions to Guide Your Reading
3. Gaudium et Spes, ch. I, “The Dignity of the Human Person” and ch. II, “The Community of Mankind”
4. Gaudium et Spes, ch. III, “Man’s Activity Throughout the World” and ch. IV, “The Role of the Church in the Modern World”
5. Compendium, 1-25 (Introduction and Part One, ch. 1: God's Plan of Love for Humanity)
6. Compendium, 27-47 (Part One, ch. 2: The Church's Mission and Social Doctrine)
7. Compendium, 49-69 (Part One, ch. 3: The Human Person and Human Rights)
8. Compendium, 71-91 (Part One, ch. 4: Principles of the Church's Social Doctrine)
9. Benestad, 35-80 (Part One, ch. 1: The Dignity of the Human Person, Human Rights, and Natural Law)
10. Benestad, 81-112 (Part One, ch. 2: The Meaning of the Common Good)
11. Benestad, 113-142 (Part One, ch. 3: Seeking the Common Good through Virtue and Grace)
12. Benestad, 143-167 (Part One, ch. 4: Seeking the Common Good through Justice and Social Justice)
13. Compendium, 95-114 (Part Two, ch. 5: The Family, the Vital Cell of Society)
Mid-Term Exam
14. Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens; Marx's Theory of Alienation
15. Compendium, 115-138 (Part Two, ch. 6: Human Work)
16. Compendium, 141-161 (Part Two, ch. 7: Economic Life)
17. Benestad, 315-341 (Part Three, ch. 5: The Economy, Work, Poverty, and Immigration)
18. Compendium, ch. 8, "The Political Community," I, II, and III and "Subsidiarity" in Benestad, 278-280
19. Compendium, ch. 8, "The Political Community," IV, V, and VI
20. Compendium, 197-210 (Part Two, ch. 10: Safeguarding the Environment)
21. Compendium, 213-224 (Part Two, ch. 11: The Promotion of Peace)
22. Benestad, 403-426 (Part Four, ch. 12: Just War Principles)
23. Compendium, Part Three, ch. 12, "Social Doctrine and Ecclesial Action"