Teachings of the
Catholic Church
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THEOLOGY AND THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS OF LIFE
1. Why Am I Here? Man's Search For
Meaning
Texts for Reflection: Luke
14:27-33 ("Who when he is building a tower ..."). The opening
lines
of Fides
et Ratio by Pope John Paul II ("Know Thyself")
Readings:
2.
Tim
Clydesdale,
The First Year Out:
Understanding American
Teens after High School (selection)
Robert Leamnson, Thinking about Teaching and Learning, "Today's First Year Students" Questions for
Consideration: If
authentic freedom means confronting fundamental questions such as "Who
am I?" "Where am I going?" and "What is the meaning and
purpose of life?" are you a person ready for freedom?
Or are you content to live out a script written for you by someone
else? If a "conversation" requires at least two listeners, are
you ready for a conversation? Are you ready for this class? 3. Who Am I? Meaning And Identity
In
Contemporary American Culture Text for
Reflection: James
1:22-24 ("He looks at his own face in the mirror, and then promptly
forgets it.") Readings: “Snapshots
of America’s Finances”
“An Impressionable Age,” Ruth La Ferla, The New York Times James Twitchell, Lead Us Into Temptation (selections) “Private Property and the Universal Destination of Material Goods,” Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus "Vision and Illusion," Thomas Merton, Ascent to Truth
“Bridging
Hip-Hop Consumers and Suits,” Jeff Leeds, The New York Times
“Well-Off but Still Pressed, Doctor Could Use Tax Cut,” Jim Yardley, The New York Times Jean Kilbourne, “Still Killing Us Softly: Advertising and the Obsession with Thinness” “Body-Conscious Boys Adopt Athletes’ Taste for Steroids,” Timothy Egan The Millionaire Mind, Thomas J. Stanley, (selection) Additional
Assignment: Watch the video The
Merchants
of
Cool
Questions for
Consideration: What happens when we don't ask the fundamental questions
of meaning and identity? So, for example, how do most young
people and adults in American culture
give themselves a sense of meaning and identity? What are some of
the results of defining oneself and one's worth in this way? Why
is having a sense of meaning and purpose important to authentic
freedom? Why is 'knowing oneself" important to authentic
freedom? How much influenced are you by advertizing, packaging,
and branding? How much influenced are your friends? How
much influenced by advertizing, packaging, and branding would your
friends and family say you are? Are they wrong? Do they
know you better than you know yourself?
4. Where Am I Coming From? Identity And The Social Pecking Order Texts for Reflection:
"And be not conformed to
this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
(Rom 12:2)
Reading: Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids
(selections) Additional
Assignment: Watch the video People
Like
Us
5. Where Am I Going? Religion,
Spirituality, And Education In The
Lives Of Emerging Adults
Text for Reflection: When I was a child, I spake as a
child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I
put away childish things. (1 Cor 13:11)
Readings:
Christian Smith, Soul Searching: The Religious and
Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (selection)
Questions for
Consideration: Where do you want to be in four years? Who do you want to be in four
years? In what ways do you expect to be different? The
same? What challenges do you expect to have to face? What
skills (both educational and life skills) will you have to develop
during the next several years of you are to reach your goal? How
will you develop them? How will you know that you are developing them?
6. Am I Becoming The
Person I Want To Be? Ordinary Men, Extraordinary EvilTexts for Reflection:
"He began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Lk 12:1); "He answered and said unto them, Well hath
Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people
honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Mk 7:6)
Readings: Christopher
Browning, Ordinary Men:
Reserve Police
Battalion 101 and
“Hierarchy and Role,” David R. Blumenthal, The Banality of Good and Evil Questions for Consideration: What would you do if you had
to make a choice such as the one faced by the "ordinary men" of Reserve
Police Batallion 101? If you don't know what you would do, are
there changes you can make to ensure that you become the sort of person
you want to be? Do you suppose your answers to any of the
"Questions for Reflection" above would be relevant in the kind of
choices you would make? How?
7. Who Do I Want To Be Like? Ordinary Men and Woman, Extraordinary Good Text for Reflection: "Another parable spake he unto them; The
kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Mt 13:33)
Readings: “Remembering the Rescuers,” Patrick Henry, First
Things
“Magda and the Great Virtues,” Philip Hallie, In the Eye of the Hurricane Questions for
Consideration: Would you do what Magda Trocme and the villagers
of
Le Chambon did if you were faced with a similar choice? If you
don't
kinow what you would do, are there changes you can make to ensure that
you become the sort of person you want to be? Do you suppose your
answers to any of the "Questions for Reflection"
above would be relevant to the kind of person you will become in the
future? How? Would what Christian Smith describes as
"moralistic therapeutic deism" provide a sufficient set of religious
convictions to be able to do what the villagers of Le Chambon did?
FAITH: WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO SAY
"I BELIEVE"?
Text for Reflection:
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done unto me
according to thy word." (Lk 1:38)
Readings: “Revelation
as
Word,
Testimony,
Encounter," René
Latourelle, Theology of Revelation
Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum); chapter 1. James Coventry, The Theology of Faith Questions
for Consideration: Do you think of "revelation" primarily as a
communication of information?
Would
it
make
a
difference
if
you
thought
of
it
as
the
self-communication of a person
who is inviting you into a fellowship? What sort of response is
called for on your part if someone is communicating information to you? Is the
sort of response called for different if someone is inviting you into a
fellowship? Consider, for example, whether you respond
differently to someone who says: "Here are the directions for how
to get to the Empire State Building," as opposed to someone who
says: "Hi, my name is Fred; what's your name? Both are factual statements. Both seem
to require a certain degree of faith
or trust. But one seems
to point beyond merely the facts
of the case. If this really is
the way to get to the Empire State Building, then the issue is
settled. But presuming that this man's name really is Fred, the conversation
has just begun. Why? 9. Walking By Faith And Not By Sight: Faith As An Interpretive Lens On Our
Experience Text for Reflection: "Faith is the
substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." (Heb
11:1) Readings: Philip
Hallie, "The Hands of
Joshua James," In the Eye of
the Hurricane
Questions for Consideration: What underlying view of the world
(perhaps entirely unreflected upon) would have provided the foundation
for the kinds of choices made by Joshua James and his men? How
did that view of the world differ from that of Henry David Thoreau,
when he looked upon the same scene? Is one view of the world more
"rational," more factual,
than the other? Which of the two is closer to your view of the
world? Now think back to the existential question posed by the
contrast between the "ordinary men" of Reserve Police Batallion 101 and
the "ordinary men and women" from the village of Le Chambon. What
would make possible the kind of person you want to become?“Thoreau’s Walk on the Wild Side,” Philip Hallie, In the Eye of the Hurricane 10. The
Substance Of Things Hoped For: Faith As An Affirmation Of The
Meaningfulness Of Existence That Makes Love Possible Readings: “Belief
in the World of
Today,” Joseph
Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), Introduction to
Christianity Questions
for Consideration: According to Josef Pieper, we can’t festively
celebrate the birth of a child if we hold with Jean Paul Sartre’s
dictum that “It is absurd that we are born.” Thus, says Pieper,
"underlying all festive joy kindled by a specific circumstance there
has to be an absolutely universal affirmation extending to the world as
a whole, to the reality of things and the existence of man
himself." Do you agree or disagree? In a similar vein, if
you say "I love you" (and mean it), can that statement have any meaning
at all in a universe that is ultimately meaningless? Doesn't
saying "I love you" seem to presuppose a universe in which love is not
only possible, but ultimately meaningful? The first question is
not whether you believe in God, but whether you believe in love.
And whether or not you can believe in love depends upon whether you can
accept the possibility of its meaningfulness. To put it in
Ratzinger's terminology, what sort of "understanding" stands under and thus makes
possible saying "I love you" (especially in a world so full of what
seems like meaningless suffering and death)? 11. Faith and Hope: Faithfully
Awaiting the Working Out of God's Providence in History Text for Reflection: "But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an
answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in
you." (1 Pt 3:15) Reading: Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 1-31 Question for
Consideration: Is there a difference between: (A) renunciation of
history and one's responsibility for history, (B) the attempt to
control history, and (C) facing history with hope? If so, what?
Which is the three did the villagers of Le Chambon exhibit? Text for Reflection:
"And Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord counted it to
him as righteousness." (Gen 15:6)
Readings: CCC
142 - 175, Faith: Reading
Questions Outline: Discussion
of
Faith, Hope, and Love:
Questions for Consideration: Why
talk about the obedience of
faith? We've been saying sweet things about the relationship
between faith, hope, and love. Why muck things up with terms like
"obedience"? Are there actions that will "naturally" (or
necessarily) follow if one is in a relationship of love? Are
there other actions that are absolutely not in accord with love? Is
"love" merely a way one feels about
something or someone, or does it involve acting in certain ways? What
sort of answer to this question do we find in the story of the
villagers of Le Chambon?
13. Faith and Suffering: The Lessons of Job Texts for Reflection: "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken
away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)
Reading: Epictetus, Enchiridion
Questions for Consideration: What differences are there between
the approaches to suffering taken by (A) Epictetus, (B) Epicurus, and
(C) the Book of Job? Which of these is closest to your own
attitude toward suffering? Which is closest to what seems to have
been the attitude toward suffering that characterized the villagers of
Le Chambon? What challenges does the Book of Job present to
"moralistic therapeutic deism"?Epicurus, Principal Doctrines Prayer of Job (Job 19) The Book of Job Soren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, "That Despair is the Sickness Unto Death" 14. Faith and Reason: The Two Wings by Which the Mind Rises to God Text for Reflection: "Faith and reason are like the two wings by which the mind rises to God." (Fides et Ratio, preface) Reading: Pope John Paul II, Fides
et Ratio (selections)
Pope Benedict XVI, "The Regensburg Address" Questions for
Consideration: What are
the differences between faith and reason? Does reason require
faith?
Does faith require reason? Do you have faith in reason? Do
you think
faith is unreasonable? How do people usually think about the
relationship between faith
and reason? Have
the sort of considerations we've been engaged in over the last few
classes changed the way you think about faith and its relationship to
reason? (NB: I'm not asking whether you believe in anything new; only
whether your view of what faith is
has changed.)
15. Faith and the Creed: What Do I Believe In? Texts for Reflection: The Apostles
Creed; The Nicene Creed
Reading: CCC 185-196
C. S. Lewis on the Importance of Theology (from Mere Christianity) "The Creeds and their Role in the Church," John H. Leith, Creeds of the Churches The Nicene Creed (with commentary) Questions for
Consideration: Are there any potential benefits of having a
creed? Are there any potential drawbacks as well? If so,
what?
BELIEF IN ONE GOD, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH 16. "In
My Beginning Is My End": The Kind of World You Think You Live In
Will Set the Horizon of Possibilities Into Which You Live Dei Verbum,
ch. III: Divine Inspiration and the Interpretation of Sacred
Scripture Outline: An
Outline of Dei
Verbum, Chapter III Questions for Consideration: The suggestion has been made that "the kind of world you think you live in will determine the way you live your life." What view of the world do you hold? (Is the world meaningless? Is it a "dog-eat-dog world"? Is it "the best of all possible worlds"?) Does the view of the world you hold affect the way you live your life? (And note, this may be a "view toward the world" you've never explicitly considered. If you've never thought about your "view of the world," ask yourself what view of the world other people would assume you have listening to you day after day and watching what you do.) In a related vein, do you think other people's views of the world affects the way they live their lives? 17.
Creation
and
Modern
Cosmology: Is Faith In A Creator Still Possible? Text
for
Reflection:
"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher,
vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his
labour which he taketh under the sun?" (Eccl 1:2-3) Reading: “Science
Finds God,” Newsweek Outline: Has Modern Science Demonstrated That Belief in a Creator is Fundamentally Irrational? Questions
for Consideration: Has modern science demonstrated that belief in
a Creator is inherently irrational? If you answer "no," is that
merely because you think that "faith" and "reason" have nothing to do
with one another, primarily because "faith" doesn't really deal with
"the real world"? If you answer "yes," is that because you are
(A) convinced that modern science has demonstrated
there is no Creator, or (B) because you think that a certain sort of
reading of the creation story in Genesis 1 is clearly silly, or (C)
because you have faith in what you take to be the "consensus view"
among educated people. If you answer "yes," modern science has demonstrated that there is no
Creator, do you still hold to the conviction that the universe is meaningful. If so, on what
basis? From whence comes the meaning in the universe? Is
meaning something we, as human beings, make? Or is it something we discover? Is there such a
thing as a meaning, a dignity, or worth which is inherent in a thing (such as
another human being, an old-growth forest, or an endangered species)? 18. Thomas Aquinas on Creation
and Change: Is Faith In A God Who Acts In History Still Possible? Text for Reflection: "For from the creation of the world the invisible things of him are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." (Rom 1:20) Reading:
Questions for
Consideration:
What difference is there between what Thomas Aquinas means when he is
talking about "creation" and what most modern scientists mean when they
talk about "creation"?
19. Divine
and
Natural Causality: Grace Does Not Violate Nature, But Perfects It Text for Reflection: "Grace does not
destroy nature, but perfects it." (Thomas Aquinas) Reading: William
Carroll, “Aquinas on
Creation and the Metaphysical Foundations of Science” Outline: Thomas Aquinas on Divine and Natural Causality Questions
for Consideration: What relationship does Thomas Aquinas believe
there is between natural causes in the universe and God's divine
causality? Does Thomas, for example, see God as just another
"being" in the cosmos, and thus as just another "cause"? Or is
his view somewhat different? What does Thomas mean when he says
"Grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it"? What sort of
relationship does such a view imply there is between grace and free
will? What difference would holding such a view make to a mother
or father who had, let us say, a sick child? Would such parents
think or act differently from parents who believed that divine and
natural causality were necessarily exclusive? How about for an
umemployed person who was trying to get a job? 20. Distinguishing Evolution: Must There
Be An Either/Or Between Nature and God? Text for Reflection: Gen 1.24-2.9
Reading: Pope John
Paul II, “The
Unraveling of Scientific
Materialism,” Phillip E. Johnson
Also, choose one of the following that
interests you to report on in your group: Joseph
Ratzinger, In the Beginning,
41-58 Questions
for
Consideration:
What
would a person who held the view of
divine and natural causality set forth by Thomas Aquinas say about the
contemporary debate over evolution? So, for example, Genesis 2
suggests that man was formed from the "dust of the earth" and given
life by "God's breath." Isn't this at odds with what modern
evolution tells us? Is there any truth in what Genesis 2
says? Are the two (modern evolution and the biblical vision
presented in Genesis 2) necessarily opposed? 21. "Man Is The
Priest of All Creation": The Sacramental Character Of
The World And Its Orientation Toward Worship Text for Reflection: "So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation." (Gen 2:3) Reading: Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI),
The Spirit of the Liturgy
(selection)
Questions for Consideration: What did Pope John Paul II mean when
he called man "the priest of all creation"? What does it mean
when Catholics describe the world as fundamentally "incarnational" or
"sacramental'? What does Pope Benedict mean when he says the
world is properly oriented toward worship?
Alexander Schmemann,
22. Distinguishing the Way Of Light And The Way of Darkness: On The Twofold Relationship of Creation To Its Creator Text for Reflection: "For
from the creation of the world the invisible things of him are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead." (Rom 1:20); "For we walk by faith and not by
sight." (2 Cor 5) Reading: “Theology of Light and Theology of Darkness,”
Thomas Merton, Ascent
to
Truth Questions for
Consideration:
What is the approach to creation that Thomas Merton describes as "the
way of light"? What is the approach he describes as "the way of
darkness"? Why is it important for Christian faith that
Christians understand both "the way of light" and "the way of darkness"?
What is the way of talking about God that Thomas Aquinas describes as
"the way of analogy"? Why is it important that Christians
understand their talk about God is always "by way of analogy"?
TO
BE
OR
NOT
TO
BE:
EVIL,
SIN, AND DEATH
23. To Be Or Not To Be: On The Metaphysical Possibility Of Evil
Reading: CCC, 279-324
(on evil and creation) Questions
for Consideration: Many contemporary people think that modern
science presents the most potent challenge to Christian faith.
Above, I've suggested reasons why I think this is something of a "red
herring." The more fundamental challenge to Christian faith is
the classic one: namely, the problem of evil. How could an
all-good, omnipotent, and (supposedly) loving God create a world with
evil, such as the evil we see around us every day? What sort of
insight does St. Augustine's have on this problem? What sort of
insight does C. S. Lewis have? What does the universal Catechism
of the Catholic Church have to say about the problem of evil? Is
it important to have faced up honestly to the question of evil if one
is going to give an honest and credible answer to someone like
Job?
Reading: Joseph
Ratzinger, In the Beginning,
59-74 Also, choose one of the following that
interests you to report on in your group: George
Weigel, "A Better Concept of Freedom" Questions for Consideration: What does
the story of the Fall have to tell us about the nature of man and the
nature of sin? In particular, what does it teach about the nature
of true human freedom? On this view, what is the role of the
moral law? 25.
What
Does
Adam's Choice Teach Us? Revealing
The
Threefold Alienation Of Sin Reading: The Fall (Gen 3) Fr. Roch Kereszty,
O. Cist.,
“Sin as a Threefold Alienation”
Questions for Consideration: In what ways does sin alienate us and how? What are some of the consequences of sin? How many of these consequences are seen? How many are unseen (or often go largely unnoticed)? 26. Born
Into A Fallen World: On The Effects Of Original Sin Text
for Reflection: "Therefore do not let sin reign in your
mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." (Rom 6:12) Reading: Nathaniel
Hawthorne, The Bosom Serpent Questions for Consideration: Is sin
something we do or something we suffer from? What does it mean to
suffer the consequences of "original sin"? 27. "Be Not Conformed To This World":
On The Difference Between Choosing Non-Existence And Respecting The
Dignity Of The Human Person Text for Reflection: "And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rom 12:2) Reading: Craig
M. Gay, The Way of
the (Modern) World
Gaudium et Spes, ch. 1, "The Dignity of the Human Person," nos. 12-32 “Everything that Is, Is Holy,” Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
Questions for Consideration: What does
Paul mean when he says: "Be not conformed to this world"?
Is this statement contradictory to the affirmation in Genesis 1 where
God calls the whole world "good, very good"? If the world is
"good," why shouldn't we be "conformed" to it? Or is the world
evil? What existential position do human beings find themselves
in, according to the Christian faith? What fundamental choice
must they make, and make daily? 28. Has God Forsaken Us? On God and
the Permission of Evil Text for Reflection: "My God, my God; why have you forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34) Reading: Fydor Dostoevsky, "The
Grand Inquisitor" Questions for Consideration: What
answer do Christians give to the question of why there is evil in the
world? Does "moralistic therapeutic deism" provide a sufficient
answer to the problem of evil? REFLECTIONS ON THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF THE
APOSTLE'S CREED Text for Reflection: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Mt 29:19) Reading: C.
S. Lewis, Mere
Christianity, Bk. III, chs. 1-4 Additional
Material: The
Creed: The Apostle's Creed and the Nicene
Creed
Scripture: Trinity in the New Testament (Mt 28, Rom 8, Gal 4) The Mass: Eucharist Prayer III Overhead: Some Basic Trinitarian Thought Questions for Consideration: What does
it mean for Christians to say that they believe in "one God," who is
three Persons: "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"? Why is it
important to them? Why is holding this view of God different from
holding other, non-Trinitarian
views
of
God? 30. Belief
in
One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, Begotten Not Made, One
in Being with the Father, Who Became Man: Incarnation as the
Marriage of Divinity and Humanity Texts for Reflection: The
Beginnings of
Each of the Four Gospels:
Matthew
1 Reading: C.
S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Bk. III, chs. 5-11
“What Think Ye of Christ?” Gerald Vann, Awake in Heaven Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes), 22 and 24 Outline: Some Basic
Christology Questions for Consideration: Why did
Christians in the early Church insist that Jesus was both "truly God" and "truly man"? One not one
or the other? What significance does this view of who Jesus is
have on one's view of what He accomplished by means of His life, death,
and resurrection?
31. Who For Our Sake And Our Salvation Came Down From Heaven And Was Crucified Under Pontius Pilate: What Did Christ Accomplish? Text for Reflection:
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ..." (Jn
3:16)
Reading: "The
Soteriology of the Fathers," Fr. Roch Kereszty, Jesus Christ: The Fundamentals of
Christology
Outline:
Some Thoughts Concerning
Christian Soteriology
Reading and Review Questions on Soteriology Questions for Consideration: If a man came up to you and asked, "Okay, so a certain guy named Jesus died 2000 years ago; what does that have to do with me?" what would you say? 32. Who Was Crucified, Died, and Was Buried: The Challenge of Death and the Meaning of Life Text for Reflection:
"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of
those who are asleep." (1 Cor 15:20). "Are you unaware that we who were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were
indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too
might live in newness of life. (Rm 6)
Reading: Annie
Dillard,
"The
Wreck
of Time"
John Searle, "I Married a Computer," book review of The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil Leon Kass, "Mortality and Morality" The Eternal Pity: Reflections on Dying, Richard John Neuhaus, "Introduction" Questions for Consideration: Do you
want to live forever? Do you want to die? Is there
a third possibility? If so, what?
33. Who On The Third Day, Rose Again: Belief In The Communion of Saints, The Forgiveness Of Sins, Resurrection Of The Body, And Life Everlasting
Outline: St. Paul and the Resurrection Outline: The Good
News of the Resurrection Questions
for
Consideration:
What
do
the
resurrection
appearances
of
Christ
reveal
to us about the
kind of eternal life for those in the general resurrection? How
is this view different from other views of the "afterlife"? What,
on this view, is the nature of what we sometimes call "heaven"? Text for Reflection: "I must
preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also,
because that is why I was sent." (Luke 4:43)
Re-Reading: “Remembering the Rescuers,”
Patrick Henry, First
Things
“Magda and the Great Virtues,” Philip Hallie, In the Eye of the Hurricane Reading: Josef Pieper,
“The
Christian
Virtues” Overhead:
The Cardinal Virtues Questions for Consideration: Jesus talked a lot about "establishing the Kingdom of God"? What does it mean for Christians to live in "the Kingdom of God"? Is living in "the Kingdom of God" the same as reaching "heaven"? If not, is "the Kingdom of God" something that can be fully realized in this world? If not, is it still possible to live in "the Kingdom of God" in this world? What is the relationship between participating in the life of the Trinity and living in "the Kingdom of God"? What is the relationship between living in "the Kingdom of God" and developing the cardinal and theological virtues? What is the difference between this view of human flourishing and fulfillment and (A) the view held by most secular humanists, and (B) the view on offer by "moralistic therapeutic deism"? 35. Whose Kingdom Will Have No End: Life In The SpiritTexts for Reflection:
"Looking at his disciples, he said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for
yours is the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 6:20) "Through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and
death."
(Rom 8:2)
Reading: Questions for Consideration: For
Christians, is salvation something we "earn"? Do we get into
heaven by doing good works? If not, why do good works at all?
What
is
the
relationship
between
the
two
fundamental
commandments to
"love God" and "love your neighbor as yourself" and the moral life to
which Christians are called? To what sort of moral life are
Christians called? And what is the relationship between the
Christian view of God as Triune, their view of what Christ
accomplishes, and the moral life to which Christians are called?
How is it possible, for example, for someone to seriously claim
"Blessed are the poor" or "Blessed are the persecuted"? Such a
view seems, one hardly needs say, completely contrary to our own notion
of "happiness." What, moreover, is authentic "freedom" on this
view? Please be able to write an essay connecting the following
key concepts: human happiness, human freedom, the dictum "Know
Thyself," being made in the image of God, the Incarnation, human
nature, the natural law, life in the Spirit.
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