| CODE | MRT3020 | ||||||||
| TITLE | The Social Thought of the Church | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Moral Theology | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Though Catholic social teaching is usually taken to start with the publication of Rerum novarum in 1891, the Church's concern for social justice is rooted in the teaching of the biblical prophets, the prophetic action of Jesus Christ, the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and the countless witnesses to social justice throughout the ages. This study unit will therefore introduce the social thought of the Church and how this can shed light on contemporary social, economic, political, cultural and environmental matters and concerns as contemporary society struggles for social justice on a local and international level. Study-Unit Aims: This study unit aims to present students with the social thought of the Church and thus enable them to engage in contemporary debates about social justice issues. Students will thus be empowered with the tools, concepts, and ideas which have been fruitfully used throughout the ages to put in motion agendas for hope, change and justice. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - identify the major sources (documents) of Catholic social teaching, and be familiar with their development in their ecclesial and secular historical context; - identify the major principles and themes of social thought of the church and be able to articulate them clearly; - articulate how the Christian faith is intrinsically linked to a commitment for social justice; - describe how the social thought of the early church is related to social teaching today; - explain how social thought is related to the social mission of the Church at the parish, local and international level; - classify the texts related to social issues coming from the Early Church. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - analyze and reflect on the major social documents of the Church; - assess some of the strengths and weaknesses of Catholic social thought; - recognize, analyze, and understand the social reality, inequities, and injustices in contemporary society; - demonstrate an ability to appropriately apply Christian and theological social principles in concrete social analysis; - articulate clearly and faithfully the Christian Social Teaching and its practical application to specific issues and problems; - interpret the development of Christian thought on social issues from the early centuries to the contemporary era. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2004. - COLEMAN John, One Hundred Years of Catholic Social Thought: Celebration and Challenge, New York 1991. (BQT3416.O5) - O’BRIEN David J – SHANNON Thomas A, Catholic Social Teaching: The Documentary Heritage, New York 1992. Supplementary Readings: - Leemans, J.- Matz, B.J. - Verstraeten, J. (2011). Reading Patristic Texts on Social Ethics (Eds.). Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Carlo Calleja Jonathan Farrugia Raymond Zammit (Co-ord.) |
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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 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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