| CODE | MRT5851 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Social Ministry in a Broken and Vulnerable World | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Moral Theology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will focus specifically on social ministry in the context of human rights and suffering. This means that this study-unit will not include material directly related to pastoral ministry with minority groups, although links will be made evident. Pastoral ministry with minority groups falls under other study units. This study-unit takes an analytic and practical approach to responding to suffering in the world through social ministry and by taking inspiration from the corporal works of mercy. Unless social ministry is organised, practised, and supported within a robust philosophical framework, it risks becoming short-lived, parrochial, and welfarist in the narrowest sense of the word. Grounding social ministry in a human rights perspective equips the pastoral worker with the tools necessary to do social ministry beyond the church walls in a changing social environment, and in a way that is both effective and meaningful. The study-unit begins with an overview of the philosophical basis of human rights (namely natural law) and their Christian underpinnings, and vulnerability and suffering as essential constituents of the human condition. This will be followed by a discussion on the influences of human rights on the tradition of Catholic social teaching over the past 50 years and on the social ministry of the Church at large. The next part of the study-unit involves dealing with specific issues where human rights are violated and that demand attention from the social ministry of the Church, in collaboration with secular organisations that work towards the same aim. These issues include, for example, residents of correctional facilities, precarious work and the rights of workers, rights in the housing system, the Bill on Equality, usury, substance abuse, those at risk of poverty and food insecurity, and mental health issues. The final part of the course offers a practical dimension by reflecting on various communities and parishes that receive their inspiration from human rights for their pastoral work and social ministry. The study-unit seeks to make those involved in social ministry as agents of change in a world where the rights of many people are still being trampled upon. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: - provide students with a philosophical framework within which social ministry ought to be practised; - support social ministry with insights from Catholic social teaching based on human rights; - broaden the discussion on social ministry of the church to include more contemporary pressing issues such as the rights of residents of correctional facilities, precarious work and the rights of workers, food insecurity, and others; - help students search for good standards of practice in other parishes locally and abroad; - offer insights from good standards of practice from communities that successfully conduct their social ministry within a human rights framework; - create a community of learners who can learn from each other through a blended approach. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - develop a framework for addressing various kinds of suffering through social ministry programmes; - appraise the philosophical underpinnings of social ministry within a human rights framework; - understand vulnerability as an essential element of the human condition; - review the influence of human rights on the development of Catholic social teaching; - argue for the implementation of social ministry animated by a human rights perspective. - create a community of active learners; - facilitate collaborative learning in a scaffolded approach. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - engage in philosophical and theological discussions on the various realities of suffering; - evaluate the social ministry methodologies with populations whose human rights are being violated; - value the importance of liaising and coordinating with other religious and secular organisations aimed at safeguarding and promoting the rights of vulnerable populations; - envisage the implementation of social ministry programmes within communities inpired by a human rights framework; - actively search for good practices to emulate; - set up a personal blog to showcase one's ideas and work; - present a personal opinion in an online blog; - engage critically with other opinions. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - BOYLE, G. (2017). Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship. Simon & Schuster, New York. - FRANCIS, (2013). Evangelii Gaudium. - HIMES, K., & CAHILL, L. (2018). Modern Catholic Social Teaching : Commentaries and interpretations (2nd ed.). Georgetown U.P., Washington DC. - HOLLENBACH, D. (2012). The Common Good and Christian Ethics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. - IGNATIEFF, M. (1986). The Needs of Strangers. Penguin Books, London. - HOGAN, L. (2015). Keeping faith with human rights. Georgetown University Press, Washington, D. C. - PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. (2004). USCCB Publishing. SUupplementary Readings: - CASSELL, E. J. (2004). The nature of suffering and the goals of medicine. New York, Oxford University. - WILDES, K. W., ABEL, F., & HARVEY, J. C. (1992). Birth, suffering, and death: Catholic perspectives at the edges of life. Dordrecht ; Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers. - FIDDES, P. S. (2011). The creative suffering of God. Oxford, Clarendon Press. - SÖLLE, D. (1989). Suffering. Philadelphia, Fortress Press. - MOLTMANN, J. (2015). The crucified God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. - SIA, M. F., & SIA, S. (1994). From suffering to God: exploring our images of God in the light of suffering. Basingstoke, Macmillan. - LAMBRECHT, J., & COLLINS, R. F. (1990). God and human suffering. Louvain, Peeters Press. - DEPOORTERE, K. (1995). A different God: a christian view of suffering. Louvain, Peeters. - RANDALL, F., & DOWNIE, R. S. (2005). Palliative care ethics: a companion for all specialties. Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Ind Study & Ind Online Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Jurgen Abela Emmanuel Agius Glen Attard Tonio Borg Joseph Buttigieg Carlo Calleja Katrine Camilleri Benna Chase Anton D Amato Albert Debono Joe Galea Curmi Maria Victoria Gauci Sandra Scicluna Anna Maria Vella Raymond Zammit |
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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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