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Religious Studies 283 IN: Christian Ethics Credit Hours: 3
Class Hours and Location: Internet
Instructor: Martin C. Albl, Ph.D.
Office Hours:. M T W Th F 9:00-9:50 A.M.,
and by appointment. I am in the office most weekdays. Phone: 229-8540
(office); 225-8971
(home). Email: WebCT Course E
mail.
Course Description:
This course examines the process and principles of moral decision making as
an activity of Christian faith. The course will examine how moral decisions
reveal important aspects about who we are as human persons, and how they
reflect and reveal the foundational values in our lives and our
responsibilities to ourselves, others, and God (2008-2009 PC College
Catalog). Prerequisites: RS123 or RS233 or departmental
approval.
The course satisfies General Education Goal 8b,
"Understand the basic ethical values of Christianity, especially those
of the Roman Catholic tradition." The course is also required for the
Religious Studies minor and Religious Studies associate degree.
Course Objectives
1. Understand the Christian view of human nature and the
human relationship with God
2. Become familiar with the basic sources of Christian
moral tradition (scripture, church teaching, individual conscience, natural
law)
3. Discuss issues in applying scripture to specific moral
issues
4. Understand the rationale for Christian ethics in the
following basic areas :
Sexual ethics
Marriage and family
War and violence
Economic justice
Medical ethics
Environmental ethics
Required Texts
- Class handouts and
notes under WebCT Learning Module
- Mattison
III, William C. Introducing Moral Theology:
True Happiness and the Virtues. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press,
2008.
- Any translation of the
Bible. Use of a modern translation with notes is highly recommended
(e.g., The Catholic Study Bible; New Oxford Study Bible)
Methods of Evaluation and Grading Percentages
Class Participation............. 10%
Essays (3)...........................30%
Exams (4)...........................60%
Grading Scale
A: 93-100%
A-: 90-92%
B+: 88-89%
B: 83-87%
B-: 80-82%
C+: 78-79%
C: 73-77%
C-: 70-72%
D+: 68-69%
D: 63-67%
D-: 60-62%
F: below 60%
Class
Participation
Either a weekly chat room (one hour) OR postings to the discussion
board are required. Choose whichever option fits your schedule or
learning style. Students are not
required to participate in both.
Chat
Option
Chat room sessions will be held Thursdays at 7:00 P.M., beginning August
27. We will also schedule one more chat time, based on the students’
interest and availability.
Students
should come to each session prepared to discuss the readings for that week.
Discussions will be led by the instructor, and will last one hour. Students are graded on attendance and active
participation.
Discussion Board Option
- Students will
answer specific discussion questions.
- The discussion board
is informal, so don't worry about perfect spelling or grammar. Simply
post your honest thoughts and reactions.
- Postings for each week
should be a total of 300 words. Students may post their answers all at
once, or throughout the week. Students may post them independently,
or may respond to the comments of another class member.
- Postings must
be done during the week assigned. Thus, Week 01 postings should be done
anytime from Wednesday August 26 to Sunday, August 30 (midnight deadline). No
credit is given for late postings, unless prior arrangements have been
made, or in case of emergencies.
Exams
Exams will be taken online with a proctor. They will consist of multiple-choice,
fill-in-the-blank, and short essay questions. A detailed study guide
will be provided one week before the exam.
Exam Proctors
Exams will be taken with a proctor. Available proctors are:
| Campus |
Proctor |
| Aberdeen area students |
Kristie Morrison (PC Learning Center, 229-8581) |
| Fairmont area students |
Toni Schantz, 235-4658 |
| Eagle Butte area students |
Sr. Marilyn Dunn 964-4071
|
| Kilian students |
Rose Toering, Student Success Center, 221-3207 |
Other students should select a proctor, subject to the instructor's
approval. All proctors should meet one of the following requirements:
- An instructor or
counselor at an educational institution
- Clergy or pastor
at a church
- A librarian or other
person working in an educational area at a library
- A work supervisor
Personal friends or relatives should not serve as proctors. Approved
proctors must fill out a proctor agreement form (posted under the Learning
Module).
Extra Credit for Exams
- If a student wishes to
raise her or his grade on an exam, the student may write one paragraph (3-4
good sentences), explaining why the correct answer is correct. Students may need to
add additional related information to make sure they have 3-4 good
sentences. (The correct multiple choice answer does not count as one of
the sentences.)
- The student may not
simply copy from class notes or another source, but rather express
his or her understanding of the answer in his or her own words.
- When correcting an
essay question, students should simply correct the portion of the essay that
was incorrect.
- Corrections may be e
mailed to the instructor
- The score of the
corrected exam will be averaged with the score of the original exam.
- Exams corrections are
due within two weeks after receiving the graded exam. The last exam may not be corrected due to lack of time at the end of the
semester.
Essays
Three essays (500-750 words) are assigned on ethical topics. Detailed
instructions will be provided. All essays may be rewritten for a higher
grade if time permits.
Writing Assignment Policies
Plagiarism is unacceptable (see p. 37 of the 2008-2009 PC College Catalog).
Students must write in their own words and style. Simply changing around a
few words from a source is not acceptable, since this does not demonstrate
that a student has truly understood the materials.
Assignments turned in within a week after the due date
are reduced a half letter grade; work turned in after one week will be
reduced a full letter grade, work turned in after two weeks will be reduced
two letter grades. Extensions may be given for legitimate reasons if the
instructor is contacted before the due date, or as soon as possible in case
of emergency.
Students should send assignments as attachments through
the WebCT Mail, or submit a hard copy through
regular mail, postmarked by the due date. I will respond back to each
student, normally within 24 hours, after I receive an assignment
electronically. If I do not respond, students should assume that I have not
received the assignment, and contact me. WebCT
records the student's Mail, and keeps a record of when assignments were sent
in. Students must have written evidence indicating when assignments were
submitted; simply saying that an assignment was e mailed on time is not
acceptable evidence.
Writing
Guidelines
Essays are graded on the following criteria:
a. Quality of writing (organization, clarity, mechanics).
Use APA or MLA style for citing sources and bibliography. General
statements should be supported by specific examples and evidence.
b. Level of understanding. Explain the concepts in your
own words
c. When sources are used, the student shows a good understanding of the
sources, and expresses them in his or her own language.
ADA Accommodation
Statement
Presentation College is committed to ensuring equal
learning opportunities for all students, and provides students with
disabilities reasonable accommodations in accordance with the College’s
procedures. If you are a student
requiring accommodations or services, please contact the Office of Student
Disability Services located in the Career Learning Center at 1-800-437-6060,
Ext. #581.
Class Schedule
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Date
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Topics
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Readings and Due Dates
All assignments due by midnight of date due.
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Week 1
August 26-30
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Introduction to the Class
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Class notes
Mattison, chapter 1
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Week 2
August 31-Sept 6
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Basic Concepts in Ethics
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Class notes
Mattison chapter 2
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Week 3
Sept 7-13
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Basic Concepts in Ethics
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Class notes
Mattison chapter 3
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Week 4
Sept 14-20
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Stewardship
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Class Notes;
Mattison, chapter 4-5
Take Exam 01 by Sept 18
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Week 5
Sept 21-27
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Premarital Sex
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Class notes
Mattison, chapters 6
Essay 01 due Sept 25
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Week 6
Sept 28-Oct 4
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Marriage and Divorce
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Class notes
Mattison, chapters 9 and 17
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Week 7
Oct 5-11
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Abortion
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Class notes
Mattison chapter 10
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Week 8
Oct 12-18
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Homosexuality
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Class notes
Mattison chapter 11
Take Exam 02 by Oct 16
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Week 9
Oct 19-25
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War
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Class notes
Mattison, chapters 7-8
Essay 02 due by Oct 23
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Week 10
Oct 26-Nov 1
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Death Penalty
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Class notes
Mattison chapter 12
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Week 11
Nov 2-8
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Social Ethics
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Class notes
Mattison chapter 13
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Week 12
Nov 9-15
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Social Justice and Equal
Opportunity
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Class notes
Mattison, chapter 14
Take Exam 03 by Nov 13
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Week 13
Nov 16-22
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Business Ethics
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Class notes;
Mattison, chapter 15
Essay 03 due Nov 20
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Week 14
Nov 23-29
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Genetic planning; in vitro
fertilization
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Class notes;
Mattison, chapter 16
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Week 15
Nov 30-Dec. 6
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End-of-life issues
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Class notes;
Mattison, chapter 18
Take Exam 04 by Dec 4. All rewrites,
corrections, and assignments due
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Week 16
Dec 6-11 |
Review of class |
Class notes |
The instructor reserves the right to adjust the syllabus if necessary. Any changes
will of course be communicated to the students well in advance of any due
dates.
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