The CatholicUniversity of America: University Honors Program HSTR 104

The Church in Dialogue with Contemporary Culture

Spring 2009/TuTh 9:35AM - 10:50AM

Professor Joseph E. Capizzi, Ph. D.

Email:

Office: Caldwell 400. Telephone: 319-6511

Office Hours by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is the fourth in a sequence of four courses that deal with the overall theme of “Tradition and Renewal in Contemporary Catholicism.” These four courses draw their inspiration from the four constitutions of the Second Vatican Council: The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum); The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium); The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium); and The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes).

HSTR 104 draws its inspiration from the last of these constitutions, Gaudium et Spes, and will use the constitution’s scheme for the structure of the course. Accordingly, this course examines the concept of

Keeping in mind the overall theme of this sequence (tradition and renewal), this course begins by looking at “tradition” generally – both in terms of its what and its how. Then we proceed to look at Gaudium et Spes thematically, placing its claims regarding “the Church in the Modern World” in more immediate contact with our situation. The purpose of this is to raise questions about the substantive claims of Catholic moral tradition in the context of contemporary challenges.

COURSE GOALS: The goals of this course are (1) to familiarize students with Gaudium et spes; (2) to enable students to articulate and defend moral claims made by the Church; and (3) to engage moral claims with cultural concerns as expressed in recent literature.

GOALS FOR LEARNING: At the conclusion of this course, students should (1) be familiar with the general outline of Catholic moral teaching in the recent past, and (2) be familiar with developments and issues in contemporary theology.

COURSE REQUIRMENTS, IMPORTANT DATES, CLASS POLICIES

  • Completion of all required readings.
  • Two essays: Each essay should be ten pages in length, double-spaced, 12 points roman.
  • The first essay is due on March 10th. The essay should develop the topic: “The Problem of Man in Contemporary Society.”
  • The second essay is due on April 30th. The essay should develop the topic, “The Political and Social Consequences of Education.” I encourage all students to meet with the professor before beginning their essays.
  • Regular and punctual class attendance. There are no unexcused absences. Unexcused absences are counted negatively toward the final grade. Every third unexcused absences lowers the grade one half grade, e.g. A to A-.
  • Please turn off all cell phones and text messaging devices before class and remain in the classroom for the entire class period.

GRADING

  • Midterm Examination: one third of the final grade.
  • Two Essays: one third of the final grade.
  • Final Examination: one third of the final grade.

The University grading system is available at

Reports of grades in courses are available at the end of each term on .

REQUIRED TEXTS

Vatican II: The Basic Sixteen Documents. Austin Flannery, O. P. General Editor. Costello Publishing Company, 1996.

What is the What? Dave Eggers

Fatelessness. Imre Kertesz

Children of Men. P. D. James

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee

Understanding Media. Marshall McLuhan

The Selfish Gene. Richard Dawkins

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic honesty is expected of all CUA students.

Gaudium et Spes Outline

  1. Preface(1-3)
  2. Introduction: The Situation of Men in the Modern World(4-10)
  3. Part 1: The Church and Man's Calling(11-45)
  4. The Dignity of the Human Person (12-22)
  5. The Community of Mankind (23-32)
  6. Man's Activity Throughout the World (33-39)
  7. The Role of the Church in the Modern World (40-45)
  8. Part 2: Some Problems of Special Urgency(46-93)
  9. Fostering the Nobility of Marriage and the Family (47-52)
  10. The Proper Development of Culture (53-62)
  11. The Circumstances of Culture in the World Today (54-56)
  12. Some Principles for the Proper Development of Culture (57-59)
  13. Some More Urgent Duties of Christians in Regard to Culture (60-62)
  14. Economic and Social Life (63-72)
  15. Economic Development (64 - 66)
  16. Certain Principles Governing Socio-Economic Life as a Whole (67-72)
  17. The Life of the Political Community (73-76)
  18. The Fostering of Peace and the Promotion of a Community of Nations (77-93)
  19. The Avoidance of War (79-82)
  20. Setting Up an International Community (83-93)

Class Schedule and Assigned Readings

Jan. 13Class Introduction: Gaudium et Spes in context

Part One: Man in the World

Jan 15Situation of Man in the World; GS 1-10

Jan 20Inauguration Day – No Classes

Part Two: The Church and Man’s Calling

Human Dignity

Jan 22What is Dignity?: GS 12-22; Eggers, begin

Jan 27Dignity: GS 12-22; Eggers, continue; essays to be distributed[1]

Jan 29No Class

Feb 3Dignity: GS 12-22; Eggers, finish

Human Community

Feb 5What Human Community?: Who’s In and Who’s Out? GS 23-32; Kertesz, begin

Feb 10What Human Community? Kertesz, continue; essay(s) on Vitoria, Las Casas, and the Indians

Feb 12Human Community, continued

Feb 17Man’s Activity in the World GS 33-39

Feb 19Man and Science. Benedict XVI Address to Members of the P.A.S., Monday, 6[2] November 2006; Children of Men, begin

Feb 24Man and Science. Hans Jonas, “Technology and Responsibility: Reflections…”[3]; Children of Men, finish

Feb 26A New Man? For and Against Evolutionary Psychology. Dawkins, et al

Mar 2-9 Spring Break

Part Three: Problems of Special Urgency

Mar 10Marriage: GS 47-52;Familiaris Consortio, Parts I-III

Mar 12Marriage: “Consideration Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons” CDF 2003[4]; “Married Love and the Gift of Life,” USCCB 2006[5]

Mar 17Marriage: Albee, entire

Mar 19Marriage & Family Discussion

Mar 24Family and Culture

Mar 26Education and Culture: McLuhan, total

Mar 30Education and Culture: essays - Lasch, et al

Apr 2Education and Culture

Apr 7No Class: Professor Conference

Apr 9No Class: Easter Recess

Apr 14Economics: US Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Economics, 1986

Apr 16Economics

Apr 21Politics: Rights and Political Society; Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

Apr 23Politics: Political Authority – Its justification and limits

Apr 28War

Apr 30Last Class: GS, review

[1] Ruth Macklin, “Dignity is a Useless Concept” BMJ 2003; R. M. Hare, “What is Wrong with Slavery,” et al

[2]

[3]Philosophical Essays: From Ancient Creed to Technological Man

[4]

[5] (follow the link)