This
course will focus on the current international debate on the
dynamics and effects of globalization.
It will also focus on recent work in the area of global
ethics represented by Hans Jung, Jurgen Moltmann, Sallie McFague
and Peter Singer. The
course is intended to enable students to think through some of
these important moral issues and to help religious leaders think
about encouraging their religious communities to become informed
and involved in the debate.
September 16
Why Ethics?
How
do we “do” ethics and why?
What
is the relationship between theology and
Why
“global” ethics?
This
day will be devoted first to a crash course on how and why we do
ethics, and then it will begin an exploration of the reasons why we
should do ethics that are global in scope.
Reading
Class handout: Hadsell,
“For the Sake of the Neighbor, For the Sake of the World.”
McFague, Life Abundant, Part 11
Kung, A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics,
Part B
October
7
Issues in Globalization
This
day will be centered on the environmental, economic and political
issues that are global in scope that prompt much of the concern for
a global ethic and the activism such as that seen in Seattle at the
WTO meetings several years ago.
Reading
McFague (see above)
Kung (see above)
October
28 and
The Building Blocks for a Global Ethic
November
18
How
do we go about thinking about a global ethic?
What would it look like?
Who would participate in its design?
What are the special challenges such an ethic represents?
What is the nature of the inter-religious challenge in this
respect?
Reading
Walzer, Thick and Thin
Kung, Part A, Sections 3, 4, 5
Class handouts on the Earth Charter and on Ecumenical Ethics
Singer, One World
December
9 Global Ethics in the Local Parish
Here we will want to think carefully about bringing global
issues and ethic to the local level.
How does one help local religious communities see and
understand the global issues in their own midst?
What pedagogical and Biblical resources are available?
Where does one begin?
Reading
McFague, Part 1 and Part 3
Moltmann, God for a Secular Society
Global Responsibility - Hans Kung (1991)
Life Abundant – Sallie McFague (2001)
One World - Peter Singer (2003)
Thick and Thin - Michael Walzer (1994)
God for a Secular Society - Jurgen Moltmann
The Lexus and the Olive Tree - Thomas Friedman
(Recommended)
God and Globalization, Vols. 1,2,3 - Max Stackhouse
et. al. (2000, 2001, 2003)
(Recommended)
Course
Bibliography
-
A
Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics - Hans Kung
(1998)
-
Life
Abundant – Sallie McFague (2001)
-
One
World - Peter Singer (2003)
-
Thick
and Thin - Michael Walzer (1994)
-
God
for a Secular Society - Jurgen Moltmann
-
The
Lexus and the Olive Tree - Thomas Friedman (Recommended)
-
God
and Globalization, Vols. 1,2,3 - Max Stackhouse et. al.
(2000, 2001, 2003) (Recommended)
Heidi
Hadsell