Being Followers of Christ: Sacramental and Moral Life (CT9606C)

Content

This unit involves the content areas of Sacraments, Morality, and Justice. Within the framework of the unit, students are challenged to consider the meaning of sacramental and moral life within the Catholic Tradition and the implications for living as followers of Christ. The methodology will invite students into dialogue with the Catholic theological tradition to enable the development of knowledge and understanding in these content areas. Specifically, the unit explores the fundamental principles of sacramental theology in the context of particular sacraments understanding them as constitutive of Christian identity living in a pluralistic world. The unit explores the Christian understanding of the human person as fundamental to Christian moral life, moral conscience and its formation, the essential relationship of moral life to personal prayer and liturgical celebration, and provides an introduction to Catholic Social Teaching as a basis for exploring justice in the world.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

This Unit is part of the GCTRE. Prerequisite units are introductory units in Scripture and Theology.

Pedagogy

The pedagogical approaches in this unit include interactive-mode lectures, exploratory workshops, seminars on pre-prepared material, online resources and lecturer mentoring with individual students.

Indicative Bibliography

• Astorga, Christina A. Catholic Moral Theology and Social Ethics: A New Method. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2014.
• Catholic Sacraments. Edited by John F. Baldovin and David F. Turnbloom. New York: Paulist Press, 2015.
• Kammer, Fred, Doing Faithjustice: An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought and Action. 4th ed. Mahwah NJ, June 2023.
• Lamoureux, Patricia, and Paul J. Wadell. The Christian Moral Life: Faithful Discipleship for a Global Society. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2010.
• Leonard, Richard. Hatch Match & Dispatch: A Catholic Guide to the Sacraments. New York: Paulist Press, 2015.
• McKenna, Kevin E. A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching. 3rd ed. Notre Dame IN: Ave Maria Press, 2019.
• Noll, Ray R. Sacraments: A New Understanding for a New Generation. New London: Twenty-Third Publications, 1999.
• Ogbonnaya, Joseph. “The Prospect of Humanising Development Discourse in Africa Through Christian Anthropology.” HTS Teologiese Studies 72, no. 4 (2016).
• O'Neil, Kevin, and Peter Black. The Essential Moral Handbook: A Guide to Catholic Living. Rev. ed. Liguori: Liguori, 2006.
• Osborne, Kenan B. Sacramental Theology: A General Introduction. New York: Paulist Press, 1998.

Assessment