Moral Theology Course Outline

Course Outline for Religion IV: Moral Theology

(PAREF Woodrose School, SY 2013-2014)

I. Introduction: An overview of Moral Theology (to give a general idea of what the course is all about with emphasis on the right attitudes towards the subject matter. At the end of the Introduction, the students should be able to explain what Moral Theology is all about, enumerate the sources of Christian moral reflection, cite and differentiate other systems of morality, appreciate the beauty of Christian moral life and explain the right attitude towards the subject.)

         

          A. What is Moral Theology?

          B. What is Christian Morality?

C. Sources: Holy Scripture, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Documents from          the Church’s Magisterium like Veritatis Splendor, Redemptor Hominis, Evangelium Vitae, etc.

D. Other systems of morality: Consensus Morality, Cafeteria Morality, Chronological Snobbery, Psychological Rationalization, Legal Positivism, Situation Ethics, Fundamental Option

          E. The Right Attitudes towards Moral Theology

Reference: Chapters 1 and 2 of Our Moral Life in Christ

II. Lesson 1: God the Creator (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to explain why the correct belief in God and the right idea about creation and man are crucial in the uprightness of one's moral life. This lesson will include Creation Theology, Theological Anthropology and an introduction to the Theology of the Body)

          A. Genesis chapters 1 and 2

          B. Who is God?

          C. The Order of Creation

D. The Creation of Man: "Male and Female He created them."(Gen 1:6): Theology of the Body

          E. Being man and being woman: The Gender Ideology

Reference: Chapter 2 of Our Moral Life in Christ, Genesis chapters 1-2; Video: The God of Wonders; Communion and Stewardship.

III. Lesson 2: Man, Created in God's Image and Likeness (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to explain what it means to be a human person, differentiate freedom from license, distinguish between human acts and acts of man, enumerate the modifiers of the human acts, the sources of moral acts and comprehend what the human conscience is and what it is not.)

          A. The Human Person as God's Image and Likeness

          B. Human Rights

          C. Human Freedom

          D. Human Acts and its modifiers

          E. Human Conscience

Reference: Our Moral Life in Christ, chapters 3 and 4; Video: The 9^th Day or Sophie Scholl

IV. Lesson 3: God the Lawgiver (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to define what law is, enumerate the different kinds of law, demonstrate the existence of natural law, and explain what the New Law is. In this lesson, each one of the 10 commandments will be discussed.)

          A. The Eternal Law of God

          B. The Natural Law

          C. The Decalogue

          D. The New Law

Reference: Our Moral Life in Christ, chapters 5, 10-17

V. Lesson 4: Sin and Conversion (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to explain what sin is, enumerate the different kinds of sin, explain what occasions of sins are and discuss the means to apply to avoid sin).

          A. The Genesis Account on the Fall of Man

          B. The Reality of Sin and the Kinds of Sin

          C. Occasions of Sin and Temptations

          D. Guilt and Grace

Reference: Our Moral Life in Christ, chapter 7

VI. Lesson 5: Jesus Christ and the New Law (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to explain why Jesus Christ is central in one's moral life and what it means to be a Christian.)

          A. The Protoevangelium: Genesis 2

          B. Christ the Redeemer

          C. Following Christ

Reference: Our Moral Life in Christ Chapter 8, Catechism of the Catholic Church

VII: Lesson 6: The Moral Teachings of the New Testament (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to point out the moral prescriptions in the New Testament, explain each one of the 8 Beatitudes, and cite passages with moral teachings in the Pauline epistles.)

          A. St. Matthew Chapters 5,6,7: The Beatitudes

          B. The Moral Teachings of St. Paul

          C. Other Moral Teachings in the Catholic Epistles

Reference: New Testament

VIII: Lesson 7: The Christian Vocation to Holiness and Apostolate (At the end of the lesson, the students should be able explain the beginning, growth and development of Christian life and be inspired to aim for personal holiness and do apostolate.)

          A. The Beginning of Christian Life

          B. The Sacraments of the Church

          C. Prayer and Sacrifice

          D. Personal Holiness

          E. The Apostolic Mission of Christians

Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part IV

REFERENCE for the course:

          1. The Holy Bible

          2. Catechism of the Catholic Church

          3. Our Moral Life in Christ

          4. Veritatis Splendor

          5. The Sources of Christian Ethics by Servais Pinckaers, OP

Notes:

1. Each session will have 3 distinct parts: the first 10 minutes will be spent on Gospel reading and commentary, the next 10 minutes will be a group presentation on some points of Veritatis Splendor, the rest will be spent on the main subject with lectures and seatworks.

2. A quiz will be given after 3 chapters of the Gospel have been discussed, another quiz after 15 points of Veritatis splendor have been discussed, and long test covering the first half of the main subject.

3. The class will be brought to the chapel for the class confession every two weeks. The entire period is spent to enable the students go to confession, pray the rosary, etc. in the chapel.

4. Two long tests will be given per term.

5. Introduction, Lessons 1-2 and part of Lesson 3 will be covered during the 1^st term. Lessons 3-4 will be taken up in the Second Term; Lessons 5-7 in the third term.

Fr. Roque Reyes (teacher)