An examination of public theology’s contribution to social justice, through case studies of contemporary public issues, such as poverty, family violence, human trafficking, and environmental stewardship.
Why does social justice matter for Christian faith? What does public theology have
to contribute on social issues, and how should it address public debates?
This
paper develops a critical and constructive public theology approach to a variety of
contemporary social justice issues, with attention to the local, national and global
context in which they arise.
| Paper title | Public Theology and Social Justice (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| Paper code | CHTH420 |
| Subject | Christian Thought and History |
| EFTS | 0.1667 |
| Points | 20 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2019 |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,120.06 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $4,439.89 |
- Restriction
- CHTH 320
- Limited to
- BA(Hons), PGDipArts, PGCertChap, PGDipChap, MChap,, PGDipFBLM, MFBLM, BTheol(Hons), PGDipTheol, MTheol, PGDipMin, MMin
- Eligibility
- Any student can study Theology, whether they are of the Christian faith, another faith or of no religious faith at all. Theology is an examination of the scriptures, history, content and relevance of the Christian faith, but it presupposes or requires no Christian commitment from students. All it requires is an inquiring mind and an interest in those skills that can be gained through the study of any subject in the Humanities.
- Contact
- derek.woodard-lehman@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Department of Theology and Religion's websites: www.otago.ac.nz/theology or www.otago.ac.nz/religion
- Teaching staff
- Dr Derek Woodard-Lehman
- Paper Structure
- Assessment:
- Two essays (2,500 words) - 30% each
- One essay (4,000 words) - 40%
- Teaching Arrangements
- Campus: There will be one 2-hour videoconferenced lecture each week.
Distance: There will be one teaching day and one 1-hour videoconference specifically for distance students. Distance students are also invited to join weekly videoconferences. However, recordings will be available on Blackboard for students who cannot attend live. - Textbooks
- No textbook required. A course book has been developed for this paper, and other resources will be provided electronically.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Ethics, Research,
Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Students who successfully complete the paper at 400-level will be able to
- Display knowledge for understanding a selection of contemporary social justice issues
- Explore the principles and process of an effective and academically robust approach to public theology
- Construct evidence-based arguments to apply a creative public theology approach to selected social justice issues
- Demonstrate an informed and critical understanding of academic literature for both social analysis and theological reflection on social justice themes
- Interpret contemporary social issues in the light of relevant biblical material and vice-versa
- Research and present an investigation on a social justice issue as an in-depth case study in public theology
