THCT506 - Theology and the Challenges and Opportunities for Women's Leadership

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

Despite developments and advances in recent decades women continue to be marginal(ised) in Church and society, especially in terms of leadership. This unit will engage the theological contexts and grounding for women's leadership in society and in the Churches, with a special attention to the Catholic Church. Students will be introduced to theology in general, particularly contemporary modes of theological method and hermeneutical reflection, as well as the challenges and opportunities for women in Church and society, especially in relation to leadership, in conversation with relevant Church documents and theologies or theological works that engage women's experiences and perspectives. This theological study is aimed at helping students to articulate a theology of women, particularly Christian or Catholic women, in Australia.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - demonstrate an understanding of contemporary modes of theological method and hermeneutical reflection. 

LO2 - analyse and reflect theologically on a particular challenge or opportunity for women’s leadership in the Church and the wider world.

LO3 - construct and creatively present a theology based on the experiences and perspectives of women in Australia.

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

Content

Topics will include:

• Definitions, types and tasks of theology
• Sources and methods of theology
• Classical and contemporary modes of theological method and hermeneutical reflection
• Contextual and liberationist theologies
• Definitions of leadership
• Challenges and opportunities for women’s leadership in Church and society
• Relevant Church documents on women, e.g. John Paul II’s Letter to Women and Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus
• Women and theology, women doing theology
• Theologies on women and theological works that engage the experiences and perspectives of women
• Women models and trailblazers for leadership in Church and society

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as Adobe Connect Classroom online sessions, residential lectures, and online learning, particularly through the Forum and learning materials in the LEO (Learning Environment Online) page for the unit. The remaining hours involve reading, research, and other preparatory tasks for assessment such as consultations with the lecturer-in-charge.

The unit is normally offered in attendance mode with online learning support. Students primarily learn through an exposure activity and residential sessions that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. Critical and reflective thinking as well as collaborative and peer learning are also emphasised. These strategies help ensure learning that is interactive and, at the same time, critically meaningful and relevant for the students.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, students are required to attempt all assessment tasks and achieve an overall grade of Pass (50% or higher).

The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome.

Task 1 requires students to work through an online module, which introduces theology, then do a brief Forum post comparing and contrasting classical and contemporary methods of doing theology. As a hurdle task, which needs a Pass or Fail mark, the task allows students a low risk piece of assessment to test their critical theological skills as well as academic writing techniques. As a foundational task, work for Task 1 will help the students with the basic content needed for the other two assessment tasks as well as provide evidence of achievement of Learning Outcome 1.

Task 2 requires students to write an essay on a contemporary challenge or opportunity for women’s leadership in Church and society that applies contemporary modes of theological method and hermeneutical reflection. The task requires research and critical thinking and writing skills that will help demonstrate achievement of Learning Outcome 2.

Task 3 requires students to construct a (contextual) Christian or Catholic theology of women in Australia and creatively present it using a recorded powerpoint presentation that will be uploaded on the LEO page for the unit. The task requires the development of a theology that is meaningful or relevant to Australian Christian or Catholic women and the use of creative media in a way that will help establish evidence of achievement of Learning Outcome 1 and 3.  

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Bevans, Stephen SVD. An Introduction to Theology in Global Perspective (New York: Orbis, 2009).

Catholic Women Speak Network. Catholic Women Speak (New York: Paulist Press, 2015).

Clifford, Anne, C.S.J., Introducing Feminist Theology (New York: Orbis, 2001).

Dugan, Kate and Jennifer Owens, eds. From the Pews in the Back: Young Women and Catholicism (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009).

John Paul II. Letter to Women. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1995/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_29061995_women.html

Johnson, Elizabeth, C.S.J., ed. The Strength of Her Witness: Jesus Christ in the Global Voices of Women (New York: Orbis, 2016).

Malone, Mary. Women and Christianity: The First Thousand Years Vol. 2 (Blackrock, Dublin: Columba Press, 2003)

Malone, Peter. Discovering an Australian Theology (Homebush, NSW: St Pauls, 1988).

Rankka, Kristine. Women and the Value of Suffering: An Aw(e)ful Rowing Toward God (Collegeville, MN: Michael Glazier, 1998).

Research Management Group, ed. Woman and Man: One in Christ Jesus: Report on the Participation of Women in the Catholic Church in Australia (Sydney, NSW: Harper Collins, 1999).