THCT613 - Foundations of Social Justice

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Teaching organisation

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, video-conferencing, or supervision. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.

Unit rationale, description and aim

A commitment to social justice is an essential characteristic of a life lived according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christianity holds that human reason, combined with insights drawn from scripture and human experience, can provide a valid interpretation of the social order, can animate that order with authentic values and can provide guidelines for action.

This unit introduces students to the Christian ethical tradition. It explores Christian reflection on social structures and patterns of moral behaviour as they are expressed in, as well as applied to, economic, social and political contexts. Students will be introduced to the foundational biblical texts relating to justice as well as Christian theologies and theological texts, particularly from the Catholic Church, that shed light on understanding and practising social justice in contemporary times. The biblical and theological principles that underpin Christian tradition on social justice will then be applied to a number of important social issues facing people in the rapidly changing context of the contemporary world.

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 understanding of the Christian foundations of social justice (GA5)

LO2 - apply the principles of Christian social ethics to particular contemporary social justice issues (GA3, GA4; GA5);

LO3 - critically analyse a contemporary social justice issue using Christian ethical perspectives (GA3; GA4); 

LO4 - construct and creatively present a contemporary Australian Christian theology of social justice (GA2; GA4; GA5; GA9).

Graduate attributes

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

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

Content

Topics will include:

Understanding social justice: definitions and types

The foundational biblical tradition relating to justice both in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible.

Theological methods for social justice: See-Judge-Act and Pastoral Circle

Examination of the major documents of the Christian Churches, particularly in the Catholic Church, in the modern era that deal specifically with social justice issues.

Identification and examination of the principles that underpin social thought and practice in Christianity, especially in the Catholic Church

Catholic Social Teaching and its four permanent principles: human dignity, common good, solidarity and subsidiarity

Study of salient contemporary theologies oriented toward social justice, e.g. liberation theology.

Application of Christian ethical principles to particular social justice issues experienced in a globalised contemporary world, e.g. globalisation and poverty.

“Everyday Christianity, Everyday justice”: Social justice in everyday life.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, video-conferencing, or supervision. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.

The unit is offered in either fully-online or intensive format. Students learn through formally structured and sequenced learning content and activities that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. These learning resources and activities enable the students to critically and reflectively engage essential theological knowledge and perspectives. These learning resources and activities are also meant to more effectively accompany the students in the various stages of the unit in order to help ensure a meaningful and fruitful learning experience. Learning and teaching in this unit, therefore, is designed to be participatory and critically-reflective.

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 students to demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome.

Task 1 asks students to critically analyse a contemporary social justice issue using Christian ethical principles to enable them to display achievement of learning outcome 1 and 2.  

Task 2 asks students to construct and do a creative presentation on a contemporary Australian Christian theology of social justice in order to enable them to display achievement of learning outcome 3.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Bailey, James. Rethinking Poverty: Income, Assets and the Catholic Social Justice Tradition (South Bend, IN: Notre Dame University Press, 2010).

D’Arcy May John, ed. Social justice and the Churches: challenges and responsibilities (Adelaide: ATF, 2014).

dela Torre, Miguel, ed. Introducing Liberative Theologies (New York: Orbis, 2015).

Evans, Bernard. Lazarus at the Table: Catholics and Social Justice (Collegeville, MN: Michael Galzier, 2006)

Forell, George and James Childs, eds. Christian Social Teachings: A Reader in Christian Social Ethics from the Bible to the Present. Second Edition. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2013).

Groody, Daniel. Globalization, Spirituality and Justice: Navigating a Path to Peace (New York: Orbis, 2015).

Hudock Barry. Faith Meets World: The Gift and Challenge of Catholic Social Teaching (Ligouri, MO: Ligouri Press, 2013).

Kammer, Fred, SJ. Doing Faithjustice: An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought. Revised edition. (New York: Paulist Press, 2013).

McCracken, Vic. Christian Faith and Social Justice: Five Views (New York: Bloomsbury, 2014).

Portier-Young, Anathea and Gregory Sterling, eds. Scripture and Social Justice: Catholic and Ecumenical Essays (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2018).

Sagovsky, Nicholas. Christian Tradition and the Practice of Justice (London: SPCK, 2008)