Unit rationale, description and aim

Understanding the theological and ethical underpinnings of Catholic perspectives on human sexuality, intimacy, relationships and sexual ethics is valuable forto anyone who seeks to integrate such perspectives in their work in a variety of fields, in future research into such topics, and in their own lives. Thise unit explores such issues by considering them in relation to our understandings of God, the human person, and human society, as well as to various approaches to moral reasoning. Thise unit is necessary for anyone seeking such knowledge as part of their course learning outcomes. This unit addresses a variety of contemporary issues related to Catholic perspectives on sexual ethics.  

2025 10

Campus offering

Find out more about study modes.

Unit offerings may be subject to minimum enrolment numbers.

Please select your preferred campus.

  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2AA
  • Term Mode
  • Professional Term 4Multi-mode

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

THCP614 - Catholic Sexual Ethics

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.

Reflect on the relationship between conceptions of...

Learning Outcome 01

Reflect on the relationship between conceptions of God, human beings, and human society and Catholic thought relating to sexual ethics and intimacy

Integrate faith-based claims, and reasoned argumen...

Learning Outcome 02

Integrate faith-based claims, and reasoned argument into analysis, critique, and reasoning about sexual ethics

Create plausible solutions to the challenges of co...

Learning Outcome 03

Create plausible solutions to the challenges of communicating meaningfully and effectively about issues of sexual ethics in contemporary society

Content

Topics will include:

  • Faith and reason as characteristic of a Catholic perspective
  • The human person as the image of God
  • The equality of male and female
  • Relationships and human flourishing
  • Love and marriage
  • Natural law
  • Sin and Sins against chastity
  • Formation of Conscience and modes of moral reasoning
  • Contemporary issues concerning sexual morality

Assessment strategy and rationale

Campus Attendance Mode

The oral presentation enables peer review and comment, which supports the development of critical and reflective thinking, especially for sponsored cohorts of peers. This is then integrated into a written task requiring the creation of solutions which will have practical relevance in current or future employment. The written task provides the students with an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of terminology and reasoning specific to the topics covered by the unit.

 Multi-mode

The oral or written presentation enables peer review and comment either in a webinar or via forums in Canvas, which supports the development of critical and reflective thinking. This is then integrated into a written task requiring the creation of solutions which will have practical relevance in current or future employment. The written task provides the students with an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of terminology and reasoning specific to the topics covered by the unit.

Overview of assessments

Attendance Mode

Oral or Written Presentation: Requires students t...

Oral or Written Presentation: Requires students to demonstrate their ability to think critically and reflectively

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO1

Written presentation: Requires students to demons...

Written presentation: Requires students to demonstrate their ability to integrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession in the development of informed ethical decisions.

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3

Multi-Mode

Oral or Written Presentation: Requires students t...

Oral or Written Presentation: Requires students to demonstrate their ability to think critically and reflectively

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO1

Written presentations: Require students to demons...

Written presentations: Require students to demonstrate their ability to integrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession in the development of informed ethical decisions.

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit will be taught in Attendance or Multi-mode.

Attendance Mode strategy and rationale

The attendance mode will be selected when this is required by the needs of stakeholders who are funding cohorts of students to undertake the unit to meet stakeholder requirements. This will typically be as an intensives. The students in this model, coming from the same stakeholder(s), benefit from direct interaction with their peers, many of whom share similar positions working for the stakeholder. This ensures a common understanding of the learning outcomes and their attainment, which is of benefit to the students and their stakeholders funding them, because they take this shared understanding into the workplace.

Multi-mode strategy and rationale

The multi-mode mode will be used when the attendance mode cannot be run due to insufficient numbers on a single campus, or at the request of a stakeholder funding funded cohort.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Benedict XVI, Pope. (2005). Deus Caritas Est - Encyclical Letter. Vatican. Retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est.html

Finnis, John. "Personal integrity, sexual morality and responsible parenthood." Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader (2014): 171-92.

Francis, Pope. (2016). Amoris Laetitia – Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. Retrieved from https://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf

John Paul II, Pope. “Theology of the Body.” The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 3, no. 2 (2003):165-176

Knieps-Port Le Roi, Thomas, and Roger Burggraeve. “New Wine into New Wineskins: Amoris Laetitia and the Church's Teaching on Marriage and Family.” Louvain Studies 39, no. 3 (2015-2016): 284-302.

Paul VI, Pope. (1968). Humanae Vitae – Encyclical Letter. Retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html

Rubio, Julie Hanlon. "Family Ethics: Beyond Sex and Controversy." Theological Studies 74, no. 1 (2013): 138-161.

Salzman, Todd A., and Michael G. Lawler. Sexual ethics: A theological introduction. Georgetown University Press, 2012.

Selling, Joseph A. "Regulating Fertility and Clarifying Moral Language." The Heythrop Journal 55, no. 6 (2014): 1033-1043.

Sherlock, Richard. "The Beauty of Marital Love in the Thought of Saint John Paul II." Quaestiones Disputatae 6, no. 2 (2016): 120-131.

Locations
Credit points
Year

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs