Action For a Fairer World (DT3016Y)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

Inspired by the social encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, this unit investigates the global crises in economics, social inequality and climate change, and responses from Christian social traditions. It explores debates about sustainability in the light of global warming, and what this will mean for economic development, particularly for the alleviation of hunger and poverty through the Sustainable Development Goals. It will explore the relationships between religious belief, economics and the environment, and the role of values in these debates.

Unit code: DT3016Y

Unit status: Archived (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Moral Theology

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

Describe key debates about sustainability and economic development
2.

Critically evaluate arguments around sustainability and social equity examined in the unit
3.

Demonstrate understanding of the moral principles involved in economic activity and the environment
4.

Discuss the moral dimensions of these issues and their consequences

5.

Outline the responsibilities of the churches in affirming values needed for equitable development and sustainability.
6.

Critically evaluate major moral aspects in current economic and environmental issues.

Unit sequence

DT1000Y or equivalent

Pedagogy

Lectures, class discussion, essay writing, use of internet resources

Indicative Bibliography

  • Cavanagh, John and Jerry Mander (eds.). Alternatives to Economic Globalization. San Francisco CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2004.
  • Clarke, Matthew (ed.). Handbook of Research on Development and Religion. Cheltenham UK: Edward Edgar, 2013.
  • Finn, Daniel K. (ed.) The True Wealth of Nations: Catholic Social Thought and Economic Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  • Forrester, Duncan B. Beliefs, Values and Policies: Conviction Politics in a Secular Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
  • Francis (Pope), Laudato Si: On the Care of Our Common Home, 2015, various editions.
  • Hollenbach, David SJ. The Global Face of Public Faith: Politics, Human Rights and Christian Ethics. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 2003.
  • Pabst, Adrian. The Crisis of Global Capitalism: Pope Benedict XVI’s Social Encyclical and the Future of Political Economy. Cambridge UK: James Clarke & Co., 2011.
  • Preston, Ronald H. Religion and the Ambiguities of Capitalism. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1993.
  • Sachs, Jeffrey. The Age of Sustainable Development. New York: Columbia University Press, 2015.
  • -------- Commonwealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet. Melbourne: Allen Lane, 2008.
  • --------- The Price of Civilization: Economics and Ethics after the Fall. London: The Bodley Head, 2011.
  • Sniegocki, John. Catholic Social Teaching and Economic Globalization: the Quest for Alternatives. Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 2009.
  • Stiglitz, Joseph E. Freefall: America, Free Markets and the Sinking of the World Economy. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2010.
  • ---------- Making Globalization Work: the next Steps to Global Justice. London: Allen Lane, 2006.
  • Todaro, Michael and Smith, Stephen. Economic Development. Harlow: Addison Wesley, 2015.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

3000-word essay

 3000 60.0
Essay

1500-word essay

1500 40.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 27 Sep, 2019

Unit record last updated: 2021-10-04 11:35:47 +1100