Catholic Social Teaching: Living Faith in Our Social Context

Fee: $60
Five Weeks

Check the course schedule for future offerings of this course.

Have you ever heard a breaking news story and wondered, “What has faith got to do with it?” Perhaps you have thought “That’s not right,” but then the moral aspect of the event fades into the background.  This course draws attention to key themes of Catholic Social Teaching, e.g., human dignity, human rights, common good.  It provides an opportunity to discuss issues such as a just wage and a just war.  Guided by 101 Questions and Answers on Catholic Social Teaching by Fr. Ken Himes, O.F.M., see how our call to live lives of faith in a social context is deeply rooted in the Catholic Tradition.

This course has a required text:  Kenneth R. Himes, O.F.M. 101 Questions & Answers on Catholic Social Teaching.  Second Edition. New York: Paulist Press, 2013.

Topics

• Introductory Week: Where does Catholic Social Teaching come from?
• Week 1: Foundations
• Week 2: Political and Economic Life
• Week 3: International Life
• Week 4: Special Concerns

Special Features

This course includes:

• Weekly introductions to each new topic;
• Short videos for each week featuring Fr. Ken Himes and Rev. Debbie Little;
• Transcripts of videos;
• Weekly questions for reflection and discussion; and
• A page of further resources about topics discussed in this course.

All Crossroads courses include these features:

• Participants have access 24 hours/7 days a week to the course's password-protected web site. 
• Each participant belongs to a small Community for Conversation and faith sharing guided by a facilitator.
• Course site is usually available to participants at least three months after the course ends.
• An orientation on how to navigate the web site is always available.
• Technical assistance is easy to contact and prompt in returning a message.
• A Certificate of Active Participation is awarded to those who post at least three messages of substance for each week of content.

Additional Materials Needed:

Course text:  Kenneth R. Himes, O.F.M. 101 Questions & Answers on Catholic Social Teaching.  Second Edition. New York: Paulist Press, 2013.

Time Commitment:

A participant can expect to spend approximately 4 hours each week.  This commitment includes both preparation and interaction online.

Certificate Requirement Categories:

The Moral Life

Content Scholar:  

Fr. Kenneth Himes, O.F.M. (text and video), professor of theology, Boston College Theology Department, and Rev. Dr. Debbie Little (video), founder and missioner of Ecclesia Ministries and Common Cathedral Boston.