Pastoral Ethics

This course provides vital resources for the Christian moral life. We begin by posing the question of whether “Christian ethics” is even possible, given the scriptural account of the Fall as the pursuit of “the knowledge of good and evil.” Alongside lecture content on the various ethical aspects of community leadership, we will consider how the life of Christ—his conception, birth, suffering, death, and burial—can guide us in moral reasoning about contested ethical questions surrounding the beginnings and endings of human life. Our focus on “everyday ethics” is intended to support those preparing for pastoral ministry, as well as lay Christian leaders, in moral reasoning about the rites and passages that constitute their service to church and world.

On Campus and Online: This course is being offered on campus and online in Winter 2023. Students may apply to take this course online when registering for the course through REGIS. In order to support students who are unable to attend the regular online class sessions, recordings will be made available on the course Moodle page for 48 hours following each class. In some cases, attendance at other sessions may be required.