Theology 12: Theology of the Catholic Social Vision

Department of Theology, School of Humanities

Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Schools

John Lemuel L. Lenon SY 2019-2020

jlenon@ateneo.edu 2nd Semester

Theology Department
3/F Horacio de la Costa Hall, Ateneo de Manila
(632) 426-6001 loc. 5370 to 5372
theology.soh@ateneo.edu

Section T: (TTh) 12:30-2:00 CTC 305

Section U: (TTh) 2:00-3:30 F-113
Section V: (MWF) 9:00-10:00 BEL-307
Section W: (MWF) 11:00-12:00 B-307

Credit: 3 units
Prerequisites: Theology 11

A. Course Description

The Theology 12 course studies the ecclesial and communal dimensions of the
Christian faith with an emphasis on Catholic social teaching. It explores the question of
what it means to be a Christian and Church in today’s wounded and broken world. The
course provides students with the opportunity to enter into dialogue and direct personal
contact with individuals and communities living on the margins of Philippine society. In
the context of these encounters, students critically reflect upon the signs of the times and
their own lifestyles, employing other disciplines to analyze social realities. This analysis
is brought into dialogue with Scripture and the Christian tradition toward developing a
faith-inspired, interdisciplinary view of Philippine society and the planet. The faith vision
that emerges challenges students to live in solidarity with those on the margins through
a spirituality that is responsive to the situation and needs of our people and committed to
justice in collaboration with all peoples of good will.

B. Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course the students should be able to:

✓ Explain key themes associated with the social dimension of Christian faith;
✓ Analyze contemporary Philippine community-based, sectoral and/ or national
realities and correlate this analysis with the Christian faith; and
✓ Use the resources of the Christian faith to evaluate their lifestyles and formulate
courses of action for living in greater solidarity with the marginalized.
C. Course Outline

Timeline Topic Required Materials

Required Readings:
Himes, Michael. “Conversing about the Mystery”

Pasquale Giordano, SJ and Nancy Russell Catan. “Integral

Evangelization”

Manuel Tejido and Jaime Acevedo. “Ang Sirkulong Pastoral sa

Introduction: Pagtuturo ng Th 141 (The Pastoral Circle in Teaching and
1-2 weeks The Mystery of God & Studying Th 141)”
of the Human Person
Recommended Readings:
Johnson, Elizabeth. “The Humanity of Jesus”

CBCP. “A Renewed Integral Evangelization”

Film Viewing:
The Life of Pi
Required Readings:
Alejo, Albert. “Loob as Relational Interiority”

The Social Self: Gutierrez, Gustavo. “Liberation Theology”

Relationships & the
1 week
Human Person in Film Viewing:
Community The Lion King

Activity:
“Tayo na sa Talipapa”
Required Readings:
Sobrino, Jon. “Awakening from the Sleep of Inhumanity”

Carroll, John J. “Social Theory and Social Change in the

An Encounter With
Philippines”
2-3 weeks a Broken World:
Social Structures
De la Costa, Horacio. “The Filipino National Tradition”

Recommended Readings:
Bendaña, Hyacenth. “Questioning the Hill”
March MIDTERMS
Required Readings:
Gorospe, Vitaliano. “Creation”

Gorospe, Vitaliano. “Original Sin”

O’ Keefe, Mark, OSB. “Social Sin and Fundamental Option”

Working in the
Johnson, Elizabeth. “God and the Cross”
3-4 weeks Vineyard:
Theological Reflection
Mays, James Luther. “Justice: Perspectives from
the Prophetic Tradition”

Nolan, Albert. “The Poor and the Oppressed”

Notes on Church Social Teaching

 Recommended Readings:
Campbell, Cathy. “Hospitality - Invite Everyone You Find to
the Banquet”

Mynatty, Hormis. “Concept of Social Sin”

Johnson, Elizabeth. “Jesus Christ and Justice”

Special topics: Recommended Readings:
Gender & Sexuality, Johnson, Elizabeth. “Female Symbols for God”
1-2 weeks the Environment,
Philippine Healthcare **other readings to TBA**
System
Finals
Group Reports
Week
*Timeline subject to schedule changes

D. Required Materials

• Assigned Readings - Students will be given a link to the Google Drive on

which the teacher will upload e-copies of all the required and suggested materials
for the semester. Students are expected to procure these materials themselves
and to have read them in time for class discussions.

• Bible - Students are also asked to have either a hard or a soft copy of the Holy
Bible, New American Standard (NASB). They are required to bring them to class
all times and to bring them out whenever the teacher asks them to.

• Movies - For film viewing, a time and a place would be assigned within which
the class could watch the films together. Otherwise, if the movies are available
online for streaming, a link will be given to the class via the beadle and will have
to be watched by the students on their own time.

• Plenaries – The course will also require students to come in for at least one
plenary session, where a speaker will be invited to give a talk that will hopefully
give them an in-depth look at the current situation of certain sectors in the
country. Details of this activity will be discussed during the semester.

E. Course Requirements

• Quizzes (15%) - As a rule, quizzes given throughout the semester will be

unannounced. Students are expected to always come to class prepared for any
graded activity. Students are not allowed to raise questions regarding when the
next quiz will be.
 • Content: Quizzes can either be in the form of an essay or an objective-
type test. Students must be prepared to answer either or both types of
quizzes.

• Materials: Students are asked to prepare either a ½-lengthwise sheet of

pad paper (Size 2) or a ¼ sheet of pad paper (size 4). The teacher will
indicate which size of paper to use for the quiz on the day itself. Students
are only allowed to use black or blue ball pens for the quiz. Other writing
materials are prohibited.

• Grading: Essay quizzes are graded according to accuracy of the content

as well as the ability of the student to offer something new to the
discussion. The regurgitation of concepts will at best merit a B+ so a
student who aims to get an A must have the capacity to appropriately
extend our discussions to issues not discussed in class.

• Participation (5%) - Asking and answering questions during class will be part
of the participation grade. At the beginning of the semester, students will be
asked to submit an index card with their basic information. These cards will be
used to call students at random to answer questions during the discussions.
**Reflection papers will also be graded as part of this component.**

• Midterm Exams (20%) – Students will be asked to take midterm exams in

pairs. It will be in the form of an oral exam, where the students will be asked to
explain thesis statements sourced from the topics covered so far. Mechanics will
be further discussed during class. Grading system will be elaborated in a later
part of this syllabus.

• Immersion (Punla Program) – Students are strongly encouraged to go on

immersion as this activity will serve as the foundation for two of the major
components of the course. This activity will be done in collaboration with the
Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI). Students will be grouped into
6-7 students and will be sent to different locations the details of which will be
discussed later on in the semester. From this activity, the students will be asked
to fulfill the following requirements, which will make up the largest bulk of their
final grade. The components are as follows:

• Immersion Group Final Paper (20%) – Students will be asked to

write a 15-page paper regarding their immersion experience. The paper
will follow the contents of the Pastoral Cycle (to be discussed in class) and
will serve as a tool that will allow the students to integrate what they have
experienced while on immersion with what have been discussed in class.
**Format: A4 Paper, Times New Roman 12, 1.5 Spacing, default margins**

• Immersion Group Paper Presentation (20%) – The paper will be

presented in school during the last two weeks of the semester. A panel will
be present consisting of the Theology 12 Professor and the OSCI formator.
 The students will be given a maximum of 60 minutes to present and
another 30 minutes to answer questions from the panel. Members of the
community are also encouraged to join this activity. Details regarding this
activity will be discussed further.

• Recollection – Students are also strongly encouraged to attend

Recollection as part of the Punla Program. Details regarding this part of
the program will be discussed by the Office of Campus Ministry, who will
also be in charge of taking attendance for the activity.

Important: Students who for any reason whatsoever are unable to attend the regular off-
campus immersion will be asked to do an alternative activity, the details of which will be
explained as necessary by the teacher and the OSCI. Moreover, these students will also have
to submit an additional requirement in the form of a book report. This additional requirement
is a major requirement, the failure to submit which will mean that the student will incur an
INCOMPLETE (INC) in the final grade. Details regarding this additional requirement will be
discussed during the semester.

• Final Group Project (20%) - The final group project is a creative output that
aims to give the students the freedom to synthesize the course in any way that
they see best. It can be in the form of a paper, a video, a song or any output that
will allow the group to apply the Pastoral Cycle to any social situation that they
are greatly concerned with.

Important: Majority of the requirements in this course will be submitted in groups and as
such, peer evaluations can sometimes be necessary. But in the interest of time and giving all
students the benefit of the doubt, the teacher has decided to require peer evaluations only
when the need arises. Thus, instead of a mandatory peer evaluation form, students are
encouraged to come forward and to inform the teacher of any concerns they may have
regarding the performance of their groupmates. The matter will be dealt with accordingly.
F. Grading System

Numerical
Letter Mark Range Rating Description
Equivalent
Fulfillment of the requirements set for the
subject to a high degree of academic
3.76-
A 4 Excellent performance as shown by both an intelligent
4.00
grasp and superior critical appreciation of the
course content.
Given for those inevitable borderline cases
which, in the professor’s estimation, do not
3.50-
B+ 3.5 Very Good merit the higher grade and at the same time
3.75
definitely deserve better than the lower grade
or mark.
Fulfillment of the requirements set for the
subject to a degree above satisfactory
3.00-
B 3.0 Good performance as shown by both an intelligent
3.49
grasp and rudimentary critical appreciation
of the course content.
Given for those inevitable borderline cases
which, in the professor’s estimation, do not
2.50-
C+ 2.5 Satisfactory merit the higher grade and at the same time
2.99
definitely deserve better than the lower grade
or mark.
Satisfactory fulfillment of the requirements
2.00-
C 2.0 Sufficient set for the subject as shown by a fairly
2.49
intelligent grasp of the course content.
1.0- Passing fulfillment of the minimum
D 1.0 Deficient
1.99 requirements for the subject.
Failure: Non-fulfillment of minimum
F <1 Failure
requirements for the subject.
From the Loyola Schools Student Handbook

G. Classroom Policies

On attendance

• Attendance will be checked at the start of every class. A student is considered late
if he/she comes in after the opening prayer.
• Rules regarding tardiness and absences will be according to what is stated in the
Loyola Schools Student Handbook.
• It is the responsibility of the student to keep himself/herself updated on whatever
he/she missed out on as a result of the absence or the tardiness.
• Quizzes that were missed will automatically merit a zero. No make-up quizzes
will be given. The teacher will only make adjustments should the student have a
valid excuse for missing a quiz.
• Students are also required to come on time for their major requirements such as
the midterm exam and the immersion paper presentation. Tardiness could result
to getting a zero for these requirements.

Important: Activities conducted outside class hours will be announced ahead of time.
Attendance to these will be recorded and the failure to attend will be counted as part of
the number of lates and absences allowed a student for the course.
 Classroom Decorum

• Behavior inside the classroom should be according to what can be expected of a

college student in a professional setting. Any untoward behavior will not be
tolerated.
• The use of electronic gadgets is absolutely prohibited. Students should be
responsible enough to keep their gadgets in silent mode. Should any of these
items make a sound during classes, the owner of said gadgets will be asked to
leave and will be marked absent for the day.
• Students are allowed to leave the classroom for any reason whatsoever, provided
that they do so without disturbing the class.
• There is no dress code required from this class apart from what is expected of
them as delineated in the Student Handbook. However, students are expected to
come in smart casual during the presentation of their group immersion paper.

On submissions

• The deadlines for assigned work will be announced during class or posted on our
Facebook group. Students are expected to keep themselves updated on these
matters.
• Submission of assigned work will be done at the end of class. Work submitted
outside of class will not be accepted, unless announced otherwise.
• Late submissions will automatically merit a zero (0) for that requirement.

On academic Integrity

• University policies on academic integrity will be followed in this class. As such,

any forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.
• Students must refrain from any mode of communication during quizzes, exams
and presentations.

H. Consultation Hours

Consultation hours are Tuesdays, 4:00 – 5:00 pm at the Theology Department.

However, students must inform the teacher of their desire to consult ahead of time.
Also, any student who wishes to come in for consultation outside of this schedule may
do so provided that he/she informed the teacher beforehand.