Anthony Ireland	Semester 1 Tuesday evening 2007

This unit will probe contemporary justice issues from the perspective of Moral Theology. The unit will be divided into three parts. Firstly, a theological examination of the subject of justice will draw on the relevant biblical texts and the works of St Thomas Aquinas. The virtue of justice and its allied virtues will be dealt with in some detail. Secondly, an introduction to Catholic Social Teaching over the last 100+ years will be presented. The unit will show that this teaching draws on the theological foundation to specific issues. These issues will be dealt with in class, as seminars, or as essay topics. The specific issues will be topical and may include: poverty, aboriginal issues, racism, peace, social justice and liturgical prayer, property ownership, work, wages, and leisure.

Prerequisites:	at least one unit of moral theology
Requirements:	3 hours per week
Assessment:	second level	one 1,500 word paper to be presented as a seminar	30%
		one 2,500 word essay	40%
		one 1 hour written examination	30%
	third level	one 1,500 word paper to be presented as a seminar	30%
		one 3,000 word essay	40%
		one 1 hour written examination	30%

Bibliography

Australian Catholic Bishops’ Statements 1985-1995. 2 vols. Strathfield: St Paul Publications, 1997.

Brennan, F., ed. Reconciling our Differences: A Christian Approach to Recognising Aboriginal Land Rights. Richmond: Aurora Books, 1992.

Dorr, D. Option for the Poor: A Hundred Years of Vatican Social Teaching. Revised ed. Melbourne: Collins Dove, 1992.

DeBerri, E. P., et al. Catholic Social Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret. 4th ed. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2004.

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2004.

McOustra, C. Love in the Economy: Catholic Social Doctrine for the Individual. Slough: St. Paul Publications, 2000.

O’Brien, D. J., and T. A. Shannon. eds. Catholic Social Thought: The Documentary Heritage. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1992.

Pieper, J. The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003.