COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Number: TH 131

Title: Marriage & Human Sexuality from a Catholic Perspective

Department/Program : Theology Semester: 1st School Year: 2010-2011

School: Ateneo de Manila University Instructor: Dr. Michael Demetrius H. Asis

COURSE DESCRIPTION Theology 131 envisions an approach to, and understanding of, marriage and human sexuality from a specifically Filipino Catholic perspective. The course begins with a theological anthropology that grounds an understanding of human sexuality. Building on an interdisciplinary understanding of the human person (philosophical, psychological, and sociological), this introductory part is enriched by the insights of contemporary theologians. A critical survey of these theologies seeks to provide a fuller view of man/woman in their identity, equality, and complementarity. What follows is a theological study of human sexuality, in general, and an examination of certain specific moral questions related to sexuality and marriage, in particular. This section provides students with exercises in the process of critical moral reflection and discernment. In critical conversation with recent contemporary theological opinions, these specific moral issues are discussed in light of Scripture and Catholic Church Teaching. The course, then, studies the sacramentality of marriage precisely in its human and secular aspects. As a life commitment, marriage is a sacrament that signifies and manifests God's love and engagement in God's work in the world. This mission is entrusted to, continued by, and lived out in the Community of Christ's Followers. Finally, the course highlights the ecclesial context of marriage by a presentation of the laws of the Church governing marriage. This concluding part gives specific attention to the provisions regarding the declaration of nullity. COURSE 1. 2. 3. 4. OBJECTIVES

To introduce a theological anthropology of the human person as the broader context of human sexuality, marriage, and family life. To exercise students in the critical use and interpretation of scripture and Church Teaching toward a fuller understanding of human sexuality and marital-family life. To develop the skills of critical moral reflection and discernment through the study of specific moral cases related to sexuality, marriage, and family life. To present a deeper understanding of marriage as a sacrament and of the family as the domestic Church on the local level. COURSE OUTLINE & TIMEFRAME REQUIRED READINGS & SUGGESTED READINGS

Introduction A. B. Theology & Faith The Christian Vision & Way of Life 1. Religion 2. God a. Images of God b. Guilt, Meaninglessness, Death i. Now & Time c. God as Love

Thesis 1 Theology Thesis 2 God

Required Readings:

2
Michael Demetrius H. Asis, We are What We Love: The Human Person in the Image of a Loving God, I Am Because We Are: Reflections on Love, Relationships & Life (QC: ADMU Press, 2010). Walter J. Imbiorski and John L. Thomas, The People of God, Beginning your Marriage, 4th ed. (Chicago: Delaney Publications, 1971), pp. 1-14. Time Frame:

I.

Theological Anthropology A. The Sacramental Principle 1. Human Existence as Relational a. human face, language, male-female complementarity 2. Human Existence as Embodied a. I have a body, I am my body, I am more than my body 3. Christ 4. Church 5. Sacraments

Thesis 3 The Human Person Thesis 4 The Sacramental Principle

Required Readings:
Asis, We are What We Love: The Human Person in the Image of a Loving God Imbiorski and Thomas, The People of God, pp. 1-14. Suggested Readings: Richard P. McBrien, The Spirit of Catholicism: Sacramentality, Mediation, Communion, Catholicism, 3rd ed. (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994), pp. 8-14. Michael D.H. Asis, "To See God in All Things: A Vision of the Church for the Catholic Atenean, Pantas 9, no. 2 (March 1999): 7-11. Teodoro Bacani, Love Made Visible, The Eucharist and the Filipino (Makati: Salesiana Publishers, 1987), pp. 3-12. Time Frame:

B.

The Human Vocation 1. OT a. call to existence b. call to the ongoing task of creation c. call to covenant

Thesis 5 Human Vocation: Theological Development in Scripture

Required Reading:
Laurence O Connell, God's Call to Humankind: Towards a Theology of Vocation, Marriage & Human Sexuality: A Collection of Readings for Th 131, comp. and ed. A.N. Dacanay, S.J. and Michael Asis, Ph.D. (Quezon City: ADMU, 2006), 1-13. Time Frame:

2.

NT a. Christs call: KOG b. The Law of Love c. Divine Unconditional Love as Foundation of Human Love

Thesis 6 Universal Human Vocation

Required Reading:

3
Vincent J. Genovesi, The Meaning and Spirit of Christian Living, In Pursuit of Love: Catholic Morality and Human Sexuality, 2d ed. (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1996; reprint, Quezon City: Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., 2003), 15-50 (particularly Understanding Morality, 16-20; Recognizing Our Call to Love, 2130; Christian Life as Eschatological, 37-38; A Call to Love, to Faith, to Conversion, 49-50. Time Frame:

d.

True Love vs. Misconceptions of Love

Thesis 7 Love
Required Readings:
Scott Peck, Love, The Road Less Traveled (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978), pp. 81-120. See Marriage and Human Sexuality, pp. 12-34. Asis, Summer, Winter, Spring or Fall: The Seasons of Love, I Am Because We Are. Maribel Sison Dionisio, MA and Mike H. Asis, PhD, Am I Really in Love: The Three Stages of Love, Ive Been Dating . . . Now What? ed. Lissa Moran (Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 2006), 51-71. Asis, Tom Cruise or Jack Nicholson: Our Three Stages of Love, I Am Because We Are. Genovesi, Recognizing Our Call to Love, In Pursuit of love, 21-30. ________, True Love or Illusion? In Pursuit of love, 138-145. Suggested Readings: John Powell, The Anatomy of Effective Love, The Secret of Staying in Love (Allen, Tabor Publishing, 1974), pp. 33-56. Asis, Feelings: Can We Trust Them? I Am Because We Are. Time Frame:

C.

Theology of Sin 1. Sin as Fact, Act, Direction 2. Sins vs. Sinfulness: Individual Sinful Acts vs. Sin as Fundamental Option/Life Direction

Thesis 8 Freedom Thesis 9 Sin Thesis 10 Conscience

Required Readings:
Genovesi, Christian Life as Freedom in Christ, 50-62. Timothy O Connell, The Human Person and a Theology of Sin, Marriage and Human Sexuality, 43-67. Genovesi, A Radical Theology of Sin, In Pursuit of Love, 92-99, 106-113. Suggested Readings: Philip Keane, Some Pertinent Themes in Fundamental Moral Theology, Sexual Morality: A Catholic Perspective (New York: Paulist Press, 1977), pp. 35-56 (especially pp. 35-40 on The Meaning of Sin). McBrien, Philosophical and Theological Reflections, Catholicism. Karl Peschke, Basic Intention and Fundamental Option, Christian Ethics, vol. 1 (Manila: Divine Word Publications, 1997), pp. 223-227. CBCP, Human Freedom, Catechism for Filipino Catholics, nos. 693-700 (Manila: Word & Life Publications, 1997), pp. 192-94. Time Frame:

3.

4.

Judging Specific Moral Situations a. The Three-Source Theory i. Object ii. Intention iii. Circumstances b. The Theory of Proportionate Reason Moral Evaluation of Human Acts a. Objective/Material Sins vs. Subjective/Formal Sins (Traditional Church Moral Theology) b. Sin (Moral Evil), Objectively Wrong Acts, Premoral Evil (Revisionist Theology)

Thesis 11 Moral Evaluation of Human Acts

Required Readings:
Genovesi, Sin, Objective Moral Wrong, Premoral Evil, In Pursuit of Love, 100-105. Lawler, Boyle and May, "Patterns of thinking in Moral Theology," Catholic Sexual Ethics, 68-95. See Marriage and Human Sexuality, 132-156. Suggested Readings: Ma. Victoria B. Parco, Ph.D., Conscience in Conflict, Th 151 Notes. Ma. Christina A. Astorga, Ph.D., Ethical Methodology for Conflict Situations, Th 151 Notes. Astorga, Theory of Proportionate Reason: Moral Judgment and Decision in Conflict Situations, Th 151 Notes. Time Frame:

II.

Human Sexuality A. An essential dimension of our whole person, by which we enter into relationships with others. B. Twofold Purpose: unitive (to share love) & procreative (to give life) C. Two Dimensions: affective & genital (sexual) D. Inadequate Views of Sexuality & Historical Influences 1. Pessimistic Views a. Augustine & Gnosticism i. Two ultimate principles behind creation: Good (the source of all spiritual realities, including the soul) & Evil (the source of all material realities, including the body) ii. Embodied existence is not a gift but a curse, since material existence is the source of suffering and death. iii. Sexual relations must be rejected, therefore, since they can generate new life and thus perpetuate the cycle of suffering and death in the world. This encouraged sexual repression. iv. But one can tolerate sex, and engage in it for its obviously pleasurable aspects, so long as one took care that no new life was born. This encouraged sexual promiscuity. b. Aquinas & The Natural Law 2. Physicalist Views a. sex for procreation b. sex for recreation c. Evaluating Pleasure i. Pleasure is good, but the lure of fleeting, empty, and destructive satisfactions is part of the human condition. ii. Todays culture tends toward an uncritical overestimation of the goodness of pleasure; Hedonism counts nothing as good except to the extent that it causes pleasure. iii. Many good things do not give pleasure; they are good and desirable even when they do not give pleasure. iv. Pleasure is good, but not the highest good. Good actions can be and are ideally pleasurable. But they are not good because they give pleasure; they tend to give pleasure because they perfect some dimension of the human person. 3. Romantic Views a. separating love from marriage 4. Dualisms: Spiritualism (spirit over body, mind over matter, reason over emotion) & Sexism (men over women) E. Methods of Moral Reflection & Discernment 1. Criteria for Evaluating the Morality of Sexual Conduct a. Genuinely Loving b. Socially Sensitive c. Genital (sexual) activity must be a sign of the permanent love that already exists in a relationship and must truthfully express the degree of personal commitment therein. 2. Inadequate/Misleading Criteria for Judging Sexual Conduct a. Judging sexual conduct based on the experience of deliberate sexual pleasure alone b. Justifying sexual activity outside marriage in the name of love c. Going as far as one can go so long as sexual intercourse is avoided Chastity the basic moral attitude toward sexuality 1. Appreciation 2. Integration 3. Control

F.

Thesis 12 Gnosticism Thesis 13 Sexuality Thesis 14 Chastity

Required Readings:
Asis, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait: The Place of Sex in a Relationship, I Am Because We Are. Genovesi, A Context for the Meaning and Morality of Sexuality, In Pursuit of Love, 114-145. Suggested Readings: William Cosgrave, A Christian Understanding of Sexuality, Catholic Mind 78 (May 1980): 31-41. Philip Keane, A Theological-Anthropological View of Human Sexuality, Sexual Morality: A Catholic Perspective, pp. 3-19. Ronald Lawler, Joseph Boyle and William May, "Sex in the Catholic Tradition," Catholic Sexual Ethics (Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1998), pp. 46-67. CBCP, Respecting Human Sexuality, Catechism for Filipino Catholics, nos. 1061-1133, pp. 297-316. CCCB, Action on Prostitution and Pornography: Human Sexualitys Meaning, Origins 13, 47 (May 1984): 781-84. Gennaro Avvento, Toward a Contemporary Christian Vision of Sexuality, Sexuality: A Christian View (Mystic: TwentyThird Publications, 1982), pp. 11-24. Peschke, Nature and Meaning of Human Sexuality, Christian Ethics, vol. 2, pp. 389-417. Ronald Lawler, Joseph Boyle and William May, Patterns of Thinking in Moral Theology, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 126-132. CBCP, Respecting Human Sexuality, Catechism for Filipino Catholics, nos. 1061-1133, pp. 297-316. Time Frame:

G.

Group Reports: Specific Moral Issues 1. Masturbation 2. Premarital Sex 3. Homosexuality 4. Contraception

5. 6. 7. 8.

Prostitution Pornography Sex in Media Inadequate Views on Women

9. 10.

Male-Female Differences Celibacy

Thesis 15 Premarital Sex Thesis 16 Masturbation Thesis 17 Homosexuality Thesis 18 Contraception Thesis 19 Prostitution & Pornography
Required Readings:
Genovesi, The Issue of Premarital Sexuality, In Pursuit of Love, 146-181. See Moral Perspective on Premarital Sexual Relations, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 167-177. Asis, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait: The Place of Sex in a Relationship, I Am Because We Are. Dionisio and Asis, Why Wait? The Place of Sex in a Relationship, Ive Been Dating, 72-80. Genovesi, Masturbation, In Pursuit of Love, 314-337. See Moral Perspectives on Masturbation, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 157-165. Genovesi, Morality and Homogenital Expressions of Love, In Pursuit of Love, 249-313. Livio Melina, "Homosexual Inclination as an 'Objective Disorder': Reflections of Theological Anthropology," Communio 25 (Spring 1998):57-68. See Marriage & Human Sexuality, pp. 179-190. Genovesi, Contraception and Marital Sexuality, In Pursuit of Love, 182-248. Time Frame: Group Reports

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References for Group Reports: Avvento, Sexuality: A Christian View. Peschke, Christian Ethics, vol. 2. McBrien, Catholicism. Keane, Sexual Morality: A Catholic Perspective. CBCP, Catechism for Filipino Catholics (1997). ECCCE, Catechism of the Catholic Church (Manila: Word & Life Publications 1994). Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (1965). Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae (1968), nos. 14-19. SCCE, Educational Guidance on Human Love (1983). SCDF, Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons (1986). Pontifical Council for the Family, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality (1996). Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media: A Pastoral Response (1989). SCDF, Declaration Concerning Sexual Ethics (1975). John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (1981), nos. 28-32. Teodoro C. Bacani, Jr., The Church and Birth Control (1992). Roberto A. Latorre, Catechesis on Contraception (Pasay: Paulines, 1994). Ismael I. Maningas, Ed.D., Filipino Christian Morality (Makati: St. Pauls, 1998). Stephen J. Rossetti and Gerald D. Coleman, Psychology and The Churchs Teaching on Homosexuality, America 177, no. 13 (November 1997):6-22. CCCB, Action on Prostitution and Pornography: Human Sexualitys Meaning, Origins 13, 47 (May 1984): 781-84. CBCP, The Christian Family, The Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (Manila: Don Bosco Press, 1992).

III. A History & Theology of Marriage: Highlights A. Introduction 1. Marriage as Vocation & Ministry 2. Marriage is highly esteemed in Filipino society but threatened by secular values (a double standard of morality, economic pressures, a pleasure-seeking mentality, false values projected by media, the querida system, early teenage marriages). B. Old Testament 1. Adultery as sin against the community 2. Monotheism as paradigm for monogamy (Ez. 16; Hosea 1-3) 3. Marriage is rooted in the OT notions of creation (Gen. 1:28; 2:18, 24) and covenant (Hosea 2; Jer. 2:2; 3:20). C. New Testament 1. Jesus single-hearted commitment to the Kingdom of God; Everything else is relative (Temptation in the Desert) a. Jesus rejection of spiritual merit & religious privilege based on family/kinship ties (Lk. 8:19-21) b. Jesus rejection of divorce in the strongest possible terms (Mt. 5:31-32; 19:3-12) was a radical departure from the traditional Jewish acceptance of marital dissolution. i. Given Jesus message of a radical morality (See Sermon on the Mount in Mt. 5-6), it comes as no surprise that he also preached an ideal of lasting marital fidelity, proposing it as a norm for everyone who heeded his call to moral perfection. c. The apparent exception on the ground of unchastity (porneia) refers to incestuous pagan relations that are void marriages in the first place. The early Church did not believe that Jesus prohibited divorce in this situation since porneia would not be a true and valid marriage at all and would not technically require a divorce but a declaration of nullity (See Acts 15:20, 29). 2. The ambivalence of the NT regarding marriage (that it is at once holy and to be avoided, if possible) may be explained by its sense of the imminence of the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 7:31-35). Hence, Paul advised the early Christians not to make any radical changes in their lives but to prepare for the Lords imminent return instead. 3. In later NT writings (Ephesians) this sense of the imminence of the Kingdom has waned. And so Paul gave a more positive estimation of marriage by linking it with the union of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:21-33).

Thesis 20 Theological Introduction to Marriage (New Testament)

Required Reading:
Adolfo N. Dacanay, A Theological Introduction to Marriage, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 81-86. Suggested Reading: Joseph Martos, Marriage, Doors to the Sacred (Garden City: Image Books, 1982), pp. 400-403. Time Frame:

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D. Through the Centuries 1. 2nd Century Clement of Alexandria taught that marital sexual relations would be without sin if they were performed with control and restraint. 2. 4th Century Augustine of Hippo viewed that while marriage was good (since it preserved society and continued the human race), sex was not (since sexual desire was a potentially destructive human energy if left unregulated). a. The only legitimate purpose for sex is procreation. b. Sex for the sake of pleasure, Augustine argues, can easily pass over into uncontrolled sexual passion, which could indicate lust and concupiscence (disordered desires that incline us to sin), more than anything else. c. Augustine finds the involuntary, spontaneous, passionate aspects of sex shameful, because sexual ecstasy contradicts the rational nature of human beings, who must always act subject to their reason and will.

Thesis 21 - Augustine on Sex & Marriage

Reading:
Genovesi, A Context for the Meaning and Morality of Sexuality, In Pursuit of Love, 116-123. Time Frame:

E.

The 20th Century 1. With modernization, the traditional family functions (e.g., education of children) have been taken over by units outside the family. As a result, living has been separated from working. 2. Industrialization and its profound and conflicting effects on marriage and family a. Marriage has become a matter of personal choice, but premarital and extramarital sex have become commonplace. b. Families have become more democratic (characterized by mutual affection, trust, and interdependence), but children have become more uncertain about their future. 3. Since the functions of the traditional family structure have been assumed by specialized groups outside the family, all that remains to the modern family and marriage is an intimate, inner life characterized by greater personal freedom and intimacy. However, the modern family no longer enjoys the stable support which the bigger family structure used to provide. Problems have to be worked out by the family alone. 4. While the modern family is more vulnerable, the loss of its traditional functions, which has deepened and intensified its life, has led to an enormous opportunity for graceexperiencing God in a more personal way.

Thesis 22 Modernizations Impact on the Family

Reading:
Edward Schillebeeckx, The Modern Pattern of Marriage as an Opportunity for Grace, Marriage: Human Reality and Saving Mystery (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1965) pp., xv-xxx. See Edward Schillebeeckx, A Historical Introduction to Marriage, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 68-80. Time Frame:

Church Law on Marriage

Required Reading:
Dacanay, A General Introduction to the Church Law on Marriage, Marriage and Human Sexuality, pp. 151-69. Suggested Readings: Charles Guarino, "Canonical and Theological Perspectives on Divorce and Remarriage," Perspectives on Marriage: A Reader, Kieran Scott and Michael Warren, eds. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), pp. 361-76. James A. Coriden, Thomas J. Green, Donald E. Heintschel, eds., The Code of Canon Law: A Text and Commentary (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India), pp. 737-833. Peschke, Indissolubility of Marriage, Christian Ethics, vol. 2, pp. 477-91. Relevant Provisions on Marriage of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, canons 1055-1150. Relevant Provisions on Marriage of the 1988 Family Code of the Philippines, articles 1-75. Time Frame:

F.

In the sacrament of marriage, sexual intimacy becomes a healing, redemptive, moment of divine grace:

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1. 2. While the sexual act brings the joyful anticipation of conceiving a child, it also intensifies mutual desire, brings down barriers of intimacy, sets firmly the ground of trust, and leads out of oneself to do all these for a partner in love. The giving and receiving of marital sexual pleasure can be a life-giving (resurrection) experience. It can heal feelings of isolation and worthlessness (How can one be alone and worthless if one can give great pleasure?) It can heal the fear of being untrusted and unable to trust. It can heal the fear of being sterile in life. The total surrender of defenses that is the condition for greatest pleasure can be a commitment to permanence, and thus a healer of the fear of eventually having risked foolishly and lost all in the effort to love.

Thesis 23 Marital Sexual Intimacy

Required Readings:
Asis, Nothing More Practical than Finding God: Spirituality & Relationships, I Am Because We Are. Theodore M. Mackin, How to Understand the Sacrament of Marriage, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 102-112. Time Frame:

G.

Despite the limitations to Augustines understanding of sexuality, he defended the institution of marriage and the right and duty of spouses to procreate, over and against those who rejected them because they added to material creation and thereby contributed to evil in the world. Thus, for Augustine the three goods/values in marriage are: 1. children, which counterbalanced the necessary use of sex; 2. the marital faithfulness that it fostered, so that sexual infidelity is effectively avoided; 3. marriage as a sacred sign (sacramentum) of: i. a divine reality the union between Christ & the Church ii. a permanent pledge of marital fidelity

Thesis 24 Augustine on the 3 Goods of Marriage

Required Reading:
CBCP, Vocations in Christ: Marriage (and Holy Orders), Catechism for Filipino Catholics, nos. 18741940, pp. 541-62. Time Frame:

H.

Vatican II (1963-1965) introduced a whole new perspective on marriage: 1. It is a covenant, an intimate partnership of life and love, not a mere contract. 2. Mutual love is, in fact, what is sanctified by the sacrament, i.e., marriage is a religious reality precisely in its human aspect. 3. Its sacramentality is not automatic. It requires faith. 4. The consummation of marriage encompasses more than a single biological act. 5. The sacrament incorporates one more fully into the mystery of the Church. Sacraments objectively communicate grace. But whether these rituals become subjectively effective depends on the level of committed faith involvement one brings to the sacramental celebrations. 1. While the sacrament of marriage can be validly administered and received, it can only be fruitful and effective with the cooperation of faith and the effort of love. 2. Marriage becomes an authentic sacrament when it signifies and communicates the life-giving presence of God through the couples commitment in all aspects of their life together (consortium totius vitae), an intimate partnership ordered toward the well-being of the spouses and the procreation/education of children.

I.

Thesis 25 Marriage as Sacrament

Required Readings:
Michael Asis and Markus Locker, Marriage: The Human Reality and the Sacrament, Marriage & Human Sexuality, 118-122. Asis, I Believe in Angels: Our Marriage as Sacrament, I Am Because We Are. Suggested Reading: McBrien, Matrimony, Catholicism, 851-863. Time Frame:

Appendix Spirituality of Marriage 1. Marriage is a call to foster an intimate partnership of life and love. 2. Marriage, then, is a sign of Gods life-giving love in the world. 3. Some Spiritual Qualities to Work On: a. A Deep Sense of God i. Humility ii. Forgiveness iii. Compassion b. A Deep Sense of Prayer c. A Sense of Celebration d. A Sense of Community e. A Sense of Service

Suggested Readings:
Dionisio and Asis, The Vital Place of Spirituality in a Relationship, Ive Been Dating, 92-105. Asis, The Glorietta Blast: Losing One of Our Own Carlo & Leslie Cruz, I Am Because We Are.

Synthesis A. The integration of the three goods of marriage (mutual love/fidelity, offspring, and sacrament) according to Augustine can be stated thus: 1. Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward begetting and educating children. Children are the supreme gift of marriage and greatly contribute to the good of the parents themselves (Gaudium et Spes 50; CCC 2373, 2378). 2. This union is based on the following: a. the nature of conjugal love, which while leading the spouses to [become] one flesh does not end with the couple. b. It makes them capable of the greatest possible gift, the gift by which they become cooperators with god for giving life to a new human person. . . . c. a living reflection of their love, a permanent sign of conjugal love and a living and inseparable synthesis of their being a father and a mother (Familiaris Consortio 14). True lovethe affection rooted in the will that embraces the good of the whole person is a reflection and sacrament of Gods love in the worldexists in a relationship when it: 1. accepts and affirms us in our basic human dignity, for what we are and what we could beto be, to flourish, and become truly and fully ourselves; 2. is founded on friendship that expresses our most unselfish, enduring, unshakable commitment to the others well-being and to the union of mind, body, will, and spirit; 3. works at fostering this unity between our realnot romantically idealizedselves where unity and fidelity is not simply to avoid adultery, but to grow gradually in faith and trust in each other; 4. integrates our sexuality into our personal self-giving in love by not reducing it to mere passing erotic attraction that is often pursued in selfishness, but as an expression of our need for acceptance that is warm, intimate, and affectionate; 5. accepts the other not only as an individual but as a person situated within, and continually shaped by, the larger community and its constitutive elementsfamily, social, political, economic, religious, and cultural conditions. 6. is marked by total, permanent fidelity that is possible since real love is a decision deepened and strengthened by Christs transforming presence in the Christian community through the Spirit. Essential theological truths about marriage include the following: 1. a. As a gift, marriage is a totally undeserved gift of love from another human being who decides, at least in principle, to look after the well-being of the other forever; b. As a task, marriage is a relationship that the couple works on, develops, and nurtures for it to succeed; c. Marriage, then, is both a human and humanizing reality, a state of life and a process of human becoming. While marriage presumes maturity on the part of the couple, it is also a maturing process. 2. a. Marriage is a symbol of marital union and love; b. on a deeper level, marriage is a symbol of Gods love for humanity. i. In the OT, this love is mirrored in the covenantal bond (a binding relationship that creates communion) between Yahweh and Israel (Is. 54:4-5). ii. In the NT, the marital union portrays, and is grounded in, the union between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:2133). Spouses pledge to love one another with the same self-sacrificing love that Christ had for his people and vice versa. 3. The ends of marriage are closely related to the ends of sexual love. But they are not completely identical: a. Marriage has its purpose not merely the procreation but also the education of children; b. And the other purpose is mutual assistance in a very comprehensive sense, in which the expression of mutual love through the conjugal sexual act forms one aspect of the relationship among others; c. The procreative and unitive goals of marriage reflect the life-giving love of God.

B.

C.

Required Reading:

10
Asis, Epilogue: For Richer, For Poorer, I Am Because We Are.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Individual Output I

1. 2.

Quizzes: size 2 /Seatwork/Homework: size 1/ Graded Recitation (70%) Paper Couples Sharing reflection paper: typed, double-space, 4 pages, Calibri 12. (30%) *Email Subject: COUPLE SHARING SECTION A SEM 1 2011

25%

II

Midterm Written ( 1 or 2) and/or Oral Exams (1) 10 minutes Group Project: Critique of a Material from a Moral-Theological Perspective

25%

1.
III

Detailed Outline and Bibliography (20%): Formulate thesis statement; Bibliography - Turabian Style (outline due 1 month before 1st presentation) *Email Subject: GROUP OUTLINE CONTRACEPTION SECTION A SEM 1 2011 Written Report (30%): Footnotes & Bibliography, Turabian Style (report due right before presentation) *Email Subject: GROUP WRITTEN REPORT CONTRACEPTION SECTION A SEM 1 2011 Presentation (50%) (reserve venue ASAP): focused theological presentation; particularly clear & intelligible, balanced, and nuanced Presentation Sequence (25 mins.)-long enough to cover the essentials, short enough to be interesting; distribute class hand-outs 20%

2. 3. 4.

a. b.
c. d. e. IV

Introduction: State thesis statement; etymology & general background information on the topic/significant historical facts Interdisciplinary Perspective: any discipline significant to the issue (history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, law, medicine, etc.) Theological Perspective: Sacred Scripture, Official Church Teaching, Contemporary Theological Opinions Synthesis, Conclusion, and Recommendations Open Forum (beyond the 25-min. presentation) 30%

Final Written Exams: comprehensive, objective typemultiple choice (100 points, 50 items)

TEXTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8.

Marriage and Human Sexuality, 2006 ed. I Am Because We Are. In Pursuit of Love. Ive Been Dating. Turabian, 6th ed. New American Bible Articles/notes distributed in class Books, articles/notes in the professors Reserve Collection in the Theology Department GRADI NG SYSTEM

Criteria for Evaluating Academic Performance: ACCURACY INTELLIGIBILITY/CLARITY CRITICAL THINKING a. b. c. ability to make subtle distinctions (nuancing), balanced (not one-sided)/careful judgments, and judicious evaluation ability to bring different, but related, elements together into a meaningful and coherent whole (synthesis) depth

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LEGEND

LONG EXAM GRADE EQUIVALENTS 100 99 4.0 3.9984375 3.996875 3.99375 3.9875 3.975 3.95 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.675 3.65 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.25 3.1 2.8 2.7 2.65 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.25 2.1 1.8 1.7 1.6125 1.525 1.35 1.0

Q-P AVG 25%

Q P Q-P AVG

QUIZZES PAPER QUIZ-PAPER AVERAGE LONG EXAMS

70% 30%

98 97 96 95 94 93 92

LE AVG 25% GP AVG 20%

LE

GO G PAPER G PRES GP AVG

GROUP OUTLINE GROUP PAPER GROUP PRESENTATION GROUP PROJECT AVERAGE

20% 30% 50%

91 90 89 88 87 86

FE AVG 30%

FE

FINAL EXAMS

85 84 83

GRADE EQUIVALENTS 3.8-4.0 3.5-3.7 2.8-3.4 2.5-2.7 1.8-2.4 1.0-1.7 0 92-100 87-91 83-86 79-82 75-78 70-74 69-below A B+ B C+ C D F

82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70

CLASSROOM

POLICIES

1. 2. 3.

REGULARLY CHECK ALL COURSE INSTRUCTIONS -- ANNOUNCEMENTS, QUIZ COVERAGE, HOMEWORK, SEATWORK, GROUPWORK, FILES, AND OTHER VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS IN mikeasis.multiply.com. FAILURE TO DO SO IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR MISSING A REQUIREMENT. THE STUDENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY WORK MISSED DURING A PARTICULAR PERIOD. UNQUALIFIED STUDENT ATTENTION IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED: PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS AND READING OF MATERIALS NOT RELATED TO THE COURSE ARE DISCOURAGED. AVOID SLEEPING. STUDENTS WHO VIOLATE THIS POLICY MAY BE SENT OUT. CULTURAL AND PRACTICAL REASONS MAY BE CITED FOR THIS POLICY. KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR GRADES (QUIZZES, GROUP REPORT - OUTLINE, PAPER, PRESENTATION, ORALS) THE BEADLE HANDLES THE CHECKING OF CLASS ATTENDANCE. KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR CUTS.

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MISSING THE REQUIRED COUPLES SHARING ACTIVITY ( ________, SUNDAY 730 AM 12 NN) WILL MERIT 3 CUTS AND AN F IN THE PAPER, WHICH IS 30 % OF CLASS STANDING. EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM OF 6 CUTS (TTH) OR 9 CUTS (MWF) WILL MERIT A W. THE PROFESSOR ENFORCES THE UNIVERSITY POLICY ON CUTS. 6.5 CUTS = W (TTH); 9.5 CUTS = W (MWF). THE UNIVERSITY DOES NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. YOU ARE PRECISELY ALLOTTED A NUMBER OF CUTS (6 FOR TTH; 9 FOR MWF) FOR EMERGENCY REASONS. USE THESE CUTS WISELY AND SPARINGLY. BEING LATE ONCE IS HALF A CUT (0.5). BEING LATE TWICE (2X) IS EQUIVALENT TO ONE (1) CUT. FOR TTH, 13X LATE=W; FOR MWF, 19X LATE=W. UNLESS THE BEADLE IS NOTIFIED, COMING IN AFTER YOUR NAME WAS CALLED DURING THE ROLL CALL (WHETHER AT THE BEGINNING OR END OF THE CLASS), OR 10 MINUTES (FOR MWF CLASSES)/15 MINUTES (FOR T-TH CLASSES) AFTER THE BELL, IS A CUT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. AFTER 15 MINUTES, THE DOORS WILL BE CLOSED. EXTENDED RESTROOM BREAKS (BEYOND 5 MINUTES) IS A CUT. REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE PROMPTLY SUBMITTED ONLINE EXACTLY ON THE DATE & TIME SPECIFIED. THE EXACT TIME OF SUBMISSION IS DETERMINED BY THE TIME THE MESSAGE WAS ACTUALLY RECEIVED (AND RECORDED) IN THE PROFESSORS COMPUTER. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. SHOULD A STUDENT MISS A MAJOR REQUIREMENT (LONG TESTS, ORALS) FOR SERIOUS HEALTH REASONS, THE PROFESSOR MUST BE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED AND A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE SECURED FROM THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH PHYSICIAN, AND SUBMITTED TO THE PROFESSOR. NO MAKE-UP FOR REQUIREMENTS (QUIZZES, HOMEWORK, SEATWORK, GROUP OUTLINES, REPORTS, PAPERS) MISSED. SUBMIT ANY & ALL REQUIREMENTS TO mikeasis13@yahoo.com. STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS EXPECTED TO BRING ALL ASSIGNED TEXTS AND ARTICLES TO CLASS. FAILURE TO COMPLY MERITS A CUT UNLESS SAID MATERIALS ARE PRODUCED WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. IN A NUMBER OF SESSIONS, INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE POSTED IN THE MULTIPLY COURSE WEBSITE (mikeasis.multiply.com) AND RELAYED TO THE BEADLE REGARDING GROUP WORK/INDIVIDUAL SEATWORK FOR THE CLASS PERIOD AND HOMEWORK FOR THE NEXT SESSION. STUDENTS SHOULD STAY IN THE ROOM FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD UNLESS INSTRUCTED OTHERWISE, E.G., GROUP DISCUSSION/ LIBRARY RESEARCH. THE CLASS IS EXPECTED TO WAIT FOR 10 MINUTES (15 MINUTES FOR T-TH SECTIONS) AFTER THE BELL FOR THESE INSTRUCTIONS. (SOME CLASSES WILL BE CALLED OFF IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FOUR-HOUR COUPLES SHARING DAY, WHICH FALLS ON A SUNDAY OR ANY OTHER ACADEMIC REQUIREMENT/ACTIVITY THAT WILL REQUIRE SPECIAL HOURS). GENERAL METHOD (MAY VARY FROM SESSION TO SESSION): a. b. ATTENDANCE CHECK QUIZ ON PREVIOUS SESSION OR ANY ASSIGNED READING TEXT BRIEF REVIEW OF PREVIOUS CLASS GRADED RECITATION (EQUIVALENT TO A QUIZ) INTRODUCTION & EXPLANATION OF THESIS STATEMENT/S TO BE TAKEN UP FOR THE SESSION SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (10-15 MINS.) PROCESSING (BIG GROUP DISCUSSION--REPORTING, 10-15 MINS.) SYNTHESIS (15-20 MINS.) BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF NEXT THESIS EXPLANATION OF HOMEWORK, SHOULD THERE BE ANY DATES TO MARK JUNE 30, 12 MN DRAFT OUTLINE DUE SEND TO mikeasis13@yahoo.com SUBJECT: DRAFT OUTLINE CONTRACEPTION SECTION A SEM 1 2011 JULY 7, 12 MN GROUP OUTLINE DUE

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d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

SEND TO mikeasis13@yahoo.com SUBJECT: GROUP OUTLINE CONTRACEPTION SECTION A SEM1 2011

AUGUST 2 SEPTEMBER 1: GROUP REPORTS DUE ON DATE OF GROUP PRESENTATION: A) WRITTEN REPORT (HARD COPY) B) SOFT COPY -- SEND TO mikeasis13@yahoo.com

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C) D) -- SUBJECT: GROUP WRITTEN REPORT CONTRACEPTION SECTION A SEM 1 2011 ONE-PAGE HAND-OUT PEER EVALUATIONS

SEPTEMBER 15 -- LONG EXAMS SEPT 4 COUPLES SHARING SUNDAY, 730AM-12NN, ESCALER DATES TBA FREE CUTS IN EXCHANGE FOR COUPLES SHARING SEPT 11, 12 MN COUPLES SHARING PAPER DUE SEND TO mikeasis13@yahoo.com SUBJECT: COUPLES SHARING SECTION A SEM 1 2011 OCTOBER 10-15 -- FINALS WEEK

CONSULTATION By appointment

H O U R S:

mikeasis13@yahoo.com (email) 09175822825 (mobile phone) course website: mikeasis.multiply.com