franciscanism
Franciscanism and the Contemporary World
Module Code: 712FCT Credits: 20 Contact Hours: 20 Level: 7 Lecturer:
Syllabus
This module utilises the theological and philosophical traditions of Franciscanism to examine and explore its critical contribution in contemporary to areas such as Justice and Peace and conflict resolution, the economic and political structures of contemporary Western Society, inter-religious dialogue, especially Islam through a contemporary interpretation of Ch. 16 of the 1221 Regula Non Bullata of Francis of Assisi.
The module also seeks to examine the nature of environmental and ecological ethics and demonstrate the valuable contribution that the very latest Franciscan reseraches can make to establishing a firm intellectual and critical base for its proposition of a significant environmental ethic through the use of Bonaventure’s theological exemplarism, and Duns Scotus’s metaphysics of the Univocity of Being and haeceittas and ethical ‘mutuality’.
The module also seeks to explore the relationship between person and society by examining the Franciscan concept of ‘fraternity’ and Franciscan Individuation as a methodological and dialectical critique of the ‘corporate anonyminity’ of contemporary society.
Assessment
5,000 word essay.
Teaching Methods
Lectures/Class Discussion
Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
- a knowledge of the key Franciscan thinkers and how their theological, philosophical, ethical thought may be applied to contemporary issues
- a knowledge of the Franciscan critical dialectical at the societal and individual level
- ability to apply the latest Franciscan critical dialectic to areas such as social justice, environmental ethics, inter-religious dialogue
Subject Specific Skills
- demonstrate an awareness of the methodologies available in Franciscan studies for critical evaluation of contemporary issues covered in the module and an ability to situate themselves in relation to this range of methodologies
- demonstrate an ability to draw on a variety of academic discourses in reflecting critically on Franciscanism’s engagement with society
- develop the the ability to apply a Franciscan dialectical critique of some of the challenging issues facing contemporary Western society
- offer informed comment from an understanding and practice of Franciscan theological, philosophical, and ethical approaches and evaluation of contemporary issues
- make independent and imaginative use of theological and historical information and resources so as to be able to engage confidently and rationally with contemporary society and its ideologies.
Transferable Skills
Assessed: Communication: identify relevant sources of information, critically evaluate the material and present their own interpretation in a coherent way, showing an ability to understand complex lines of reasoning
IT: use IT effectively to aid efficient searching, evaluation and selection of information and to present work using a format and style to suit the purpose, subject and audience
Problem solving: select information effectively to tackle a particular issue or problem and present information clearly and accurately, with evidence to support their conclusions
Practiced:
Working with others: establish and effectively maintain co-operative working relationships and negotiate and develop effective ways of presenting outcomes.
Improving own learning: identify future targets, manage time effectively and critically reflect on what and how they are learning
