SYLLABUS

Course Code and Title: REL 105 – Christian Morality [General Morals]

Credit Units: 3

Pre-requite: REL 101, REL 102, REL 103, REL 104

Course Description: This 3-unit course offered to Third Year College Students is
designed to develop in them a sense of responsibility as
Christians convinced of their dignity as children of God.

Objectives: At the end of the course, the students are expected to:

Morals: respond to the call of discipleship by the responsible use of freedom,

obedience to their conscience, and fidelity to the law, as seen in their living
out the beatitudes;

Doctrine: understand and explain the fundamental principles of morality, freedom,

conscience and law;

Worship: seek conversion and healing through prayer and the sacrament of
reconciliation

Course Outline:

I. Christian Morality
I.1. Morality: Its Meaning

II. The Human Person

2.1. The human person as the key to moral agent
2.2. The human person in the light of reason
2.3. The human person in the light of faith

III. Human Freedom

3.1. Nature of human freedom

3.2. Freedom and Moral Obligation

IV. Conscience
 4.1. Nature of Conscience

4.2. Types and Kinds of Conscience

4.3. Levels/Formation of Conscience

V. Law

5.1. Meaning of Law

5.2. Kinds of Law

5.3. Freedom and Moral Law

VI. Sin

6.1. Meaning and Degrees of Sin

VII. Grace and Reconciliation

7.1. Meaning of Grace and Reconciliation

VIII. The Eight Beatitudes

 LESSON 1: MORALITY: ITS MEANING

Objectives: The lesson is ordered to enable the students to:

Morals: understand that Christian moral life is following Jesus Christ, who is the
way to the good life;

Doctrine: know that Christian Moral life is grounded in Jesus words, teachings and
grace;

Worship: understand that when we worship God it is itself following Jesus Christ.

Dear Students, I am sharing to you an outline of the in-depth discussion

of Morality. Please read and understand this that you may have a clear
understanding of Morality specifically CHRISTIAN Morality.

MORALITY for Christian individuals and communities; centres upon the new
command that Jesus of Nazareth handed on to his followers in the gospels: “Love
one another as I have loved you.” Christian doctrine maintains that human words
and deeds are most truly gospel based, and therefore fundamentally Christian, when
they are based on this precept. “Morality” derives from the Latin moralis, which
means custom.

During biblical times the Hebrews adhered to a covenant relationship established

between Yahweh and the people of Israel. They were guided in their daily lives as a
faith community by this covenant and the precepts and practical life-rules in the
Torah (the Pentateuch), also called the Law of Moses, which includes the ten
commandments of God (Deuteronomy 5:6-21). Christian communities believe that
Jesus of Nazareth, a man well-versed in the Mosaic law and other aspects of the
Torah, did not intend to do away with this traditional law. Rather He fulfilled and
perfected the law and the original covenant between the Creator and all of
humanity.

The Christian moral code is founded on the two great commandments of the old
law: 1) love your God with your whole heart, whole soul, whole mind, and whole
strength; and 2) love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27,
Matthew 22:36-40). These commands were part of the law of Moses and the overall
moral code of Israel (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18). Jesus of Nazareth
emphasized, though, a new dimension to the traditional, legalistic Hebrew
requirements of the law of love: He proclaimed that each of His followers must be
ever-willing to give up his or her life in love for God’s sake and for the sake of other
human beings.

The gospels contain no systematic moral or ethical codes. Over many centuries the
Catholic community and tradition has probed Jesus’ teachings and values to
determine what is moral and what seems counter to the spirit of Christian Morality,
based on Jesus’ new covenant and command to love.

The communal dimension of Christian morality – as compared with a purely

personal or individualistic view of moral behaviour – has been much discussed and
explored in recent years. Today Christians are challenged to view Christian life as a
call to love God, through the revelation of Jesus the Word, and as a daily call to love
and concern for others, especially the poor, the suffering, the oppressed, and the
lonely. Therefore, all of Christian morality has a social dimension – the destinies of
all human individuals, groups, and cultures are somehow linked or bound in
relationship within creation in a significant way. Thus, to be moral, Christian
peoples must seek first to freely do God’s will while recognizing their responsibility
and freedom to serve all others caringly.

Catholics are urged to rely on certain specific guidelines that will assist Christians in
living morally as faithful Christian witnesses. These life-guidelines include: Jesus’
commands to love, service, and self sacrifice; the Decalogue (the Ten
Commandments); the beatitudes; the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; and
traditional Christian teachings on the virtues and the precepts of the church. The
Catholic community’s basic moral teachings are reflected upon in detail in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Book 3, articles 1691-2550.

[from: The Concise Catholic Dictionary authored by Reynolds R. Ekstrom pages 193-194]

Output 1:

POEM-MAKING: Compose a two-paragraph poem that contains your

understanding of Christian Morality and your pledge on how, in your own specific
and unique ways, you can imitate Jesus.

Note: Please use English as your medium.