Implicit in this is the understanding that the Church and the gospel are themselves inculturated, that is, they do not stand outside the processes of culture, but carry specific embodiments of faith in cultural form. Thus, the meeting of faith and culture is an intercultural clash. In the course, faith will be defined as the praxis of the human journey to and with God. Christian faith is set within the horizon of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Culture will be defined as those aspects of human consciousness, as well as the unconscious, and their embodiments in society that contain the various meanings we attribute to human life and the values we choose to live by.
Culture is the matrix of political, economic and social structures of society.
In this seminar, students spend several hours each week in shelters, soup kitchens or day programs, learning first-hand about homelessness. In class, journals and short papers, students will reflect on their community-based learning experiences and integrate them with readings and theory. The causes and consequences of homelessness are discussed, and critically analyzed from a variety of perspectives, as are its effects on individuals, families and society. The course provides an opportunity for the student to examine the connection between his or her major and the values of peace and justice. Each student undertakes a major research project representing a concept, issue or case study in the student s major and investigates the justice and peace dimension of the topic.