A critical study of the genesis, development, and structure of Luther's theology. Emphasis is placed on the twentieth century. Contemporary problems in religious ethics and their impact on individual and collective decision-making in the areas of personal and social issues. An examination of the nature and function of religious language that leads to religious awareness. Attention is focused on various views regarding the nature of humanity and the human psyche.
Special attention is given to the nature and function of parables.
An examination of the relationship between ecology and religion from Christian and non-Christian perspectives. The course looks at ecological spirituality, ecotheology, animal rights, deep ecology, ecoactivism, and ecofeminism. An examination of modern theologies that focus on the Biblical call for justice and offer a critique of Christianity's alignment with modern culture. These theologies of revitalization and dissent seek to change modern Christendom from within. Among those discussed are liberation, political, ecological, and feminist theologies.