A study of the social and political dimensions of religion, including the role of religion in the framework of culture and history. The disciplines of secular culture and the cross-teachings of various historic religions act upon faith, criticizing and refining it. In turn, religious belief and commitment contributes to man's sense of moral responsibility toward his fellow man and his relationship to the transcendent realm of God's mystery, without which both man and human history lack meaning.
Specific objectives match answering the following questions.
Dean, Thomas, Ed. RP Rasmussen, Larry, Ed. Each class participant will submit a one-page, typed response to the day's reading, consisting of a critical assessment of the reading together with three critical questions for class discussion. Response papers are submitted at the beginning of each class. Each participant will be a member of a facilitation team, which twice during the term will guide a critical discussion on the topics covered in the reading.