This module will introduce the students to different ways of thinking about moral matters and dilemmas within normative philosophical ethics. It will inquire into such questions as ‘what makes an act right or wrong and the human being good or bad?’; ‘how should one live?’ (a Socratic question), ‘what is the good life? (an Aristotelian question), ‘how do we assess difficult moral situations?’; ‘where our principles come from?’; ‘why be moral?’, ‘do moral facts exist?’; ‘what does moral living require of us, both as human beings and within our specific social, professional and vocational roles?’. In searching for answers the students will consult moral theories which are usually grouped into three broad categories: deontological (concerned with acts that fulfil our duties), teleological (concerned with the consequences of our acts; utilitarianism is its best-known representative), and virtue-centred (focused upon the formation of good character with the virtues as its traits). The students will be helped to think in an informed and structured way about the meaning, role and patterns of moral reasoning and decision making within deontology, teleology, and virtue ethics. The module will be interdisciplinary, engaging with neuroscience and artificial intelligence. These approaches to ethical thinking will be set in dialogue with other themes for investigation, including: major influences on ethical debate (relativism; theistic and non-theistic approaches; science); conscience; human rights; law and morality. Assessment will be by one 6,000-word assignment.
View the full module definitionThis module will introduce the students to different ways of thinking about moral matters and dilemmas within developmental moral psychology, normative philosophical ethics, neuroscience and art. It will inquire into such questions as ‘what is moral maturity?’; ‘what constitutes and conditions moral growth’?; ‘how to achieve moral excellence?’; ‘is good character enough for leading morally good life?’, ‘how do we assess difficult moral situations and prioritise goods?’; ‘how do we deal with moral incontinence or failure?’ In searching for answers the students will consult moral theories studied in the ‘Foundations of Ethics’ module. The students will be helped to think in an informed and structured way about the meaning, role and patterns of moral reasoning and decision making within deontology, teleology, and virtue ethics. Selected moral psychological theories of ego, cognitive and affective development as well as contemporary discussions within social and neuro psychology will also be studied, to offer a contained interdisciplinary element to this module. Other themes for investigation will include: ‘conscience and consciousness’, ‘moral luck’, ‘handling moral disagreements’, ‘arete and akrasia’ (excellence and weakness of the will). Assessment will be by one 6000-word assignment.
View the full module definitionThe Major Project module enables students to demonstrate their ability to articulate meaningful questions within the area of their course. It encourages students to draw systematically on the knowledge and understanding they have already established in their taught modules and requires them to take a further critical step by analysing the contributions of major texts and thinkers, relating them to the area concerned. To this end, as independent, reflective learners, students will identify a theological question and design a method of investigation, showing it to be consistent with the epistemological and methodological assumptions of their approach. For some students this will include consideration of issues of research ethics. The student will then take a constructive role by reflecting on the results of their investigation in order to contribute to understandings of the particular theological question in play, potentially shaping conceptual or practical approaches for the future, while acknowledging the limits of their investigation. Through supervision students will be challenged and supported to engage critically with diverse viewpoints, develop their own analytical perspective and to communicate their findings effectively. NB: Students undertaking a Major Project module which includes elements of assessment based on research involving the collection of primary empirical data are required to comply with Anglia Ruskin’s ethical approval requirements. Students are required to submit evidence of passing the LMS-based ethics training course with their application.
View the full module definitionCatholic Social Thought (CST) includes the body of official social teachings of the Catholic Church as well as a wider body of thought and practice related to economic, social, and political life. Much of CST has been explicitly addressed not only to Catholics, but to people of all faiths and none, as it addresses issues of our common sociality and our common political structures. CST has been a resource for people within and outside of the Catholic Church for social analysis, activism, and political engagement. In this module we will introduce official documents (Catholic Social Teaching) as well as other sources, thinkers, and social movements (wider Catholic Social Thought), focusing on key themes which characterise CST. Throughout, you will be encouraged to connect this body of thought and its key themes to praxis in particular contexts, depending upon the focus of your MA (e.g., to the role of chaplaincy, to pastoral care, or to a particular ethical issue). Sessions will include a mixture of lecture, seminar discussion, and student presentations. Distance learning and asynchronous resources will be accessed through Hedwig, the Cambridge Theological Federation’s online platform. Synchronous sessions will be accessed via Zoom.
View the full module definitionThis interactive, interdisciplinary module is designed to explore ethical concepts as they form, relate and critique a particular professional context, with a view to helping students develop their own foundations and tools for reasoning about their own professional ethics. Elements such as sources of ethical thinking and moral imagination; central concepts such as equality, common good, human dignity; the value and spirituality of work; the role of ethics in society, all contribute to the theological context in which a particular profession will be approached. Various case studies will be introduced throughout the course in order to address these questions and discuss the possibilities of responsible professional practice. It will draw on key philosophical and religious issues and ideas about being human, discussed in the shared core module ‘Human Condition’ in relation to professional practice. Each year a different professional context will be considered and it will include: market economy, prison service, healthcare, media and education.
View the full module definitionThis module starts from the questions raised by ecological awareness about our understanding of the natural world and the human place in the world. Its aim is to explore the theological resources for a response within Christian traditions, including the often neglected Christian East which has been making significant contributions on ecological questions for some time. The foundation of the course will be the sources and practices common to East and West, including but not limited to patristic writings of the first millennium, sacramental life, lives of the saints. It will also look at ways in which these resources are used today in ecological thinking, particularly though not exclusively in Orthodox Christian writers. Each lecture will be followed by a seminar for which the students will be given preparatory reading. In their seminar contributions, students will be encouraged to draw on resources from their own particular tradition in responding to the lecture and readings.
This module examines the key texts and theories related to the study of interreligious understanding and interfaith relations (e.g. Buber's I and Thou and Institutional statements such as A Common Word, Nostra Aetate and Dabru Emet). The module will also focus on the real-world applications of these texts and theories, such as the importance of sacred land and space, asking students to examine their use in fostering interfaith encounter. This module adopts historical, theological and pastoral approaches to questions and debates around interfaith relations. The module will be divided into an introduction to the main themes, an exploration of the key texts and key moments in the interfaith encounter pertaining to the themes described above.
This module investigates the philosophical and theological features of love. It looks at some of the most seminal thinkers in the history of theology and philosophy, from the pre-Christian era up to the 21st century. The module has an ecumenical character and examines love from a Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant perspective. It also analyses some of the most sophisticated critiques of Christian love and explores how theology can respond to these critiques. The module revolves around key concepts such as agapē, erōs and philia and centres on the careful study of primary texts (in translations where not originally in English). Every session begins with an introductory lecture on the life and work of the author discussed in class that highlights the key ideas in the selected text. In the second half of the session there is time for guided group discussion. You are invited to critically reflect on your own understanding of love. The wide range of different texts will help you to broaden your intellectual horizon and to develop and refine your theological position. The following questions will be addressed: What is the relationship between agapē, erōs and philia? How does Christian theology deal with the tension between preferential love (erotic love, friendship) and the demand for universal love (neighbour love)? Is reciprocity an intrinsic part of Christian love, or is the highest form of love unilateral? Does love occur spontaneously, or is it a virtue that needs to be acquired? What is the relationship between different models of love and metaphysics (esp. the relationship between nature/creation and grace)? Aside from the appropriate programme co-requisites, it would be expected that students registered for the module (and programme) would have achieved philosophical and theological understanding equivalent to level 6 in order to engage with the module content.
This module aims to enable students to understand and critically appraise the relationship between Christian spirituality and the arts (literature, music and visual arts, including film). This module will consider this relationship in the socio-historical and theological contexts in which it has developed, exploring differences and similarities between the Eastern and Western Christian perspectives. This module will enable students to appreciate the place of the arts in Christian worship and the life of the church. Students will engage with theological ideas underpinning ekphrasis, images and icons, the relationship between literature and spirituality as academic disciplines, reflect critically on relationship between theoretical approaches to film, aesthetics, music and spiritual awareness, and examine contemporary phenomenological thinking on the ways in which the arts create access points to the transcendent and spiritual.
Students will investigate the relationship between Christian spirituality, psychology and philosophy. Students will consider how Christian traditions East and West have been informed by different philosophical ideas and traditions across their history. They will examine similarities and differences between philosophy as a way of life in the ancient world and early Christian thinking on spirituality. They will consider how psychology and continental philosophy have come to inform different understandings of Christian Spirituality over the past 100 years. Students will also examine psychological accounts of spiritual development, and contemporary concepts of ‘experience’ and ‘self’ and how these differ from antique and medieval notions of spiritual anthropology and humans as imago dei.
This module investigates the relationship between theology and philosophy. The precise theme that will be discussed may change from year to year. Possible foci are topics such as ‘faith and reason’, ‘evil’, ‘divine and human action’, ‘language/semiotics’, ‘religious epistemology’, etc. The aim of the module is to familiarize you with how the most important traditions, movements and schools envisage the relationship between theology and philosophy You will learn how to understand, interpret and contextualize theological and philosophical texts written by leading religious thinkers. The module discusses texts from the Continental tradition, Analytic Philosophy of Religion and Russian Religious Philosophy. Prior knowledge of philosophical theology and philosophy of religion is an advantage, but no prerequisite to attend the module. To make the most of this module you should be intellectually curious and willing to meticulously analyse dense and complex texts. You are invited to critically reflect on your own presuppositions regarding the relationship between theology and philosophy. The wide range of different texts will help you to broaden your intellectual horizon and to develop and refine your own position. Aside from the appropriate programme co-requisites, it would be expected that students registered for the module (and programme) would have achieved philosophical and theological understanding equivalent to level 6 in order to engage with the module content.
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