Christianity and Culture

PART A. ESSAY: In a well-organized essay, provide a critical response to ONLY ONE of the following statements (Submit your response on Blackboard, Assignments Tab; PLEASE MAKE SURE TO LABEL CLEARLY WHICH STATEMENT YOU ARE RESPONDING TO):

EACH STATEMENT EXRESSES a position from the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Informed by the texts you have encountered in this class and your understanding of the dialogue between Christianity and Culture, SELECT ONE TO WHICH YOU WILL REPOND. YOU MAY AGREE, DISAGREE, OR OFFER A POSITION SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THE STATEMENT AND WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED a contrary view.

Statement I. Some argue that we should believe only what we can know through reason alone. However, unless we live also by faith, we will end up chasing only earthly things, which are finite, temporal, and, ultimately, corruptible. It is only through faith that we know what is true and truly good.

Statement II. The human individual has intrinsic value because of a spiritual soul created immediately by God. That we possess a spiritual soul is not the object of the observational sciences. The truth of our intrinsic value as human persons is only graspable through philosophical and religious reflection.

Statement III. It does not matter whether you are poor or wealthy; we all have equal dignity. As the Bible teaches, “The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD is the maker of them all.” Accordingly, unjust possession of the goods of creation is to be rejected. All persons have an equal right to education, property, health insurance, credit, the markets, and all other means necessary for human flourishing.

1. Develop your response to one of the above statements using the insights of at least four sources or readings from the list of readings covered in your specific section of Christianity and Culture in Dialogue.

2. If you have any questions about which readings you may use for this essay question, please ask your professor. You may not refer to/discuss readings in the CORE 2101 textbook that were not covered in your specific section.

3. You do not need to know where the statement comes from in the course readings. All you need to do is to provide your critical response to the selected passage by discussing at least four course readings.

· In crafting your critical response, please make sure to state clearly your overall argument or thesis in your introduction. In your concluding paragraph(s), please make sure to summarize your argument, identify any possible objections, and provide your response to those objections.

· To assist you in organizing and developing your essay, below are a couple of ways you can begin to craft a response to the passages above:

o For example, for the second statement, one can begin with:

“I agree that human persons are intrinsically valuable because God created us with spiritual souls. But I disagree that only philosophical and religious reflection can reveal this truth. I will explain my thesis by turning to the works of…”

Or

“While I agree that all persons possess equal worth, I do not think that it is unjust for some persons to possess more wealth than others because… I will defend this thesis through a critical assessment of…”

These are only two possible ways of responding!

· Whatever your response, your task is to persuade your reader of the validity of your position, recognizing that some readers will disagree with you. Support your position by discussing at least four readings you have covered in your particular CORE 2101 section.

ONLY 4 TEXTS ARE REQUIRED, NO OUTSIDE SOURCES
1. Corinthians 1-16
2. Genesis 1-11
3. Galileo’s Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina
4. Darwins Excerpt
5. Locke, Second Treatise (attached pictures of text)
6. Gaudium et Spes
7. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 1, Chs. 1-5
Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 2, Chs. 1-5