Back to 1.2.4
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We are at a good point in Unit 1 to review what has come up so far. To enable that, below are three sets of questions for discussion.
How you can make best use of these – including whether face-to-face or in an online forum – will depend on the university or other context in which you are studying the module.
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1. Your prior knowledge of CST
(a) In the first screen, you were asked to read a short article by Christine Allen (you can open it here). You were then asked to reflect on the following questions:
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Reflection (pasted in from 1.1.1)
A book called Catholic Social Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret is now in its fourth edition. In fact CST is much better known now than when the first edition of that book was published, in 1985. But Christine Allen’s article of 2009 refers to CST as still Catholicism’s best kept secret. I wonder if she is right. What do you think?
What do you know already about Catholic Social Teaching?
How do you know what you know?
- From talks and sermons?
- Because you are a peace and justice activist?
- From your family?
- From previous study?
- From the internet?
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Discuss your reactions to these questions.
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(b) On 1.2.3 you looked through a list of the main documents that make up the Church’s global social teaching.
Which of those documents (if any) are you familiar with? If you do know of some of them, how did you encounter them?
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(c) You might wish to read Christine Allen’s short article again and to discuss it using the following questions:
- What are two of its strong points?
- What are its weak points?
- How does what she says fit, or not fit, with what you already know about Catholic Social Teaching?
- Do you find the article raises questions that it doesn’t answer?
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2. The Christian gospel
In 1.2.2, I outlined what it means to speak of the Christian gospel. You were then asked to step back and question that outline:
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Reflection (pasted in from 1.2.2)
On this page I’m trying to summarize the Christian gospel. No doubt there are many ways of doing this.
The last page and this one together can be summed by saying that Christianity is good news because God has revealed God’s love and because God saves.
What do you make of the summary of ‘the gospel’ I have given? From other knowledge you have of Christian faith, do you think anything fundamentally important is missing from it? Do you think it is accurate?
How would you improve it?
I am certain it is incomplete: much more could be said in describing the gospel…
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With reference to 1.2.1 and 1.2.2, discuss these questions.
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3. Knowledge of the Bible
CST arises from the gospel, which, in turn, we learn of primarily through the Bible.
How much of the Bible have you read? Which parts? Why these parts?
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In the rest of this unit you will be asked to read quite extensively from the Bible.
Have you read lengthy passages in the Bible before or only short texts (say, daily readings)?
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What challenges are posed for us by reading ancient books such as those that make up the Bible?
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Study of this unit so far might have provoked other questions too. You might wish to discuss some of these as well as, or instead of, the above.
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End of 1.2.5
Go to 1.3 THE ‘PROPHETIC STRAND’ IN SCRIPTURE
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