RS 366C: Theology of Suffering and Death Ursuline College Resived 10/05

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1 Ursuline College Accelerated Program CRITICAL INFORMATION! DO NOT SKIP THIS LINK BELOW... BEFORE PROCEEDING TO READ THE UCAP MODULE, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO READ AND ADHERE TO ALL UCAP POLICY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS LINK BELOW CLICK HERE... RS 366C: Theology of Suffering and Death Ursuline College Resived 10/05 Course Information: Instructor: Credits: Semester: Time: Contact Information: Phone: Office: RS 366C: THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING AND DEATH Adjustments to Course Module Patrick Gibbons, Ph.D. 1. Revision of class requirements and the grading scale. a. Class requirements 5 reflection papers 20 points each total 100 points Research paper 100 points Total points 200 points

2 Course Description: b. Grading scale A % points B % points B 86-89% points C % points C 76-82% points D % points D 70-72% points F failing Below 140 points This course intends to develop in its students a fundamental understanding of the Christian theology of suffering and death. It provides students the opportunity to reflect on the mystery of suffering and death by examining major issues and questions from a theological perspective. Methods for applying what is learned to real-life situations are also explored. This course combines scholarly, pastoral, personal, and experiential approaches in order to involve the whole person. It emphasizes the positive and necessary values of compassion, listening, patience, and tolerance for the lives of others, and it encourages the student to engage in a constructive process of self-discovery about suffering, dying, and death. Prerequisites: Completion of Stage Two of Ursuline Studies Instructional Objectives: I. Knowledge 2. Skills 3. Values Identify contemporary attitudes toward suffering and death Develop a basic understanding of the Christian theology of suffering, death, resurrection, and afterlife Develop a basic knowledge of multiple perspectives from diverse religious traditions on human suffering and death Recognize one s own attitude toward suffering and death Recognize signs and stages of grief and dying Be aware of practical aspects of the dying process: ethical, legal, financial, funerary Relate the mystery of suffering and death to one s own life through writing and dialogue Be able to help self and others involved in death, dying, loss, suffering, and grief work Manage a crisis situation related to loss, suffering, death, and grief work Understand and appreciate one s own feelings toward death and suffering Understand and appreciate others feelings toward death and suffering Appreciate idiosyncratic responses of individuals to loss, suffering, death, dying, and/or grief work Begin to be aware of a personal dialogue with the reality of death Frame healthy answers to the questions of ultimate meaning and life s purpose within the framework of limit and loss

3 Required Texts Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie. New York: Doubleday, Doka, Kenneth J. and John D. Morgan, Editors. Death and Spirituality. Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, Lewis, C.S. The Problem of Pain. New York: HarperCollins, Originally published New York: Macmillan, Any standard translation of the Christian Bible. Requirements I. Attendance Attendance at all class meetings for the duration of class is mandatory. Because of the participatory nature of the intensive UCAP course structure, it is imperative for your experience as well as for that of the class as a whole that you be present. Absences will negatively impact your total grade. Should an emergency situation arise which requires an absence from all or even part of a class, you must contact your facilitator at the earliest possible time. Contingent upon the discretion of the facilitator, under extraordinary circumstances you may be permitted to make up class time or activities missed. Usually, however, absence will negatively impact the highest possible grade you can earn in the following fashion: B for missing ½ of one class C for missing an entire class D for missing two entire classes F for missing three or more classes II. Reflection Papers 100 Students will produce 5 critical reflection papers, which analyze and evaluate the reading assigned for the class sessions. The specific question or topic to be considered in each paper is articulated in the session descriptions. Each paper should be carefully written according to the standards established by the UCAP program for written work. All resources incorporated into the paper should be properly cited using either MLA or APA style. Papers should be typed in 12pt. font with normal page margins. Each paper is worth 20 pts. III. Research Project 100 pts. The range of personal and professional interests of students in the class is potentially very broad. Therefore, the options for research project are comparably broad, in order to allow students to pursue independent research or reflection, which will best suit each one s particular goals for this class. You will select one of the following projects to complete for your major written assignment this semester. Standards for grading remain the same for each. Requirements for each project include: 5-7 pgs. in length, 12 pt. font, double-spaced, normal page margins proper citation of sources & carefully proofread text attention to all aspects of the topic description presentation of paper in our final class session for discussion and submission

4 1) The meaning of human suffering and death is understood within the Christian tradition through the lens of the events of Christ s passion and resurrection. While Christ s life and death are characteristically the central elements which render meaning to the Christian theologian s exploration of the problem of human suffering, theologians have ventured far and wide in their interpretation of the meaning of both Christ s suffering and also our own suffering. In other words, they do not always agree with one another. In this paper, you will choose one theologian s work to investigate in order to explore how he or she understands and describes the meaning of suffering and death in light of the Christian narrative. You may choose any theologian in whom you have a particular interest. You are encouraged to consult the facilitator for aid in selecting an appropriate reading selection. You will then write up an evaluative treatment of the author s work, indicating what you have read and all secondary recourses you may have used. I encourage you to think about contemporary theologians and their works on justice, liberation, race, gender, and ecology if you are interested in discovering current and topical considerations of this problem. 2) The meaning of human suffering, death, and loss is a major theme of artistic expression in every medium in every age. It is likely that from time to time you have been profoundly moved by a song, a book, a movie, a painting, a poem, an artist s life, etc. into a deeper consideration of the question of meaning and loss. In this paper, you will choose one artist s work to investigate in order to explore how he or she understands and describes the meaning of suffering and death. You will be asked then to bring this artistic understanding into dialogue with the theological and spiritual resources, textbooks, and discussions we have been using in class. Your goal in this project will be to evaluate how well the artist communicates the experience of suffering and his or her take on human meaning in light of the theological traditions we will be studying. 3) Suffering and death have very practical components that we invariably have to consider. For instance, how to communicate the news of impending death to the dying and his/her family, how to discuss funeral arrangements, what to anticipate in the behavior of the bereaved, and so on. In this paper, you will be asked to research, report on and synthesize the information in 3 scholarly books or journals (only 1 online source is acceptable) on aspects of helping someone and his/her family members cope with practical as well as ethical issues related to death and its aftermath. This project will be particularly useful for those pursuing care-giving professions, and the specific subject matter of the paper may be tinkered with to best suit your specific professional interests. Please see the facilitator if you plan on altering the content in any way. 4) You may suggest an alternative to the assignments listed above if you have an idea that you would like to pursue. If it is deemed comparable to the other papers in theological and scholarly scope, you will likely be able to develop your own project description. Miscellaneous 1. Please carefully review the attendance and lateness portion of this syllabus. 2. Facilitator reserves the right to alter the reading and activity schedule as may benefit the class. 3. Cheating or plagiarism will merit failure of the course. It will also require that an incident report be submitted to the Dean of Arts and Sciences as well as to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and may result in your dismissal from the college. 4. If you have documented special learning needs, please see the facilitator at the beginning of the semester in order to receive proper accommodations.

5 5. Work must be submitted in class on the day that it is due. Late work will lose one letter grade per weekday late. Facilitator will instruct you as to what is the best method for submitting late work and the final date for submission of all work. 6. If an emergency requires that you miss the exam, the facilitator will decide whether and when a make-up exam can be given.

6 Session 1 Understanding the Theological Problem of Pain TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE SESSION 1. Read the Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis 2. Read the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible 3. Write a 2-3 page paper: Identifying what the main argument of each text is what is each trying to say about the problem of pain? How do the two weigh up against one another which perspective is more persuasive? OUTCOMES IN CLASS 1. To be introduced to the basic tasks of theological investigation 2. To learn basic theological categories and terms related to the study of suffering and death 3. To understand the fundamental problem of theodicy namely, given the reality of suffering, how is it possible to claim that God is both all powerful and all good? 4. To have read, discussed, and understood two classic works in the theology of suffering SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS 1. What is theology and what is religious experience? 2. How does the reality of death force us to think about God? 3. Can evil ever bring about good? 4. Are the realities of suffering and death necessarily evil? 5. What does Job teach us about suffering? What does Lewis teach us? SUGGESTED WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES 1. Introductions a) syllabus covering assignments, expectations, writing standards, etc.; b) facilitator and student introductions 2. Lecture on basic theological categories and terms, especially emphasizing the nature and method of doing theology and theological anthropology. Here students should be led to understand the relationship between human experience and theological investigation as two sides of the same mystery. 3. Large group discussion and/or lecture on the structures, content, and arguments presented in the weeks readings in order to clarify both the context and content of these important works. 4. Group viewing and discussion of When Bad Things Happen To Good People [Videorecording] / Harold S. Kushner ; The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Broadcasting Authority. 5. Participation activity (worth 20 pts.) have students work in small groups of 3-4 to create a persuasive argument in support of the claim that God is both all good and all powerful despite the reality of suffering and death. Ask them to devise a strategy they might use to teach this concept to others if they were facilitating the course. Each group should submit a written response to be shared with the entire class.

7 Session II Multiple Perspectives on the Human Life, Suffering, and Death TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE SESSION 1. Read Death and Spirituality, pgs Write a 2-3 page paper describing the theological and practical differences among Jewish, Christian, Eastern, and non-religious approaches to suffering and death. Focus your discussion on how the human person is understood in each of these traditions is life understood as having been created with purpose, is there an afterlife, what is the human being s relationship to nature, etc. Does reading these different perspectives open you to new insights about your own faith or the faith of another religious tradition? Why or why not? OUTCOMES IN CLASS 1. To gain an introductory knowledge of the basic belief systems of several religious traditions as they relate to the understanding of the human life, its suffering, and its death 2. To understand the impact sociological realities have on the way we experience and interpret suffering and death at the cultural and sub-cultural levels 3. To be able to apply the different ways of understanding suffering and death covered in the readings to a dramatization of one family s struggle SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS 1. Articulate and compare the theological anthropologies of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity. Discuss how each of these belief systems shapes the whole view of human life. 2. Discuss the issue of race as a factor determining how people experience suffering and death. 3. Discuss what other cultural and sub-cultural factors might influence how we understand suffering and death, and conversely how we value human life. SUGGESTED WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES 1. Follow-up from last class share insights from previous group activity, discussion and feedback on reflection papers 2. Participation activity (worth 25 pts.) break students into 6 groups and assign each a chapter. In 30 minutes, have them analyze and articulate the key points and terms learned in the reading, focusing on what is distinctive about the tradition and its understanding of the human life. After the time is up, allow each group minutes to present to the class what they feel is crucial to emphasize in each chapter. Facilitator should fill in any information which ought to be highlighted and/or is necessary to understanding the religious tradition under discussion. Special attention ought also to be given to the final chapter in this section, which deals with race-specific death related issues in the United States. 3. View feature film John Q. 4. As a large group, apply the concepts learned in class to discussion of the film. The point in this exercise is to have students apply different religious or social perspectives to this take on suffering and death. How would the protagonist in this film be seen from a Jewish perspective, a Buddhist perspective, a Taoist perspective, etc.? What assumptions underlie the characters actions? How is the value of human life presented by different points of view in the film? Facilitator may wish to have students independently write responses to the above listed questions before group discussion.

8 Session III Pastoral Dimensions of Suffering and Death TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE SESSION 1. Read Death and Spirituality, pgs Write a 2-3 page paper describing a strategy for caring spiritually for the dying as well as the bereaved. The response to this topic may come from a personal or professional perspective. In the response, please articulate what spiritual needs may arise for both parties, how to detect them, and how to relate to them. OUTCOMES IN CLASS 1. To learn and discuss spiritual concerns in counseling the dying what are the spiritual needs, issues and concerns of dying persons and how do we cope with them 2. To learn and discuss spiritual concerns in counseling the bereaved how ought we to understand and care for the needs of those who have lost loved ones 3. To discuss special issues in care for the bereaved including suicide, trauma, AIDS, and perinatal death 4. To learn about the aims, intentions, and practices of hospice and palliative care 5. To identify and understand the stages of grief SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS 1. What personal or professional insights do students bring to issue of spiritual care for the dying or the bereaved? 2. How does the nature of a particular illness or death shape the dying and bereavement processes? SUGGESTED WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES 1. Follow-up from last class share insights from and feedback on reflection papers. 2. Lecture and discussion on readings. Facilitator should highlight areas which he/she feels require special emphasis. Facilitator may also wish to provide background information on the origins of the modern hospice movement and ethical issues involved in long-term care for the sick and dying. Students are encouraged to share insights from their papers and to teach one another. 3. View and discuss Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Facing Death / [Videorecording] : First Hand Films ; Fontana Film In Co-Production With SF DRS/SRG SSR Ideé Suisse. Make sure to highlight in discussion Ross famous description of stages of grief. 4. View Letting Go A Hospice Journey [Videorecording] : [Presented By] Home Box Office ; Maysles Films, Inc. ; Producer, Susan Froemke, D. 5. Participation Activity (worth 25 pts.) have students break into small groups of 3-4 students. Ask them to evaluate each patient s situation in the video, paying particular concern to the spiritual needs of the dying individual as well as the needs of the family each will be leaving behind. Additionally, ask students to assess the spiritual care the families are given by the hospice teams. Who comprises each hospice team, and what do they do? Are they successful? If they have shortcomings, what might they be? Each team should record responses. When large group convenes, have each team share their insights and engage other teams in dialogue about their findings.

9 Session IV Personal Dimensions of Suffering and Death TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE SESSION 1. Read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom 2. Write a 2-3 page paper discussing Morrie s experience dying. Is this book in fact about dying or is it about something else? What lessons do you learn from Morrie s approach to his own death? How do these lessons impact how you might think about your own death? OUTCOMES IN CLASS 1. To reflect on one s own death and, consequently, one s own life 2. To be introduced to the Christian spiritual tradition of the art of dying well 3. To be introduced to the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola and learn how they function as a method of discernment 4. To read, discuss, and view a classic American investigation into the meaning of suffering and death Tuesdays with Morrie 5. To discuss and begin to prepare for the final exam SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS 1. How does thinking about one s own death impact how we make choices? 2. What does limitation mean in general and how does it shape our lives? 3. How might we relate Tuesdays with Morrie to the insights we discussed in the Problem of Pain or the Book of Job? 4. How does the pastoral and spiritual care Morrie s given as he dies sync up with what we learned and discussed in the previous class? How does the care he receives impact his dying? SUGGESTED WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES 1. Follow-up from last class share insights from and feedback on reflection papers. 2. View Morrie: Lessons on Living, Anchored by Ted Koppel. Follow viewing by a discussion of student papers and the video, either as a class or in small groups. 3. Lecture and discussion on the Christian spiritual tradition of the ars mortis the art of dying well. Facilitator may wish to select a short reading from another classic text in spirituality Catherine of Siena, Therese of Avila, St. John of the Cross, etc. for an appropriate meditation on the meaning of death. This text could be read together in class. 4. Participation activity (worth 25 pts.) have students engage in an Ignatian meditation on death, as described in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Facilitator may wish to bring in a spiritual director (contact the Jesuit retreat house in Parma, OH and/or the office of campus ministry at JCU for interested persons) to explain the nature of the exercises and to walk students through the process. After the meditation, have students independently write about their experience. If time permits, a discussion about what was learned from the experience might be educational. 5. Facilitator should reserve some time toward the end of class to discuss what to expect on the final exam. Following facilitator comments, students should be allowed to work in small groups for 30 minutes to review together.

10 Session V Summary Theology of Suffering and Death TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE SESSION Revision of Session V 1. Write a 2-3 page reflection paper, using the principles of Christian theology presented in class, which would respond to the following case. A 68 year old man has been diagnosed with lung cancer. His condition is terminal. There are some procedures that can be done which might allow a few more months of life and that may allow the patient to be able to have food and fluids. The patient and his family have questions about the personal, ethical, and spiritual benefits of these procedures. They also have questions about the dying process and the afterlife. How might you respond to their questions? These papers will be shared in the final class. 2. Research papers will be due the final class. Students will have 5-10 minutes to discuss their work and what they learned.