Course Description:

The course will begin with an examination of the general concepts of “Justice” and “Social Justice”, and cirrent application and / or failure of these concepts in today’s world. Then readings and class discussion will focus briefly the New Testament’s vision of social justice as rooted in the models found in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Wisdom Literature of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. The bulk of the course will be devoted to a very close and careful reading of individual New Testament writings, along with commentary from the textbooks. The guided reading will explore these biblical texts as vehicles that carry a creative vision of the church as unique community; A community that models for the world how a system might work in which there is equal and just distribution of economic, social and cultural resources for all. There will be a brief consideration of social justice as a concern in the early post New Testament Church. The final class sessions will consider prospects for living and applying the New Testament’s vision of justice in today’s world, with attention to some current issues and concerns: economics, globalization, terrorism, criminal justice, militarism, health care, ecology and environment.