Assignment:
TOPICS. Choose one of the following, either A, B, or C.
Topic A. Describe the connections between the USCCB statement on "Rights and Responsibilities" and the themes of force, violence, and social justice and injustice as encountered in the Old Testament in this course especially in Unit 4.
This statement on "Rights and Responsibilities" is by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and is one of their "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching."
• Go to the "Seven Themes." web page at https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm
• Read the intro. paragraph
• Scroll down to "Rights and Responsibilities" and the summary paragraph
• Click on "More on Rights and Responsibilities" to go to the statement itself
Use the following format:
• In your own style, write your introduction, any background and summaries that you wish, and your conclusion.
• For the main body of your paper, use the following sequence: describe a relevant aspect of the statement along with any needed explanation, and then give the connection or connections to it found in the OT in the course so far and especially in Unit 4.
• Do the same thing for another aspect and its connections, and another, as often as you choose.
To do this paper well, much of your paper will explain biblical knowledge from as much of this course as possible and especially from Unit 4. You are primarily demonstrating a sound knowledge and understanding of the OT as learned in this course, along with its relevance to the modern world.
Topic B. Special request. Describe the connections between this course so far and especially in Unit 4, and a special topic of your own choice or interest which is within the major themes of social justice and injustice for this course. Just a reminder that the topic must be social and systemic, not just individual or personal.
• You must clear this topic with the instructor first.
Topic C. This option is for students who are a member of one of the following religions: Islam; Judaism; Hinduism; or Buddhism. Do the same as Topic A above and include some connections to what your own religion teaches if it is one of the following: Islam; Judaism; Hinduism; or Buddhism.
Important content. To do this paper well, much of your paper will explain biblical knowledge from this course, especially from Unit 4. You are demonstrating a sound knowledge and understanding of the OT, as learned in this course specifically, especially in Unit 4.
Required sources. Use the following required sources:
• The textbook Bible or an equally good modern translation. (Check with me if in doubt.)
• The relevant readings as given in the assignments. You need to know and understand the subject matter for this course to decide what the relevant readings are, because this is a thinking person's assignment to some extent.. Feel free to ask the instructor if in doubt.
• Birch and Donahue. Find and use the relevant sections, whether they were assigned as readings or not. Using the table of contents in each textbook will help you to find the relevant sections.
• Knowledge taught by the instructor in class.
No need to cite the documents which are posted on Blueline. You do not need to cite the documents which are written by the instructor and posted on Blueline. But you need to use them as sources.
Citing the textbooks. When you use the textbooks (Birch and Donahue), show this clearly.
• Cite them using either MLA, or Turabian, or Chicago (Humanities), whichever one you wish to use or are familiar with already.
• For sure give in-text citations with page numbers, plus a Works Cited at the end.
Citing the Bible. See the section on "Using the Bible" below.
Using and citing other sources. Feel free to use other sources in addition to those required, as long as they are credible by the standards used in this course.
• Cite them the same way as the textbooks (described just above).
• Give the page numbers for print sources for in-text citation
• Give a clickable hyperlink (URL) if it is not a print source, so that I can look it up quickly and easily
• For how to cite Pope Francis' address, see the section on speeches on this web page:
This shows you how to list it in the Works Cited, and then you can take it from there for in-text citations.
• For anything else, click on the headings along the left side of the Purdue web pages above, or just use the search box at the top left.
Bible knowledge. Because this is a course in biblical studies, use good method as you have been learning in class. For example, explain biblical content and meaning according to its background and context. Be sure to explain the place of your subject in the Old Testament storyline or meta-narrative as a whole.
Your own views. Feel free to also express your own views in addition to (but not instead of) foundational knowledge for the course.
Your target readers. Write this for someone who has not taken this class, not for me. Explain things clearly in plain English.
• Your reader has an open Bible and has read the section of Bible covered by your paper, so you don't need to give a systematic survey of the biblical story or content. For example, if you refer to the Exodus story, you can explain the meaning of that story, or something in it, without actually repeating the story itself, because your readers have already read it in the Bible or can look it up.
• A good way is to picture someone you know, and write it for that person.
Scripture, modern relevance, application. Include possible ideas on how your book might relate to later Christian theology, or how it may have been misunderstood or misused, or how it might be read as Scripture and applied in practice today. This can include thoughtful reflection on how any of this might apply to one or more specific issues of force, violence, or social justice today.
• As a result, this is a thinking person's assignment which moves beyond foundational knowledge for the course. However, it must be built on foundational knowledge in order to give it substance and credibility.