Ethics

Advanced Level Certificate

Course Benefits:
The Advanced Level Ethics track is designed to provide the student with a thorough knowledge of the various issues in the field of Christian ethics.

Course Description:
The Advanced Level track consists of twenty-five courses that can be completed in a three-year period. Although students may take longer to complete the courses if they wish, the courses are designed so that the student may earn the Certificate in three years.

After registration, the student will be assigned a tutor to answer questions that may arise from the required reading and who will evaluate the student's coursework. An online forum will also be provided. The forum will provide a place for students in the Advanced Level Ethics track to submit questions to the tutor and to discuss course related issues with other students registered for the same track.

Course Requirements:
Each of the twenty-five courses in the Advanced Level Ethics track requires a large amount of reading. In order to benefit from the reading, the student is required to keep a reading journal, which is to be submitted to the tutor after completing the final course. The reading journal must be typed. For each required text, the student is to include the following information:

1. State the author and title of the book.

2. In no less than 25 and no more than 50 words, state what the book is about. In other words, what is the subject matter of the book, and how does the author present the material?

3. In no less than 300 and no more than 350 words, summarize how the book has contributed to your knowledge of the issues involved with Christian ethics.

4. In no less than 125 and no more than 150 words, state whether you agree or disagree with any of the author's conclusions and why.

5. In no less than 25 and no more than 50 words, state what difference reading this book has made in your life.

In addition to the reading journal, the student is required to write and submit one research paper after completing the final course. The student may choose any subject covered in one or more of the required courses. The paper should be no less than 4,000 and no more than 5,000 words.

The research paper should adhere to the format outlined in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th edition).

Students may also find the following work useful in the preparation of the research paper:  Robert Hudson, ed. The Christian Writer's Manual of Style (updated and expanded edition).

Required Courses:
Section 1 – Introduction to Ethics
 1. A History of Ethics
2. Meta-Ethics

Section 2 – Normative Ethics: Secular Theories
 3. Normative Ethical Theories I: Virtue Ethics
4. Normative Ethical Theories II: Deontological Ethics
5. Normative Ethical Theories III: Consequentialist/Utilitarian Ethics
6. Normative Ethical Theories IV: Contractarianism/Contractualism

Section 3 – Non-Christian Religious Ethics
 7. Non-Christian Religious Ethical Systems I: Monotheistic Religions
8. Non-Christian Religious Ethical Systems II: Eastern Religions

Section 4 – Normative Christian Ethics
 9. Christian Ethics I: History of Christian Ethics
10. Christian Ethics II: Contemporary Christian Ethics
11. Christian Ethics III: Basic Principles – The Authority of Scripture
12. Christian Ethics IV: Basic Principles – Natural Law
13. Christian Ethics V: Basic Principles – The Law of God and the Christian
14. Christian Ethics VI: Basic Principles – Issues in Old Testament Ethics
15. Christian Ethics VII: Basic Principles – Issues in New Testament Ethics

Section 5 – Applied Christian Ethics
 16. The First Table of the Law
17. Ethics and the Family
18. Sexual Ethics
19. Social Ethics
20. Political Ethics
21. Military Ethics
22. Medical Ethics
23. Science and Ethics
24. Economic Ethics
25. Environmental Ethics

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