Vocation and Leadership in the Catholic Social Tradition

THEO 20623
Instructors: Margaret Pfeil/Andrea Smith Shappell and MDiv Students

This course will invite students to consider the meaning of vocation in relation to the social mission of the church. Beginning with a theological understanding of the significance of vocation and charisms, this course will provide a narrative-based exploration of the vocational journey of prominent figures in the Catholic social tradition such as Francis of Assisi, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez, and Oscar Romero. The emergent understanding of vocation will be held in conversation with the witness given by leaders from other religious traditions, e.g., Badshah Khan, Gandhi, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Using the method of service-learning, this course will invite students to develop an awareness of their social justice commitments in light of their own sense of vocation.

Permission is required. More information about the course format is explained in the Learning Agreement and Application Form that are available at the Center for Social Concerns.