(Module 7) Gaudium et spes states: “The truth is that the imbalances under which the modern world labors are linked with that more basic imbalance which is rooted in the heart of man.” What are those imbalances, and what is the more basic imbalance in the human heart, and how are they rooted in it?
2. (Module 8) What are the human roots of ecological crisis? Does theological thinking offer any resources to respond to the crisis that cannot be found elsewhere, in your opinion? If so, what are they? If not, why not?
3. (Module 9) How does the sexual abuse crisis make it harder to talk about God, in your opinion? Does anything you have learned in the course help you grapple more fruitfully with the challenges this issue poses? (This, you will see, is quite an open question and leaves a lot of leeway in how you might answer.)
4. (Module 10) Pick one case from Module 10 (Galileo, Darwin, or contemporary neuroscience). State briefly what the issue or alleged issue is (the crux of the controversy between God and science, as it relates to that issue). How does what you learned in Module 10 help you understand that issue differently?
5. (Module 11) What contribution can the Church (or Christian faith) make to reflection on economic issues, in your opinion, given what you learned in Module 11?
6. (Module 12) Bernard thinks the love of God converts souls. How does the love of God do that? What does it mean for a soul to be converted by the love of God, as you understand it?
7. (Synthesis) We said that, at the end of this course, you will be able to relate the question of God, the Christian story as lived in faith and in the Church, and your own experience in the world. How would you describe the relationship between these three areas, given what you have learned in the course?
8. In the module I suggested that all of our activities involve assumptions about the meaning and purpose of life. Identify two activities that you regularly engage in that involve assumptions about the meaning or value of the created world/environment (whether by ignoring it, devaluing it, valuing it, enjoying it, etc.). How might these activities be modified to be in greater harmony with the creation/environment?
