Research Paper Final Assignment Instructions

THEO 650

RESEARCH PAPER: FINAL ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW

Students will write a research paper on a selected topic (choose from the topic list provided at the

bottom of this document).

INSTRUCTIONS

The paper must be 3500-5000 words long, and use the Bible%appropriately, along with at least 10

additional high quality sources.% Church websites are not appropriate for this assignment and

Journal Articles must be used only sparingly (no more than two).%Websites of official

organizations related to the topic, or government agencies and educational institutions,%(such as

abortion opponent groups, and advocates) may be used for factual information and statistics.

Sensational type advocacy sites, sites that%polemicize%on the matter, must be avoided). Course

texts should not be used in this assignment. The paper must follow%Turabian%and%School of

Divinity%guidelines as to formatting, style, grammar, and graduate quality of work.

The paper will be produced in three stages, first, the topic,%thesis, and preliminary

bibliography;%next will come then the%outline, abstract, and full bibliography; the final paper

(with at least 10 sources used). Due the third, sixth, and seventh modules of the course.%

PAPER TOPICS

Abortion

The Bible and Abortion

History of Christian Teaching on Abortion

Court Decisions and Abortion (Griswold v CT, Roe v Wade, etc)

Planned Parenthood’s role in Abortion

Gambling

State Lotteries: Should Christians Participate?

Bingo for fundraising—what should Christians do?

Gambling: Is it “just entertainment”%like going to a concert or a ballgame?

MPAA Ratings

History of Movie Censorship/Ratings

MPAA Ratings today: a Biblical Evaluation

FCC and broadcast decency—the recent record

Adultery

The Bible and Adultery

Sexual Morality in America—History

THEO 650

The causes and results of the sexual revolution of the 1960s

The Kinsey Report and sexual morality

Virtue Ethics

Aristotle and Virtue

Stanley Hauerwas’s concept of Christian Living

Virtue Ethics in the Gospel of Luke

The Kingdom of God and Ethics

The Kingdom of God in Matthew’s Gospel

The Kingdom of God in Luke’s Gospel

Ron Sider and economic justice: a biblical and critical evaluation

Situation Ethics—a biblical evaluation

Legalism—Its appeal and its problems.

Pornography

The problem within the churches

Psychological effects of Porn

Pornography—history and evaluation of the “community standards” definition

History of efforts to limit porn in America

Divine Command Ethics—biblical and critical evaluation

Capital Punishment

History of capital punishment in America

Capital Punishment—evaluation of reasons to eliminate it

Environment

Global Warming—ethical issue or political football?

Creation and the Christian’s responsibility to the environment

Animal Rights

Animal Rights: the basis, nature, and extent of animal rights.

PETA—do they carry animal rights too far?

Wealth and giving

THEO 650

Material vs Spiritual Values: Is there a biblical balance?

The Bible and Greed

Is Capitalism immoral?% What is the biblical understanding of economic justice?

Gluttony

What is the biblical understanding of feasting, fasting, and the proper role of food in the

Christian life?

Stealing

The biblical basis for property rights.

Old Testament Law—how to we apply Old Testament Law to modern situations?

Justice

Natural Law: Does it have a place in Christian Thinking

John Rawls and Justice: Is a Rawlsian view of Justice consistent with the Bible?

The Bible and Martin Luther King’s view of social justice

Augustine and the City of God: is a just society a proper goal for the church?

Chuck Colson%and the Christian’s role in promoting Justice

William Wilberforce as a model for Christian social involvement

Behaviorism and Ethics

War

History of Just War Theory

Just War Theory and (The Iraq War; World War II; The Korean Conflict; Kosovo; etc)

Pacifism—History

Pacifism—a biblical critique

Modern Christian Pacifism—a critical analysis

Internet

Ethics in Cyberspace

Internet Porn and Christians

Creating Alternate Online Identities

Ministerial Ethics

Ethical Obligations in Ministerial Counseling

Sexual abuse and the responsibilities of a minister

Confidentiality Rules—where and how they apply

Should ministers be required to perform gay marriages where they are legal?

THEO 650

Marriage and Family

Christian Marriage—ethics in Marriage

Divorce and remarriage

In-Vitro Fertilization: An Option for Christians?

Gay Marriage: Should Christians oppose it?

Tom and Steve live next door”—Reflecting the love of Christ while standing up for th

truth when your neighbors are gay.

Cloning

Is cloning “Playing God”?%

Drug Abuse

What is the role of the church when drug abuse happens among membership?%

Challenges for Youth Ministers in dealing with drug abuse.

Medical Marijuana—Is it an open door for abuse and addiction?

Civil Disobedience

Is Civil Disobedience ever justified?

The Civil Rights movement and Civil Disobedience%%%%%

Social Order/Social justice

Christians and the public square: Hermits or activists?

Welfare: who is responsible, government or% church?

ObamaCare: Is there a “right” to healthcare? Limits and responsibilities for secular

governments in healthcare services.

Liberation Theology

oLatin American

oFeminist

oAfrican American

oWomanist

History of the Christian Life Commission/Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

The ethical beliefs of

Stanley Hauerwas

John Howard Yoder

Joseph Fletcher

B. F. Skinner

Ayn Rand

Alisdair MacIntyre

Bernard of Clairvaux

THEO 650

G. E. Moore

Plato/Socrates

St. Benedict

Marcus Aurelius

Martin Luther King

Ian Ramsey

Leonardo Boff

John MacQuarrie

Preaching on Ethical Issues

Principles for effective preaching on ethics.

Pitfalls and dangers of treating ethical issues in the pulpit. % %

Research Paper Final Assignment Instructions

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