Courage, Hope, Justice

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

How do we become courageous but not reckless? Maintain hope in a world full of despair? Sort out what we owe others and they us? This course explores how the moral virtues of courage, temperance, prudence, and justice, and the theological virtues of faith, love, and hope shape individuals and communities. In addition to academic readings, our lived and observed human experiences serve as texts, allowing us to study and apply these virtues’ religious, psychological and social dimensions. We pay particular attention to how courage, hope, and justice manifest in everyday life, such as in friendships and within communities, during addiction and financial stress, and in the context of a warming planet. Assignments include reflections, studying an exemplar and creating a portfolio for life-long learning.The course is designed so that students can put their own faith tradition or humanist worldview in conversation with course material. This course meets entirely online in an asynchronous format with no live meeting sessions during 6-week Session I, May 18 - June 26, 2026