The Dignity & Vocation of Men

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

On August 15, 1988, John Paul II released his Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, On the Dignity and Vocation of Women. This title implies that there is a specific "dignity and vocation" of men as well, although there has been no encyclical to date on that topic. This course sets as its objective to discover and to articulate what such an encyclical might contain, that is, what the dignity and vocation of men might be from a Catholic theological perspective. We will draw on both ancient and contemporary sources in philosophy and theology, evidence from Scripture, as well as from sociological and narrative literature that may aid us in our quest. The course will close with a theological consideration of St. Joseph from Scripture and Tradition, as the exemplar of the "dignity and vocation" of men, in order to offer a recapitulation of the themes of the whole semester.