SSLP: A Theology of Kinship

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course is exclusively for students admitted to the Summer Service Learning Program (SSLP) who participate in eight-week summer service learning placements sponsored by the Center for Social Concerns and domestic Notre Dame Clubs. The application period for the SSLP is open from November 1 to February 1 and can be found online at https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/sslp. All students in the SSLP must register for an SSLP-specific theology course. Most students take THEO 33936 : Kinship on the Margins, a three-credit course graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Theology majors and minors may elect to instead take THEO 40642 : Theology of Kinship, a three-credit letter-graded (A-F) course with additional academic requirements, which counts towards the theology major or minor. Students enroll in the course for the semester when they return to campus following their summer immersion, but the academic work of the three-credit course takes place before, during, and after student participation in the eight consecutive week summer immersion. The goals of Theology of Kinship are threefold: 1) Reflect theologically on one's daily service experiences using assigned course readings, 2) Critically apply the language and perspectives of Catholic social tradition to social issues encountered in contexts of marginalization, and 3) Construct a theological account of human kinship--the inherent relatedness, equal dignity, and mutual responsibility that all human persons share--in light of key concepts of theology, such as the doctrines of the Incarnation and the Trinity, the privileged place of the poor in the Bible, the relationship between liturgy and justice, and recent statements within the Church's social doctrine. Coursework includes: class sessions in April, weekly assigned readings, viewing recorded lectures, and daily writing assignments throughout eight-week summer immersion; completion of SSLP Capstone Project and theological essay, and participating in follow-up class sessions on campus following the immersion. COMMENTS: Permission required to enroll. Must apply to the SSLP online at http://socialconcerns.nd.edu and be accepted to the SSLP before enrolling.