UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS
Tuguegarao City
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ARTS and SCIENCES
Department of Philosophy and Religious Instructions
Second Semester
A.Y. 2021-2022
CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
CFED 1023 - Christian Morality in Our Times
Prepared by:
IRENE BAUTISTA
THELMA BARICAUA
NICHOLE MAE LOZADA
ARISTOTLE MIGUEL MAGGAY
RAY OBISPO
WILSON TEMPORAL
CHARISSA ZALUN
Reviewed by:
WILSON J. TEMPORAL, LPT, MST
DPRI Department Head
Recommended by:
VENUS I. GUYOS, Ph.D.
Academic Dean
Approved by:
EMMANUEL JAMES PATTAGUAN, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic
School of Education, Arts and Sciences
Teacher Education Department
Curriculum 2021-2022
CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
CFED 1023 (Christian Morality in Our Times)
GENERAL INTRODUCTION:
Congratulations for making it to the second semester.
Keep the vigor going as we brace another daring semester!
Before we go further, let me ask a question.
Are you ready to continue the mission and embark on a new challenging yet exciting
journey?
If so, be inspired to carry out the timeless zeal of a true CICM Missionary as we revisit the chronicles
behind our personality.
Looking forward to a meaningful teaching and learning experience in spite of the challenges of our
times.
May the Good Lord be with us in all our midst! Stay safe, Louisian Missionaries!
Remember:
Expect to do varied assessments or activities that will be given. At the outset, I am strictly warning you against
plagiarism especially for essay type activities. PlagScan is used to verify the authenticity of your work. Any
plagiarized material will be automatically given zero. (This includes copy paste from the internet and from your
classmates)
Academic Intellectual Property Rights: Materials posted over NEO-LMS are the properties of USL and the
Facilitators. Students are not allowed to share it to any third-party individuals not part of the class without any
permission from the owners.
I hope you find this flexible approach helpful. Under God’s grace, let’s continue to learn amidst this
pandemic. This is just a challenge, but not a hindrance for us to hone ourselves at its best. Again, stay safe!
Introduction to the Course
The course introduces the students to the main themes of Christian Morality. It searches more deeply,
in the light of Christian faith for the design of God for humankind and creation, and the deep implications of the
moral issues and concerns which surround the human person most especially in the contemporary time.
Christian Morality asks what life is and seeks, in the light of Christian faith the basic goal or direction of
humankind. It studies the relationship between revelation and faith, grace and sin and faith and salvation.
Christian Morality studies the various paradigm-shifts in the context of the history of salvation and their
relationship with the mystery of Jesus Christ and the Christian Church.
This Week’s Time Table: (January 17-22, 2022)
For this week, the following shall be your guide for the different lessons and tasks that you need to accomplish.
Oops! Be patient, read them carefully before proceeding to the tasks expected of you.
HAVE A FRUITFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE 😊
Date Topics Activities or Tasks
January 17 Orientation/Setting of Expectations Read the General Introduction Part
January 18-19 What is Morality? What is a Norm? Read and Internalize Lesson
January 20-21 Sources of Norms and the Misconceptions Read and Internalize Lesson
of Morality, Moral Philosophy and Moral
Theology
January 22 Submission of learning tasks Accomplish the learning task
CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
CFED 1023 (Christian Morality in Our Times)
A.Y. 2021-2022
Lesson 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE CFED 1023
Topics: What is Morality? What is Norm?
Sources of Morality and the Misconceptions on Morality
Moral Philosophy and Moral Theology
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:
a. Define comprehensively the term “Morality” and “Norms”;
b. Identify the sources of the norms of morality;
c. Explain the cause of the misconceptions of morality; and
d. Differentiate Moral Philosophy from Moral Theology.
LEARNING CONTENT:
INTRODUCTION:
Formation in Morality is at the forefront of the development of the faith of a Christian. To live a
moral life entails that Christians conform to the life and teachings of Jesus. However, for them to live a
moral life, it is crucial that they understand what morality is and to unlearn all sorts of misconceptions. For
a clear understanding of morality, one is able to ascertain what action is appropriate and necessary for a
certain circumstance. With this, the concept of morality must be very clear to the human person since this
will be his/her very guide for his/her day to day living.
Before going to the unique or specified Christian sources of morality this lesson will first present the
basic concepts on how Christians arrived with their different general moral norms so that we will be able to
connect the different concepts or norms of morality laid for the human person.
Lesson Proper
The Descriptive title of our course is Christian Morality in Our Times. First, we have to ask what is
Morality? Basically, Morality is connected with norms. So, the next step is to ask if what is a norm?
Norm is a fundamental concept in the
social sciences. It is commonly defined as
rules or standards that are socially enforced. In
the ancient times, when there were no formal
social structures such as government and the
Church; or when the different religions were
not yet as organized as they are now, norms
often come in the forms of customs, rituals,
and traditions. This was so since people would
easily follow these standards if it becomes part
of their life-styles until it becomes part of their way of living. In the Philippine context, respecting one’s
parents would be taught by saying “po” or “opo” to them, or by the practice of “pagmamano”. Norms would
only come in the forms of rules, regulations, or technically called law when society became more socially
organized in their government systems. When different societies mature or develop, their moral standards
would also become more organized, more so when they realized how important is the laying out of the
rules to govern human actions for the sustenance of the peace and order in society which will pave the
way for more social progress and further developments. So, what is “Morality” in a more technical
definition?
Morality is a science that deals with the “quality” (goodness or
badness) of human acts/actions. “science” generally means a field of
study. So, Morality will judge whether a certain act or action is good
or bad. How does morality judge human acts/actions? Morality needs
basis/bases which are the rules or standards or technically called
Law. In general, these rules or standards or laws are called Norms.
Our next question is, how did morality arrive with these norms? If
the human person came up with these norms or found these norms by
thinking deeply/ reflecting or so, called philosophizing, then the
process or the science is called Moral Philosophy. In other situations,
if the norms or rules were given or revealed by God or the Divine
being, the science is called Moral Theology. What is the difference
between the two? Moral Philosophy found out the norms or rules by
using purely human reasoning or called philosophizing, while in Moral Theology, these rules or norms
were given or revealed by God. An example of norms in Moral Theology is the Ten Commandments. So
Moral Philosophy relies on pure reasoning/deeply thinking while Moral Theology would depend on God’s
revelation and faith. Aside from Philosophizing and God’s revelation, let us try to find out how others come
up with norms for the human person
Sources of Norms:
Three Bases in coming up with a good/right norm for human act/ human life: Knowing the Origin, Nature
and the End/Destiny of the human person.
The concepts of the Origin, Nature, and the Destiny of the Human Person and their serious implications in
coming up with moral norms.
1. The Concept of the Origin of the Human Person and all things that surround him/her.
God (man is a creature of God)
Origin:
Apes (man came from apes)
Most if not all religions would strongly believe that all creation and the human person came from a
creator which we call “God” whether you call that God YHWH, Allah, Brahman, Bathala, Kabuniyan or
what so ever term which would indicate being all-powerful and other traits expected of a supreme being.
Outside the realm of beliefs, some would strongly propose other theories for the origin of the
human person such as the theories that the human person evolved from other creatures or animals or
even product of purely natural happenings.
Serious Implications to Morality:
If you believe that the human person originated from a supreme being called “God”, then it follows
that your moral norms/laws will depend on the characteristics of that “God”; or that “God” will be the one to
command or give norms to the human person. An example of this is the 10 Commandments in the case of
Judaism or Christianity. The moral laws will greatly respect the dignity of that “God” and the human person
whom He also created. There is what you call “fear of the Lord” as pat of your moral norms.
For the second concept of the origin of the human person which suggests that we evolved from
other animals or just product of purely natural events, its moral norms will just depend on the nature of the
human person which will just be purely animal. With this, there will be no higher dignity for the person to
be respected and there will also be no fear or respect for a higher being or higher authority which is called
“God”. So, you can just do whatever you want such as easily manipulating others even to the point of
killing
fellow human persons since you may think that man is the highest authority on earth.
2. Human Nature / Natural law (since man is part of the whole nature or Creation)
The same with the concept of the origin of the human person, one’s concept/view of the nature of
the human person will also dictate what set of moral norms is being set to be followed or lived by us
humans.
Serious Implications to Morality:
As being explained above in the concept of the origin of all things, if you believe that we are both
bodily and spiritual beings since we are creations of God, then our moral norms will flow from such
concept, and if you just believe that we are purely animals, then our moral norms will also flow from such
view like treating us as purely animals.
3. Destiny / End / or the Ultimate Goal of human life
Different religions commonly believe that as we were created by a higher being or called supreme
being, we also have a good destiny prepared for us. We commonly believe that there is a life after the
death of our physical aspect. This is called “heaven” in Christianity, and other religions have also their own
terms for such a destiny for the human person.
On the other way around, other people who do not believe in beings that are higher than the human
person will just say that there is no such thing as life after death. Death is the ultimate end of the human
persons.
Serious Implications to Morality:
The same with the case of the concept of the origin of all, the view for the end/destiny of the human
person will also dictate what set of moral norms is being laid for us. If you strongly believe in the life after
death and going there at the end of life requires good moral life, then we have to do good in our lives to be
able to attained such destiny. On the other hand, if there is no noble end/destiny for the human person,
then there are no such thing as moral norms. There will be norms but they will greatly depend on the
concept of the people who can manipulate the others.
With the presentation of the different sources of moral norms, I hope it now clear to us why there
are norms or laws which we find not compatible what we believe especially with our views on the origin
and the destiny for the human person. There are also norms/laws which we find not compatible with our
basic nature as human persons. These norms which we strongly believe as not good for us are what we
call misconceptions on morality. So, coming up with “wrong” norms is a product of one’s misconceptions
of morality. The misconceptions on morality are just product of the “wrong” concept of the origin, nature,
and the destiny for the human person.
Summarizing what is being discussed above, morality is centered on norms use to judge
human acts/actions or other practices of society whether they are good or bad. The nearest and
best basis to come up with moral norms is the nature of the human person and his/her
surroundings/environment since for some people, the origin and destiny for the human person is
still unclear or for them others’ belief on those matters is unacceptable.
As stated in the beginning of this discussion, for us Christians, the two basic ways on how we
arrived with our moral norms are Philosophy (Moral Philosophy) and Theology (Moral Theology). Formally
defining the two will be as follows: Moral Philosophy studies the goodness and badness of human
actions in the light of the highest principles based on human reason alone while Moral Theology
studies the goodness and badness of human actions in the light of revelation (in the light of
Christian faith to attain his final goal).
Our course, Christian Morality is based on both Moral Philosophy and Moral Theology. Christian
Norms are product of these two fields of science.
*****END OF LESSON*****
EVALUTION:
Instruction: Create a simple acrostic poem by putting your OWN UNDERSTANDING with the word “NORM”. Be
creative. You are free to style your acrostic poem.
N- EXAMPLE:
O-
R-
M-
Criteria:
Content: 10 points
Creativity: 3 points
Uniqueness: 2 points
TOTAL: 15 POINTS
REFERENCES:
Textbook/s:
Living A Christian Moral Life (150 years of CICM in the Philippines) by CICM Philippines
Online References:
Norms - Sociology - Oxford Bibliographies. Retrieved January 29, 2021 from [Link]
The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus. Retrieved January 30, 2021 from
[Link]
Picture credits:
Human Nature: [Link]
The Eight Beatitudes: [Link]
The Ten Commandments: [Link]
help-manual/