3-Week Course
Overview
“The poor you will always have with you” (Matt 26:11). Jesus’s words are as true as ever with today’s volatile economies and extreme financial inequality. In pursuit of a 21st Century Christian discipleship, join a guided conversation focused on the many faces of poverty. Explore the biblical and theological roots of the Church’s continuing commitment to the poor, evaluate several proposals about ways to respond to poverty, and converse with others about what it means to be a Church of and for the poor. This course uses the issue of C21 Resources The Poor: What Did Jesus Preach? What Does the Church Teach? edited by Rev. Kenneth R. Himes, O.F.M.
Topics
- Getting Started Week - Introduction to the course
- Week 1 - The Many Faces of Poverty
- Week 2 - How We Respond in the Face of Poverty
Special Features
This course includes:
- Study aides that guides participants through the assignments;
- Weekly questions for discussion and reflection; and
- Resources page for further study.
All STM Online: Crossroads courses include these features
- Participants have access 24 hours/7 days a week to the course's password-protected web site.
- Each participant belongs to a small Community for Conversation and faith sharing guided by a facilitator.
- The course site is usually available to participants at least three months after the course has ended.
- An orientation in how to navigate the web site is always available.
- Technical assistance is easy to contact and prompt in returning a message.
- A Certificate of Active Participation is awarded to those who post at least three messages of substance for each week of content.
Additional Materials Needed
All materials are included in the course. View this issue of C21 Resources, "For the Poor: What Did Jesus Preach? What Does the Church Teach?" If you prefer to have a hardcopy of C21 Resources, request one from The Church in the 21st Century Center at church21@bc.edu.
Time Commitment
A participant can expect to spend an average of approximately 3-4 hours each week. This commitment includes both the assigned reading and interaction online.
Content Scholars:
This issue of C21 Resources was edited by Rev. Kenneth Himes, O.F.M., associate professor of theology at the Boston College Theology Department.
Image: Lazarus and the Rich Man by Nigel Lawrence, used with permission.
