REL 108 - The Kingdom of God and a Good Society

What is a good society?  How does it compare with current political communities, cultures, and nations?  How does it address poverty and treat the vulnerable?  Can we approximate it through political revolutions and / or social reforms?  For a variety of biblical texts, Christian movements, and thinkers, answers to questions such as these are bound up with the idea or image of the kingdom of God, e.g., “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  This seminar explores the biblical and theological image and its relevance for a social ethic as they have been understood at different places and times.  We will read and discuss important texts from Exodus, Amos, the gospels, and Revelation to Savonarola, Thomas Muntzer, Walter Rauschenbusch, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Leonardo Boff.

Satisfies Religious Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Philosophical and Religious Perspectives requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.