AFRICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT: UNIVERSITY COMMON COURSES

UNIT TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN ETHICS
UNIT CODE: THE 304
PRE-REQUISITE: BIB105, BIB 106, THE 205
INSTRUCTOR: Rev G. MTUKWA
Contacts: Email: gmtukwa@anu.ac.ke Office Phone Ext 382
Class Time: 8:00am-10:00am Tuesdays

Purpose
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with the guiding principles
needed to make sound moral judgments from a distinctively Christian perspective.

Unit Description
The class assumes that good moral decisions do not always arise intuitively. Thus,
for Christians seeking to be faithful to the Kingdom of God and to be responsible
citizens of this world, sound, biblically-based, contextually-informed ethical
reasoning is required. This course purposes to provide the tools necessary to
accomplish that. It will help the student to understand what it means to live and
act as a Christian. It also aims at helping the student to understand and to formulate
personal stands on some of the complex moral issues facing him/her in Africa today.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As a result of this unit, the student should show
1. Ability to practice personal Christian ethics in faithful stewardship, in
personal relationships, and in finances
a. Defining terms used in ethics of "good", "bad", "right", "wrong", "duty"
and "morality";
b. Evaluate different types of ethical approaches;
c. Differentiate Christian ethics from other types;
2. Ability to demonstrate oneself consistently in public Christian ethics, in
decision making and in conducting oneself as a Christian in a pagan
society by:
a. Examine some norms and practices used in African Traditional Ethics and
what Christian Ethics can learn from them;
b. Discuss some ethical issues facing people in contemporary Africa;
c. Formulate principles that should be used in the development of personal
Christian ethics;
3. Ability to teach and model sexual purity

TEACHING METHODOLOGIES
A combination of lectures, group work, discussions and exercises, library research,
written and oral reports, Community projects

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Methods of Evaluation
Continuous Assessments - 40%
Assignment Learning Grade
Outcomes Weight
Mid Term Exam/ Textbook Test # 1,2, 10%
Work Place Ethical Issue # 1,2 5%
Moral Issue Paper Position # 1,3 10%
Group Debates # 1,2,3 10%
Surprise Tests # 1,2,3 5%

Final Examinations - 50%

Assignment Learning Grade
Outcomes Weight
Final Exam # 1, 2, 3, 60%

Descriptions of Continuous Assessment Assignments: Please note all Dates for each
assignment are on the class schedule at the back of this class list.

Surprise Tests: Students will take surprise test every now and then during the course
of the trimester. These tests will be based on assigned reading and covered class
material. Students are advised to read the textbook and the class manual in advance.
Please note these tests are given once and they have no makeup. Being in class at
the time the test is given is part of the test. There will be five such tests, one extra
test shall be given to take care of emergencies.

Textbook Tests and other assignments:

All students are expected to read the core textbook, Samuel Kunhiyop, African
Christian Ethics in its entirety. There shall be questions taken from the textbook
which students must answer.

Midterm Exam:
Each student will take a Midterm exam that will cover all the materials discussed in
class up to that point.

Work Place Ethical Issue (Group Work)

Students will interview someone in their profession who is currently practicing and
write a report outlining the ethical issues faced in that profession and how that
person utilizes the resources of their faith to deal with such issues. In other words
how do they handle these ethical issues in light of their faith.

Current Moral Issue Paper (Group Work): Students will write a paper on a current
Moral Issue following a guide provided by the lecturer. HIV and AIDS will be one of
the topics assigned.

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Class Presentations
Students will give class presentations based on topics assigned by the lecturer. These
topics will come from the class text book, African Christian Ethics Waje Kunhiyop.

Course Attendance Policy: The attendance policy of the university will be in effect in
this course. Excused absences up to two will be permitted with prior notice or
external validation. Any absence more than two (excused or not) will result in 1% of
the final grade reduction per absence. Any absence more than two (excused or not)
will result in the student being unable to meet all the outcomes of the unit and hence
will result in dismissal from the course.

Plagiarism Policy: Please review the university policy on plagiarism. Any submitted
work that is determined to be copied without due recognition from another author
will result in a failing grade for that assignment.

I also expect that you will be evaluating your own performance throughout the
course. Use the following questions as guidelines for assessing your own work in the
course:
1. Was I a responsible and aggressive learner: Proud of my engagement in
learning?
2. Was I an active partner in this experience? With the Lecturer as well as my
peers?
3. Did I set excellence as my standard for achievement? Did I attain it?
4. Is my performance, in general, excellent in terms of my expectations for
myself?
How so? If so, do I deserve an A, or what?

GRADING SCALE: 80-100 = A 76-79 = A- 72-75 = B+

69-71 = B 64-68 = B- 60-63 = C+
56-59 = C 52-55 = C- 48-51 = D+
44-47 = D 40-43 = D- 0-39 = F

Text Books and Journals for the Course

1. Kunhiyop, Samuel Waje; African Christian Ethics, Hippo Books: Nairobi; 2008
2. Gift Mtukwa and Rodney L. Reed, THE 304 Christian Ethics Self Study Manual,
Nairobi: Africa Nazarene University, 2014.
3. Holy Bible, NIV

Text Books/ Journals for further reading

1. Barclay, William; Ethics in Permissive Society; Collins Press; England; 1971
2. Geisler, Norman; Christian Ethics: Options and Issues; Zondervan Publishers;
U.S.A; 1989
3. Davis, John Jefferson; Evangelical Ethics; Phillipsburg: R&R Publishing, 2004.

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 4. Haselbarth, Hans; Christian Ethics in the African Context; Uzima Press; Kenya;
1994
5. Hynson, Leon O; To Reform the Nation: Theological Foundations of Wesley’s
Ethics; Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury Press, 1984.
6. Lovin,Robin W.; Christian Ethics: An Essential Guide; Nashvile: Abingdon
Press,2000. http://elibproxy.anu.ac.ke:2051/lib/aunke/detail.action?
docID=10430607
7. Mugambi, J.N.K. and A. Nasimiyu-Wasike, Eds.; Moral and Ethical Issues in
African Christianity:A Challenge for African Christianity; (2nd Edition); Nairobi:
Action Publishers, 1999
8. Thiroux, Jacques; Ethics: Theory and Practice; (2nd Edition); Glencoe
publishing Co. California; 1977
9. Wells David F.; Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral
Vision; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.

E-RESOURCES

Perry, John. "Are Christians the "aliens who live in your midst"? Torah and the origins
of Christian ethics in Acts 10-15." Journal Of The Society Of Christian Ethics
29, no. 2 (September 1, 2009): 157-174. ATLA Religion Database with
ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2011).

Dyck, Arthur J. "CHRISTIAN ETHICS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: NEW

DIRECTIONS." Journal Of Religious Ethics 37, no. 4 (December 2009): 565-575.
Academic Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2011).

Orobator, A E. "Ethics brewed in an African pot." Journal Of The Society Of Christian

Ethics 31, no. 1 (March 1, 2011): 3-16. ATLA Religion Database with
ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2011).

Nissen, Ulrik Becker. "Letting reality become real: on mystery and reality in Dietrich
Bonhoeffer's ethics." Journal Of Religious Ethics 39, no. 2 (June 1, 2011): 321-
343. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed
December 13, 2011).

Ulrich, Hans G. "On Finding Our Place: Christian Ethics in God's reality." European
Journal Of Theology 18, no. 2 (October 2009): 137-144. Academic Source
Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2011).

Daniel Westberg, et al. "Same-sex marriage and Anglican theology: a view from the
traditionalists." Anglican Theological Review 93, no. 1 (December 1, 2011): 1-

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 50. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December
13, 2011).

Sadler, Rodney Steven. "Who is my neighbor? introductory explorations."

Interpretation 62, no. 2 (April 1, 2008): 115-121. ATLA Religion Database with
ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2011).

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 CLASS SCHEDULE
TOPIC R/G ASS ASSI DUE
DATE
3rd Sept 2019 Course Introduction!!! Kunhiyop 45-64
Defn: Why study Ethics?
Worldview
Kunhiyop 45-64
Theology and Ethics
10th Kunhiyop 45-64 Register for Groups &
Theology and Ethics Sign Up For Debates
Kunhiyop 45-64
Bible, Theology and
Ethics
27nd Kunhiyop 45-64
Bible, Theology and Reflecting the Divine
Ethics Image
Kunhiyop 45-64
Bible, Theology and
Ethics
24th Kunhiyop 45-64
Bible, Theology and
Ethics
African Ethics Kunhiyop 7-25
1st Oct 2019 Definition of Ethics Terms Bumper Sticker Ethics Ethical Issues in Work
Kunhiyop 27-43 Places Report
Principles in Ethics
Bumper Sticker Ethics
Principles in Ethics Kunhiyop 27-43
8th MID TERM MID TERM MID TERM
Principles in Ethics Beyond Bumper Sticker Text Presentations
Ethics Kunhiyop 27-43
15th Principles in Ethics Beyond Bumper Sticker
Ethics Kunhiyop 27-43
Character and Virtue Kunhiyop 7-25 Hamel and
Himes 151-162
22nd Human Sexuality
Christian Ethics and Forbidden Fruit 11-26
Secular Ethics Hamel & Himmes 120-140
5th Nov 2019 Christian Sources of Curran & McCormick Term Paper
Authority/ Use of the Moral Theology
Bible in Christian Ethics
LEONARDO DECAPRIO Video Video
BEFORE THE FLOOD
12th Ethical Issues: Africa Kunhiyop Ch 7-30
Applied Ethics
Abortion, Corruption
Debates A & B Kunhiyop Ch 7-30 Debates

19th Debates C & D Kunhiyop Ch 7-30 Debates

Debates E & F Kunhiyop Ch 7-30 Debates
26th Model for Decision
Making Process

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