Love and Responsibility Course

Aquinas Connections: Love according to John Paul II
(click on the title to register)

Class dates: Thursdays, February 10 through March 31, 2011
Total classes: 8
Start time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Fee: $80
Intructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph. D.
Prerequisite: None
Audience: Adult
Description: Even before the Second Vatican Council Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II, was reflecting on the meaning of love and marriage. In the late 1950s he wrote a ground-breaking book on the subject called Love and Responsibility in which he anticipated much of the later reflection of the Church on these subject. Among the themes in this book are the difference between loving and using someone, the relationships between the various kinds of love, the barriers to love, and the meaning of marriage for our relationship with God, each other, and society.

This class will be an eight week seminar-type discussion group on the text of the book Love and Responsibility (L & R). There will be very little lecture. Each participant will be expected to actively contribute to the discussion. For this reason, everyone will need a functioning headset with a microphone.
Homework: Reading the assigned chapters of the book. If you don’t read the passages, you won’t get much out of the discussion. There will also be outlines and resources on the Moodle page.
Course materials: Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II), Love and Responsibility (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 1981).

Frequently Asked Question

Q: How do I “attend class”?
A: You will receive an email with a link to the “classroom.” Classes take place in an audio/visual classroom where the teacher and students meet in a real time environment. The instructor converses directly with students. The student is able to see and hear the voice of the instructor. Students can respond two ways. They can type in chat or “raise their hand” to respond orally using their headset.

Q: What if I miss a class?
A: All classes are recorded and made available to students within 24 hours. In the case of a missed class, a student can go back and watch the recorded class.

Q:What are the system requirements for the webinars?
A: Usually, a computer purchased in the last seven years, a DSL or better connection to the internet, and a headset with microphone.