THE CENTURY OF HELL

REQUIRED

EXPERIENCE OF HELL

HUMANITY AND HELL

PROBLEM OF HELL

HESBURGH

THE THREAT OF HELL

In this section of the course, we will explore the sources of moral behavior. Do we choose to act morally because we are threatened with "the eternal fires of damnation," or a similar punishment? Or instead, do we choose to act morally as a result of rational calculation? Here's an additional consideration. Let us assume that the threat of Hell has played some role in inducing moral behavior over the centuries. What happens when a society no longer believes in Hell? Or, let us proceed from the argument for rational calculation: Will this kind of thinking guarantee that man will act morally?

Tuesday, April 4

Image VII. Pronouncements and Threats: "Go to Hell . . .!"

Winfrid Herbst, "Don't go to Hell!"
"Pope John Paul II Rejects Reality of Literal Hell"
Jeffery Sheler, "Hell Hath No Fury"
Bertrand Russell, "Why I am not a Christian"

Find your writing assignment here.

Thursday, April 6

Jerry Walls, "Can we be Good without Hell?"
Harbour Hodder, "Heaven, Hell and Profits"

European Values Survey
Our Values Survey: Here (see gif file under chart001_data) and also a Handout

Tuesday, April 11

Film and Discussion: "Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation"

EASTER BREAK: April 13 - April 17

Tuesday, April 18

Image VIII. A World Without Hell: "No hell beneath us . . ."

Hell, Who Cares? What does it have to do with politics anyway?

A Review of Three Conceptual Frameworks: Description, Explanation, and Prescription
And, an introduction to the concept of "Human Nature"

Thursday, April 20

Hell Songs:
Nirvana,"Lake of Fire," John Lennon,"Imagine"
The People's Choice: Metallica, Wilco, Kanye West, Modest Mouse, AC/D, and more