CHPL 615 Chaplain Ethics for Advisement and Pastoral Care

Chaplains must be prepared to address a wide range of ethical issues facing those they lead spiritually and to whom they minister. Military commanders, healthcare administrators, and community members look to them for informed guidance and a spiritual perspective on the moral and ethical issues they face in a culturally diverse and highly pluralistic society. In view of their critical role, chaplains must understand ethical theory and be able to exercise sound reasoning based on biblical principles. As spiritual leaders who lead by moral example and influence, they must also exhibit high personal moral standards.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion that fully answers the question(s) and stays within the scope. Each thread must be at least 350 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge (extensive knowledge of topic and textbooks). For each thread, the student must support his or her assertions with at least three scholarly citations in current Turabian format, as well as any specific citations required by the prompt. Acceptable sources include course textbooks, the Bible, and any other scholarly sources, including books and journals in print or online. The student must not use Wikipedia or other non-scholarly internet sources. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 classmates’ threads and identify contributions that discuss insights or disagreements. Replies must directly address the related threads and provide a unique contribution that reflects thoughtful analysis of the topic and thread. Each reply must be at least 250 words. All posts must be free of grammar/spelling errors. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Ethical Decision-Making Model Assignment

The student will formulate a process/model for making biblical decisions regarding ethical questions/problems he/she will face as a chaplain and summarize his/her approach in a 1,500–1,800-word paper. The final product should be more than a general, philosophical description of the student’s ethical commitments and is designed to help articulate a practical model that can be used as a future guide for moral/ethical decision-making. The model must be biblical in nature, using Scripture as a guide for rational decision-making. It must also demonstrate an understanding of ethical theory, reflect a biblical worldview, concisely integrate Scripture and ethical reasoning in a logical and coherent manner, clearly describe steps the student will take to analyze an ethical issue, explain how the student will analyze ethical options that appear to be in conflict, and clearly state the student’s conclusions and their implications. The student should treat the assignment as a short research paper in current Turabian format (with a title page, a table of contents, proper headings, footnotes, and a bibliography). The bibliography must include at least three scholarly sources (textbooks, books, scholarly articles, or the Bible) that are properly cited and quoted in the paper, and Scripture must be utilized. The student must not use Wikipedia or other non-scholarly internet sources. The assignment must demonstrate coherent arguments and conclusions, critical thinking, logical progression of thought, and appropriate organization, and it must include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement and overview of the paper’s contents) and a conclusion that ties back to the thesis statement and offers a good summary of the issues and practical applications. The paper must reflect a graduate-level vocabulary with no spelling/grammar errors and clear transitions between paragraphs and sections.

Human Sexuality Paper Assignment

The student will write a 2,100–2,400-word position paper that articulates his/her position on an issue of biblical human sexuality listed in the assignment instructions and describes how he/she will minister to people in his/her work environment who have an opposing viewpoint. The paper will integrate biblical principles as well as ethical theory. The paper must clearly state the student’s position on the selected issue, reflect a biblical worldview, concisely integrate Scripture and ethical reasoning in a logical and coherent manner, explain how to minister to people with an opposing viewpoint, discuss limits to the student’s ministry and steps the student will take to ensure compliance with laws and regulations while not violating the student’s religious free exercise rights and conscience, and clearly state the student’s conclusions and their implications. The student should treat the assignment as a short research paper in current Turabian format (with a title page, a table of contents, proper headings, footnotes, and a bibliography). The bibliography must include at least four scholarly sources (textbooks, books, scholarly articles, or the Bible) that are properly cited and quoted in the paper, with Scripture integrated throughout. The student must not use Wikipedia or other non-scholarly internet sources. The assignment must demonstrate coherent arguments and conclusions, critical thinking, logical progression of thought, and appropriate organization, and it must include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement and overview of the paper’s contents) and a conclusion that ties back to the thesis statement and offers a good summary of the issues and practical applications. The paper must reflect a graduate-level vocabulary with no spelling/grammar errors and clear transitions between paragraphs and sections. (CLO: B, C, E)

Bioethics Position Paper Assignment

The student will write a 2,100–2,400-word research-based position paper that articulates his/her biblically integrated position on a bioethical issue selected from Bioethics.com. The selected issue must be appropriate for the student’s area of chaplaincy ministry. The paper must clearly state the ethical issue and the student’s position, reflect a biblical worldview, examine opposing viewpoints in relation to the student’s position, concisely integrate Scripture and ethical reasoning in a logical and coherent manner to convince others of the student’s position, demonstrate interaction with resources available on the Bioethics.com web portal and assigned textbooks, and clearly state the student’s conclusions and their implications. The student should treat the assignment as a short research paper in current Turabian format (with a title page, a table of contents, proper headings, footnotes, and a bibliography). The bibliography must include at least 5 scholarly sources (textbooks, books, scholarly articles, or the Bible) that are properly cited and quoted in the paper, with Scripture integrated throughout. The student must not use Wikipedia or other non-scholarly internet sources except as an illustration of an ethical issue (this source, if used, would not count toward the 5 scholarly sources required). The assignment must demonstrate coherent arguments and conclusions, critical thinking, logical progression of thought, and appropriate organization, and it must include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement and overview of the paper’s contents) and a conclusion that ties back to the thesis statement and offers a good summary of the issues and practical applications. The paper must reflect a graduate-level vocabulary with no spelling/grammar errors and clear transitions between paragraphs and sections. (CLO: B, C, D, E)

Personal Code of Ethics Assignment

The student will develop a 600–900-word biblically rooted personal code of ethics appropriate for his/her area of chaplaincy ministry based on the examples found in Trull and Carter’s Ministerial Ethics: Moral Formation for Church Leaders. The end product should be a practical and usable ethical code that the student can use as a touchstone for personal accountability or share with those in the same ministry setting for professional accountability. The paper must clearly identify the student’s ministry context; reflect a biblical worldview; identify private or personal obligations or standards critical to the ministry context; identify responsibilities to clients, colleagues, denomination, community, and the profession; demonstrate how the student will approach professional and personal accountability; and clearly state the student’s conclusions and their implications. The assignment must be in current Turabian format (with a title page, proper headings, footnotes, and a bibliography). A table of contents page is not required for this assignment. The bibliography must include at least 3 scholarly sources (textbooks, books, scholarly articles, or the Bible) or other codes of ethics appropriate to the ministry context that are properly cited and quoted in the paper, and Scripture must be extensively utilized. The student must not use Wikipedia or other non-scholarly internet sources. The assignment must demonstrate coherent arguments and conclusions, critical thinking, logical progression of thought, and appropriate organization, and it must include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement and overview of the paper’s contents) and a conclusion that ties back to the thesis statement and offers a good summary of the issues and practical applications. The paper must reflect a graduate-level vocabulary with no spelling/grammar errors and clear transitions between paragraphs and sections. (CLO: F)