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This course introduces students to themes in Pope Francis’ teachings, focusing particularly on his teachings about relating to others in social and pastoral contexts. Students will engage with a range of his writings to gain a broad understanding of how he approaches these themes, as well as reflecting critically on what they might mean in the context of their own lives.
Week 1 - Culture and evangelization
In thissession, we will look at Francis’ understanding of evangelization, and how itrelates to his view of culture; a theme which lies at the heart of Francis’embrace of cultural diversity in the Church. We will conclude by reflecting onsome of the potential difficulties involved with the way Francis frames therelationship between faith, culture, and postcolonial identity.
Week 2 - Technology, the environmental crisis, and integralecology
In thissession, we will look at how Francis roots the environmental crisis in what hecalls the “technocratic paradigm”. We will reflect on his response to thetechnocratic paradigm, particularly in the form of integral ecology - beforeconcluding by reflecting on the difficulties of integral ecology as he imaginesit in a plural world.
Week 3 - Accompaniment and pastoral style the technocratic
This session focuses on Francis’ conceptof pastoral accompaniment, rooting it in his understanding of faith as an encounterwith Christ’s merciful love. We will conclude by reflecting on conservativecriticisms of Francis’ pastoral approach. We will also reflect on thedifference between a change in pastoral style and a substantive change inchurch teaching, particularly in relation to what this might mean in thecontext of peoples’ hopes for Francis.
Week 4 - Social love
This week, we will reflect on Francis’idea of “social love”. We will look at how he makes the leap from love as thefoundation for personal faith to love as a principle for organising society. Wewill conclude by reflecting on the complications of founding society onuniversal love.
Week 5 - Pope Francis, conflict and inclusion
This session will explore Pope Francis’views on inclusion and difference. Francis’ papacy itself has beencharacterised by great controversy and disagreement, and many people have foundthis challenging to their own sense of belonging in the Church. In this vein,the previous weeks of the course have not only explored what Pope Francisteaches, but the complexities and difficulties of those teachings. Thissession, and the course itself, will thus conclude by asking: can Francis helpus to think through the difficulties he himself might present?
Transcript - Culture and Evangelization
Reading Week 1
Questions for reflection
Transcript - Technology, The Environmental Crisis, and the Integral Ecology
Reading Week 2
Questions for reflection
Transcript - Accompaniment and Pastoral Style
Reading Week 3
Questions for reflection
Transcript - Social Love
Reading Week 4
Questions for reflection
Transcript - Pope Francis, Conflict and Inclusion
Reading Week 5
Questions for reflection
Dr Nicolete Burbach is the Social and Environmental Justice Lead at the London Jesuit Centre. Her PhD thesis looked at Pope Francis’ hermeneutics of uncertainty, and her research focuses on resourcing Pope Francis to think through issues of alienation and disagreement, with a particular focus on navigating the difficulties around trans inclusion in the Church. Previously, she has taught modules on postmodern theology and Catholic Social Teaching, both at Durham University.
