The Call to Service
Course:
The Call to Service
Course #:
Theology 180, Section 70W (Theology and Interdisciplinary Perspectives)
Cross-Listed as Theology 347, section 09W (Creative Ministry)
Instructors: John Neafsey (Theology)
Claire Noonan (University Ministry)
Time:
Thursdays, 4:15-6:45 PM
Room:
Mundelein 608
Office Hrs:
John Neafsey:
Thursdays, 2-4 PM (or by appt.)
Crown Center 444, (773) 338-4334, jneafs1@luc.edu
Claire Noonan: Regular business hours (please call ahead)
Mundelein Center, 2nd floor, 508-2206, cnoonan@luc.edu
Course Description & Objectives:
This new service-learning course will provide an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of the
connection between personal vocation and service to others. Students will be required to commit
to a minimum of 2-4 hours per week of community service over the course of the semester at a
site to be selected in consultation with the instructors during the first two weeks of class. In
addition to readings and lectures on the spiritual and theological dimensions of the call to service
and the meaning of service in the larger community, strong emphasis will be placed on personal
reflection and in-class discussion of week-to-week personal encounters and experiences at the
various sites where students will be providing service. Students will be expected to complete
weekly writing assignments, and to write two more in-depth papers that bring together scholarly
and personal reflection on questions and issues related to discernment of their own calling to a
life of service.
Required Texts
S.G. Farnham, J.P. Gill, R.T. McLean, & S.M. Ward, Listening Hearts: Discerning
Call in Community (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 2002).
Peter J. Henriot, S.J., Opting for the Poor: A Challenge for North Americans (Washington, DC:
Center of Concern, 1990)
Michael J. Himes, Doing the Truth in Love: Conversations About God, Relationships,
and Service (New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1995).
Reader of photocopied readings from LUC bookstore.
(Auto)biography of the student’s choice (see attached list of suggested titles)
Course Requirements

Participation & Attendance: Because of the personal and experiential nature of the learning
process for this class and the rich potential for learning from the insights and experiences of
others, class members are expected to attend all class sessions for the entire class period.
Being here and participating is an important part of work for this class. Attendance will
count 15 points towards the final grade (1 point per class)

Preparation: Class members are expected to prepare for class by reading all assigned
readings prior to each class meeting (see Course Schedule). Please bring all readings to
class with you so that we can refer to them in class.

Service Placement: 10 weeks of 2-4 hours per week of community service is required for
each student. Students must have their placement sites approved by the instructors no later
than the third class (Sept. 16).

Weekly Reflection Papers: Each week a short reflection paper is required. These are meant
to help you prepare for class by reflecting on insights from the readings and applying them
to your own life experience. These should be handed in at the beginning of class. There are
11 assigned dates for reflection papers. During the course of the semester, each student is
required to submit 10 reflection papers. Students may use their own discretion regarding
which date to skip. Each paper is worth 2 points, counting up to a total of 20 points toward
the final grade. Reflection papers should consist of three solid paragraphs (3-5 sentences per
paragraph, approximately one typed, double-spaced page in length) and should use the
following structure:
o Core issue: In your first paragraph, summarize the central concern or theme of one of
the required readings, e.g., “The central concern of the author is ….”
o Key insight/critical question: In your second paragraph, focus in on a particular insight
or passage that sparked your interest, e.g., “The idea/passage that most sparked my
interest is….” In addition, include a sentence in which you formulate a critical question
about the reading or an issue it raises, e.g., “The thing I am still wondering about is….”
o Personal connection: In your final paragraph, make a connection between an issue or
question from the reading and your own life experience. If possible, apply an idea from
the reading to a situation or experience from your current service placement.

Mid-Term Paper: Students are to choose one biography or autobiography of a person who
has led an exemplary life of service. You may choose from the selected (auto)biographies
listed in the appendix to the syllabus, or may propose an alternative to the instructors. In a 45 page paper, the student should apply the themes or lessons from the (auto)biography to
questions related to his or her own search for a sense of personal calling. These papers are
worth 20 points and are due at the beginning of class on October 21.

Oral Presentation: Each student is required to make a 7-10 minute oral presentation to the
class during the second half of the semester. The presentation should include the following:
o Describe a meaningful personal encounter or situation from your service placement this
semester in some detail.
o Reflect on the encounter or situation, making reference to insights from at least two of the
required readings for the semester.
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o Conclude with personal reflections on what you have learned from this experience and its
implications for discerning your own calling or vocation. 15 points.

Final Paper: The final paper should integrate personal and scholarly reflection on your
service experience, insights from the readings, and questions related to discernment of your
own personal calling. The paper should include:
o A detailed description of a personal encounter or situation that occurred during your
service placement this semester (this can overlap with the oral presentation)
o Scholarly reflection on the impact and meanings of the experience, making reference to at
least four of the required readings for the semester (include a References list at the end of
the paper)
o Implications of the above for your own process of vocational discernment.
The paper should be approximately 6-8 pages long for Theology180 students, 8-10 pages
long for Theology 347 students. The final paper should be handed in at the beginning of the
final exam period on Thursday, December 16. 30 points.

Academic Integrity: The instructors will follow University policies and guidelines regarding
issues of honesty and academic integrity which can be found in the Loyola Undergraduate
Studies Handbook.
Course Schedule
Date
Topic/Readings
Sept. 2
Introduction & Overview
Introductions
Review syllabus
Sept. 9
The Called
*Reflection Paper due
Himes, “The Journey of Restlessness: The Search for God.” From Doing
the Truth in Love, 38-67.
Sachs, “The Gift of Human Freedom.” From The Christian Vision of
Humanity, 27-34. (reader)
Sobrino, “Awakening From the Sleep of Inhumanity.” From The
Principle of Mercy (1-11). (reader)
Sept. 16
Who or What is Calling?
*Deadline for approval of service placement (paragraph due)
*Reflection Paper due
Himes, “Exploring the Mystery of God in Relationships” &
“Conversing about the Mystery.” Doing the Truth in Love, 7-21
& 83-99.
Neafsey, “Vocational Discernment and Social Conscience” (handout)
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Sept. 23
The Call
*Reflection Paper due
Edward Sellner, “The Call of Life.” Mentoring: The Ministry of
Spiritual Kinship, 87-117. (reserve)
Farnham, “What is Call for the Christian?” Listening Hearts, 7-16.
Sept. 30
Discernment of Vocation
*Reflection Paper due
Farnham, What is Discernment? What Conditions Help Discern
God’s Call? Is it God We Are Hearing? From Listening Hearts, 23-50.
Himes, “Responding to God’s Love: Compassionate Service.” From
Doing the Truth in Love, 50-67.
Neafsey, “Discerning Our Calling” (handout)
Sachs, “Christian Living.” From The Christian Vision of Humanity, 103111. (reader)
Oct. 7
The Call To Service
*Reflection Paper Due
Dalai Lama & Cutler, “The Value and Benefits of Compassion.” From
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, 113-129. (reader)
Himes, “Vulnerability: Suffering the Mystery” & “Sacramental
Vision.” Doing the Truth in Love, 68-82 & 100-117.
Oct. 14
Kinds of Service
*Reflection Paper due
Coles, “Kinds of Service.” The Call of Service. (reserve)
Oct. 21
Mid-Term Paper Due
Guest Speaker: Stephen Smith, United Power for Action & Justice
Oct. 28
Justice & Service
*2 class presentations
*Reflection Paper due
Hartnett, “A Pedagogy of Justice.” From Just Readings On-Line Social
Justice Reader, 24-27. (reader)
Connors and McCormick, “Community: Building Justice.” From
Character, Choices and Community: The Three Faces of Christian
Ethics, 54-72. (reader)
Nov. 4
Option for the Poor
*2 class presentations
*Reflection Paper due
Henriot, Opting for the Poor, 11-58.
Farmer, “Health, Healing, & Human Rights.” Pathologies of
Power, 135-178. (reader)
Hartnett, “Remembering the Poor: An Interview with Gustavo
Gutierrez.” America, Feb. 3, 2002, 12-15. (reader)
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Nov. 11
Justice, Service, & Lifestyle
*4 class presentations
*Reflection Paper due
Simon, “Poverty of Riches,” “How Much is Enough?” and “Living Simply
So That Others May Simply Live.” From How Much is Enough?, 61-76,
111-140. (reader)
Nov. 18
What Keeps Us from Answering the Call to Service?
*4 class presentations
*Reflection Paper due
Himes, “Experiencing the Mystery of Not Being God.” From Doing the
Truth in Love, 23- 37.
Schimmel, “Sloth.” From The Seven Deadly Sins: Jewish, Christian and
Classical Reflections on Human Psychology, 191-216. (reader)
Nov. 25
Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 2
Sustaining the Call in Community
*4 class presentations
*Reflection Paper Due
Day, “Postscript.” From The Long Loneliness. (handout)
LaMott, “Why I Make Sam Go To Church.” From Traveling Mercies:
Some Thoughts on Faith, 99-105. (reader)
Norris, “’Organized’ Religion.” From Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of
Faith, 257-261. (reader)
Dec. 9
Wrap-up
*9 class presentations
Dec. 16
Final Paper due
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Recommended (Auto)Biographies
James Brockman, Romero: A Life
Thoughtful biography by an American Jesuit of the inspiring life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of
El Salvador, who was assassinated in 1979 because of his courageous work on behalf of human
rights and justice for the poor of El Salvador. 255 pgs.
Stewart Burns, To the Mountaintop: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Sacred Mission to Save America
1955-1968
The most recent biography of Dr. King, focusing on his vocation to work for justice and civil
rights for African Americans and his work as a person of conscience resisting and criticizing the
Vietnam War in the latter years of his life. 458 pgs.
Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness
This book recounts Day’s early life as a young journalist in 1920’s Greenwich Village, her
conversion to Catholicism, the founding of the Catholic Worker movement, and her unstoppable
commitment to mercy, justice and nonviolence. 304 pgs.
Frederick John Dalton, The Moral Vision of Cesar Chavez
Most recent biography of Cesar Chavez, a Mexican American who worked tirelessly for the
rights of migrant farm workers in the U.S. 170 pgs.
Eknath Easwaran, A Man to Match His Mountains: Badshah Khan, Nonviolent Soldier of Islam
The story of Abdul Gharrar Khan, a Muslim and a Pathan, recruited by Gandhi to join the
nonviolent revolution against British colonial rule. Khan raised a nonviolent “army” of 100,000
men from the Pathans, whose tribal honor code was based on blood revenge. 267 pgs.
David Hilfiker, M.D., Not All of Us Are Saints: A Doctor’s Journey with the Poor
The journey of Dr. Hilfiker, who left a family practice in rural Minnesota, to practice what he
calls “poverty medicine” among the homeless men, women, and children of Washington D.C.
256 pgs.
Etty Hillesum, An Interrupted Life
The poignant diaries of Etty Hillesum, a passionate and poetically eloquent young Jewish
woman from the Netherlands who was sent with her family with to the Nazi death camps
during the Holocaust. 364 pgs.
Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who
Would Cure the World
Powerful recent biographical account of the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard physician who
devotes his life to providing medical care to the poor of Haiti. 304 pgs.
Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
California writer, Anne Lamott’s powerful and humorous musings on life and the God who saved
her from addiction and sustains her in her vocations as a writer, single mother and Christian.
272 pgs.
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Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
Memoir of one of the greatest moral and political leaders of our time. This book traces
Mandela’s life from childhood, to the founding of the African National Congress, through years
of imprisonment, and finally to the triumph of his election as South Africa’s first post-apartheid
President. 656 pgs.
Rigoberta Menchu, I, Rigoberta
The autobiography of Rigoberta Menchu, an indigenous Mayan woman from Guatenala who
received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for human rights on behalf of her people. 247 pgs.
Kathleen Norris, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography
Poet, Kathleen Norris, leaves the mania of New York City to return to her ancestral home in the
High Plains. Beautiful reflections on the land, small town life, faith, community and spirit. 220
pgs.
Sr. Dianna Ortiz, The Blindfold’s Eyes: My Journey from Torture to Truth
Poignant autobiography of Dianna Ortiz, an American nun who is a survivor of torture she
suffered when she was working with the poor of Guatemala. 477 pgs.
Sr. Helen Prejean, C.S.J., Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in
the United States
Beginning as a pen pal to convicted murder, Patrick Sonnier, Sr. Prejean takes a profound
spiritual journey through the U.S. system of capital punishment. 268 pgs.
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Grading Standards & Format Guidelines for Papers
GRADING STANDARDS
The following criteria reflect standards of good writing shared by teachers at all levels in universities across the country, and, in
fact, define good writing both in and out of the academy.
GRADE OF A
The grade of A recognizes excellent, compelling writing. An A essay shows originality, insight, and the ability to state and
develop a central idea. Its ideas are clear, logical, and thought-provoking; it contains all the positive qualities of good writing
listed below:
1. Concentration on a main purpose, with outstanding development and
firm support.;
2. Unified organization, with an orderly pattern of ideas and transitions;
3. Careful construction and organization of sentences and paragraphs and
full control of mechanics such as punctuation and spelling;
4. Careful choice of effective words and phrases.
GRADE OF B
The grade of B indicates an above-average essay. The B paper has a clearly stated central purpose, logically and adequately
developed. Its ideas are clear because it contains some of the positive qualities of good writing listed above. It is comparatively
free of errors in the use of English. Although highly competent, the B paper lacks the insight, style, and polish which
characterize the A essay.
GRADE OF C
The average college-level paper will receive a grade of C. It has a central idea organized clearly enough to convey its purpose to
the reader. It avoids serious errors in the use of English. It may, in fact, have few correction marks on it, but it lacks the depth of
thought and expression which would entitle it to an above-average rating: its thesis may be predictable, its supporting evidence
only adequate, its paragraph development weak, and its style vague and inarticulate.
GRADE OF D
The grade of D indicates below-average achievement in expressing ideas correctly and effectively. The D paper is deficient in
one or more of the following areas: organization, development, usage, content, and awareness of audience. It contains numerous
errors, whether of logic, grammar, or use of evidence. Most D papers contain serious errors in the use of English and fail to
present a central thesis or to develop it adequately.
GRADE OF F
The grade of F indicates that a paper is not acceptable as college-level writing. An F usually indicates failure to state and develop
a main idea. The paper may also contain serious errors in logic, grammar, spelling, punctuation, documentation, and sentence
structure.
FORMAT GUIDELINES FOR COMPOSITION PAPERS
Use the following guidelines for all written work you submit, unless your instructor requests that you use a different format:
1. All papers must be typed or word-processed and double-spaced; they
should have one-inch margins all around and standard typefaces or computer fonts (not italic fonts or unusually large characters).
Photocopies are not acceptable.
2. Include your name, your instructor’s name, the course and section number, the date and paper title on a separate title page
or on the first page.
3. Your title should be neither underlined nor placed within quotation marks. Capitalize the first and last words in your title,
and every other word, except: articles (“a” and “the”), conjunctions, and prepositions of fewer than five letters.
4. Each page after the first should include your last name and a page number.
5. Fasten your paper with a paper clip or a staple before turning it in (some instructors require staples).
6. Proofread all work slowly and carefully at least several hours after completing it. Papers that have not been proofread or
edited signal the author’s lack of respect for his or her work. Reading papers aloud helps a great deal to alleviate errors, as does
reading them backwards, last word to first.
7. Before turning in a paper, make a photocopy or print out a second copy as back-up; do not consider a copy stored on a
computer to be an adequate substitute for copying your finished paper or printing out two copies of it.
8. It is your responsibility to keep the marked original copies of all graded papers.
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