2014
Honors Ethics & Catholic Moral Theology
Mr. D. Tenney
HONORS ETHICS AND CATHOLIC MORAL THEOLOGY
Summer Reading Assignment
This summer you will be asked to read a book and complete a written assignment based on it. You must
read ONE of the following books: (publishers’ descriptions from Amazon.com)
Option 1
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by
Tracy Kidder
This powerful and inspiring book shows how one person can make a difference. Tracy Kidder
tells the true story of a gifted man who is in love with the world and has set out to do all he can to cure it.
At the center of Mountains Beyond Mountains stands Paul Farmer: Doctor, Harvard professor,
renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant,
world-class Robin Hood. Farmer was brought up in a bus and on a boat, and in medical school found his
life’s calling: to diagnose and cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern
medicine to those who need them most. This magnificent book shows how radical change can be fostered
in situations that seem insurmountable, and it also shows how a meaningful life can be created, as
Farmer—brilliant, charismatic, charming, both a leader in international health and a doctor who finds
time to make house calls in Boston and the mountains of Haiti—blasts through convention to get results.
Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer
changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that "the only real nation is
humanity" - a philosophy that is embodied in the small public charity he founded, Partners In Health. He
enlists the help of the Gates Foundation, George Soros, the U.N.’s World Health Organization, and others
in his quest to cure the world. At the heart of this book is the example of a life based on hope, and on an
understanding of the truth of the Haitian proverb “Beyond mountains there are mountains”: as you solve
one problem, another problem presents itself, and so you go on and try to solve that one too.
“Mountains Beyond Mountains unfolds with the force of a gathering revelation,” says Annie
Dillard, and Jonathan Harr says, “[Farmer] wants to change the world. Certainly this luminous and
powerful book will change the way you see it.”
Option 2
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Genocide by Immaculee Ilibagiza
Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in
1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s
family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of
nearly a million Rwandans.
Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled
silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers
hunted for them.
It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of
prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God.
She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a
love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers.
The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman’s journey through the darkness of
genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss.
SEE BACK FOR MORE >>>>
Option 3
Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness account of the Death Penalty in the United States by Sister Helen
Prejean
In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, the convicted killer
of two teenagers who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana's Angola State Prison. In the
months before Sonnier's death, the Roman Catholic nun came to know a man who was as terrified as he
had once been terrifying. At the same time, she came to know the families of the victims and the men
whose job it was to execute him--men who often harbored doubts about the rightness of what they were
doing.
Out of that dreadful intimacy comes a profoundly moving spiritual journey through our system of
capital punishment. Confronting both the plight of the condemned and the rage of the bereaved, the needs
of a crime-ridden society and the Christian imperative of love, Dead Man Walking is an unprecedented
look at the human consequences of the death penalty, a book that is both enlightening and devastating.
Note from Mr. TenneyAll three of these books are non-fiction and deal with heavy subject matter. All of them are also hopeful
and inspiring. Probably the emotionally roughest read of the three is Left to Tell; it includes graphic
descriptions of shocking brutality and may not be the right choice for you if you are an especially
sensitive person. Probably the most inspiring of the three is Mountains Beyond Mountains. I know that
curing infectious disease doesn’t sound as exciting as surviving genocide or counseling people on their
way to execution, but this is an amazing book and is easily my favorite of the three because of the
powerful example of Dr. Paul Farmer. (I think it does take a certain level of maturity to appreciate
though. Mountains Beyond Mountains is probably not for you if you are inclined to not like a book just
because it is a little longer or goes into detail.) If you choose to read Dead Man Walking I would
discourage you from seeing the movie; the movie combines two of the main characters into a single
person and will probably confuse you when you are completing your assignment.
Questions: dtenney@pallottihs.org
Written Assignment
Look below to find the writing assignment for the book you chose to read. All assignments must be typed
and should conform to the following format:
Spacing:
double spaced; do not put extra space between paragraphs
Margins:
one inch on all sides
Font:
12 point Times New Roman
Heading:
single spaced, appearing on the top of the first page only
(The heading does not count towards length.)
Citations:
(see next page for details)
You will be graded on both the content of your answers and on the quality of your writing. Please be sure
to carefully follow the directions for each question and to correct for typos, grammar, spelling,
punctuation, etc. This assignment will count as a project/paper, and as such will constitute 10-15% of
your first quarter grade. Please complete it thoughtfully, and don’t throw it together at the last minute
expecting to get a good grade.
Due the first day of class. (Turn in a printed copy; do not email it.)
NOTE ON PROPER CITATION
The assignment for each book asks you to cite examples and passages from the book. It is important
that you include citations as a way demonstrating that you actually read the book. As much as
possible (given the constraints of the particular question you are answering) try to include citations from
throughout the book, not just from one section. This will demonstrate that you read the entire book, not
just part of it. Also:

All phrases and sentences taken word for word from a reading must be denoted with quotation
marks and followed by a citation.

Any reference to or paraphrase of a key idea or event (even if not a direct quote) from one of the
readings should also be properly cited.

Use parenthetical citations (examples below):
o
Direct quote: “Politics plays its part. In the last gubernatorial election campaign
Edward’s Republican opponent, David Treen, had put up billboards across the state and
run TV ads citing the number of pardons Edwards had granted criminals in his previous
term in office.” (pg. 57-58)
o
Reference to a key idea: As Prejean notes, the Supreme Court has never found a conflict
between the death penalty and the eighth amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual
punishment. (pg. 114-115)
Option 1
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by
Tracy Kidder
Answer each of the following questions in a short essay. (Minimum of 1 page for each of the first two
questions, and at least 1½ pages for the third question. Be sure to include citations.)
1. Early in the book, Paul Farmer says, “I don’t care how often people say, ‘You’re a saint.’ It’s not that
I mind it. It’s that it’s inaccurate… People call me a saint and I think, I have to work harder. Because
a saint would be a great thing to be.” Do you think Farmer is a saint? What saintly qualities and
characteristics does Farmer have? In what ways is he not saintly? (Be sure to examine both sides of
the question and cite specific examples from throughout the book to back up your claims.)
2. Tracy Kidder, the author of Mountains Beyond Mountains, does not make Paul Farmer’s faith the
focus of the book. However, it is clear throughout the book that Farmer’s religious convictions are
crucial for understanding him. Citing examples from throughout the book, explain in what ways
Farmer’s life and work are rooted in his Catholic faith. (As part of your answer be sure to discuss the
“preferential option for the poor.” In the book, Farmer often refers to this as “the O for the P.” Feel
free to do some internet research if you feel like you didn’t get a good enough definition of this term
in the book.)
3. Write a reaction essay to this book. (This question is deliberately open-ended. I’m just looking for
your overall thoughts on the book, so feel free to take it in whatever direction you want. However, if
you need a more specific set of questions to respond to, answer any or all of the following: What did
you learn from reading this book? What did you like and/or dislike about the book? What ideas in the
book did you agree/disagree with? What did you find affirming/challenging about the book? What
questions or ideas does the book raise for you?)
Option 2
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Genocide by Immaculee Ilibagiza
Answer each of the following questions in a short essay. (Minimum 1 page for each of the first two
questions, and at least 1½ pages for the third question. Be sure to include citations.)
1. The subtitle of this book is “Discovering God in the Rwandan Holocaust.” In what ways did
Immaculee ‘find God’ through her experiences? What did she discover about God and about her
relationship with Him? Be sure to cite examples from throughout the book.
2. Psychologically healthy human beings do not just suddenly start slaughtering their friends, neighbors
and relatives. Yet Left to Tell gives example after example of ordinary people who came to participate
in brutal atrocities against people that they knew well. Similar events happened in Europe during
World War II, in Asia during the 1960’s and 70’s (e.g. China’s Cultural Revolution and Cambodia’s
‘killing fields’), and at other times in history. What do you believe causes people to behave in this
way? Citing examples from the book, discuss what motivated individual Hutus to hunt and kill Tutsis.
Also, discuss what social factors and/or actions taken by the Rwandan government created a climate
in which such killing was possible. Cite examples from throughout the book to support your points.
3. Write a reaction essay to this book. (This question is deliberately open-ended. I’m just looking for
your overall thoughts on the book, so feel free to take it in whatever direction you want. However, if
you need a more specific set of questions to respond to, answer any or all of the following: What did
you learn from reading this book? What did you like and/or dislike about the book? What ideas in the
book did you agree/disagree with? What did you find affirming/challenging about the book? What
questions or ideas does the book raise for you?)
Option 3
Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness account of the Death Penalty in the United States by Sister Helen
Prejean
Answer each of the following questions in a short essay. (Minimum 1 page for each of the first two
questions, and at least 1½ pages for the third question. Be sure to include citations.)
1. Do you believe Patrick Sonnier should have received the death penalty? If so, why? If not, why not,
and what should have happened to him instead? Support whatever position you take with information
from the book.
2. Do you believe Robert Willie should have received the death penalty? If so, why? If not, why not, and
what should have happened to him instead? Support whatever position you take with information
from the book.
3. Write a reaction essay to this book. (This question is deliberately open-ended. I’m just looking for
your overall thoughts on the book, so feel free to take it in whatever direction you want. However, if
you need a more specific set of questions to respond to, answer any or all of the following: What did
you learn from reading this book? What did you like and/or dislike about the book? What ideas in the
book did you agree/disagree with? What did you find affirming/challenging about the book? What
questions or ideas does the book raise for you?)