Browse Content
Life Worth Living is an initiative of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School.
University of Dayton REL103/HUM112
Prophetic Lives: Pathways to a Life Worth Living
Tiffany Hunsinger is a PhD student in theology at the University of Dayton currently working on her dissertation on G.K. Chesterton and Catholicism in the US.
This course invites you on a journey of discovery, where the lives of prophets—both ancient and modern—serve as guides in our quest for meaning, purpose, and justice.
Listen on
Course Description:
This course invites you on a journey of discovery, where the lives of prophets—both ancient and modern—serve as guides in our quest for meaning, purpose, and justice. Through the stories of transformative figures such as Malcolm X, Dorothy Day, Pope Francis, and the Biblical prophets, we will explore what it means to live a life worth living. Their teachings, challenges, and courage can inspire us to confront the pressing issues of our world and reflect on our values, beliefs, and responsibilities.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, you will engage deeply with religious texts, historical narratives, and contemporary writings. Together, we will critically examine themes of justice, compassion, and societal transformation, analyzing how prophetic voices from diverse faith traditions shape the spiritual landscapes of their communities and our personal lives. More than a study of religion, this course is an invitation to self-reflection and action. Through research projects, group discussions, and reflective essays, you will connect the wisdom of prophetic figures to your own life experiences. By the end of the course, you will have developed a deeper understanding of how prophetic teachings resonate with your journey, offering tools for cultivating a life centered on meaning, justice, and hope.
Sample of Course Materials:
David Pinault, “The Story of Islam: A Primer” Commonweal (24 March 2017).
Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams, The Book of Joy (2016).
Elie Wiesel, Night, trans. Marion Wiesel (2006).
Genesis 1-3 (NABRE or NRSV).
James H. Cone, “Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree” Tikkun (26 October 2012).
James Parker, “A Saint for Difficult People,” The Atlantic (March 2017).
Pope Francis, Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home (2015).
Course Description:
This course invites you on a journey of discovery, where the lives of prophets—both ancient and modern—serve as guides in our quest for meaning, purpose, and justice. Through the stories of transformative figures such as Malcolm X, Dorothy Day, Pope Francis, and the Biblical prophets, we will explore what it means to live a life worth living. Their teachings, challenges, and courage can inspire us to confront the pressing issues of our world and reflect on our values, beliefs, and responsibilities.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, you will engage deeply with religious texts, historical narratives, and contemporary writings. Together, we will critically examine themes of justice, compassion, and societal transformation, analyzing how prophetic voices from diverse faith traditions shape the spiritual landscapes of their communities and our personal lives. More than a study of religion, this course is an invitation to self-reflection and action. Through research projects, group discussions, and reflective essays, you will connect the wisdom of prophetic figures to your own life experiences. By the end of the course, you will have developed a deeper understanding of how prophetic teachings resonate with your journey, offering tools for cultivating a life centered on meaning, justice, and hope.
Sample of Course Materials:
David Pinault, “The Story of Islam: A Primer” Commonweal (24 March 2017).
Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams, The Book of Joy (2016).
Elie Wiesel, Night, trans. Marion Wiesel (2006).
Genesis 1-3 (NABRE or NRSV).
James H. Cone, “Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree” Tikkun (26 October 2012).
James Parker, “A Saint for Difficult People,” The Atlantic (March 2017).
Pope Francis, Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home (2015).
Keep browsing
Join the LWL Community
