The point of the paper is for you develop a sort of expertise in some one area of ethics and see how it plays its way out in the three major Western religions. On the one hand this is to give you the opportunity to explore the logic of one theme in ethics in some depth. On the other hand this is a tool for you to learn more directly how the inner discourse of each religious tradtion works. Your final paper, as you recall, should be a comparative exercise based on these three case studies.

Below are a series of suggested paper topics. If you chose the first one, for example, you would do a series of four papers entitled something like "Role of Marriage in Judaism", "Role of Marriage in Christianity", Role of Marriage in Islam", and finally "Concepts of Marriage in Western Religions."

• What is the role of marriage? Is it for happiness, romance, procreation?
• What choices do you have as regards to having /not having children?
• Under what circumstances may one use birth control?
• Under what circumstances, if any, is abortion permitted?
• What is the meaning of "human " life? When does it start and stop?
• What is the status and /or role of women?
• What constitutes "sin"? What is the effect or outcome of sin?
• What responsibility is there to help the less fortunate? How much? Why?
• What makes a rabbi/priest/preacher/Qadi a moral authority?
• Are ethics "positive" or "natural", i.e. imposed by people or dictated by reason?
• What is the view on "Holy War" or "Just War"?
• What is the ultimate goal of ethics-- just society, sanctification, perfection?