“Who do I want to become, and how do I get there?”
This is the central question that the new senior religion elective, Virtue Ethics & the Signs of the Times: An Introduction to Christian Morality, aims to explore.
Ms. Elizabeth Ekman, who teaches the course, describes it as “a class about self-reflection and personhood.” She was first inspired to propose the course while reflecting on her own years in graduate school, wishing she had been introduced to virtue ethics as a teenager. Considering the state of the world today, she also emphasizes that “empathy is needed now more than ever,” making this course—rooted in examining humanity and purpose—all the more relevant.
With that vision in mind, the idea for a Virtue Ethics class was born. After proposing the course during winter finals last year and developing a syllabus with potential units and assignments, Ms. Ekman’s passion gradually took shape as a fully realized course.
Today, seniors in the class explore topics ranging from hope and despair—through discussions of Wicked—to grace and agency, using Star Wars as a case study, as well as broader conversations about structures of injustice. Reflecting on her decision to incorporate movies and musicals into the curriculum, Ms. Ekman shares, “I do love movies and pop culture, so to me it was the perfect blend between theology and pop culture.”
Senior Ilinca Pandelea, a student in the course this semester, admitted that Virtue Ethics was the first class she ranked during course selection—not only because of the subject matter, but also because she had previously taken Social Justice with Ms. Ekman and “would take anything she teaches.”
So far, the class has surprised her in the best way. According to Ilinca, the focus is less on finding the “right” answers and more on learning how to engage in discussion—even if all you can offer is, “I’m confused.” Each class functions as a seminar, and the freedom to bring personal experiences into the conversation makes the environment feel both authentic and academic.
Her favorite topics so far have been the deep dives into fate, fortune, and the classic “problem of evil.” These large, abstract concepts become more approachable when the class personifies them—such as transforming the idea of luck into Lady Fortune. Like any course, it is not without its challenges: about half the students were not originally interested in the class, so participation can sometimes be uneven, and at moments the religious framework may feel slightly forced into discussions that might otherwise stand on their own. Still, Ilinca feels the course has sharpened her analytical skills, encouraged her to reflect on her life, and sparked an intellectual curiosity she does not typically associate with religion classes. She strongly recommends Virtue Ethics to students who enjoy big questions but also want something more personal and interactive than a traditional theology course. As she puts it, “Virtue Ethics is the class for people who love questioning, who love soul-searching—a break from the traditional mold of religious lectures.”
Ultimately, Ms. Ekman hopes that her students can “become more understanding and empathetic individuals” through the course. In fact, she says she has grown more hopeful herself through teaching it, often inspired by the thoughtful ideas her students raise during seminar discussions. “Students learn from teachers,” she reflects, “but I think as a teacher, I’m always learning from my students.” At its core, Virtue Ethics invites students to pause and take a step back—to examine who they are and who they want to become. That opportunity for reflection is something anyone can carry with them, regardless of age or religious background.
Virtue Ethics is a space where confusion becomes a starting point rather than a setback, and where students learn just as much from one another as they do from the texts. If this course is any indication of where the curriculum is headed, the future of religious studies at Mitty looks thoughtful, open, and genuinely transformative.