It is normal for people to cooperate with others in human endeavors. In fact, it’s not only a normal, it’s the human thing to do, it’s unavoidable. Usually, these associations are good. Sometimes they’re not so good. At other times, they’re evil.

When we cooperate with other people, we’re often cooperating on some level with evil acts because all people are sinners. It’s impossible to be involved with other people without having some kind of association with sin.

The concept of cooperation in evil is an important concept for living a virtuous, morally praiseworthy life, but it’s often overlooked. As a result, many people are unaware about not only what it is and how it happens, but how serious it can be in terms of their culpability before God.

So, if you hear someone say, “You must never cooperate in anything that results in evil,” you have to be careful about what that means. Technically speaking, it’s an impossible demand. Cooperation in evil to some degree is unavoidable because all people commit sins. The question is, at what level are you cooperating and how responsible are you for that cooperation?

Objective: In this course, students will learn what it means to cooperate in evil. Students will learn about the different ways we cooperate in evil and the degree of seriousness in each instance.

You’re joining our global classroom. Thousands of students from all over the world, each with their own unique story, learn at their own pace on Catholic Online School every single day.

Free Resources and tools for students, parents, and teachers. We’re working hard to ensure that Catholic Online School empowers teachers of all kinds to better understand what their children or students are up to and how best to help them. 

For free. For everyone. Forever.

With God, you can learn anything

Course curriculum

  • 01

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 1 - Principal Agent and Cooperator

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 1 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 1 - Principle Agent and Cooperator - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 1 - Principle Agent and Cooperator - VIDEO

    • Lesson 1 - Principal Agent and Cooperator - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 1 - Principal Agent and Cooperator - Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (1/26/21)
  • 02

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 2 - What Does It Mean To Cooperate In Evil

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 2 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 2 - What Does It Mean To Cooperate In Evil - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 2 - What Does It Mean To Cooperate In Evil - VIDEO

    • Lesson 2 - What Does It Mean To Cooperate In Evil - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • A Reading from the Sacrifice of the Mass of the day

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 2 - What Does It Mean To Cooperate In Evil - Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (1/27/21)
  • 03

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 3 - Formal Cooperation In Evil

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 3 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 3 - Formal Cooperation In Evil - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 3 - Formal Cooperation In Evil - VIDEO

    • Lesson 3 - Formal Cooperation In Evil - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 3 - Formal Cooperation In Evil - Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (1/28/21)
  • 04

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 4 - Material Cooperation In Evil

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 4 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 4 - Material Cooperation In Evil - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 4 - Material Cooperation In Evil - VIDEO

    • Lesson 4 - Material Cooperation In Evil - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 4 - Material Cooperation In Evil - Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (1/29/21)
  • 05

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 5 - Immediate Material Cooperation In Evil

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 5 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 5 - Immediate Material Cooperation In Evil - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 5 - Immediate Material Cooperation In Evil - VIDEO

    • Lesson 5 - Immediate Material Cooperation In Evil - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 5 - Immediate Material Cooperation In Evil - Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (2/2/21)
  • 06

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 6 - Mediate Material Cooperation In Evil

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 6 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 6 - Mediate Material Cooperation In Evil - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 6 - Mediate Material Cooperation In Evil - VIDEO

    • Lesson 6 - Mediate Material Cooperation In Evil - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 6 - Mediate Material Cooperation In Evil Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (2/3/21)
  • 07

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 7 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Proportionality

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 7 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 7 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Proportionality - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 7 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Proportionality - VIDEO

    • Lesson 7 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Proportionality - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 7 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Proportionality Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (2/4/21)
  • 08

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 8 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Avoiding Scandal

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 8 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 8 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Avoiding Scandal - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 8 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Avoiding Scandal - VIDEO

    • Lesson 8 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Avoiding Scandal- QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 8 - Mediate Material Cooperation and Avoiding Scandal Live Lesson Recording with Deacon Frederick Bartels (2/5/21)
  • 09

    Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 9 - Conclusions and Piecing It All Together

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 9 - Introduction

    • Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers

    • Lesson 9 - Conclusions and Piecing It All Together - LESSON PLAN / STUDY GUIDE

    • Lesson 9 - Conclusions and Piecing It All Together - VIDEO

    • Lesson 9 - Conclusions and Piecing It All Together - QUIZ

    • Live Lesson Opening Prayer

    • Cooperation In Evil - Lesson 9 - Conclusions and Piecing It All Together Live Lesson with Deacon Frederick Bartels (2/9/21)

What others are saying about this course:

Florence Rosato

5 star rating

“It certainly was enlightening !”

“It certainly was enlightening !”

→Read Less

Instructor(s)

Instructor Bio:

Deacon Frederick Bartels is a member of the Catholic clergy who serves the Church in the diocese of Pueblo, CO. He received an MA in Theology and Educational Ministry from Catholic Distance University, where he is currently employed as an adjunct professor of theology. He is founder and editor of Joy In Truth (joyintruth.com), an online magazine dedicated to the New Evangelization. As a Catholic educator, public speaker and evangelist, Deacon Bartels strives to infuse culture with the saving principles of the gospel. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Shelly, and the youngest two of their six children. Professor Bartels is Chairman of the Theology Department.

Deacon Frederick Bartels

Professor of Theology, Department Chair