Course Descriptions: Ministry in Church and Society
Area A: Biblical and Historical StudiesArea B: Phliosophy, Theology, and Ethics
Area C: Religion, Culture, and Personality
AREA D: MINISTRY IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY
Chair Bryan Stone
Professors Andrews, Hill, Stone, Westerfield Tucker
Associate Professor Wolfteich
Assistant Professors Newsome, Shenton
Adjunct Professors Daw (retired/part-time), Hassinger
Lecturers Choi, Johnson, Kidd, Messer, MorrisonDiscipline Designators for Area D
TA Church Music and the ArtsTC Evangelism, Field Education, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Spirituality, and Worship
TE Religious Education and Development
TJ Practical Theology
STH TA 710 Music in World Religions I
Music is an integral part of the liturgies of almost every major religion. It is a traditional element of many rituals connected with the life cycle, and is often used as a way of mediating one’s relationship to God. This course seeks to put both religion and its music in cultural and historical context. It will use interdisciplinary methodologies including theological studies and musical analysis. It aims to provide a basic framework for understanding the issues surrounding the duties and practices, rituals, scriptures, articles of faith, holy days, prayers, and denominational differences for each religion in a way that is comprehensible to the non-musician. Music in World Religions I deals with the Abrahamic traditions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. A second course (to be offered at a later date) will deal with the “Eastern” traditions. Musical training is preferred but not essential. Shenton. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TA 711 Music in World Religions II
Shenton. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TA 721 Seminary Singers
Open to all students who are interested in singing. Participation in one weekly chapel service, all concerts, and tours. Credit given only on completion of the second consecutive semester’s work. C. Kidd.STH TA 801 Sacred Music Practicum
Mandatory for all MSM students. Offered every other year in the spring (next in 2010). Covers topics relating to the practical duties of a church musician such as: handbell choirs, children’s choirs, conflict resolution, professional concerns, organ pedagogy, the art of accompaniment, site visits, vocal technique, repertoire, resources, composing and arranging for the church, improvisation, organ building and maintenance, keyboard skills. Shenton.STH TA 804 Seminar: Anthems for the Church Choir
Historical survey of music repertory for American church choirs: study of performance of various periods and genres of music. Consent of instructor with special consideration given to MSM and CFA students. Staff.STH TC 806 Biography and Vocation
This 2-credit course (run as a pilot in spring 2009) provides a structured small group experience for students who are in their final year of the MDiv or MTS program. The class will enable students to reflect on their faith and vocational journeys—leading up to but especially while at BUSTH—and to discern in a supportive community the shape of the vocation to which they are transitioning. This would include attention not only to the what of their vocation but also the how—how they will embody a vocation, how they are navigating processes to move toward that vocation, how they and their families will make the transition, what they carry with them from their studies/experience at BUSTH, and what practices and communities will sustain them in that vocation. The class is intended to be an integrative space with targeted readings and reflections on vocation, discernment, spiritual autobiography, and self-care. Wolfteich, director. Faculty instructors.STH TC 810 Pastoral Life as the Good Life
Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 812 Introduction to Christian Religious Education
Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 813 Spirituality and Ministry in Multicultural Contexts
Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TA 805 Church Music for Non-Musicians
For those with little or no previous music training. It will teach music literacy, basic musicianship skills, rudimentary keyboard skills, introduction to singing the service, and musical leadership. It will include an examination of historic and contemporary theologies of church music; a survey of the musical forms used in worship by the Church; musical resources for worship leaders; hiring and working with musicians; introducing new music; and definitions of quality in music. Shenton.STH TA 808 Marsh Chapel Choir
Audition required. Schedule includes Sunday worship in Marsh Chapel and several major concerts. Jarrett.STH TA 810 Hymns and Their Music
Study of the history of congregational song from biblical practice to the present day. Emphasis will be given to the development of theological, textual, and musical patterns, with special attention to incorporating both historic and emerging materials in worship. Strongly recommended for all MSM students; valuable for MDiv and ThD students with special interest in worship. Daw.STH TA 820 Church and the Arts
Aims to facilitate understanding of sacred art for its intrinsic worth and to assess how it may be used to enhance worship in the future. It will deal systematically with the theology of architectural space, church furnishing, vestments, stained glass, and decorative work. Students will be taught to look, interpret, and use the technical vocabulary of art and architecture and will develop skills for making value judgments about quality and content of art. Includes field trips to area churches and to the Museum of Fine Arts. Shenton.STH TA 830 Passions, Oratorios, and Requiems
Examines the legacy of music written for liturgical and non-liturgical use, using longer texts. It traces the origins, formulary, and development of the texts (including discussion of the authors). Case studies from different periods of music history form the basis of further enquiry. Cultural, social, and historical context of the premier are discussed, along with comparison with other examples in the same genre, discussion of changes in text and approach, and national differences in style and technique. Shenton.STH TA 840 Music in World Religions
After a general introduction to the role of music in religious life and worship, the course examines the music of five major world religions. The main issues, methodologies, and initial engagement will be through music for Christian worship; the ensuing weeks will deal with Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam. Some degree of musical proficiency is preferred but not required. Shenton.STH TC 703, 704 Pastoral and Spiritual Formation, I and II
The course centers around weekly group meetings of master’s students, facilitated by STH faculty. The course aims to create small faith communities for spiritual companionship and nurture, critical theological reflection, vocational discernment, and integration of academic study and faith. Required in first year of study for entering Master of Divinity students. Wolfteich, director. Faculty instructors. MDiv Core Requirement.STH TC 715 Introduction to Preaching
An introduction to the theology and practice of preaching within the context of the ministry. Students develop skills necessary for preparation, composition, delivery, and critique of sermons. Hill. MDiv Core Requirement.STH TC 723 United Methodist Church Discipline
Polity, structure, procedures, and ritual of the United Methodist Church. Designed to meet one of the requirements for membership in a UMC Annual Conference. Johnson. MDiv Free Elective.STH TC 757 Spiritual Resources and Disciplines
An introduction to spirituality, both as a subject for study and as integral part of everyday life. Explores major currents in Christian spirituality and reflects on personal experience of faith. Participants develop an understanding of varieties of spirituality within the Christian tradition and seek to deepen their own spiritual lives. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 801 Supervised Field Education I
Prereq: STH TC 703 and 704. Supervised practice of ministry in parish internships, student parishes, and hospital chaplaincies combined with peer reflection-learning groups. MDiv Core Requirement.STH TC 802 Supervised Field Education II
Continues and presupposes STH TC 801 in the spring semester. See STH TC 801 for description. MDiv Core Requirement.STH TC 803 Field Education III
Normally continues STH TC 802. Johnson.STH TC 804 Field Education IV
Normally continues STH TC 803. Johnson.STH TN 806 The Gospel of John
The interpretation of Jesus and Christianity in the Gospel of John, the Johannine letters, and the Revelation of John. Knust or Hill. MDiv New Testament II Core Elective.STH TN 810 The Social Setting of Early Christianity
The focus of the course will be the economy, society, and culture of the Greco-Roman world in which the first Christians lived. The purpose of the course is to introduce the student to the social world that produced the New Testament and other early Christian literature, including martyrdoms and apologies. We will read primary and secondary sources on Roman history (early imperial period), ancient Judaism (from Alexander the Great to the revolt by the messianic figure Bar Kochba), Greco-Roman religions (with focus on the “pagan spirituality” of the ancient mystery religions), and the reaction by Roman magistrates and pagan intellectuals to the new Christian movement. Such context is essential for reconstructing the life, religion, society, and culture of the ancient Christians. Walters. MDiv New Testament II Core Elective.STH TC 811 Spiritual Leadership through Church Administration
Consideration of local church systems and contexts; management by motivating and training of church leaders; envisioning, planning, boundaries, finances, and time priorities for those planning to be pastors, associate pastors, Christian education directors, youth ministers, and others on church staffs. Hill. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 812 Introduction to Christian Religious Education
Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TN 813 Letter to the Romans
Analysis of Paul’s most systemic letter with special attention to the themes of election, justification by faith, ethics, and new Israel. Romans’ historical impact on Luther, Wesley, Barth, and Bultmann. Walters. MDiv New Testament II Core Elective.STH TC 817 Introduction to Christian Worship
A survey of the history, theology, and practice of Christian worship from an ecumenical perspective. The purpose of the class is to: (1) introduce the discipline of liturgical studies; (2) aid the development of foundations and skills for worship leadership in the Church; and (3) encourage theological thinking and evaluation in regard to the liturgical life of the faith community. Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Core Requirement.STH TC 819 The Sacraments: Rites and Theologies
Contemporary study of the sacraments brings together ritual studies, liturgical history, the history of dogma, and systematic reflection. This course examines the baptismal and eucharistic rites of the Church, both past and present, along with theological rationales of and commentaries on them offered by ecclesiastic writers of the patristic, medieval, Reformation, and modern periods. Also offered as STH TC 919. Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 821 The Book of Psalms
The Psalter, its development, organization, and content. The Psalms interpreted in their worship setting. Attention given to literary and devotional values of these lyrical classics of Israel. Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 823 Spiritual Guidance in the Christian Tradition
Are you seeking a “word of life”? Do you hunger to know more about the wisdom of Christian spiritual traditions? Do you feel called to grow in your ability to guide others? In this course we will explore selected writings from the Christian tradition—both classic and contemporary. We will read the pithy sayings of the early desert abbas and ammas, the gentle counsel of Francis de Sales, the spiritual teaching of John Wesley and his mother Susanna, and the insights of the Russian pilgrim who wanted to pray without ceasing. We will analyze the various theological commitments reflected in these authors’ spiritual teachings, and place them in their historical contexts. Then we will move to contemporary texts about the practice of spiritual guidance, addressing concerns such as spiritual direction of women, group spiritual direction, prayer, and cross-cultural spiritual guidance. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 825 Prayer and Social Engagement
The seminar will address the relationship between prayer and social engagement. Prayer and social engagement often are separated entirely, or wedded uncritically. In this course, students will seek to deepen their prayer lives while thinking critically about the social situation. They will wrestle with the multiple theological questions surrounding prayer and social engagement. Topics will be approached using selected case studies from international contexts. By delving into the cases, students will see different models for how prayer can inspire a social vision, cultivate a social conscience, respond to social crisis, ground people’s dignity, and promote reconciliation. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 828 Women’s Theologies and Ministry
This course will examine various women’s theologies and their ministry, critically evaluating how women’s identities and roles have been structured in Christian theologies and traditions and carefully analyzing how their theological and ministerial challenges have been envisioned in this modern ministerial context. Drawing on different women’s theological perspectives and identities, we will focus mainly on women’s theologies and ministry in the areas of Trinity, hermeneutical interpretations, worship, liturgy, and pastoral care and counseling. This course will introduce the student to the history of women’s studies and investigate how women’s theological challenges and ministry interact with sociopolitical and cultural structures and how these processes impact their everyday lives. It will also re-evaluate various women’s theological discourses and practices as valuable sources in relation to the church and offer several possibilities for a new understanding of women’s theologies and ministry in Christian contexts. Also offered as STH TT 880. Choi. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 829 Spiritual Autobiographies
Participants in this course will read selected spiritual autobiographies in order to gain an understanding of the varieties of religious experience and the interrelationship between spirituality, theology, and historical and cultural context. We will examine the nature of religious experience and the difficulties in translating this experience into language. Moreover, we will explore the important issue of how spirituality relates to the institutional churches, and the various shapes spirituality takes outside these institutions. Through close, empathetic, and critical examination of the texts, participants also will reflect on their own spiritual journeys and spiritual identities. They will prepare written analyses of course texts and, by the end of the course, will write a portion of their own spiritual autobiography. Also offered as STH TC 909. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 835 Evangelism and Contemporary Cultures
This course explores what it means to bear visible and embodied witness to the reign of God in a pluralistic and post-Christendom context. It will attempt to understand some of the more important dynamics at work in contemporary culture that shape how evangelism is to be practiced with integrity today. Stone. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 836 Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Church and Society
This course will examine the relation between race, gender, and ethnicity from the perspective of different multicultural identities and theological understandings, evaluating how religious structures have constructed these relations and challenged these dynamics. Analyzing the various church contexts and social constructions, we will aim to re-evaluate diverse theoretical and experimental discussions among different ethnic groups in a global context as well as in American context. This course will introduce the student to broader views of multi-layers of dynamics between race, gender, and ethnicity in various church contexts such as White/African American/Asian/Asian American/Hispanic/other immigrant churches and multicultural congregations. It will investigate how church life and ministry interact with sociopolitical and cultural structures and how these processes impact people’s everyday lives. This course will also re-evaluate various people’s different struggles including racism, classism, sexism, and colonialism and re-discover their transforming power. We will analyze the issues of race, gender/sex, body, age, and class in the North American context and understand the issues of colonial and post-colonial structures within American society and beyond. This course will offer several possibilities for a new understanding of Christian church and society. Choi. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 837 Work and Faith
Have you ever wondered how your work life fits into your spiritual journey? Do you want to explore the various ways that people experience work and struggle with its meaning? This course provides a forum to explore these questions and their implications for ministry today. We approach the topic from a variety of angles, including historical, sociological, literary, and theological texts; interviews; case studies; and site visits. We will explore themes such as: work as spiritual practice or challenge, work as vocation, creativity, prayer and work, fragmentation, use of time, and discernment. We will also explore how cultural forces and economic structures influence the contemporary person’s spirituality. The course includes specific attention to family and work, and to men and women’s various experiences. Students will reflect on the churches’ ministry with working people and will strategize about creative means of spiritual guidance. All will participate in a class project to sponsor a retreat for working people. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 838 Church Renewal: Thought, Word, Deed
In every era, Christians must rethink what it means to be the Church in light of the Christian witness and given the unique challenges and opportunities of our particular situation. This course explores (1) what it means to be the church as an embodied witness to the reign of God in our present culture and (2) the various strategies and resources upon which Christian leaders might draw in guiding congregations through processes of formation, change, and revitalization. Hill. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 842 Urban Ministry
A study of the challenges and opportunities for ministry created by the urban context along with an exploration of models of and resources for carrying out ministry in that context. Stone. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 845 Parish Preaching
The preaching ministry in the parish congregation and its purposes and relationships to other parish ministries. Practice in preparation and delivery of sermons. Hill. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 847 Faith and Film
This course uses the medium of film as an avenue for reflection upon the meaning and truth of the central doctrines of the Christian church as expressed in the historic Apostles’ Creed. The course will use a broad cross-section of film genres to open up new and creative windows for understanding and communicating the Christian faith in a pluralistic, post-Christian culture and will also assist the student in thinking critically about the film from a Christian theological perspective. Stone. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 849 The Preacher as Creative Theologian
The human experience of God is the overarching theme for preaching. Intended to help the student distinguish among this level of discourse and others, and to develop the ability to relate the gospel to the experiential issues, rather than the theological and religious commitments confronted by the congregation. Hill. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 851 Preaching and Worship in the African American Traditions
Study of the preaching, prayer, and music in African American churches. Andrews. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 852 Leadership and Spirituality
Changing times in church and society challenge our understandings about and practices of leadership. This course will explore how leadership is impacted by the context of the leader and the context of the setting in which leadership is shaped and exercised. The quality of a leader’s life and work can be significantly enhanced by being supported in spiritual practices. This course will examine theories about leadership, both secular and church-based, as well as the systemic nature of leadership within the context of leader and group. We will also consider the importance of the “being” of the leader, not just the “doing.” Students will be given opportunity to reflect on biblical models of leadership, as well as to learn, experience, and practice spiritual disciplines for leaders and those with whom they lead. Hassinger. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 854 Leadership in Times of Change
Change is a constant, whether in the individual, the family, the local church, the university, the nation, or the world. How a leader defines, understands, and deals with change, both personally and in the leadership setting, is important both for the leader and those in the organization or group. Leadership for change may emerge from anywhere in the group or organization. What is the nature of change? How does our understanding of God shape our understanding of change? How does our understanding of change shape our understanding of God? Are there healthy ways to lead in times of transition and change? Are there leadership patterns that are counterproductive in times of transition and change? How does the leader or group member hold him or herself accountable to the change process? These are some of the questions with which the course will deal. Hassinger. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 856 Preaching to the Modern World: Preaching Theological Challenges
Consideration of the ways in which the contexts of preaching today differ from those in which the familiar formulations of theology came into being as well as the theological implications of the differences. Also offered as STH TT 856. Wildman. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 857 Spiritual Resources and Disciplines
An introduction to spirituality, both as a subject for study and as an integral part of everyday life. Explores major currents in Christian spirituality and reflects on personal experience of faith. Participants develop an understanding of varieties of spirituality within the Christian tradition and seek to deepen their own spiritual lives. Offered as STH TC 757 for 2 credits. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 861 Theologies of Church Music
The Church, throughout its history, has sought to clarify its relationship to culture. In particular, is the Church to accommodate its worship to culture or avoid adoption of cultural forms? The relationship of culture and worship will be explored in this course from the angle of the historical Church’s use of music. How have the Church’s theologians defined the role of music in the Church? What are the most appropriate musical forms for use in the Church? These issues will be examined with an eye to discussing and evaluating contemporary Christian musical expressions. Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 862 The Liturgical Year
The historical development of a Christian calendar of both weekly and annual cycles. Descriptions of related liturgical and catechetical customs and contemporary calendar revision. Staff.STH TC 863 Pastoral Offices: Christian Rituals for the Life-Cycle
An examination of historical, theological, and pastoral aspects of the occasional offices that address life’s passages and crises: birth, adolescence, Christian marriage, sickness and death, and Christian burial. An ecumenical and international approach will be taken in studying both historic and contemporary rites. Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 866 Faith-Based Non-Profit Organizational Development
The purpose of this study is to assist students in (a) understanding and assessing the organizational structure, operation, and management of faith-based non-profits, (b) gaining an awareness of how faith-based non-profits go about the tasks of effective fundraising and grant writing, and (c) designing and writing a workable program strategy, organizational and strategic plan, and grant proposal. Stone. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 867 The Gospel and Popular Culture
This course places the Christian gospel into dialogue with a variety of expressions of North American popular culture (film, television, art, music, entertainment, sports, etc.) in an effort to understand the complex relationship between the two. The course takes up with this dialogue against the wider background of the study of religion and popular culture and by exploring the nature of self and transcendence, morality, and the spiritual quest as those are constructed and configured within popular culture. The course asks to what extent contemporary expressions of Christian worship, preaching, ministry, evangelism, and spirituality might better engage popular culture and to what extent these expressions already reflect (perhaps uncritically) the values, patterns, and practices of popular culture. Stone. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 868 Worship in the Anglican and Wesleyan Traditions
A study of the historical, theological, liturgical, and sociocultural influences which have shaped the worship patterns of the major American denominations claiming Anglican and Wesleyan heritages. Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 869 Prophetic Preaching
Andrews. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 871 Spiritual Formation for Peace Builders
Hassinger. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 872 Animals and Healing
Explores various dimensions of divine/human/animal interactions, but with a focus upon healing relationships. The course ranges across the areas of theology, spirituality, liturgy, pastoral care, history, psychology, mind/body medicine (stress reduction), and public policy. While Christian theologies of creation and stewardship/ecology are central, the approaches of other religions and their practices will also be examined for purposes of comparison (and perhaps dialogue). Berthrong, Westerfield Tucker. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 873 Leadership for Healthy Congregations
Hassinger. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 874 MLK in Context
Andrews. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 875 Qualitative Research Methods
Staff.STH TC 877 Worship in a Korean Context
An examination of the history, traditions, and theologies of Korean liturgical practices. Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 878 Sabbath: Theory and Practice
Team taught by a Jewish rabbi and a Christian practical theologian, this course invites students to delve into Jewish and Christian traditions on Sabbath, an important spiritual practice with many layers of theological meaning. We will explore classic texts on Sabbath—including texts from the Bible, the Talmud, and the Mishnah—as well as historical and contemporary Christian writing on the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day. Topics to include discussion of motifs of “maaseh breisheet” (creation) and “yetziat mitzrayim” (exodus), blessing and sanctifying, cessation of work, preparation for Sabbath, Sabbath consciousness, and imitatio dei. We also will explore Christian theologies of the Lord’s Day, including the meaning of Sabbath in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. This is a course in spirituality and practical theology. We will be studying and engaging in the practice of Sabbath keeping as we closely read classic and contemporary texts—and in this way exploring what the practice of Sabbath embodies and enacts theologically. We also will focus attention on questions of Sabbath keeping and spiritual formation, relationships between Sabbath keeping and pastoral excellence, and implications of Sabbath for social justice. Wolfteich. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 890 New Church Development
The planting and birthing of new congregations requires careful planning, innovative leadership, organizational savvy, a strong spiritual base, and endless creativity. This course is a study in the theology and practice of starting new congregations and covers such topics as contextual worship, organizational development, finance and facilities, exegeting a community, and creative community outreach. Coursework includes specific congregational development research projects. Stone. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TC 902 Ministry in Multi-Cultural Contexts
Christian ministers increasingly find themselves in contexts where cultural pluralism is the rule rather than the exception. This course will focus on the challenges and opportunities created for theology, communication, worship, ministry, evangelism, and prophetic witness in a multicultural context. Stone.STH TC 903 Contemporary Homiletic Theories and Analysis
Andrews.STH TC 905 Congregation and Community
Prereq: STH TJ 940. This course examines the relationship of the church to its local communities from sociological and theological frames of reference. The course introduces the student to the discipline of congregational studies and uses a case-study method. Stone.STH TC 912 Classics in Christian Spirituality
The course serves as an introduction to advanced study of Christian spirituality through in-depth reading of selected classics in the tradition of Christian spirituality and analysis of secondary literature in the discipline. The course will expose students to significant works in the tradition and will train them to read such texts with theological, historical-contextual, and practical theological perspectives. Primary texts will rotate each time the course is taught. Critical issues raised will include: relationship between spirituality and theology, relationship between spirituality and ecclesiology, spiritual practices, the human sciences and the study of spirituality, apophatic and cataphatic spiritual paths, and contemporary pastoral appropriations of classic texts. The course is required for all ThD minors in spirituality, DMin students completing plans of study in spirituality, and STM students with a specialization in Spirituality. Masters students admitted with permission of instructor. Wolfteich.STH TC 954 Proseminar in Liturgical Studies
Selected classics and recent books in liturgical studies will be read in order to examine different methodologies employed in the field. Westerfield Tucker.STH TE 812 Learning Faithfulness: An Introduction to Christian Education and Formation
This course is a practical introduction to ministries of learning and teaching in Christian communities. It will explore opportunities for formation across the human life cycle and in diverse contexts, drawing on a range of theological, theoretical, and historical perspectives. Students will analyze the education offerings of religious communities, evaluate educational resources, practice effective teaching approaches, and design educational strategies appropriate to their community of faith. Attention will be given to a range of topics, such as Bible study, Sunday school, youth camps, interfaith relationships, education for social change, formation in Christian practices, and dialogue around controversial issues. Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TE 814 Minister as Educator
An introduction to the ministry of religious education by the ordained pastor. Helps students identify and develop religious education curricular materials and discusses the theological underpinnings of a religious education program. Staff.STH TE 819 Religious Education for Social Transformation
Staff. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TE 845 Religion and Education
The relationship of government with schools and colleges based upon religious convictions and the efforts of educators to shape and maintain a distinctive character in such institutions. Issues of educational freedom and the rights of parents in historical and comparative international perspective. Also meets with SED AP 630. Aeschliman. MDiv Area D Core Elective.STH TJ 875 Qualitative Research Methods
Andrews.STH TJ 876/976 Church and Theology in the Contemporary World
Church and Theology in the Contemporary World is an advanced research seminar in practical theology. The course enables students to design and carry out a research project in practical theology under the guidance of the instructor and with constructive feedback from fellow students. Assignments are designed to help students to articulate a clear, significant, and manageable research question; to design a practical theological approach to the question; to develop relevant bibliographies and other research sources; and, ultimately, to complete a final project in practical theology. Through this work and additional readings, including careful reading of and theological reflection on daily newspapers, we will together identify and address a range of issues facing the church in diverse cultures and contexts. Students gain skills in identifying practical theological questions and interpreting contexts; critically incorporating social scientific research in a theological project; making normative judgments; and thinking through strategic practical theological responses to guide faithful Christian practice. The course is a required core course for all doctoral students majoring in Practical Theology. Wolfteich.STH TJ 910 Proseminar in Practical Theology
This doctoral seminar for practical theology majors introduces the primary changes that are under way in practical theology as a discipline, reviews the methodologies upon which these changes are based, and examines the implications of these changes. Andrews, Stone, Wolfteich.
STH TJ 940 Ecclesiology
This course asks the question, “What is the church?” in dialogue with Christian theological figures and schools representing Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian traditions. While one of the aims of this course is that students be conversant with those voices, it ultimately aims at the student’s ability to articulate the ecclesiology of his or her own community and to bring that to bear on the contemporary situation and particular problems of Christian practice in church and society. Also offered as STH TT 940. Stone.
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