Fall 2008 Pastor Scholar Course Listing

 

Area	Course & Professor	Meeting Time	Content
A Biblical & Historical Studies	TH 718 Church History Survey I Christopher Brown	Tuesday & Thursday 9:30 – 11:00 am	A description and critical introduction to the history of the Church from the post-biblical period to the present; attention is given to the Church's evangelical engagement with other cultures and religions from Hellenism to modern missions, as well as to major theological and institutional issues and persons in context.
	TH 821 History & Doctrine of the United Methodists Glen Messer	Thursdays 2:00 – 5:00	An exploration of Methodist origins, the Wesleys, the rise of Methodism in England, and the distinctive doctrines of Wesleyan theology. Persons wishing to take this class as pastor scholars must do all of the assignments and meet all of the responsibilities of regularly enrolled students. This class involves a considerable amount of group learning and all in the class should be prepared to participate fully.
	TH 830 Topics in Ancient Christianity: Augustine and his Life and Works Paula Fredriksen	Tuesdays 3:30 – 6:30	This course traces the transformations in Augustine’s life and thought in the highly-charged decade between his conversion and his unforgettable description of and meditation on it in The Confessions. We shall examine how Augustine uses elements of his life-story to present a radically new theological argument about the ways that time-bound imperfect humans can know the perfect eternal God.
	TH 832 Modern Church History Glen Messer	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00	Persons wishing to take this class as pastor scholars must do all of the assignments and meet all of the responsibilities of regularly enrolled students. This class involves a considerable amount of group learning and all in the class should be prepared to participate fully.
	TM 863 Readings in African Christianity Marthinus Daneel	TBA
	TN 723 New Testament Greek I James Walters	Monday & Thursday 4:00 – 5:30/12:30 – 2:00	Introduction to the grammar and vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. For students with no training in Greek.
	TN 804 The Christian Bible: A History Jennifer Knust	Tuesday & Thursday 9:30 – 11:00	This course provides students with an opportunity to evaluate the nature of biblical authority carefully and prayerfully in light of the many competing claims about what it means, and has meant, to read the Bible.
	TN 805 Pauline Studies James Walters	Mondays 12:00 – 3:00	Paul's life, letters, and thoughts are considered historically and in their bearing upon Christian theology.
	TN 806 Gospel of John Robert Hill	Mondays 9:00 – 12:00 noon	The interpretation of Jesus and Christianity in the Gospel of John, the Johannine letters, and the Revelation of John.
	TO 704 Introduction to the Hebrew Bible Kathe Pfisterer Darr	Tuesdays, Thursdays, Wednesdays 11:00-12:00/9:30-10:30 And discussion section	Introduction to the religion and literature of ancient Israel; development of Hebrew scripture within its cultural, historical, and social contexts.
B Philosophy, Theology, & Ethics	TS 818 Social Analysis & Ethical Reflection Chai-sik Chung	Wednesdays 3:00 – 6:00	Social analysis as a tool for theological reflection and praxis. A critical exploration of the meaning of American society in transition and of the political economy of globalization for the ministry for human dignity and justice.
	TS 819 Engage Conflict Well Porter & Peterson	Mondays 1:00 – 4:00	This course is a response to the experience of destructive conflict in the Church and in the world as well as the call to be ministers of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18) and peacebuilders. The focus of our reflection will be both on the Church and the communities and world served by the Church. We will work to bring together the theology, theory and practice of faith based conflict transformation and restorative justice.
	TS 829/929 Christian Ecological Ethics & Political Issues John Hart	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00	The purpose of this course is to introduce students to aspects and dimensions of the ecological crisis; to help them reflect theologically and ethically on ecological problems; to develop or enhance their particular faith tradition’s theoretical and practical engagement with ecological issues; and to formulate public policy possibilities and practical projects to address and seek to solve ecological problems.
	TS 837 Comparative Religious Ethics Chai-sik Chung	Fridays 9:30 – 12:30	Comparative study of social ethics in Christianity and other world religions with particular attention to one or two selected contemporary issues, such as the erosion of community, economic problems, humanity’s relationship to the environment, and human rights.
	TS 925 Advanced Ecological Ethics John Hart	Thursdays 2:00 – 5:00
	TS 950 History of the Social Teachings of the Churches Norman Faramelli	Mondays 9:00 - Noon	This seminar will explore the development of the social teachings of the Church from the time of Jesus through the 20th century. The works of E. Troeltsch and H. R. Niebuhr will be relied upon, with a focus on the development of the early Christian social teachings, the medieval synthesis, the Reformation era, and especially the rise of urban-industrial capitalism and its impact on the social teachings of the Churches. Special emphasis will be given to major events of the 19th century.
	TT 810 Theology II Shelley Rambo	Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 – 12:30 Plus discussion section	Introduction to the basic themes of Christian theology geared toward the two-fold task of acquainting students with the historical development of doctrine and of encouraging them to add their own voices to the contemporary debate.
	TT 825 John Wesley’s Theology Today Bryan Stone	Wednesdays 3:00 – 6:00	This course examines the primary doctrinal, methodological, and practical commitments of John Wesley’s theology as developed in his sermons, hymns, writings, and life-praxis. The course also explores contemporary trends in Methodism and in Wesleyan theology more generally as they attempt to respond to the present theological situation and to the future prospects of a Christian faith lived out in the twenty-first century.
	TT 874 Contemporary Theological Systems Kirk Wegter-McNelly	Mondays 10:00 – 1:00	An exploration of contemporary systematic perspectives on the Christian faith aimed at facilitating the development of the student's own ability to think theologically and to construct his or her own theological perspective in light of his or her own theological tradition and the contemporary situation.
	TT 898 Theology & Trauma Shelly Rambo	Thursdays 2:00 – 5:00	This course aims to bring the recent studies in the interdisciplinary study of trauma to bear on the field of theology. The structure of the course is three-fold: The first part of the course explores recent studies in trauma; the second part of the course examines theological engagements with issues of radical suffering; and the third part brings together the insights from the first two and focuses on the question of what it means to witness theologically to individual, societal, and global trauma.
C Religion, Culture, & Personality	TR 860 Social Science Perspectives on the Church & World Nancy Ammerman	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00	This course invites students to pay attention to the social forces at work in the world, to understand the organizations that structure our lives, and to hear the cultural stories that shape how we understand our faith. Participants must do all assignments.
	TY 803/903 Psychology of Religion Chris Schlauch	Mondays 1:00 – 4:00	Examining methodological questions and issues in the psychological interpretation of religious matters by considering what is meant by “religion” and what is involved in interpreting “religion” psychologically. Must do all readings and attend classes.
	TY 806/906 Theories of Human Development Carole Bohn	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00	This course traces human development, including physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual using the theories of Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Fowler to weave together these aspects of human experience into a view of the whole person.
	TY 911 Object Relations & the Study of Religion Chris Schlauch	Thursdays 2:00 – 5:00	This is an advanced course for students with a background in clinical care and in psychology and participants would need to be screened before being admitted. Regular attendance and reading are a must.
	TZ 800 Research in the Theological Disciplines Jack Ammerman	Mondays 10:00 – 11:30	An introductory course to research methods in theological and religious studies.
D Ministry in Church & Society	TA 805 Church Music for Non-Musicians Andrew Shenton	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00 pm	This course is 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.
	TC 817 Introduction to Christian Worship Karen Westerfield Tucker	Tuesday & Thursday 9:30 – 11:00 And discussion section	An introduction to the spirit and structures of Christian worship. Word, sacraments, calendar, music, and pastoral offices are analyzed and described in terms of their relevance to congregational life, spirituality, catechesis, and mission.
	TC 828/TT880 Women’s Theologies & Ministry Hee-Ann Choi	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00	This course will examine the reality of women in ministry, critically evaluating how women’s identities and roles have been structured in Christian contexts. It will also analyze how these identities and roles can be re-evaluated and re-envisioned. Drawing on different women’s theological perspectives and identities, we will focus mainly on women and ministry in the areas of Biblical Studies, Worship, Preaching, and Pastoral Care and Counseling.
	TC 829/929 Spiritual Autobiographies Claire Wolfteich	TBA
	TC 835 Evangelism & Contemporary Cultures Bryan Stone	Mondays 1:00 – 4:00	This course explores the practice of bearing faithful, visible, and embodied witness to God’s reign in contemporary contexts and cultures. The course covers the biblical, historical, and theological foundations of evangelism, its practice within congregational life, and contextual strategies for practicing evangelism today.
	TC 851 African American Preaching Dale Andrews	TBA	Study of the preaching, prayer, and music in African-American churches.
	TC 854 Leadership in a Time of Change Bishop Susan Hassinger	Thursdays 1:00 – 5:00 & 6:00 – 9:00 Fridays 9:00 – 12:00 Class meets on Sept. 4-5, Oct. 9-10, Nov. 13-14 & Dec. 4-5	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/organization. What is the nature of change? How does our understanding of God shape our understanding of change? Are there healthy ways to lead in times of transition and change? These are some of the questions with which the course will deal.
	TC 863 Pastoral Offices Karen Westerfield Tucker	Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00	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. Pastor-scholars will be invited to participate in the ritual-writing component of the course.