Master of Religion and Public Leadership

• STH MR 703: PBLC TH MN LEAD
  PBLC TH MN LEAD
• STH MR 704: Religion and Public Engagement through the Arts
  Because the arts are fundamental to religious expression and are a principal interface between religious communities and the public, this course provides competencies in a wide range of subjects needed for leadership in this field. Primary competencies include an overview of the history of Christian art and architecture in global context; engagement with several methodological frameworks for self-expression and criticism (including aesthetics, semiotics, the creative process, and theopoetics); and foundational skills in the field of arts administration.
• STH MR 706: Congregations and Communities
  The increasingly global work of ministry, social activism, and non-profit service often takes place within or alongside religious congregations. Such congregations often serve as local communities, and they are embedded within larger communities such as neighborhoods, ethnic groups, political blocs, and countries. The purpose of this course is to help students understand the significance of religious "community" and its role in society, using both sociological and theological resources. We will then focus on pressing issues within U.S. congregational life, including race, class, and gender divides; spiritual pluralism and individualism; and the polarization and decline of Christian organizations.
• STH MR 707: The New Testament in Crises: Reading Biblical Texts Amid Contemporary Global Crises
  The Bible is everywhere. The Bible enters political debates through references to biblical authority; it is present in the Museums via artistic references to religious motifs; it informs the so-called cultural wars on sexuality, abortion, reparations, migration, climate change or wealth distribution; it is read weekly by local religious communities across the Globe. Politicians, pastors, activists, artists, writers, and thinkers reach into the biblical past to think about the political, cultural, and social present and the future. The purpose of this course is to explore the ways New Testament texts pervade contemporary debates about contemporary topics, paying attention to how these debates show up in public scholarship.
• STH MR 709: The Social Gospel
  This course examines the impact of the theological movement commonly called, the social gospel. Emerging out of the historical context of the late 19th century, the social gospel played a major role in shaping numerous movements of religious-based social activism in the 20th century. In addition to reading important theological voices from this tradition, the course will enable students to examine the social gospel's ongoing influence upon 21st century religious movements. The course will also allow students to engage how the social gospel's legacy can contribute to models of religious leadership today. (Cluster 1 & 2)
• STH MR 711: Disability and Ministry in the Public Square
  This course is about developing leadership skills and practical wisdom that facilitates the welcoming and affirming of people with disabilities into the public square. Jürgen Habermas defines the public sphere as, "By 'public sphere' we mean first a domain of our social life in which such a thing as public opinion can be formed." This course looks at how that public opinion has been formed in terms of disability by examining disability from the vantage point of the three publics originally outlined by Catholic theologian David Tracy: the academy, church, and the public square. Disability in this course includes everyone covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Discussions and course work will also include hidden disabilities and embodied vulnerability that everyone experiences. This broad focus on disability establishes its relevance and connection to all of us. First, we will focus on the academy and on how to be a theologian and leader who focuses on disability. In this course, we turn our attention to the practice of doing theology as a liberatory praxis to develop an understanding of how disability operates in our culture, and to build practical wisdom and leadership skills to combat ableism. The aim of this course is to help students develop transformative proposals for the church and society. In this exploration, we will pay careful attention to the central themes of disability, namely embodiment and marginalization.
• STH MR 713: Ministry and Leadership in Interfaith Contexts
  This course offers an entry point into the emerging field of Interfaith Leadership. It will provide students with an analysis of the power and potential of interfaith leadership in justice work, community building, and personal spiritual maturation. It includes the study and interpretation of historic and contemporary examples of interfaith leadership primarily in the United States, requires students to hone an articulation of their own faith-based motivations for interfaith engagement, and teaches best practices for engagement across differing belief systems. Students will engage in interfaith dialogue as part of their course work. Upon completion of the course, students will have increased their ability to engage in interfaith settings, understand how interfaith leadership differs from intra-faith leadership, and be clear on their individual points of tension in interfaith leadership settings, as well as those of their faith tradition. The course understands interfaith engagement to be inclusive of all people drawn to interfaith efforts including those who do not claim membership or affiliation with a religious tradition.