DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to introduce students to the range of media and technological resources that are available as tools for ministry. Students will learn the proper and effective use of audio and visual systems (microphones, sound boards, PowerPoint, projection, use of video clips, etc.). They will also become familiar with online resources (web-pages, email marketing, video streaming, etc.), satellite and networking systems, and emerging technologies. Beyond the simple pragmatics of technological application, the course will guide students in theological reflection on the gifts and hazards that these new media present for ministry. Issues such as theological critique of media; purpose and effectiveness of technology in ministry; liturgical, pedagogical, and musical considerations; and ecclesiological concerns will be explored. Students will not only gain familiarity with existing and new media, but will develop a theology relating to media use in ministry.

As media and technology pervade present day culture, they increasingly present themselves as implements for ministry. This course will teach basic skills regarding media and technology, and provide a basis for theological judgment regarding media communications in ministry settings.

The class will meet once a week for three-hour sessions. Classes will involve lecture and demonstration, small group activities and projects, technical instruction seminars, and field trips to ministry and industry sites.

Andriacco, Dan. Screen Saved: Peril and Promise of Media in Ministry. Saint Anthony Messenger Press and Franciscan, 2001.

Mitchell, Jolyon and Sophia Marriage. Mediating Religion: Conversations in Media, Religion & Culture. T. & T. Clark, 2003.

Schultze, Quentin. High-Tech Worship? Using Presentational Technologies Wisely. Baker Books, 2004.

Troeger, Thomas H. Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multimedia Culture. Abingdon, 1996.

Wilson, Len. Digital Storytellers: The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship. Abingdon, 2001.

1. Reading of assigned materials and preparation of a 2-3 page reflection paper on each text.

2. Student presentations (and written evaluations) based on theological critique of the use of media technology at three assigned field trip ministry sites.

3. Attendance at technology seminars (ATC) and the spring Worship Enrichment Seminar (Brehm Center) and submitting written synopses of these.

4. A final project using media in a ministry context, such as designing a worship service, a retreat, a sermon in which the student demonstrates and/or describes the use of technology/media and provides theological rationale for the design.

Meets the "Media and Ministry" requirement for MA in Worship, Theology, and the Arts and MDiv concentration in Worship, Theology, and the Arts degrees.