DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to introduce students to theological reflection going on outside of North America as this develops against the backdrop of the indigenous religious context. The focus will be on major philosophical and religious traditions and the interaction of Christianity with these traditions. The emphasis will be on a comparative study which makes use of social science methods and develops a biblical and critical perspective.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Student will learn the variety of theological responses of churches outside the west, understand in depth the contextual and cultural issues of specific areas they will choose, and experience the struggle of these areas through contextual examples of art and literature.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Ministry is now carried out in a world perspective in which cross-cultural issues are unavoidable. Since the church outside of North America is now larger than that in the West, and since much creative thinking emanates from these churches, responsible ministry today requires the development of critical listening skills.

COURSE FORMAT: Class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions. This course will survey theological reflection in three major areas of the world: Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. For each area lectures will first focus on the major religious traditions of the region and then study the rise of local theologies in those contexts. Lectures and readings will cover selected topics being discussed by theologians (both formal and informal) from these regions. Finally an attempt will be made to interact with these materials from the perspective of western theology.

REQUIRED READING:

Dyrness, William A. Learning about Theology from the Third World. Zondervan, 1990.

Jenkins, Philip. The New Faces of Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Thiong'o, Ngugi wa. The River Between. Heinemann, 1990 [1965].

Course Reader.

One text representing student's chosen area of focus and approved by professor (see extended Recommended Reading list in course syllabus).

Barr, William R. ed. Constructive Theology in the Worldwide Church. Eerdmans, 1997.

Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western Religion. Orbis, 1995.

Gifford, Paul. Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalizing African Economy. Indiana University Press, 2004.

Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. The Trinity in Global Perspective. Westminster, 2007.

Peterson, Douglas. Not by Might Nor by Power: A Pentecostal Theology of Social Concern in Latin America. Regnum, 1996.

Ramachandra, Vinoth. The Recovery of Mission: Beyond the Pluralist Paradigm. Eerdmans, 1996.

Yung, Hwa. Mangoes or Bananas? The Quest for an Authentic Asian Christian Theology. Regnum/Oxford, 1997.