Winter 2016/Pasadena
IS500
Argue
IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Steven Argue.
DESCRIPTION: Christian practices constitute the Christian life. The combined Christian practices of vocational formation, worship, community, and mission facilitate the integration of personal, spiritual, academic, and global formation into the vocational coherence of a Christian leader through reflection, relationships, and practices. IS500 is an integrative course that explores the identity and practices of Christian vocational formation as a people called, gathered, and sent by God. Together, professor and students study and enact historic Christian disciplines necessitated by this distinctive identity (Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Stewardship, Simplicity, Rhythms of Rest, Honoring the Body).
LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of vocational formation. (2) Students will participate in local contexts and demonstrate the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of vocational formation. (3) Students will demonstrate the capacity to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic practices of vocational formation. (4) Students will articulate how vocational formation practices impact their response to the Central Integration Question (CIQ) and will identify exercises, habits, and disciplines to embody these practices within their sociocultural context.
COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in a flipped classroom format (which includes 8 hours of participation in vocation and formation groups).
REQUIRED READING: 800 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing.
A. Core Text
Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802829276, Pub. Price $30.00 [approx. 150-200 pp. assigned].
B. Israel, the Church, and vocation
Biblical texts assigned [50 pages].
Labberton, Mark. Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today. IVP Books, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836833, Pub. Price $16.00 [approx. 100 pp. assigned].
NT Wright on Vocation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkqI6mquB-c
C. Theology [ecclesiology], contemporary challenges [culture], and vocational practices
Bolsinger, Tod. “Formed, Not Found” Fuller Magazine, Issue 1 [4 pp.]
Branson, Mark Lau and Juan Martinez. Churches, Cultures & Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities. IVP Academic, 2011. 11-77 [66 pp.] [Available on e-Reserves].
Vocation and Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zilfLvKX0A&feature=youtu.be
D. Core practices [listening, guidance, lament, discernment, stewardship, simplicity, rhythms of rest, honoring the body]
Listening: the practice of hearing and responding to the voice of God within and amidst the many voices of the world, in scripture, our own stories, and in conversation with friends, family, and our neighbors.
Brown Taylor, B. An alter in the world: A geography of faith. Ch 1:The practice of waking up to God, 1-16. New York, HarperOne, 2010. [16 pp.]. [Required text for purchase].
Peterson, Eugene H. Eat this Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading). Section 2-3: Lectio Divina. Eerdmans, 2009. 79-118, assigned. [39 pp.]. [Available on e-Reserves].
Guidance: the practice of consistently seeking the support of others in order to live out one’s own calling, in partnership and support, submission, and accountability in order to faithfully live out one’s call to Jesus Christ (e.g. spiritual direction and mentorship).
Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 2000. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95. [109 pp.].
Lament: the practice of naming and navigating personal pain, longing, and loss, especially in relationship to vocation and calling.
Brueggemann, Walter. Praying the Psalms. Saint Mary's Press, 1986. Chapter One: Letting Experience Touch the Psalter, pp. 15-25; Chapter Four: Christians in Jewish Territory, 51-65. [10 pp.]. [Available on e-Reserves].
Brown Taylor, B. An alter in the world: A geography of faith. Ch 10: The practice of feeling pain, pp. 155-173. New York, HarperOne, 2010 [18 pp.]. [Required text for purchase].
Discernment: the practice of seeking to hear God’s voice for direction, assistance, and judgment regarding vocation. The aim of discernment is to enhance one's participation in the work of God, for the glory of God and the healing of the world.
Smith, Gordon T. Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God's Will. InterVarsity Press, 1997. 9-24. [15 pp.]. [Available on e-Reserves].
Stewardship: the practice of wisely planning, sharing, receiving, and deploying resources as a faithful expression of one’s vocation. This practice helps us to trust God and live with a mindset toward abundance rather than scarcity.
Brueggemann, Walter. "The liturgy of abundance, the myth of scarcity." Christian Century 116, no. 10 (1999): 342-47. [5 pp.] [Available on e-Reserves].
Simplicity: the practice of allowing our faith communities to help us discern how well our economic witness corresponds to the ancient prayer of Christian asceticism, "God, make us truly alive"? This practice involves reordering our use of time and money and allowing our daily lives to be changed by our immersion in a spirituality of "abundance and enough-ness.”
Manion, Jeff. Satisfied: Discovering Contentment in a World of Consumption. Part 1: The school of contentment, 1-60.Zondervan, 2014. [60 pp.]. [Available on e-Reserves].
Rhythms of Rest: the capacity to live in a healthy rhythm of work and rest, of rigor and care, of self-denial and celebration that embodies a life of discipleship to Jesus Christ (e.g. retreats, pilgrimages, fasting). Loving of self requires a community that sustains us in such love for ourselves, in rhythms of service and ceasing/celebrating so that such service comes from God through us and for us.
Brown Taylor, B. An alter in the world: A geography of faith. Ch 8: The Practice of Saying No, 121-140. HarperOne, 2010. [20 pp.]. [Required text for purchase].
Scott Cormode, “The Practice of Sabbath” - https://vimeo.com/102282325
Honoring the Body: the practice of caring for one’s body concerning sleep, sexuality, food, and technology/tools.
Chandler, Diane J. Physical Health inChristian Spiritual Formation: An Integrated Approach for Personal and Relational Wholeness. IVP Academic, 2014. [38 pp.] [Available on e-Reserves].
Going Deeper Practice: students choose one practice from above to study more and incorporate into their Personalized Directed Learning Assignment [see below]. Students read the equivalent of 100 pp. [text and/or video] on their practice of choice.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
800 pages reading and videos, including at least 50 pages of biblical text [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [40 hours].
Classroom + Online Participation. For each practice, students will engage, reflect, create (utilizing instruction, participation, presentation, discussion, engaging practice-based theology cycle for theological reflection, case studies). Students will participate in weekly Moodle forums, reflecting on assigned readings and scripture texts. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3]. [40 hours].
Vocation Formation Group (VFG). In a Vocation Formation Group, students will engage spiritual disciplines, practices, and discussion. Students will study the Bible, and share and listen to stories related to the practices (Vocation Formation Group Leader (VFGL) will let professor know if students have been present and engaged) (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, and #4]. [8 hours].
Students will participate in directed practices and disciplines over the course of the quarter (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [15 hours].
Four fieldwork activities and reflections (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [8 hours + 8 hours = 16 hours].
Fieldwork #1: Interview someone about his or her calling and vocation. Ask the person how they listen to friends, family, neighbors, scripture, and God with regard to their ongoing sense of call and vocation.
Fieldwork #2: After taking the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, students receive a CoreClarity coaching packet based off of their top 5 strengths, and participate in a 45-minute coaching call with a CoreClarity coach. Student will discuss strengths and gifts with their CoreClarity coach. Students will then reflect on what they learned in the conversation.
Fieldwork #3: Visit an intentional community or monastery and learn about how the people who live in the community/monastery engage the practices of listening, guidance, discernment, simplicity, stewardship, rhythms of rest, and honoring the body.
Fieldwork #4: Spend 4 hours in silence.
Autobiography related to core course concept (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. Each student will submit a 3-4 minute video introducing herself/himself, describing how she/he got connected with Fuller, and sharing where/what she/he sees God calling her/him in the future. Fellow students will watch all introduction videos and respond to two other students’ instruction videos. The purpose of this exercise is to get to know others in the class and to learn how to upload video assignments on Moodle. [4 hours].
Signature Assignment. 100 word CIQ response, Integration paper related to course practices, and Rule of Life (2,500 words total) (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [25 hours].
Personalized Directed Learning Assignment Students will create their own, extended, directed learning activity on a practice they want to grow in or experience more deeply [e.g. And additional day-long retreat, reading through larger portions of Scripture, trying spiritual direction]. Students will propose, implement, and reflect on the experience. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2 and #3]. [12 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv Program and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.