Spring 2019/Pasadena

PH522

Mouw

PH522: PERSPECTIVES ON CHRIST AND CULTURE. (4 Units: 160 Hours). Richard J. Mouw.

DESCRIPTION: The Christian community has long debated the appropriate ways for Christians to relate to their cultural surroundings. This course will focus on some key perspectives, beginning with a critical examination of the motif made popular by H. Richard Niebuhr in his classic study, Christ and Culture. Special attention will be given to “cultural mandate” theories, as well as to the contemporary relevance of traditional notions of common grace, natural law, and general revelation as they have been used to discern created commonalities that undergird a plurality of cultures. The present-day interest in multiculturalism will also be explored.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this course students will be able to (1) demonstrate a deeper understanding of the nature of “culture”; (2) analyze and critique contemporary culture from a theological and philosophical perspective; (3) demonstrate a deeper understanding of the relationship between a biblical worldview and interaction with wider culture; (4) identify theological resources for an “epistemology of commonness” and bring them to bear on ministry contexts and Christian approaches to vocational work in culture; (5) demonstrate a deeper understanding of the complexities and tensions facing the church in diverse and rapidly changing cultures and subcultures; (6)engage in theological reflection regarding possible theological responses to the wider culture; (7) articulate the good news of the gospel of Christ in a multicultural, pluralistic society.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours. There will be weekly reading assignments.

REQUIRED READING: 1,100 pages assigned.

Appiah, Anthony.Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. W.W. Norton, 2006. ISBN: 978-0393329339, Pub. Price $15.95. [177 pp.]

Crouch, Andy. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling. InterVarsity Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0830837557, Pub. Price $22.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [82 pp. assigned].

Hauerwas, Stanley and William Willimon. Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony. Abingdon, 1989. ISBN: 978-0687361595, Pub. Price $18.00. Available as an e-book through the Fuller Library [100 pp. assigned].

Kuyper, Abraham. Lectures on Calvinism. Eerdmans, 1943. ISBN: 978-1602068407, Pub. Price $7.49 [191 pp.].

Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture. HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. ISBN: 978-0061300035, Pub. Price $16.99 [257 pp.].

Tanner, Kathryn.Theories of Culture: A New Agenda for Theology. Fortress Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0800630973, Pub. Price $25.00 [172 pp.].

Course Reader (available on Canvas)

Mouw, Richard. “Introduction,” “Isaiah 60,” “What Are the Ships of Tarshish Doing Here?” In When the Kings Come Marching In: Isaiah and the New Jerusalem. Eerdmans, 2002. 1-42. [43 pp.].

Okholm, Dennis and Timothy Phillips. “Recommendations for the Family in a Culture against Christ.” In A Family of Faith: An Introduction to Evangelical Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001. 262-272. [11 pp.].

Patel, Eboo, and Earl Lewis.“Introduction,” “Religious Diversity and the American Promise,” “Toward an Interfaith America,” “Postscript.” In Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. Xi-xxi, 3-44, 66-77, 107-109. [68 pp.]

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 30 hours of in-class lecture and discussion (10%) [30 hours].
  2. 1,100 pp. of required reading. [This assignment relates to all learning outcomes]. [73 hours].
  3. Two short papers (approximately 1,000 words each) (30% total). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #3, #5, and #6]. [18 hours].
  4. Final Paper (3,000 words) (45%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #4, #5, #6, and #7]. [27 hours].
  5. Group Presentation (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, #3, and #6] [12 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH5 or C2 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Option to meet the C2 requirement in the 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015). Meets requirement in Philosophical Theology (PHIL) in the 144 MDiv and MAT (Winter 2010) Programs.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.