DESCRIPTION:

The typology of the relation between Christ and culture developed by H. Richard Niebuhr in his classic Christ and Culture has for years dominated theological reflection on the topic. In this course we will reexamine Niebuhr's typology, especially his preferred type "Christ the Transformer of Culture," with the goal of enriching our understanding of how the church should relate to the multiplicity of rapidly changing cultures and sub-cultures in today's world.

One of the key issues facing Christians today is how does the one Gospel of Jesus Christ relate to the many cultures in which we live. This question touches all aspects of Christian ministry--from conversion, church planting, and pastoral work, to the engagement with the society at large.

The course will consist of lectures, student presentations, and discussion. This is an advanced seminar primarily for doctoral students open on the 500 level on a limited basis to qualified master's level students.

Geertz, C. The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays. New York: HarperCollins, 1973. (portions).

Kraft, C. Christianity in Culture: A Study in Dynamic Biblical Theologizing in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1979.

Niebuhr, H. R. Christ and Culture. New York: Harper & Row, 1951.

Volf, M. Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996.

______. Photocopied materials.

Yoder, J. H., et. al. Authentic Transformation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994.

Presentation(s) in class and a major paper.

Written permission of the instructor.

Elective.

No.