Spring 2020/Fuller Online

MD525

Myers

MD525: POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENT (4 Units: 160 Hours). Bryant Myers.

DESCRIPTION: This course explores the challenges of empowering the poor in a world marked by marginalization, disempowerment, abuse and injustice. Poverty is explored from a number of perspectives, concluding with a biblical framework. Responses to poverty are then explored, including the goals of transformational development and the process and principles by which it is pursued. The focus is largely on rural development in the global South.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Able to articulate and critically apply biblical and holistic understanding of poverty in broad Christian perspective; (2) able to describe and critically assess some of the current theories of development; (3) able to articulate and critically apply a biblical and holistic understanding of transformational development; and (4) introductory knowledge of development principles and practice.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Electives fulfill MAT PLO4 “Students will have demonstrated academic capacities appropriate to an area of focus in a theological discipline or to interdisciplinary theological study.” Addresses MAICS Area of Interest Class “Students will have demonstrated capacities to pursue vocations that engage the mission of God globally.”

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: (1,400 pages) If you have previously read any of the required texts, please select an alternative text from the recommended reading list or a book approved by the instructor.

Centesimus Annus. Available at http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus.html [48 pp.].

Christian, Jayakumar. God of the Empty-Handed: Poverty, Power and the Kingdom of God (Revised Edition). Acorn Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-1887983136. Pub. Price $21.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [238 pages]

Friedmann, John. Empowerment: The Politics of Alternative Development. Blackwell, 1992. ISBN: 978-1557863003, Pub. Price $55.00. Not available as an eBook in the Fuller library. Available on reserve. [166 pp.].

Hiebert, Paul, et al. Understanding Folk Religion. Baker Academic, 2000. ISBN: 978-0801022197, Pub. Price $36.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [Chapters 1-4, 73 pp.].

Myers, Bryant. Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development. 2nd ed. Orbis, 2011. ISBN: 978-1570759390, Pub. Price $32.00. Not available as an eBook in the Fuller library. Available on reserve and for checkout. Kindle version available on Amazon. [350 pp.].

Populorum Progressio. Available at athttp://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/
encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum_en.html. [28 pp.].

Sen, Amartya. Development as Freedom. Knopf, 2000. ISBN: 978-0385720274, Pub. Price $17.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [Introduction and chapters 1-4, 111 pp.].

All articles in Course Reader. Beltran, Castells, Chambers, Myers, Narayan, Prahalad, Thurman, Wiesenfeld, Williams, Zalanga. [Est. 400 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 1,400 pages of reading [75 hours].
2. Lectures [20 hours].
3. Directed Learning Activity 1: Forum Postings and pre and post course evaluation (10% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4]. [10 hours].
4. Directed Learning Activity 2: Student groups will present an on-line Wiki document that summarizes and critiques the explicit and implicit (a)understanding of poverty and (b)theory of development of a major development organization based on the materials on its website(s) (10% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [8 hours].
5. Spiritual practices: Reflection (10% of grade). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [5 hours].
6. A written 4-5 page critical assessment paper using course materials and readings covered in the first five weeks of the course. (20% of grade) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2 & 4]. [12 hours].
7. 12- to 15-page research paper on a topic related to the course, agreed to by the professor. (50% of grade) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-4]. [30 hours].
8. ThM students write an additional five-page theological reflection. (20% of 50% for final research paper).

Total 160 hours.

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None, final paper in lieu of.

Revised: 25 October 2019

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.