Summer 2020/Online

EV514

Bantu

EV514: URBAN EVANGELISM (4 Units: 160 hours). Vince L. Bantu

DESCRIPTION: From the beginning of the Church, followers of Jesus Christ have labored to present the Gospel to the surrounding environment in truthful and relevant ways. The urban, African-American context presents the Black Church with unique challenges and opportunities for vibrant evangelistic and apologetic witness. This course of study will provide students with an in-depth introduction to the discipline of Christian apologetics with a specific focus on the black urban context. The class will also provide an overview of some of the leading new religious movements in the black community with suggestions for apologetic engagement. The class will be organized into three central sections: apologetics in Church history, sociology of religion and urban contextualized apologetics.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The primary objectives of this course are for students (1) to deepen our biblical understanding of defending the faith; (2) to grow in our compassion for religious movements that have expressed hurt by the Church; (3) to understand the correlation between new religious movements in the urban context and sociological issues of social injustice and systemic racism; and (4) to develop fresh and vibrant methods of engaging religious communities with the Gospel.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Addresses the MDiv and MATM PLO that states “Students will have demonstrated capacities to engage diverse cultural contexts for transformational discipleship, mission, and ministry.” 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: 1,293 pages required.

Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (New York, NY: The New Press, 2010). ISBN: 9781620971932, Pub. Price: $18.99. [261pages].

Brooks, Christopher W. Urban Apologetics: Why the Gospel is Good News for the City (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014). ISBN: 9780825442902, Pub. Price: $16.99. [140 pages].

Escobar, Samuel. The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013). ISBN: 9780830833016, Pub. Price. $22.00. [186 pages].

Fauset, Arthur Huff. Black Gods of the Metropolis: Negro Religious Cults of the Urban North (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1944). ISBN: 9780812210019, Pub. Price: $26.50. [152 pages].

Fields, Lisa. Through Eyes of Color: A Contextualized Guide to Help You Know What You Believe and Why: Leader's Guide (Jacksonville, FL: Jude 3 Project, 2019). ISBN: 9781734215410, Pub. Price $19.99. [96 pages].

Gerbner, Katharine. Conversion and Race in the Protestant Atlantic World. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018. ISBN: 9780812224368, Pub. Price: $24.95. [296 pages].

Mason, Eric. Woke Church: An Urgent Call for Christians in America to Confront Racism and Injustice. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2018. ISBN: 9780802416988, Pub. Price: $14.99. [162 pages].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Reading (30%): Students will read 1,293 pages of reading which will be discussed in class meetings. This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2, #3 and #4. [65 hours].
  1. DLA (10%): Students will engage in lecture content via PowerPoint presentation and video lectures (This assignment is related to Learning Outcomes #1, #2 and #3) [20 hours].
  2. Online Forums (10%): Weekly 250-word forum posts and responses (This assignment is related to Learning Outcomes #2 and #3) [20 hours].
  1. Letter to the Church (10%): Students will write a 4-page (double-spaced) letter from the perspective of an urban, black New Religious Movement addressed to the black urban Church. This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2, #2 and #4. [10 hours].
  2. Inspecting the Wall (15%): Students will write a seven-page, double-spaced paper exploring the role of systemic racism in the emergence of urban, black New Religious Movements. This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3, and #4. [15 hours].
  3. Apologetic Engagement-Signature Assignment (25%): Students will plan and execute some a selected form of public evangelism (in-person or online), reflect on the results in conjunction with the readings, and prepare a presentation of the results to be given to the class at the end of the Intensive. This assignment Is related to Learning Outcomes #1, #2, #3 and #4. [30 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the C3 requirement in the 120 MDiv and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015). Option to meet the EVG requirement in the 120 MDiv and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2018).

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.