Fall 2020/Fuller Online

IS500

Bolger

IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Ryan Bolger.

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 teaches students a method for integrating resources of theological method into faithful responses to the human condition. As an integrative course, it 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, discernment, guidance, lament, rhythms of rest, and stewardship) fashioning them into a Rule of Life that shapes and supports the student’s vocation in order to form students who demonstrate capacities to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will have demonstrated capacities to critically reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of vocational formation. (2) Students will have demonstrated through participation in local contexts the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of vocational formation. (3) Students will have demonstrated capacities to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic and personal practices of vocational formation. (4) Students will have articulated how vocational 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.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will introduce students to one or more strategies for integrating theological and missiological content with life experience and context through engaging a variety of spiritual practices around vocational formation, which is consistent with the SOT/SIS PLO “Students will have demonstrated capacities to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship.” (MDiv, MAT, MATM, MAICS). The emphases on integration and vocational formation this course provide introduction to the MAICS learning outcome related to critical thinking and integration and the learning outcome related to vocation (MAICS). This course may also contribute to various learning outcomes in the MAGL related to integrating theology and praxis in ministry and mission, and related to spiritual formation (MAGL).

COURSE FORMAT: This course meets ten weeks online (which includes required synchronous and/or asynchronous participation in vocation and formation groups) 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: 1092 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing, including:

A. Barton, Ruth Haley. Sacred Rhythms. IVP Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830833337, Pub. Price $22.00 Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [192 pp.].

B. Charleston, Steven. Four Vision Quests of Jesus. Morehead Publishing, 2015. ISBN: 978-0819231734, Pub. Price $19.95 [176 pp.].

C. Reyes, Patrick. Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood. Chalice Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0827225312, Pub. Price $19.99. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [192 pp.].

D. Rohr, Richard. Falling Upward. Jossey Bass, 2011. ISBN: 978-0470907757, Pub. Price $19.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [240 pp.].

E. Schade, Leah D. and Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, eds. Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis. Rowman and Littlefield, 2019. ISBN: 978-1538127766, Pub. Price $30.00 [242 pp.].

F. 50 pp. of Bible Reading from Old and New Testaments (given in class).

StrengthsFinders - Students in IS500 are required to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment, and

participate in a 45-minute coaching call with a StrengthsBased coach. There will be a $40 charge for

CliftonStrengths® Assessment, Coaching Packet, and Coaching Session which will automatically be

charged to your student account.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 1092 pp. of required reading, including 50 pages of biblical text, and/or the equivalent time in viewing videos (see list above). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [59 hours].
2. Online and Vocation Formation Group (VFG) Participation: Students will participate in active learning to foster understanding of and capacity for engaging in theologically-informed reflection in the online classroom and through participation in Vocation Formation Groups. Note: VFGs may include required 90 minute synchronous video sessions (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [22 hours+8 hours].
3. Directed Exercises and Disciplines: Student will participate over the quarter in disciplines and exercises outside of the classroom related to the core practices of the course. (33%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [27 hours].
4. Integrative Reflections: Students will engage in critical theological reflection on contextualized experiences using a practical theology or similar method. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3. [10 hours].
5. Fieldwork Activity - StrengthsFinders and CoreClarity Coaching: Students will take the Strengthsfinders/CoreClarity Assessment and debrief the results via a phone call with a professional executive coach to learn more about their strengths and how to better grow them in use for God’s mission in the world. (2%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 and #2] [2 hours].
6. Autobiography: Students will create an autobiography related to practices of vocational formation (5%). [2 hours].
7. Finances and Vocation: Students will write a financial autobiography, use a practical theology method to reflect on finances, and create a resulting financial plan that supports vocational goals. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2 and #3]. [10 hours].
8. Final Integrative Assignment: Integration paper that reflects theologically on the practices of this course and their implications for the student’s response to the CIQ and the exercises, habits, and disciplines in their current Rule of Life. (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [20 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 (Fall 2015).

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.