Winter 2021/Fuller Online

IS500

Bischof

IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Michael G. Bischof.

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 (honoring the body, listening, simplicity, guidance, commissioning/ordination, lament, stewardship, and discernment) 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 provide students with further opportunity to develop and/or master skills in integrating theological and missiological content with life experience and context through engaging a variety of spiritual practices related to the practice of worship, 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 in this course provides introduction to the MAICS learning outcome related to critical thinking and integration (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 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. This course modality provisions a fully asynchronous structure enhanced with optional synchronous meeting times. Although it does not require synchronous meeting times, faculty may provide one or more opportunities for live interaction scheduled to support represented time zones.

REQUIRED READING: Approximately 900 pp. of required reading

A. Core Text

Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802829276, Pub. Price $32.00 [125 pp. assigned].

B. Core Practices (All of the following readings are either available as an e-book from the Fuller Library or on e-Reserves)

Honoring the Body:

Chandler, Diane J. "Physical Health" (Chapter 89 in Christian Spiritual Formation: An Integrated Approach for Personal and Relational Wholeness. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830840427. 180-218 [39 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Hart, Archibald D. and Sylvia Hart Frejd. “The Rewiring of Our Brains” in The Digital Invasion. Baker Books, 2013. 57-73. [16 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Rolheiser, Ronald. “A Spirituality of Sexuality” in The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. Doubleday, 1999. 192-212. [20 pp]. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Willard, Dallas. “Transforming the Body” in Renovation of the Heart. NavPress, 2002. 159-177. [18 pp]. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Listening:

Buchanan, Mark. “Listen: Stopping to Hear God” in The Rest of God. Thomas Nelson, 2006. 176-192. [17 pp.]

Tutu, Desmond. "Stillness: Hearing God's Voice" (Chapter 7) in God Has a Dream. Image Books, 2005. 99-112 [14 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Simplicity:

Calhoun, Adele A. “Simplicity” in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised edition. IVP Books, 2015. 84-87 [4 pp]. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Guidance:

Foster, Richard. “Guidance” in Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. HarperSanFrancisco, 1988. pp. 175-189. [14 pp.]

Commissioning/Ordination:

Black, Jr, Gary. Exploring the Life and Calling. Fortress Press, 2014. [77 pp.].

Lament:

Rah, Soon Chan. Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times. IVP, 2015. pp. 19-52. [33 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Holmes, Barbara A. "Every Shut Eye Ain't Sleep: The Inner Life During Slavary" in Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices In the Black Church. Fortress Press, 2017. pp. 45-65 [21 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Stewardship:

Brueggemann, Walter. "The liturgy of abundance, the myth of scarcity." Christian Century 116, no. 10 (1999): 342-347. [5 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Calhoun, Adele A. “Stewardship” in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised edition. IVP Books, 2015. 224-227 [4 pp]. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Chandler, Diane J. "Stewardship" (Chapter 10) in Christian Spiritual Formation: An Integrated Approach for Personal and Relational Wholeness. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830840427. 219-247 [29 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Discernment:

Barton, Ruth Haley. “Discernment: Recognizing and Responding to the Presence of God” in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. 110-129. [19 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Nouwen, Henri. “Test the Call: Discerning Vocation” in Discernment. HarperOne, 2013. 97-112. [16 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

C. Integration Resources

Texts:

Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 1999. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95. [109 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Reyes, Patrick B. Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood. Chalice Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-0827225312, Pub. Price $ 19.99 [180 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Articles & Chapters (available either as e-books from the Fuller Library or on e-Reserves):

Barton, Ruth Haley. “Rule of Life” in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. 110-129. [19 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Branson, Mark Lau. "Practical Theology and Multicultural Initiatives." in Churches, Cultures & Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities, edited by Mark Lau Branson and Juan F. Martinez, 33-58. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011. [25 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Chandler, Diane J. "Vocation" (Chapter 8) in Christian Spiritual Formation: An Integrated Approach for Personal and Relational Wholeness. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830840427. 151-179 [29 pp.] Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library.

Tiersma Watson, Jude. “Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace: Creating a Rule of Life in a 24/7 World” FullerYouthInstitute.org [3 pp]

Biblical texts assigned: [c.50 pp.].

D. CliftonStrengths Assessment

* Students in IS500 are required to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment, and participate in a 45-minute coaching call with a Strengths Based coach. There will be a $40 charge which will automatically be charged to your student account.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: This course includes fieldwork and embodied assignments of various kinds. If you have a disability, chronic illness, or other condition that makes these activities inaccessible for you, please let the instructor know. Together you can figure out some alternative ways of completing the assignments that will preserve the learning objectives while making the coursework accessible.

900 pages reading, including biblical text [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [60 hours].
Vocation Formation Group (VFG): Students will meet during class time with a small group facilitated by a Vocation Formation Group Leader. In these groups, students will engage the core practices through spiritual disciplines, biblical and theological reflection, and sharing stories of their vocational formation. (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, #4]. [8 hours].
Online Participation: Students will watch videos, post reflections, read the reflections of others, and participate in active learning to foster understanding of and capacity for engaging in theologically-informed reflection in the online classroom. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [27 hours].
Spiritual Autobiography (500 words): Students will create an autobiography related to practices of vocational formation. (5%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [2 hours].
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. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [17 hours].
Integrative Reflections: Students will engage in critical theological reflection on contextualized experiences using a practical theology or similar method. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3.] [16 hours].
Fieldwork Activity - CliftonStrengths Assessment and Coaching: Students will take the CliftonStrengths Assessment and debrief the results via a phone call with a professional coach to learn more about their strengths and how to better grow them in use for God’s mission in the world. (5%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 and #2] [2 hours].
Finances and Vocation (1500-1750 words): 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. (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2 and #3]. [8 hours].
Final Integrative Paper (2500 words): Students will write an integration paper that reflects on their vocational formation to date, integrates key points of learning and/or transformation from the course, and identifies a plan for further spiritual and vocational development. (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3, and #4]. [20 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study; recommended as foundation to IS501, IS502, and IS503.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integration requirement in the 120 MDiv and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.