DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to introduce students to theological reflection going on outside of North America as this develops against the backdrop of the indigenous religious context. The focus will be on major philosophical and religious traditions and the interaction of Christianity with these traditions. The emphasis will be on a comparative study that makes use of social science methods and develops a biblical and critical perspective. This course will survey theological reflection in three major areas of the world: Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. For each area lectures will first focus on the major religious traditions of the region and then study the rise of local theologies in those contexts. Lectures and readings will cover selected topics being discussed by theologians (both formal and informal) from these regions. Finally an attempt will be made to interact with these materials from the perspective of Western theology.

Ministry is now carried out in a world perspective in which cross-cultural issues are unavoidable. Since the church outside of North America is now larger than that in the West, and since much creative thinking emanates from these churches, responsible ministry today requires the development of critical listening skills.

Students will analyze the variety of theological responses of churches outside the West, evaluate in depth the contextual and cultural issues of specific areas they will choose, and experience the struggle of these areas through contextual examples of art and literature.

The class will be conducted on the Internet using a 10-week lesson program aligned with Fuller's academic calendar. Each week, students and the instructor will interact with the material and each other through journaling, threaded discussions, live Internet "chats," and web-based research. Lectures for each lesson will be available online.

Dyrness, William A. Learning about Theology from the Third World. Zondervan, 1990. ISBN-13: 9780310209713, ISBN10: 0310209714. List Price $19.99.

Jenkins, Philip. The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South. Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN13: 9780195300659, ISBN10: 0195300653. Price $26.00.

Ngewa, Samuel, Mark Shaw, and Tite Tienou, eds. Issues in African Christian Theology. East African Educational Publishers, 1998. (PDF will be available on course website.)

Ngugi, James. The River Between. Heinemann, 1990. ISBN13: 9780435905484, ISBN10: 0435905481. List price $17.44.

Course Reader (PDF will be available on course website.)

1. Weekly threaded discussions and journaling (30%).

2. Three short (4-6 pp.) reviews comparing articles from two continents from the course reader, recommended reading, or other sources (30%).

3. A longer (15-20 pp.) paper focusing on a theological theme and/or theologian in a particular cultural context. This paper will articulate the respective theologies of various authors, describe the context in which the authors' views emerge, provide critical insight, and assess any implications for the church (40%).