Fuller Online

MC500: Winter 2013

Bolger

MC500: CHURCH AND MISSION IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT (4 units)

Ryan K. Bolger, Associate Professor of Church in Contemporary Culture

DESCRIPTION:

This course serves as a broad introduction to the Church and churches in historical and contemporary contexts. Students will explore a broad variety of ecclesiological formations, exploring the nature of churches, their liturgies, communal life, and their mission in the world. In this course, students will begin to compare and contrast the historical and contemporary church with their own particular tradition.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will

1. examine the global church through the study of local churches in their particular historical and cultural contexts;
2. cite their own relationship to churches outside their ecclesiastical tradition, examining their own assumptions in the process;
3. develop an understanding of the nature and mission of the Church and churches, both theologically and sociologically.

COURSE FORMAT:

Conducted online, the ten weekly lessons align with Fuller’s academic calendar. The course involves input from the professor, readings, and various forms of media. Each week, students and the instructor will interact with the material through journaling, threaded discussions, and research.

REQUIRED READING: Read the majority of each of the following five books, but do not exceed 1500 pages total.

Bolger, Ryan K. ed. Gospel After Christendom. Baker Books, 2012. 416 pp. ISBN: 0801039436, $29.99.

Hanciles, Jehu. Beyond Christendom. Orbis, 2008. 430 pp. ISBN: 1570757909, $35.00.

Kung, Hans. The Catholic Church: A Short History. Modern Library, 2003, 272 pp. ISBN: 0812967623 $14.00

Miller, Donald, and Tetsunao Yamamori. Global Pentecostalism. Univ. of Calif. Press, 2007. 263 pp. ISBN: 9780520251946, $25.95.

Ware, Timothy. The Orthodox Church, New Edition. 1993 368 pp. ISBN: 0140146563, $17.00

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Students will visit four churches from four traditions over the course of the term and create group projects in response to those traditions (40%)
2. Students will write and reflect in online journals and dialogue with other team members (20%).
3. Students will either write a 3000-word term paper or do a group project, comparing their own tradition (in terms of nature, liturgy, community, mission, and organization) to other historical and contemporary churches (40%).

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: A required core competency course in the MACCS degree (CSCC). Seminary core requirement (SCR) for MATM, MAICS, MAFS, MACL (effective Winter 2010). Meets MDiv core requirement in Missions (MIN 8). Meets globalization (GLBL) requirement for SOT MA programs.

FINAL EXAM: No.