Spring 2013/Online
MT500
Mainiero
MT500: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF MISSION. Andy Mainiero.
DESCRIPTION: During the past fifty years, Christian thinkers have examined and evaluated the theological presuppositions that underlie the thought and practice of Christian mission. The discipline that reflects biblically, theologically, philosophically, contextually, and missionally on these presuppositions is known as Biblical Theology of Mission. The fundamental components of Missiology parallel the basic aspects of Biblical Theology of Mission: Word (Bible basis as motivation for mission); church (the means of mission); personal and spiritual pilgrimage (the agents of mission); and world/cultural context (the goals of mission). In this course students will have an opportunity to learn from past mission thinkers and practitioners; hear from one another; and reflect personally on what God’s mission means for the mission of Christians and Christian churches in the rapidly changing, complex global city/village of the twenty-first century. Students will be introduced to a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approach to missiological reflection whereby the various components of Missiology (Word, church, personal spiritual pilgrimage, and world/context) are brought together in an integrated understanding of mission, focused on a specific issue of Christian ministry in a particular context.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will: (1) develop a personal missiological hermeneutic applied to the Bible; (2) demonstrate familiarity with the broad contours of God’s mission as described in the Bible, (3) understand the fundamental components of a biblical theology of mission; (4) comprehend how biblical theology of mission provides the tools for constructing a contextually appropriate missiology and envision how missiologists analyze, critique, and reshape their missiology in light of biblical theology of mission.
COURSE FORMAT: Conducted online, the course involves input from the professor, various forms of interaction with the material through reading responses, threaded discussions, and research. Each week of the quarter, students and the instructor will engage in online interaction with the class material. The course material and interaction is designed to guide each student in the development of a major paper in which the student analyzes and reflects on an issue, person, contextual matter, or concept of mission praxis in the student’s context of ministry, based on the fundamental components of Biblical Theology of Mission.
REQUIRED READING:
The Bible (Read 5 consecutive chapters in 10 different books of the Bible.
Students will read 5 chapters each from the Pentateuch, Historical Writings, Poetic Literature, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, Gospels, Acts, Pauline Literature, General Epistles and Revelation for a total of 50 chapters.
Moreau, Scott, Gary Corwin, and Gary McGee. Introducing World Mission: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey. Baker, 2004. ISBN: 978-0801026485, Pub.price $34.99 [pp. 11-136 and 265-314 assigned].
(WORD) Arthur Glasser, Charles Van Engen, Dean Gilliland, and Shawn Redford. Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible. Baker, 2003. ISBN: 978-0801026263, Pub.price $30.00.
Helen Barrett Montgomery. The Bible and Missions. Nabu Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1172417995, Pub.price $27.75 [chapters 1 & 2 assigned -- provided in class]; OR Wright, Christopher J. H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830825714, Pub.price $40.00 [pp. 29-70 and 189-392 ass signed].
Briscoe, Jill, Tom Armstrong, and Florence Davis. Jonah and the Worm. Thomas Nelson, 1983. ISBN: 9780840752895. Pub.price $7.00 [143 pp.]. Available at http://www.tellingthetruth.org/store/product/10a7c5d0-ff38-41fb-adb4-7b3127d8fb0c/Jonah_and_the_Worm.aspx.
(WORLD/CONTEXT) Paul Hiebert. Transforming Worldviews. Baker Academic, 2008. ISBN: 978-0801027055, Pub.price $24.99 [368 pp.]; OR C. Van Engen, Darrell Whiteman, and J. Dudley Woodberry, eds. Paradigm Shifts in Christian Witness. Orbis, 2008. ISBN: 978-1570757716, Pub.price $30.00 [166 pp.].
(CHURCH) Dana Robert. Gospel Bearers, Gender Barriers: Missionary Women in the TwentiethCentury. Orbis, 2002. ISBN: 978-1570754258, Pub.price $25.00 [249 pp.]. OR options suggested in the class syllabus.
(PERSONAL PILGRIMAGE) C. Van Engen et al. Footprints of God. MARC, 1999. ISBN: 978-1610973342, Pub.price $29.00 [264 pp.]; OR options mentioned in class.
Five student-selected articles of at least 1000 words each to be read in the Evangelical Dictionary of World Mission (EDWM) -- provided on a CD-ROM that accompanies the Moreau, Corwin and McGee volume mentioned above.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
A summary paragraphfor each book of the Bible read, (as per number 1, above) describing the mission of God as depicted in that book. (10 total summary paragraphs)
Seven 3-page Analytical Book Reviews on the reading in numbers 2- 8 above, following the instructions given in the syllabus and in class.
Five 1/2-page reaction/reflection statements as personal responses to each of the five EDWM articles read in number 9 above.
One 15-page (minimum) to 18-page (maximum) typed, 1.5-spaced paper in which the student analyzes and reflects on an issue, a person, a context, or a concept of mission praxis, based on the fundamental components of Biblical Theology of Mission, tracing that theme/issue of missiological significance through the Old and New Testaments, examining 2 passages from each Testament from the perspective of Word, world, church and personal pilgrimage. The paper must show extensive interaction with the books read and demonstrate the missiological implications for ministry in the student’s particular context.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: No assignments will be accepted after Friday of Exam Week. Grades are given only for completed work. Due to the integrational nature of the course, partial work is not accepted
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Core requirement for MAIS degree (Winter 2010). Meets MDiv core requirement in Missions (MIN 8).
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.