Fall 2013/Fuller Online
EV525
Thacker
EV525: CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AND EVANGELISM. Kimberly Thacker.
DESCRIPTION: This is a course in practical theology that will explore ways to share the gospel understandably and relevantly with people in our contemporary culture. We will examine the meaning of evangelism and conversion, the relationship between Christianity and culture, ways to analyze popular culture in order to ascertain people's worldview and values, historical and contemporary strategies for evangelism, and ideas for empowering believers to witness more effectively to those around them. There will be a concentration on understanding postmodern culture and discussing ways to contextualize, communicate, and validate the gospel within it because post modernity is becoming the predominant cultural atmosphere in America as well as strongly influencing many other areas of the world.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: All Christian ministry should incorporate sharing the good news of Christ and encouraging people to commit to following him, whether through direct evangelistic programs, worship services, training, encouragement and accountability, or representing the love of Christ through our lives and communities. Awareness of contemporary culture and attention to understanding culture is important both for evangelistic purposes and for Christian discipleship, as we reflect on how to minister to others and live ourselves as followers of Christ in our cultures.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) an understanding of the biblical meaning, historical development, and various theological perspectives of evangelism and conversion from a praxis-theory-praxis approach; (2) ability to apply different paradigms, methods and strategies of evangelism within ministry including congregational formation, spiritual formation and missional formation; (3) increased ability to analyze cultural, local, and church or ministry contexts to determine and implement potential outreach activities, strategies, and motivation; (4) an understanding of contemporary culture and its impact on evangelism in culture, church, ministry, and personal relation-ships today; (5) an increased passion for evangelism, exploration of evangelism within my role in Christian ministry, and confidence in personal ability to share about faith in Jesus.
COURSE FORMAT: Conducted online, the ten weekly lessons align with Fuller’s academic calendar. The course involves reading, writing, orientation to libraries and other resources, and interactive discussion. Each week students and the instructor will interact with the material through journaling, threaded discussions, and web-based research.
REQUIRED READING:
Coupland, Douglas. Life After God. Pocket Books, 1994. ISBN: 978-0671874346, Pub. Price $23.00 [368 pp.].
Everts, Don and Doug Schaupp. I Once Was Lost. InterVarsity, 2008. ISBN: 978-0830836086, Pub. Price $15.00 [134 pp.].
Jones, Scott J. The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor. Abingdon, 2003. ISBN: 978-0687046149, Pub. Price $22.00 [224 pp.].
Kinnaman, David, and Gabe Lyons. UnChristian. Baker Books, 2007. ISBN: 978-0801070662, Pub. Price $19.00 [246 pp.].
Miller, Donald. EITHERBlue Like Jazz. Thomas Nelson, 2003. ISBN: 978-0801070662, Pub. Price $19.00 [246 pp.] ORA Million Miles in A Thousand Years. Thomas Nelson, 2009. ISBN: 978-1400202669, Pub. Price $16.00 [250 pp.] ORSearching for God Knows What. Thomas Nelson, 2010. ISBN: 978-1400202751, Pub. Price $16.00 [272 pp.].
Peace, Richard. Holy Conversation: Talking about God in Everyday Life. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830811199, Pub. Price $15.00 [113 pp.].
Note: Further reading from articles and the internet will fulfill required reading for diversity [appx 175 pp.]
RECOMMENDED READING: A complete list of recommended reading will be available online in Moodle.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Students are expected to
Read required texts and articles and complete a reading log (appx. 1500 pages of reading, 5-6 hrs/week). (10% plus reflected in assessment of connecting discussions and journal assignments)
Weekly posts (200-300 words) and responses to classmates’ posts (totaling 200-400 words) in weekly connecting discussions reflecting, critiquing, and applying reading and other course material (25%) (2-3 hours/week)
Posts (100-200 words) and responses to classmates’ posts (totaling 100-150 words) in forums sharing websites, cultural examples, and other material (10%) (30min-1 hr/week, assigned 5 weeks out of 10)
Weekly journal assignments (initial entries and responses to professor’s comments on alternating weeks) reflecting, critiquing, and applying reading and other course material (200-300 words). (10%) (30min-1 hr/week)
Write two short papers (800-1000 words) due during the course of the class; one reflecting on your developing views of evangelism and the gospel and the second reflecting on an interview with someone you know who isn’t Christian (10% ea. – 20%) (6-8 hrs)
Write one major paper (1800-2000 words) due at the end the course applying required course reading and content to your ministry context. (25%) (8 hrs)
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in General Ministry (MIN 1) or Evangelism (MIN 3); also meets the MACL in Integrative Studies requirement for an interdisciplinary course (IDPL).
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.