Summer 2014/Fuller Online
MN520
Accornero
MN520: ENCOUNTERING THE CITY (4 Units: 120 hours). Christina T. Accornero.
DESCRIPTION: We live in a rapidly urbanizing world. We need to move toward understanding our increasingly urban world, understanding our own responses and fears as we encounter this world, and seeing how God is at work in our urban world. This course explores these dynamics, introducing various lenses for seeing the city, tools for “exegeting” the city environment and exploring the church’s response to the urban context.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have (1) developed skills to encounter and interpret the city in its peoples; (2) learned to think missiologically about the city; and (3) developed increased understanding that ministry is the work of God in and through us.
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: Total: 1,500 pages of reading. If you have previously read any of the required texts, please select an alternative text from the recommended reading list or a book approved by the instructor.
Boyle, Father Greg. Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. Free Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1439153154, Pub. Price $14.00 [211 pp.].
Fetterman, David. Ethnography Step by Step. Sage, 2009. ISBN: 978-1412950439, Pub. Price $46.00 [152 pp.].
Fikkert, Brian, and Steve Corbett. When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself. Moody, 2009. ISBN: 978-0802457066, Pub. Price $14.99 [220 pp.].
Gmelch, Geroge, Robert Kemper, and Walter Zenner. Urban Life: Readings in the Anthropology of the City. 5th ed. Waveland Press, Inc., 2010. ISBN: 978-1577666349, Pub. Price $33.95 [420 pp.]. ***Currently Back Ordered
Tiersma, Jude, and Charles Van Engen. God So Loves the City. Wipf and Stock, 2009. ISBN: 978-0912552866, Pub. Price $21.95 [252 pp.].
One urban ethnography reflecting student’s ministry context (suggested list will be available).
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Weekly posts (200-350 words) reflecting on assigned reading and weekly response to a classmate’s post (150-200 words) - (15%). [3-4 hours reading/week; 1-2 hours posting/week]
Field Work (200-350 words) reflecting on assigned activities and weekly response to a classmate’s post (150-200 words) - (15%). [3-4 hours reading/week; 1-2 hours posting/week]
Book Review (500-750 words) reflecting reading activity and weekly response to a classmate’s post (150-200 words each) - (20%). [4-5 hours online activity/week; 2-3 hours posting/week]
A final project (2500-3500 words) that reflects a programmatic interpretation of the course content in a given context (50%). [20-25 hours preparing & writing]
PREREQUISITES: None. No audits.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective. Meets the MDiv core requirement in Missions (MIN8). Meets the Globalization (GLBL) requirement for MA in Theology Program.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.