Winter 2015/Fuller Online

IS501

Novak

IS501: PRACTICE OF WORSHIP (4 Units: 160 hours). Joseph Novak.

DESCRIPTION: The course will explore practices oriented toward the formation of God’s people through personal and corporate prayer and worship, in light of the Bible, history, theology, cross-cultural studies, and ritual studies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to (1) articulate their understanding of the vital relationship between Scripture, prayer, and worship; (2) draw on the church’s historical and multi-cultural worship traditions in their own formulation of the nature of personal and corporate prayer and worship; (3) articulate an understanding of how Christian worship worldwide is an embodied social act, embedded in cultures and societies; (4) apply their understanding of the life of personal and corporate prayer and worship to their own lives and the lives of a congregation; and (5) construct a plan for their lives of personal and corporate prayer and worship while a student at Fuller Seminary.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1,137 pages of required reading

The Holy Bible. CEB, NRSV, and TNIV translations are acceptable [50 pp.].

Bradshaw, Paul. Two Ways of Praying. OSL Publications, 2008. ISBN: 978-1878009593, Pub. Price $19.95 [100 pp.].

Farhadian, Charles E. Christian Worship Worldwide: Expanding Horizons, Deepening Practices. Eerdmans, 2007. ISBN: 978-0802828538, Pub. Price $22.00 [170 pp.].

Foster, Richard and Emilie Griffin, eds., Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines. HarperOne, 2007. ISBN: 978-0060628727, Pub. Price $16.99 [150 pp.]. You may substitute this volume for another volume that introduces the disciplines.

Hawn, Michael. Gather into One: Praying and Singing Globally. Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN: 978-0802809834, Pub. Price $31.50 [120 pp.].

Peterson, David. Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. IVP Academic, 2002. ISBN: 978-0830826971, Pub. Price $26.00 [200 pp.].

Ross, Melanie C. Evangelical Versus Liturgical? Defying the Dichotomy. Eerdmans, 2014. ISBN: 978-0802869913, Pub. Price $17.00 [150 pp.].

Course Reader [197 pp.] including:

Balentine, Samuel E. Prayer in the Hebrew Bible: The Drama of Divine-Human Dialogue: pp. 272-296. Fortress Press, 1993.

Bass, Dorothy and Craig Dykstra, “Practicing a Way of Life” and “A Way of Thinking about a Way of Life” in Practicing our Faith. 2nd. Ed. pp. 195-218. Jossey-Bass, 2010.

Brueggemann, Walter. Praying the Psalms: pp. 43-62 Wipf & Stock, 2007.

Duck, Ruth. Worship for the Whole People of God. pp. 1-18. WJK, 2013.

Pederson, A. M. “The nature of embodiment: Religion and science in dialogue.” Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science 45:1 (2010): 264-272.

Stevenson, Kenneth W. The Lord’s Prayer: A Text in Tradition: pp. 1-42. Fortress Press, 2004.

Witvliet, John D. “The Cumulative Power of Transformation in Public Worship: Cultivating Gratitude and Expectancy for the Holy Spirit’s Work.” Pages 41-58 in Worship That Changes Lives: Multidisciplinary and Congregational Perspectives on Spiritual Transformation. Edited by Alexis D. Abernethy. Baker, 2008.

Witvliet, John D. Worship Seeking Understanding: pp. 39-63. Baker, 2003.

Wright, N.T. “The Lord’s Prayer as a Paradigm of Christian Prayer.” Pages 132-154 in Into God’s Presence: Prayer in the New Testament. Edited by Richard N. Longenecker. Eerdmans, 2002.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Weekly Instructional Videos [20 hours].

  2. 1,137 pages of required reading [75 hours].

  3. Reading Engagement: Course Forums (weekly 250-word Posts) (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1] [10 hours].

  4. Reading Engagement: Course Forums (2 weekly 100-word replies to students) (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4] [10 hours].

  5. A 2,000-2,500-word paper presenting the student’s owns understanding of the Bible’s perspective(s) on worship, and the use of the Bible in worship (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1] [15 hours].

  6. A 1,250 words participant-observation report of a cross-cultural worship service (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3] [10 hours].

  7. Group Project: Submission of a 1250-word integrative approach to an assigned case study that gives students an opportunity to address various worship issues found in local congregations. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #4] (20%) [10 hours (5 group work, 5 writing).

  8. Writing a 1,250-word “Life Rule” for the student’s time in seminary, demonstrating integration of course materials into both the reasoning and the rule itself (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.