Spring 2015/Fuller Online
IS503
Reisacher
IS503: PRACTICE OF MISSION (4 Units: 160 hours). Evelyne Reisacher.
DESCRIPTION: This is one of the three foundational practice courses required for the MDiv degree. In this course students will be challenged to rethink the meaning of God’s mission and the Church’s practice of mission in light of their own experiences of mission. The overall concern is to understand God’s mission biblically, theologically, and practically considered.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, (1) students will describe theological perspectives on the missio Dei including the topics of ecclesiology, Trinity, and Christology; (2) students will demonstrate a Practical Theology approach to mission and evangelism including actual contextual engagement. In doing this, they will demonstrate the use of the basic disciplines of missiology; and (3) students will participate as reflective practitioners in embodied practices of mission in their personal lives and in small group activities.
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, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. 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: 1,200 pages of required reading.
Documents of Vatican II. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/, Nostra Aetate, [4 pp.].
Lausanne Covenant Documents. http://www.lausanne.org/en/documents/all.html, The Lausanne Covenant [6 pp.], The Manila Manifesto [12 pp.], and The Cape Town Commitment [41 pp.].
Newbigin, J.E. Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Eerdmans, 1989. ISBN: 978-0802804266, Pub. Price $25.00 [pp. 1-127].
Sanneh, Lamin. Disciples of All Nations, Pillars of World Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0195189612, Pub. Price $19.95 [385 pp.].
Sunquist, Scott W. Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in Suffering and Glory. Baker Academic, 2013. ISBN: 978-0801036156, Pub. Price $34.99 [411 pp. assigned].
Course Reader including articles by: Lamin Sanneh, John Azumah, Musa Dube, Bryant Myers, Chuck van Engen [230 pp.].
RECOMMENDED READING:
Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission, Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-1570759482, Pub. Price $35.00.
Muck, Terry and Frances S. Adeney. Christianity Encountering World Religions, The Practice of Mission in the Twenty-first Century. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801026607, Pub. Price $30.00.
Robert, Dana L. American Women in Mission, A Social History of Their Thought and Practice. Mercer University Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0865545496, Pub. Price $40.00.
Shenk, Wilbert R. Changing Frontiers of Mission. Orbis Books, 1999. ISBN: 978-1570752599, Pub. Price $28.00.
Walls, Andrew F. The Missionary Movement in Christian History, Studies in the Transmission of Faith. Orbis Books, 1996. ISBN: 978-1570750595, Pub. Price $26.00.
Wright, Christopher J.H. The Mission of God, Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. IVP Academic, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830825714, Pub. Price $40.00.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Class activities including audio and video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and postings [20 hours].
250-word weekly forum posts (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3] [10 hours].
250-word weekly replies (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3] [10 hours].
1,200 pages of required reading [80 hours].
Each student will write an initial (first week) 500-word self-reflection paper on their understanding of mission and missional practices in light of their own experiences. This will be rewritten at week 10. (5% each, 10% total). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and 3] [6 hours].
Observe and describe in 1,000 words the social and religious landscape of a community (or the community) around your church and ask how your church is dealing with this context (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [9 hours].
Visit to a formal religious expression different than your own, and describe in 750 words what is happening and analyze the experience in light of the course material (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [9 hours].
2,500-words final paper which integrates the course material, focused on a particular mission practice. Students may choose from the following mission practices: interreligious dialog, youth outreach, poverty alleviation, evangelism, or at risk youth (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #2, and #3] [16 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets an integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv Program.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.