Spring 2015/Fuller Online

MD500

Myers and Penner

 

MD500: GLOBALIZATION, THE POOR, AND CHRISTIAN MISSION (4 Units: 160 hours). Bryant Myers (Lecturer and designer) and Nathan Penner (Online instructor).

 

DESCRIPTION: This course examines the globalization phenomenon as a deeply rooted historical change process that has significant impact on the contemporary church and the poor. The course consists of two parts. The first part of the course examines the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of globalization with a view toward unraveling myth from reality and applying biblical lenses to this assessment. Supporters and skeptics are examined, as are the major global players who have the power to shape the nature of globalization. The second part of the course briefly examines the impact of globalization on the church and global mission, but primarily focuses on the impact of globalization on the poor and a critical examination of global proposals for eradicating poverty.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) An understanding of the historical roots and contemporary expressions of globalization; (2) a multifaceted appreciation for the complexity and paradoxical nature of globalization debate as it affects the poor and the global Christian church; (3) an appreciation for the complexity of the task of thinking theologically about globalization; (4) an understanding of the impact of globalization and global institutions on the poor and (5) the ability to understand and critically assess proposals for poverty eradication at the global level.

 

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: (1,400 pages) 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.

Chanda, Nayan. Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers and Warriors Shaped Globalization. Yale University Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0300136234, Pub. Price $19.00 [330 pp. assigned].

Collier, Paul. The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done about It. Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0195373387, Pub. Price $15.95 [117 pp. assigned; chatpers 1-6 and 11].

Cran, William, and Barker, Greg, directors. Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World’s Economy, three-disc PBS DVD, available on Google video as CH1, CH2, and CH3 or http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/story/

Easterly, William. White Man’s Burden. Penguin, 2006. ISBN: 978-0143038825, Pub. Price $17.00 [220 pp. assigned; chapters 1-4, 10-11].

Sachs, Jeffrey D. The End of Poverty: The Economic Possibilities of Our Time. Penguin Press, 2005, ISBN: 978-0143036586, Pub. Price $17.00 [154 pp. assigned; chapters 1-3, 11, 13-14, 18].

Steger, Manfred. Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0199552269, Pub. Price $11.95 [135 pp. assigned].

Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World, Release 2.0. Norton, 2012. ISBN: 978-0393340389, Pub. Price $16.95 [336 pp.].

Course Reader. (Banerjee, Barber, Friedman, Heilbroner, Huntington, Groody, Jenkins, Kaplan, Myers, Naim, Norris/Inglehart, Ogbo, Pankaj, Prahalad, Sanneh, Shaw, Stackhouse, Wuthnow, Yates)

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 1,400 pp. of required reading [80 hours]. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5].

  2. Lectures [20 hours]. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5].

  3. Forum Postings (includes pre and post course evaluation): (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5] [10 hours].

  4. International organization group project (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome 4] [10 hours].

  5. Spiritual practices: Reflection (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome 3] [5 hours].

  6. Short paper:  Choose one of the two following topics.  Either a five page critical and personal assessment of how you personally and your local church or denomination will need to change or adjust how you think, act and do Christian ministry in light of Fareed Zakaria’s proposal for the emergence of a post-American world, or a five page research paper comparing and contrasting Sachs, Easterly and Collier in terms of their understanding of and solutions for eradicating poverty (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 2 or 5 respectively] [15 hours].

  7. Final paper: 12- to 15-page critical assessment research paper on a topic related to the course. (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5] [30 hours].

 

PREREQUISITE: None.

 

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MAICS (2010 revision) core requirement or globalization (GLBL) requirement for SOT MA programs. Option to meet the C1 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program.

 

FINAL EXAMINATION: Final paper due in lieu of final exam.