Winter 2017/Online
IS502
Swoboda
IS502: PRACTICES OF COMMUNITY (4
Units: 158 hours). A.J. Swoboda
DESCRIPTION: Christian practices constitute the Christian life. The combined Christian practices of vocational formation, worship, community, and mission facilitate the integration of personal, spiritual, academic, and global formation into the vocational coherence of a Christian leader through reflection, relationships, and practices. IS502 is an integrative course that explores the identity and practices of Christian community, as a people called, gathered, and sent by God. Together, professor and students study and enact historic Christian disciplines necessitated by this distinctive identity (Hospitality, Truth-telling, Promise-keeping, Forgiveness, Christian Formation, Gratitude, Testimony, and Group Spiritual Direction).
LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of community; (2) Students will participate in local contexts and demonstrate the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of community; (3) Students will demonstrate the capacity to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic practices of community; (4) Students will articulate how community practices impact their response to the Central Integration Question (CIQ) and will identify exercises, habits, and disciplines to embody these practices within their sociocultural context.
COURSE FORMAT: This course meets ten weeks online (which includes 8 hours of participation in vocation and formation groups) 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: 1167 pp. of
required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing.
Grenz, Stanley. Theology
for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000. ISBN: 978-0802847553. Pub. Price
$44.00 [250 pp. assigned].
Pohl, Christine. Living into Community: Cultivating Practices
That Sustain Us. Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN: 978-0802849854, Pub. Price $20.00
[178 pp. assigned].
Swoboda, A.J. Messy: God Likes It That Way. Kregel, 2012. ISBN: 978-0825441684, Pub. Price
$13.99 [184 pp].
B. Resources on Israel, the Church,
and Practices
Israel, the Church, and Practices
Lohfink, Gerhard. Jesus and Community. Fortress, 1984.
ISBN: 978-0800618025, Pub. Price $29.00 [70 pp. assigned]. [Available via
e-Reserves]
Wright, Christopher. The Mission of God. IVP, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830825714, Pub. Price
$45.00 [50 pp. assigned]. [Available via e-Reserves]
Bible Reading
Deuteronomy, and Matthew
C. Readings Engaging Theology,
Contemporary Practices, and Community Practice
Smith, C. Christopher & John
Pattison. Slow Church. IVP, 2014.
ISBN: 978-0830841141, Pub. Price $16.00. [20 pp. assigned]. [Available via
e-Reserves]
Van Gelder, Craig. The Essence of the Church. Baker, 2000.
ISBN: 978-0801090967, Pub. Price $22.00. [25 pp. assigned]. [Available via
e-Reserves]
D. CORE PRACTICES: hospitality,
truth-telling, promise-keeping, forgiveness, Christian formation, gratitude,
testimony, and group spiritual direction.
Hospitality
Conde-Frazier,
Elizabeth. "From Hospitality to Shalom
" in A
Many Colored Kingdom. Baker Academic, 2004. ISBN: 978-0801027437, Pub. Price $24.00. [pp. 167-210 assigned]. [Available via
e-Reserves]
Blog post http://www.christenacleveland.com/2013/06/privilege-says/
Truth-telling
Truth-telling and health: http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/06/can-telling-the-truth-make-you-healthier/
Ted Talk: The Danger of Silence http://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence
Empire: Tell the Truth- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYybTaTBdHs
Promise-keeping
Website related to keeping promises:
http://becauseisaidiwould.com
Forgiveness
Online article: http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/01/20/episcopalians-tackle-the-toughest-lesson-forgiveness/
Volf,
Miroslav. "How Can We Forgive, " in Free of
Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a World Stripped of Grace. Zondervan, 2005.
ISBN: 978-0310265740, Pub. Price $15.99 [pp. 193-224]. [Available via
e-Reserves]
Gratitude
40 ways to practice gratitude: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html
See "Authentic Happiness"
website at U Penn especially for the research, questionnaires and exercises.
See especially the "gratitude visit" and research on gratitude
generally on this site and in his book, Flourishing.
See this post for review of two major exercises: http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/02/18/martin-seligman-gratitude-visit-three-blessings/
Christian Formation
Everist,
Norma Cook. "A Community of Teachers
& Learners" and "Creating Different Learning Environments to be
Different Together," in The Church
as Learning Community. [pp. 21-101]. [Available via e-Reserves]
Smith, James K.A. "Introduction: Beyond
Perspectives" and "Homo Liturgicus:
The Human Person as Lover," in Desiring
the Kingdom. [pp. 17-35, 37-73]. [Available via e-Reserves]
Testimony
Peace, Richard. Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life. IVP Connect,
2006. ISBN: 978-0830811199, Pub. Price:
$16.00. (Great workbook with helpful reflections and assignments that will
change established mental models about testimony being a 3-minute talk). [25
pp. assigned] [Available via e-Reserves]
Group Spiritual Direction
Howard, Evan. "Christian
Discernment" in The Brazos
Introduction to Christian Spirituality. Brazos, 2008. ISBN: 978-1587430381,
Pub. Price $40.00 [pp. 371-402]. [Available via e-Reserves]
Johnson, Luke Timothy. Scripture & Discernment: Decision Making
In The Church. Subsequent ed. Abingdon, 1996. ISBN: 978-0687012381, Pub.
Price $22.99 [35 pp. assigned]. [Available via e-Reserves]
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
1. 1167 pages reading and videos, including at least 50 pages of biblical text [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [60 hours].
2. Online: for each practice, students will engage, reflect, and create (utilizing instruction, participation, presentation, discussion, engaging practice-based theology, case studies) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3]. [40 hours].
3. Students will participate in directed practices and disciplines over the course of the quarter (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [15 hours].
4. Four fieldwork activities and reflections (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [8 hours + 8 hours = 16 hours].
5. Autobiography related to core course concept (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [2 hours].
6. Signature Assignment: 100-word CIQ response, Integration paper related to course practices, and Rule of Life (2,500 words total) (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [25 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv Program and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015).
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.