Spring 2019/Online

IS500

Bischof

IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Michael G. Bischof.

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. IS500 teaches students a method for integrating resources of theological method into faithful responses to the human condition. As an integrative course, it explores the identity and practices of Christian vocational formation as a people called, gathered, and sent by God. Together, professor and students study and enact historic Christian disciplines necessitated by this distinctive identity (listening, discernment, guidance, lament, rhythms of rest, and stewardship) fashioning them into a Rule of Life that shapes and supports the student’s vocation in order to form students who demonstrate capacities to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will have demonstrated capacities to critically reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of vocational formation. (2) Students will have demonstrated through participation in local contexts the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of vocational formation. (3) Students will have demonstrated capacities to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic and personal practices of vocational formation. (4) Students will have articulated how vocational 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 required synchronous and/or asynchronous 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: Approximately 1,100 pp. of required reading

A. Core Text

Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802829276, Pub. Price $32.00 [150 pp. assigned].

B. Core Practices (All of the following readings are on e-Reserves)

Listening:

Barton, Ruth Haley. “Scripture: Encountering God Through Lectio Divina” in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. 45-61. [16 pp.]

Buchanan, Mark. “Listen: Stopping to Hear God” in The Rest of God. Thomas Nelson, 2006. 176-192. [17 pp.]

Guidance:

Foster, Richard. “Guidance” in Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. HarperSanFrancisco, 1988. pp. 175-189. [14 pp.]

Lament:

Rah, Soon Chan. Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times. IVP, 2015. pp. 19-69. [50 pp.]

Thompson, John L. “Psalms and Curses: Anger Management on Earth as it is in Heaven” in Reading the Bible with the Dead: What You Can Learn from the History of Exegesis That You Can’t Learn from Exegesis Alone, Eerdmans, 2007 [12 pp.]

Discernment:

Barton, Ruth Haley. “Discernment: Recognizing and Responding to the Presence of God” in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. 110-129. [19 pp.]

Nouwen, Henri. “Test the Call: Discerning Vocation” in Discernment. HarperOne, 2013. 97-112. [16 pp.]

Stewardship:

Brueggemann, Walter. "The liturgy of abundance, the myth of scarcity." Christian Century 116, no. 10 (1999): 342-347. [5 pp.]

Calhoun, Adele A. “Stewardship” in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised edition. IVP Books, 2015. 224-227 [4 pp].

Scandrette, Mark. “Believe You Have Enough” in Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most. IVP Books, 2013. 109-135. [26 pp].

Rhythms of Rest:

Barton, Ruth Haley. “Sabbath: Establishing Rhythms of Work and Rest” in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. 130-145. [15 pp.]

Buchanan, Mark. “Play: Stopping Just to Waste Time” in The Rest of God. Thomas Nelson, 2006. 132-144. [13 pp.]

Calhoun, Adele A. “Rest” in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised edition. IVP Books, 2015. 74-76 [3 pp].

Calhoun, Adele A. “Unplugging” in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised edition. IVP Books, 2015. 95-97. [3 pp].

Simplicity:

Calhoun, Adele A. “Simplicity” in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised edition. IVP Books, 2015. 84-87 [4 pp].

Johnson, Jan. Abundant Simplicity: Discovering the Unhurried Rhythms of Grace. IVP Books, 2011. Chapters 1, 2, 3, & Interlude. 7-56. [49 pp.]

Honoring the Body:

Hart, Archibald D. and Sylvia Hart Frejd. “The Rewiring of Our Brains” in The Digital Invasion. Baker Books, 2013. 57-73. [16 pp.]

Newell, J. Phillip. Echo of the Soul: The Sacredness of the Human Body. Morehouse Publishing, 2000. 1-18 [18 pp.].

Rolheiser, Ronald. “A Spirituality of Sexuality” in The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. Doubleday, 1999. 192-212. [20 pp].

Willard, Dallas. “Transforming the Body” in Renovation of the Heart. NavPress, 2002. 159-177. [18 pp].

C. Integration Resources

Texts/Online:

Newell, Philip J. Listening for the Heartbeat of God. Paulist Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0809137596, Pub. Price $11.95 [107 pp].

Labberton, Mark. Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today. IVP, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836833, Pub. Price $16.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [176 pp.]

Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 1999. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [109 pp.]

Theology of Work Project Online Bible Commentary. https://www.theologyofwork.org/ [20 pp.]

Articles & Chapters (all on e-Reserves):

Barton, Ruth Haley. “Rule of Life” in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. 110-129. [19 pp.]

Hardy, Lee. The Fabric of This World. Eerdmans, 1990. 3-76 [73 pp.].

Macchia, Stephen A. Crafting a Rule of Life: An Invitation to the Well-Ordered Way. IVP Books, 2012. 13-32 [19 pp.]

Smith, Gordon T. “Chapters in Our Lives: Vocation and the Stages of an Adult Life” in Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential. IVP Books, 2011. 78-108 [30 pp].

Tiersma Watson, Jude. “Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace: Creating a Rule of Life in a 24/7 World” FullerYouthInstitute.org [3 pp]

Online Reader from The Next Faithful Step. http://leadership.fuller.edu/ [20 pp]

Biblical texts assigned [50 pages].

D. StrengthsFinders

*Students in IS500 are required to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, receive a CoreClarity coaching packet based off of their top 5 strengths, and participate in a 45-minute coaching call with a CoreClarity coach. There will be a $40 charge for StrengthFinder® assessment, Coaching Packet, and Coaching Session which will automatically be charged to your student account.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 1,100 pages reading, including at least 50 pages of biblical text [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [55 hours].
  1. Online and Vocation Formation Group (VFG) Participation: Students will watch videos, read short essays and participate in active learning to foster understanding of and capacity for engaging in theologically-informed reflection in the online classroom and through participation in Vocation Formation Groups. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [32 hours+8 hours].
  2. Spiritual Autobiography: Students will create an autobiography related to practices of vocational formation. (5%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [2 hours].
  3. Directed Exercises and Disciplines: Student will participate over the quarter in disciplines and exercises outside of the classroom related to the core practices of the course. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [17 hours].
  4. Integrative Reflections: Students will engage in critical theological reflection on contextualized experiences using a practical theology or similar method. (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3.] [16 hours].
  5. Fieldwork Activity - StrengthsFinder and CoreClarity Coaching: Students will take the StrengthsFinder/CoreClarity Assessment and debrief the results via a phone call with a professional executive coach to learn more about their strengths and how to better grow them in use for God’s mission in the world. (5%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 and #2] [2 hours].
  6. Finances and Vocation: Students will write a financial autobiography, use a practical theology method to reflect on finances, and create a resulting financial plan that supports vocational goals. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2 and #3]. [8 hours].
  7. Final Integrative Assignment: Integration paper that reflects theologically on the practices of this course and their implications for the student’s response to the CIQ and the exercises, habits, and disciplines in their current Rule of Life. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [20 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integration requirement in the 120 MDiv and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015).

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. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.