Fall 2019/Fuller Online

TC509

Goodwin

TC509: THEOLOGY AND POP CULTURE (4 Units: 160 hours). Richard Goodwin.

DESCRIPTION: This course involves students in a dialogue between theology and pop culture, drawing upon a variety of contemporary pop cultural forms such as sports, digital media, technology, video games, film, TV, music, street art, fashion, etc. Particular attention is paid to the formative potential of pop culture, as well as the possibility of the Spirit’s presence in and activity through pop culture.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to (1) theologically interact with and reflect upon a wide variety of pop cultural forms, (2) understand the formative power of pop culture, (3) identify points of contact between pop culture and Christian faith, (4) offer a theological interpretation of a popular cultural artifactin a public setting, and (5) employ the exegetical method(s) learned in the course to theologically interact with and reflect upon a specific pop cultural form.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: TC courses introduce students to an aspect of culture along with one or more interpretive method(s) for both understanding it and engaging with it theologically; they seek to implement the SOT PLO, "Students will have demonstrated academic capacities appropriate to an area of focus in a theological discipline or to interdisciplinary theological study."

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:

Lyden, John C., and Eric Michael Mazur, eds. The Routledge Companion to Religion and Popular Culture. Routledge, 2015. ISBN: 978-1138322738, Pub. Price $53.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [200 pp.]

Pinn, Anthony B., and Benjamin Valentin, eds. Creating Ourselves: African Americans and Hispanic Americans on Popular Culture and Religious Expression. Duke University Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0822345664, Pub. Price $29.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [200 pp.]

Usselmann, Nancy. A Sacred Look: Becoming Cultural Mystics: Theology of Popular Culture. Cascade-Wipf & Stock, 2018. ISBN: 978-1532635717, Pub. Price $21.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [178 pp.]

Course Reader [approx. 200 pp.] with chapters/articles by Robert Covolo & Cory Willson, William Dyrness, Robert K. Johnston, Sheila Nayar, Kent Ono, and others.

SPECIAL TOPICS, choose one [max. 200 pp.]:

Detweiler, Craig. Selfies: Searching for the Image of God in a Digital Age. Brazos Press, 2018. ISBN: 978-1587433986, Pub. Price $19.99. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [242 pp.]

Ellis, Robert. The Games People Play: Theology, Religion, and Sport. Wipf & Stock, 2014. ISBN: 978-1608998906, Pub. Price $39.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [338 pp.]

Gregory, Alan P. R. Science Fiction Theology: Beauty and the Transformation of the Sublime. Baylor University Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1602584600, Pub. Price $59.95. Available as an e-book from Fuller Library [328 pp.].

Hudson, Willie. The Holy Ghost Got a New Dance: An Examination of Black Theology and Hip-Hop in Inner-City Ministry. Resource-Wipf & Stock, 2016. ISBN: 978-1532604539, Pub. Price $21.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [158 pp.]

Liel, Leibovitz. God in the Machine: Video Games as Spiritual Pursuit. Templeton Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1599474816, Pub. Price $14.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [160 pp.]

Mills, Anthony. American Theology, Superhero Comics, and Cinema: The Marvel of Stan Lee and the Revolution of a Genre. Routledge, 2013. ISBN: 978-1138548855, Pub. Price $51.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [216 pp.]

Ward, Pete. Gods Behaving Badly: Media, Religion, and Celebrity Culture. Baylor University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-1602581500, Pub. Price $24.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [170 pp.]

RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus for recommended texts.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1,000 pp. of required reading [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1–3] [58 hours].
Class lessons, including video lectures, podcasts, media engagement (e.g., film, music, video games) etc. [26 hours].
Online participation, which includes weekly threaded discussions reflecting on course content (250 words) and weekly responses to classmates’ posts (150 words) (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1–3]. [15 hours].
A pop cultural video journal, comprised of weekly 2-minute videos reflecting on pop cultural artifacts engaged with such as TV shows, technology, music, video games, products, etc. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1–3]. [10 hours].
A 5-minute book review (book to be chosen from the Special Topics reading list), presented as a recorded slide show (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Prezi, etc.). (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [3 hours].
A brief theological reflection upon some aspect or artifact of pop culture posted on social media. (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 4–5]. [2 hours].
A ministry assignment, in which an event (e.g., Bible study, sermon) that significantly engages with pop culture is conducted and reflected upon in a brief report [500 words]. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 3, 5]. [26 hours].
A research essay on an assigned topic [2,500 words] (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1–5]. [20 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the C2 requirement in the 120 MDiv and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.