MC500: Church and Mission in a Global Context (4 Units)

Karen E. Parchman, Adjunct Instructor in Intercultural Studies

Summer 2011 Fuller Texas

DESCRIPTION:

This course serves as a broad introduction to the Church and churches in historical and contemporary contexts. Students will explore a broad variety of ecclesiological formations, exploring the nature of churches, their liturgies, communal life, and their mission in the world. In this course, students will begin to compare and contrast the historical and contemporary church with their own particular tradition.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

· Examine the global church through the study of local churches in their particular historical and cultural contexts;

· Cite their own relationship to churches outside their ecclesiastical tradition, examining their own assumptions in the process;

· Develop an understanding of the nature and mission of the Church and churches, both theologically and sociologically.

COURSE FORMAT:

Class will meet for 9 weeks on Wednesday evenings (June 22, 29; July 13, 20, 27; Aug 3, 10, 17, 24) from 6:00 – 9:30. Class will feature lectures, discussions, small groups, and various media.

REQUIRED READING: Read at least 200 pages from 6 of the following 8 books, reaching 1,500 pages total:

Anderson, Allan. An Introduction to Pentecostalism. Cambridge University Press. 2004. 316pp. ISBN: 9521532808. $24.89.

Gibbs, Eddie, and Ryan K. Bolger. Emerging Churches. Baker Academic. 2005. 352pp. ISBN: 0801027152. $13.86.

Hanciles, Jehu. Beyond Christendom. 2008. Orbis Books. 430pp. ISBN: 1570757907. $26.60

Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World. Oxford University Press. 2010. 286pp. ISBN: 199730806. $27.95

Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. Introduction to Ecclesiology. InterVarsity Press. 2002. 238pp. ISBN: 0830826882. $12.71

Sanneh, Lamin O. Disciples of All Nations. Oxford University Press. 2008. 384pp. ISBN: 0195189612. $13.60.

Tickle, Phyllis. The Great Emergence. Baker Books. 2008. 172pp. ISBN: 0801013135. $12.23

Van Engen, Charles E. God's Missionary People. Baker Books. 1991. 223pp. ISBN: 0801093112. $20.93.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. An Essay on Fostering Deeper Awareness of the Context (10%): Being attentive to where and how God is present, for one week students will reflect upon their lived environments in light of the church’s ministry of reconciliation, mission, and witness.

2. Paper: Ethnic/Racial Church Visit (20%): Students will select and visit a church of a differing racial, ethnic and/or theological tradition several times during the course. The student will describe the context, analyze the congregation, and reflect on how and to what extent this visit influenced the student’s ministry in their own church.

3. Chapter Notes and Book Reports (10%): For each chapter read, write a well-reasoned paragraph (total book report of no more than 500 words). Students should read write these reflections with the final paper in mind.

4. Journal and Presentation (20%): Prior to the beginning of each class, students will be required to turn in a short (50 word) reflection (hard copy) on the previous week’s class. Small group work throughout the course will result in a presentation to the class on “the perfect church.”

5. Final Paper (40%): Students will write a 3000-word term paper, developing a theological and ecclesiological understanding of the church, while describing their expression of church and comparing it to other historical and contemporary expressions of church, considering their community’s background, culture(s), and narrative identity.

PREREQUISITES: None

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:

Seminary core requirement (SCR) for MATM, MAICS, MAFS, MACL (Effective Winter 2010); a required core competency course in the CMMS degree (CSCC); meets globalization (GLBL) requirement for SOT MA programs; meets MDiv core requirement in Missions (Min8).

FINAL EXAM: None