Summer 2013/Fuller Live!

Houston, Seattle

MT500

Mainiero

MT500: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF MISSION. Andy Mainiero.

DESCRIPTION: During the past fifty years, Christian thinkers have examined and evaluated the theological presuppositions that underlie the thought and practice of Christian mission. The discipline that reflects biblically, theologically, philosophically, contextually, and missionally on these presuppositions is known as Biblical Theology of Mission. In this course students will have an opportunity to learn from past mission thinkers and practitioners; hear from one another; and reflect personally on what God’s mission means for the mission of Christians and Christian churches in the rapidly changing, complex global city/village of the twenty-first century. Students will be introduced to a multi-disciplinary and hermeneutical approach to missiological reflection whereby biblical, historical, personal and contextual reflection are brought together in an integrated understanding of mission, focused on a specific issue of Christian ministry in a particular context.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will:

1. Develop a missiological hermeneutic applied to the Bible
2. Demonstrate familiarity with the broad contours of God’s mission as described in the Bible
3. Understand the fundamental components of a biblical theology of mission
4. Comprehend how biblical theology of mission provides the tools for constructing a contextually appropriate missiology and envision how missiologists analyze, critique, and reshape their missiology in light of biblical theology of mission

COURSE FORMAT: Reading responses, combined with on-line and class lectures and discussion (including threaded forum discussions); a major paper in which the student analyzes and reflects on an issue, contextual matter, or concept of mission praxis related to a twenty-first century context, based on the application of a missiological hermeneutic as a means to the understanding and construction of biblical theology of mission

REQUIRED READING:

The Bible (Read 5 consecutive chapters in 10 different books of the Bible.) Students will read 5 chapters each from the Pentateuch, Historical Writings, Poetic Literature, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, Gospels, Acts, Pauline Literature, General Epistles and Revelation for a total of 50 chapters.

Briscoe, Jill, Tom Armstrong, and Florence Davis. Jonah and the Worm. Thomas Nelson, 1983. ISBN: 9780840752895, Pub. Price $7.00. Available at http://www.tellingthetruth.org/store/product/10a7c5d0-ff38-41fb-adb4-7b3127d8fb0c/Jonah_and_the_Worm.aspx.

Glasser, Arthur, Charles Van Engen, Dean Gilliland, and Shawn Redford. Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible. Baker, 2003. ISBN 978-0801026263, Pub. Price $30.00 [400 pp.]

Hiebert, Paul. Transforming Worldviews. Baker Academic, 2008. ISBN 978-0801027055, Pub. Price $24.99 [368 pp.] OR Van Engen, C., Darrell Whiteman, and J. Dudley Woodberry, eds. Paradigm Shifts in Christian Witness. Orbis, 2008. ISBN 978-1570757716, Pub. Price $30.00 [166 pp.]

Montgomery, Helen Barrett. The Bible and Missions. Nabu Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1172417995, Pub. Price $27.75 [Read only Chapters 1 & 2, will be available as a resource on moodle]; OR Wright, Christopher J. H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780830825714, Pub. Price $40.00 [read only pp. 29-70 and 189-392]

Moreau, Scott, Gary Corwin, and Gary McGee. Introducing World Mission: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey. Baker, 2004. ISBN: 9780801026485, Pub. Price $34.99 [read only pp. 11-136 and 265-314]

Robert, Dana. Gospel Bearers, Gender Barriers: Missionary Women in the TwentiethCentury. Orbis, 2002. ISBN 978-1570754258, Pub. Price $25.00 [249 pp.] OR Options suggested in the class syllabus.

Van Engen, C. et al. Footprints of God. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2011. ISBN 978-1610973342, Pub. Price $29.00 OR options mentioned in class.

Five student-selected articles of at least 1000 words each to be read in the Evangelical Dictionary of World Mission (EDWM) -- provided on a CD-ROM that accompanies the Moreau, Corwin and McGee volume mentioned above.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. A summary paragraphfor each five consecutive chapters read from a book of the Bible, (as per number 1, above) describing the mission of God as depicted in that book (10 total summary paragraphs) (5% of final grade)
2. Five 3-page Analytical Book Reviews and two one-page reaction/reflection responses on the reading in numbers 2- 8 above, following the instructions given in the syllabus (35% of final grade)
3. Five 1/2-page reaction/reflection statements as personal responses to each of the five EDWM articles read in number 9 above (5% of final grade)
4. One 15-page (minimum) to 18-page (maximum) typed, 1.5-spaced paper in which the student analyzes and reflects on an issue, a person, a context, or a concept of mission praxis, based on the fundamental components of Biblical Theology of Mission, tracing that theme/issue of missiological significance through the Old and New Testaments, examining 2 passages from each Testament from the perspective of Word, world, church and personal pilgrimage. The paper must show extensive interaction with the books read and demonstrate the missiological implications for ministry in the student’s particular context (30% of final grade)
5. Participation in on-line threaded discussions (25% of final grade)

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: No assignments will be accepted after Friday of Exam Week. Grades are given only for completed work. Due to the integrational nature of the course, partial work is not accepted

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Core requirement for MAIS degree (Winter 2010). Meets MDiv core requirement in Missions (MIN 8).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.