Winter 2016/Colorado

PH522

Kaemingk

PH522: PERSPECTIVES ON CHRIST AND CULTURE (4 units: 160 hours). Matthew Kaemingk.

DESCRIPTION: The church has long debated how Christians ought to relate to their cultural surroundings. This course will introduce students to a range of philosophical perspectives on how Christians ought to read, critique, transform, enjoy, and create culture.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this course students will be able to (1) think and write confidently and critically about the philosophical nature and value of culture and cultural artifacts; (2) analyze, appreciate, and critique a variety of differing Christian philosophies of culture; (3) articulate a Christian hermeneutic of culture and cultural texts; (4) thoughtfully articulate a Christian approach to a specific sphere of culture (art, politics, economics, etc.) in the form of a final paper; and (5) articulate the relationship between theories and practices for sympathetic engagement with culture(s).

COURSE FORMAT: This course meets on four weekends for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities 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: 1218-1308 total number of pages required, depending on track chosen.

Garber, Steven. The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior. New expanded ed. InterVarsity Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0830833191, Pub. Price $17.00 [200 pp. assigned].

Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0199730803, Pub. Price $27.95 [170 pp. assigned].

Niebuhr, H.R. Christ and Culture. Harper & Row, 2001. ISBN: 978-0061300035, Pub. Price $15.99 [300 pp. assigned].

Smith, James K. A. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801035777, Pub. Price $22.99 [150 pp. assigned].

Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Charles A. Anderson, and Michael J. Sleasman. Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends. Baker Academic, 2007. ISBN: 978-0801031670, Pub. Price $24.99 [120 pp. assigned].

Yoder, John Howard. Body Politics. Herald Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0836191608, Pub. Price $14.99 [88 pp. assigned].

Students will also choose ONE of the following parallel reading tracks (topics available include art, politics, economics, architecture and urban planning, work, and globalization):

Chaplin, Adrienne, and Hillary Brand. Art and Soul: Signposts for Christians in the Arts. InterVarsity Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0830826742, Pub. Price $34.00 [200 pp. assigned].

Goheen, Michael W and Erin Glanville, eds. The Gospel and Globalization. Regent College Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 978-1573834407, Pub. Price $29.95 [220 pp. assigned].

Goudzwaard, Bob. Capitalism and Progress: A Diagnosis of Western Society. Paternoster, 1997. ISBN: 978-0853647706, out of print/available used online [280 pp. assigned].

Jacobsen, Erik O. Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith. Brazos Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-1587430572, Pub. Price $22.00 [190 pp. assigned].

Keller, Timothy and Katherine Leary Alsdorf. Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work. Dutton, 2012. ISBN: 978-0525952701, Pub. Price $26.95 [260 pp. assigned].

Koyzis, David T. Political Visions and Illusions. InterVarsity Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-0830827268, Pub. Price $25.00 [220 pp. assigned].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Instructional hours. Class time will be 50% lecture and 50% group discussion. [30 hours].

  2. Four reading quizzes (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [2.5 hours prep time each, 10 hours total]. [DLAs].

  3. Final integration paper (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1,3,4,5]. [20 hours].

  4. Final exam (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1,2,3,5]. [10 hours].

  5. Participation and reading (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1,2,3,5]. [80 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH5 or C2 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets PHIL in the 144 MDiv and MAT (Winter 2010) Programs.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.


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.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.