Winter 2004/Pasadena
ST588
Dyrness
ST588: THEOLOGY OF AFRICA, ASIA, AND LATIN AMERICA. William Dyrness.
DESCRIPTION:
- This course is designed to introduce students to theological
reflection going on outside of North America as this develops against the
backdrop of the indigenous religious context. The focus will be on major
philosophical and religious traditions and the interaction of Christianity with
these traditions. The emphasis will be on a comparative study which makes use
of social science methods and develops a biblical and critical
perspective.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
- Ministry is now carried out in a world perspective in which
cross-cultural issues are unavoidable. Since the Church outside of North
America is now larger than that in the West, and since much creative thinking
emanates from these churches, responsible ministry today requires the
development of critical listening skills.
COURSE FORMAT:
- Class will meet weekly for a three-hour session. This course will
survey theological reflection in three major areas of the world: Asia, Latin
America and Sub-Saharan Africa. For each area lectures will first focus on the
major religious traditions of the region and then study the rise of local
theologies in those contexts. Lectures and readings will cover selected topics
being discussed by theologians (both formal and informal) from these regions.
Finally an attempt will be made to interact with these materials from the
perspective of western theology.
REQUIRED READING (A):
- Barr, William R. ed. Constructive Theology in the Worldwide
Church. Eerdmans, 1997.
- Dyrness, William A. Learning About Theology from the Third World.
Zondervan, 1990.
- Jenkins, Philip. The Coming Christendom. Oxford University Press,
2000.
- Ngewa, Samuel; Mark Shaw; and Tite Tienou, eds. Issues in African
Christian Theology. East African Educational Publishers, 1998.
- RECOMMENDED READING (B):
- Bañuelas, ed. Maestizo Christianity: Theology from the
Latino Perspective. Orbis, 1995.
- Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western
Religion. Orbis, 1995.
- Gifford, Paul. Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalizing
African Economy. London: Hurst, 2003.
- Parker, Cristian. Popular Religion and Modernization in Latin
America. Orbis, 1993.
- Peterson, Douglas. Not by Might Nor by Power: A Pentecostal Theology of
Social Concern in Latin America. Penguin, 1996.
- Ramachandra, Vinoth. The Recovery of Mission: Beyond the Pluralist
Paradigm. Eerdmans, 1996.
- Yung, Hwa. Mangoes or Bananas? The Quest for an Authentic Asian
Christian Theology. Regnum/Oxford, 1997.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Grading will be based in equal part on three short (4-6 pp.)
reviews comparing articles from two continents from required anthologies in "A"
of required texts; a longer (15-20 pp.) paper focusing on one of the three
areas discussed in class and interacting with one of the texts listed under "B"
of the texts. The reviews can focus on a particular issue raised in the books,
but in general should cover the relation of Christian theology to indigenous
religious traditions, and should reflect a knowledge of the larger argument of
the book. The longer project will be a comparative study of a Christian belief
or practice and a corresponding belief of the indigenous religious tradition.
This project should make use of the required reading (and any other sources
available). Class attendance and participation will be factors in
evaluation.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets requirement in Globalization (GLBL) for M.A.
degrees.
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.