Fall 2007/Pasadena
Five-week Intensive: Sept. 24-Oct. 26
CO512
O. Drane

CO512: STORYTELLING, GOSPEL, AND CULTURE. Olive M. Fleming Drane.


DESCRIPTION: This course combines exploration of the importance of storytelling in the Biblical tradition and in postmodern culture with practical skills training in the effective use of stories in ministry and mission for the twenty-first century.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will (1) appreciate the nature of Biblical narrative as story; (2) understand the difference between orality and literacy; (3) develop relevant communication skills for today's post-literate culture; (4) acquire sophisticated tools for crafting their own stories in a spiritually formative environment.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: People today are happier with stories than with abstract propositions, and knowing how to tell a good story--whether in traditional sermons or in cutting-edge evangelism--is an essential skill for effective Christian ministry.

COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet twice weekly for three-hour sessions for five weeks. Classes will include discussions and presentations in both formal and informal settings. Students will work intensively with a partner, and enrollment will be limited to facilitate this. Students are expected to be fully committed to working with a partner in this way.

REQUIRED READING:

Bausch, William J. In the Beginning, There Were Stories. Twenty-Third Publications, 2004.

__________. Storytelling: Imagination and Faith. Twenty-Third Publications, 1984. (Out of print.)

Boomershine, Thomas E. Story Journey: An Invitation to the Gospel as Storytelling. Abingdon 1988.

Drane, Olive Fleming. Clowns, Storytellers, Disciples. Augsburg Press, 2004.

Sample, Tex. Ministry in an Oral Culture. Westminster John Knox Press, 1994.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Jensen, Richard A. Thinking in Story: Preaching in a Post-Literate Age. CSS Publishing. 1993.

Ong, Walter. Orality and Literacy. 2nd ed. Routledge, 2002.

ASSIGNMENTS:
  1. Attendance: Students who miss three or more class meetings will not receive a passing grade; commitment to being present in class and working with a partner's material outside class times is very important in this course.

  2. Written work:
    (a) A paper of 10-12 pages on some aspect of story in relation to the Bible, culture, or ministry.
    (b) Development and presentation of a partner's personal story.
    Both pieces must be completed on time to gain a grade, and each counts for 50% of the final grade.

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective. Will fulfill a concentration requirement in the MDiv (Worship, Theology and the Arts concentration) and in the MA in Worship, Theology and the Arts.

FINAL EXAMINATION: There is no written examination, but note the requirement for each student to make a presentation of their partner's story, which is therefore the equivalent of an oral examination, at a time and place to be determined within the time frame of the five-week intensive.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (8/07)