Summer 2013/New York City

TC518

Johnson

TC518: CALLING: THE HISTORY, THEOLOGY, AND EXPERIENCE OF CHRISTIAN VOCATION. Todd E. Johnson and Dale Savidge.

DESCRIPTION: This is a masters level course which will meet for one week in New York City, July 15-19. It will meet on-line through MOODLE both in preparation for our time together in New York City and as a means of processing that experience in light of course material afterwards. This course will explore the concept of Christian vocation. Vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, meaning to summon or call, from which we get the concept of receiving a calling. Often a calling is understood as being called to ordained ministry. In this course, the focus will be much broader, that is the vocation or calling of all baptized. Reflecting on Biblical, theological and historical models of calling, students will explore the relationship between the individual, the community and the grace of God related to vocation. Students will also be exposed to a number of Christians living working in New York who understand their work as a calling, in particular a number of people who work in and with the arts community in Manhattan. The end result will be a honing of the student’s own understanding of vocation in their life and their tradition.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: It is hard to imagine a more significant question for a seminary student than the questions surrounding one’s vocation. This course will provide resources to the student to address issues concerned with vocation such as spiritual giftedness, personal and communal discernment, justice, compassion and evangelism and other “callings” often presented as universal to all Christians. It will also explore spiritual disciplines which may further resource the student in their life-long process of discernment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the conclusion of this seminar a student will: (1) be able to articulate a Biblical and historical survey of ministry and vocation in the Christian churches; (2) have a working knowledge of the theological models of Christian vocation; (3) to be able to describe and assess the models of ministry and vocation operative in one’s own tradition; (4) describe in general ways the difference between Christian models of vocation and Jewish and Muslim views; (5) have an in-depth knowledge of one particular theology of vocation, either of a tradition or individual; (6) be able to articulate one’s own theology of vocation and one’s understanding of what that theology looks like applied to their own life.

COURSE FORMAT: The seminar will meet weekly on-line asynchronously for three weeks before meeting in New York City. The class will meet 35 hours total while in New York that week. It will meet on on-line asynchronously for five weeks following meeting in New York City. Students’ assignments on-line will include forum posts and responses, posting assignments and responding to assignments. While in New York students will be exposed to lectures, group discussions, interviews with individuals and groups, and visits to various Christian ministries in New York City.

REQUIRED READING:

Course Reader [on eReserves through Moodle] [120 pp.].

Badcock, Gary. The Way of Life: A Theology of Christian Vocation. Eerdmans, 1998. ISBN: 978-0802844903, Pub. Price $16.00 [150 pp. assigned].

Bass, Dorothy, ed. Practicing our Faith: A Way of Life for Searching People, 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass, 2010. ISBN: 978-0470484111, Pub. Price $19.95 [150 pp. assigned].

Chrysostom, Saint John. On the Priesthood, at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf109.iv.i.html. [100 pp.].

Haughey, John, ed. Revisiting the Idea of Vocation: Theological Explorations. Catholic University Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0813213613, Pub. Price $29.95 [140 pp. assigned].

John Paul II. The Meaning of Vocation. Scepter Publishers, 1998. ISBN: 978-0933932999, Pub. Price $2.99, [40 pp.].

Johnson, Todd E. and Dale Savidge. Performing the Sacred: Theology and Theatre in Dialogue. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801029523, Pub. Price $22.00 [140 pp. assigned].

Neafsey, John. A Sacred Voice is Calling: Personal Vocation and Social Conscience. Orbis Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-1570756450, Pub. Price $22.00 (200 pp. assigned].

Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. Jossey-Bass, 1999. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95 [110 pp. assigned].

Rilke, Rainer Maria. Letters to Young Poet. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011. ISBN: 978-1461190523, Pub. Price $6.95 [50 pp. assigned].

REQUIRED VIEWING (view one of these two films):

Duigan, John, director. Romero. Lions Gate, 2000. ASIN: B00004W203. List Price: $19.99. Run time: 102 minutes.

Duncan, Patrick Sheane, screen writer. Mr. Holland’s Opus. Hollywood Pictures, 1999. ASIN: 6305428352. List Price: $9.99. Run time: 143 minutes.

RECOMMENDED READING (Books that provide helpful supplemental material to our course):

Guiness, Os. The Calling: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Thomas Nelson, 2003. ISBN: 978-0849944376, Pub. Price $17.99.

Volf, Miroslav. Work in the Spirit: Toward a Theology of Work. Wipf and Stock, 2001. ISBN: 978-1579106416, Pub. Price $27.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Grading is done on a total point basis. There are four sets of assignments in this seminar:

  1. Completion of assigned readings, participation in our class discussions and attendance (10 points).

  2. Short posts (no more than 500 words) and responses (no more than 200 words) to classmates as outlined in the syllabus. (20 Points)

  3. A 3-5 page assessment of your first impression on theologies of vocation. (20 points)

  4. A 2-4 page reflection paper on your encounters with the various models of vocation encountered through interviews in New York. (15 points)

  5. Students are to keep a journal of their thoughts on vocation throughout the 10 weeks of the course. At the end of the course, the students are to use their journal to write about the development of their own theology of vocation according to the prompts in the syllabus in 8-10 pages. (35 points)

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


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.