Fall 2018/Pasadena

PM556/856

Branson

PM556/856: PRACTICAL THEOLOGY METHODS (MA/MDiv: 4 Units: 175 Hours; PhD/ThM: 6 Units: 385 Hours). Mark Lau Branson.

---

DESCRIPTION: This is a 6-unit required methods seminar for all PhD students in Practical Theology; at the 500-level, the 4-unit course is offered to a limited number of master’s level students as approved by the professor. The seminar will introduce students to recent studies of practical theology with a focus on ecclesiology and mission in a Western context. The hermeneutical implications of a praxis-based theology of ministry will be considered in an integrative, interdisciplinary manner, with attention to matters of leadership appropriate to participation in God’s mission in both the church and the world.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will articulate an understanding of key elements and recent constructs of practical theology methods. (2) Students will provide an integrative explanation of PT methods in relationship to ecclesiology, missiology, leadership, and ministry. (3) Students will demonstrate skills for shaping a PT process for a contemporary challenge in a church or other setting. (4) (PhD & ThM only:) Students will develop a syllabus for a PT-based ministry class. (5) Students will reflect critically on their own competencies and capacities for PT-shaped leadership in relationship to their current professional goals.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions 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 will spend 30-60 minutes weekly in web-based media and interaction; class times will include lectures, individual and group exercises, reflective discussions of materials and experiences, and student presentations.

REQUIRED READING: 1,500 pp. of required reading for MA/MDiv Students; 3000 pp. of required reading for PhD and ThM students

All Students:

Branson, Mark Lau & Juan Martínez. Churches, Cultures & Leadership. IVP Academic, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839261, Pub. Price $27.00 [233 pages assigned].

Cahalan, Kathleen & Gordon Mikoski. Opening the Field of Practical Theology. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. ISBN:978-0742561267, Pub. Price $41.00 [150 pages assigned].

Osmer, Richard. Practical Theology. Eerdmans, 2008. ISBN:978-0802817655, Pub. Price $25.00 [240 pages].

Roxburgh, Alan. Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood. Baker, 2011. ISBN:978- 0801072314, Pub. Price $16.99 [180 pages].

Schreiter, Robert. Constructing Local Theologies. Orbis, 2015. ISBN: 978-1626981461, Pub. Price $30.00 [190 pages].

Van Gelder, Craig. The Ministry of the Missional Church. Baker, 2007. ISBN:978-0801091391, Pub. Price $19.00 [170 pages].

Ward, Pete. Introducing Practical Theology: Mission, Ministry, and the Life of the Church. Baker, 2017. ISBN: 978-0801098192, Pub. Price $21.99. [177 pages]

*Additional 160 pp. will be on Canvas, including: Willie Jennings, Stephen Toulmin, Dale Andrews & Robert London Smith, Jr., and James Evans.

*It is assumed that students are familiar with a standard guide to writing research papers, like Kate Turabian. A Manual for Writers, 9th ed. University of Chicago, 2018; Wayne Booth et al. The Craft of Research (4th ed). University of Chicago, 2016; and with CMOS Online.

PhD & ThM students (all above plus):

Anderson, Ray. The Shape of Practical Theology. InterVarsity, 2001. ISBN:978-0830815593, Pub. Price $32.00 [320 pages].

Browning, Don. A Fundamental Practical Theology. Fortress, 1991. ISBN:978-0800629731, Pub. Price $29.00 [300 pages].

Branson, Mark Lau. Memories, Hopes, and Conversations: Appreciative Inquiry, Missional Engagement, and Congregational Change. 2nd ed. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. ISBN: 978-1566997836, Pub. Price $24.00 [220 pages assigned].

Cartledge, Mark. The Mediation of the Spirit: Interventions in Practical Theology. Eerdmans, 2015. ISBN: 978-0802869555, Pub. Price $29.00 [170 pages].

Heitink, Gerben. Practical Theology. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN: 978-0802842947, Pub. Price $46.50 [320 pages].

Whitehead, James and Evelyn Whitehead. Methods in Ministry Rev. ed. Sheed & Ward, 1995. ISBN:978-1556128066, Pub. Price $20.95 [150 pages].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Andrews, Dale, and Robert London Smith, Jr. (eds.). Black Practical Theology. Baylor University Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1602584358, Pub. Price $49.95 [354 pages].

Foley, Edward. Theological Reflection across Religious Traditions: The Turn to Reflective Believing. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. ISBN: 978-1442247192, Pub. Price $36.00 [180 pages].

Jennings, Willie. The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race. Yale University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0300171365, Pub. Price $27.50 [356 pages].

Toulmin, Stephen. Cosmopolis. University of Chicago Press, 1990. ISBN:978-0226808383, Pub. Price $26.00 [210 pages].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: [PhD: 385 hours; MDiv/MA: 175 hours; includes 30 hours in class]

1. Required reading as scheduled: PhD/ThM: 3,000 pp.; MA/MDiv: 1,500 pp. Keep a reading log for submission and arrive ready to discuss readings (10%). [PhD: 200 hours; MDiv/MA: 100 hours].
2. Participate weekly in Canvas discussions (MA/MDiv: minimum of 30 minutes; PhD/ThM: minimum of 2 hours) (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, and 5]. [PhD: 20 hours; MDiv/MA: 5 hours].
3. MA/MDiv Only: Write 600 word reviews of Osmer and Roxburgh based on Adler guidelines (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, and 5]. [MDiv/MA: 5 hours].
4. PhD/ThM Only: In teams, prepare comparative review, with handouts, of assigned books (including Anderson, Browning, Heitink). (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1] [PhD: 10 hours].
5. PhD/ThM Only: Prepare an ECD for a PT-based seminary course. (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #4]. [PhD: 25 hours]
6. In preparation for a term paper (demonstrating competence in a PT method with reference to at least three PT method authors) by week 7 select a theme for the term paper, provide a 1-2 page outline that includes topic/question, method, and tentative arguments/sources (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3, 5]. [PhD & MA/MDiv: 10 hours].
7. Provide a class presentation related to your term paper then complete your final submission (MA/MDiv students 3,000 words; PhD/ThM students 8,000 words) (50%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3, 5]. [PhD: 90 hours; MDiv/MA: 25 hours].

PREREQUISITES: MA/MDiv students must have completed a minimum of 72 quarter units of course work and have permission of the professor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective. Required for CATS Practical Theology students.

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.