This 8-unit tutorial/seminar will examine the methodology and the content involved in doing Theology of Mission in the midst of Twenty-First Century global/local missiology. This seminar, though related to each doctoral student’s personal tutorial study, will provide a forum for discussing the method and content of Theology of Mission. Building on "MT537 Theologizing in Mission," this seminar will examine more deeply the methodological and content-related assumptions on which a theologian of mission builds, evaluating the personal relevance, the missional connectedness, the contextual appropriateness and biblical/theological acceptability of such assumptions.

The class will meet for three hours/week to share insights, learn from one another and brain-storm the issues facing missiologists in doing Theology of Mission in a modern/postmodern world of global/local world evangelization. The doctoral students will draw from their own area of investigation to select a specific theology-of-mission issue on which to focus their tutorial study for the seminar. Through reading one another’s writing, writing questions, and making a presentation to the seminar, the student will be involved in a process of group learning over a broad spectrum, coupled with individual investigation related to each doctoral student’s tutorial study.

J. Verkuyl. Contemporary Missiology. G.R.:Eerdmans, 1978, pp 1-225 (available in class).
David Bosch. Witness to the World. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1980 (available in class).
Orlando Costas. Christ Outside the Gate. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1982; OR OPTION.
David Bosch. Transforming Mission. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1991 (read either Part I or Part III); OR OPTION.
C. Van Engen. Mission on the Way. G.R.: Baker, 1996; OR OPTION.
J. Andrew Kirk. What is Mission? London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1999 (available from Monrovia: MARC).
C. Van Engen, Dean S. Gilliland and Paul Pierson, edits. The Good News of the Kingdom. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1993; reprinted 1999 by Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eugene, Oregon. OR C. Van Engen, Nancy Thomas and Robert Gallagher, edits. Footprints of God. Monrovia:MARC/World Vision, 1999; OR OPTION.
If students have read any one of the above books, they will choose substitute texts from a bibliography provided in class. Student who are attending the seminar as part of a doctoral tutorial will read at least 600 pages of supplemental reading that is appropriate to the subject of their doctoral work, OR from selected books and chapters drawn from a bibliography provided in class --

• Seven 500 word, typed, double-spaced book reviews.
• Reading reports of 250 words on the books and chapters selected for the additional 600 pages of reading, related to the student’s particular investigation.
• A tutorial paper of 10,000 to 12,500 words (double-spaced, typed) dealing with a specific theological topic that arises from the student’s context of ministry and is related to the student’s particular tutorial investigation. The format for this tutorial paper appears in the class syllabus.
• Each student will distribute to all the members of the seminar group a written piece the person has previously authored related to their doctoral studies (minimum of 2500 words maximum 3750 words ) – and will make a presentation to the seminar regarding the student’s study program and the piece that has been distributed.

MT537 Theologizing in Mission – unless the professor gives permission otherwise.