MH533: Women in Mission:  Models from History (4 units)

Elaine Vaden, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Mission History
Summer 2003 Pasadena

 

 

 

DESCRIPTION:

This course looks at "great souls" in the history of the missionary movement, particularly women and non-westerners. These individuals influenced the course of history, movements and mission by either transformational or transactional leadership.  In the context of their sphere of influence, they confronted social, economic, and institutional factors that needed to be changed or overcome.  The course will analyze the historical period of their life span, the sociological, economic and political issues of their time and seek to discover the patterns and strategies that enabled their significance.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will develop an appreciation for the contribution of women to the expansion of the Christian church.

 

Students will be able to analyze the historical, cultural, social, and religious context of women who led in the expansion of the Christian church.

 

Students will identify leadership styles of women and their impact on the mission of the church.

 

 

COURSE FORMAT:

The first half of the course will follow a lecture format, with contribution from students from their assigned reading.  The second half of the course will involve students in presentation of their own case studies of great individuals in mission history.  If you are interested in taking this course, please register for it during May 20-22, 2003.  If there is insufficient enrollment by the end of registration week (May 2003), the course will be cancelled.

 

REQUIRED READING:

1200-1500 pages of reading:
Robert, Dana.  American Women in Mission: A Social History of Their Thought and Practice
.  Macon:  Mercer University Press, 1997.  (458 p.)
Selected chapters from Anderson, Gerald, ed.  Mission Legacies:  Biographical Studies of Leaders of Modern Missionary

Movements.  Maryknoll:  Orbis Books, 1994.  (640 p.)
Adeney, Miriam.  A Time for Risking
. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1987. (182 p.)
MacNicol, Nicol and Mangalwadi, Vishal.  What Liberates a Woman:  The Story of Pandita Ramabai, A Builder of Modern India.
New Delhi:  Nivedit Good Books Distributors, 1996.  (204p.)
Selected chapters from mission biographies available  on the reserve shelf.

 

RECOMMENDED READING:

Lutz, Lorry.  Women as Risk-Takers for God.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Books, 1997. (266p.)
Lernoux, Penny.  Hearts on Fire.
  Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1993. (129 p.)
Aikman, David.  Great Souls of the Twentieth Century
.  Waco:  Word Publishers,  1998. (388 p.)

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

  A 250 word, double spaced, typed book review for each book or chapter, to be completed by the end of the fifth week.
  Two 2500 word papers in the form of a case study.  One of these will be presented during the last half of the course.  One paper will identify and analyze the influence of a great woman who led from a transformational stance. The other paper will identify and analyze the influence of a great woman who led from a transactional stance.

 

PREREQUISITES: None.

 

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

 

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

 

Last Date Edited:  May 8, 2003