MM500:  Spirituality and Mission  (4 units)

Jude Tiersma Watson, Assistant Professor of Urban Mission
Fall 2003  Pasadena

 

 

DESCRIPTION:

This course will help students develop an approach to their spiritual life that integrates their spirituality with their missional activities.  We will use the Lord's prayer as a structure for forming a sustainable spirituality that can be adapted to cross-cultural situations.  A narrative approach will be introduced that will integrate the students own pilgrimage, scripture, and the cultural context.  Students will think through their own pilgrimage as a way to share their faith with others.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will develop a sustainable and foundational approach to spirituality and mission.
Students will understand how to sensitively share their faith.
Students will grow spiritually in relation to ministry.
Students will be challenged to think cross-culturally about spirituality and mission.

 

COURSE FORMAT:

Class format will use a variety of approaches -- lecture, storytelling, video clips, class discussion and small groups.

 

REQUIRED READING (for a total of 1200 pages):

Bosch David.  A Spirituality of the Road.
Foster, Richard.  Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the great Tradition of Christian Faith.  Harper: San Francisco, 2001.
Hunter, George.  The Celtic Way of Evangelism.  Abingdon 2000.
Nouwen, Henri, et al.  Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life.  Image Books, 1982.
Tutu, Desmond.  No Future Without Forgiveness.  Doubleday, 2000.
Wright, N.T.  The Lord and His Prayer.  Eerdmans
Reader prepared by professors, including a variety of cultural perspectives.

 

RECOMMENDED READING:

Madame Guyon.  Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ.
Rolheiser, Ronald.  The Holy Longing: The Search for Christian Spirituality.  Doubleday, 1999.
Willard, Dallas.  The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God.  Harper: San Francisco, 1998.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Weekly prayer journal.
2. Required reading of 1500 pages.

3. 2 book reviews, 500 words (2 pages) each.
4. Two 1750-2000 word (7-8 page) papers: 

a.       Paper reflecting on the student’s spiritual pilgrimage, and how their story can be used in witness. 

b.       Final paper on a topic relating spirituality and mission.

 

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: MACCS Core Competency.

FINAL EXAM: None.

Last Date Edited:  June 27, 2003