MT528 Jesus the Missionary (4 units)

MT528/628: Jesus the Missionary (4 units)

Ryan K. Bolger, Assistant Professor of Church in Contemporary Culture
Spring 2006 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

Mission models derive from many sources; but few, if any, are based directly on the life of Jesus. The mission of Jesus gives us access to God’s mission to humanity, the missio Dei, because Jesus is the primary exemplar of that mission. This course focuses on the multiple facets of Jesus’ witness to the reign of God in first-century Palestine. The mission of Jesus does not fall prey to the dualisms inherent in modern mission, e.g., either-or emphasis on the individual versus structure or mind versus body. This course explores Jesus’ engagement of his context and his relation to the powers and offers the student a faithful pattern of missional engagement that can serve as a model for mission today.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Ability to exegete Jesus’ missional response to his context.
• Appreciation of the centrality of the reign of God for mission.
• Understanding of how the mission of Jesus might serve as a model for cultural engagement today.

COURSE FORMAT:

In this two-week intensive course, students will meet three hours a day for two weeks. Lectures and active group work will examine key themes and characteristics of Jesus as missionary.

REQUIRED READING: If you have previously read any of the required texts, please select an alternative text from the recommended reading list or a book approved by the instructor.

Wilbert R. Shenk, ed. 1993. The Transfiguration of Mission. Herald Press.
Glen H. Stassen and David P. Gushee. 2003. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. IVP.
N.T. Wright. 1996. Jesus and the Victory of God. Fortress Press.
John Howard Yoder. 1994. The Politics of Jesus. Eerdmans.