*This is the catalog description of BI501, an older version of this course. An updated description of this course will be available soon. 

This course introduces students to the relationship between biblical interpretation and the theology and practice of Christian mission. Participants will grapple with the importance of mission for reading the Bible and the teaching of the Bible on mission. This will include the missiological orientation of biblical texts, diverse paradigms for missional practice in Scripture, and issues of contextualization as students seek to understand the significance of mission for reading the Bible and for embodying Scripture’s witness in their contexts.

This course explores Christianity’s first two thousand years with a primary focus on the inherent dynamic that propels cross-cultural transmission and the critical elements that have defined the experience and expressions of the faith in successive heartlands. Five core issues will guide the discussion: the translation principle, or indigenous appropriations and vernacular expressions of the faith; the agents and agencies of missionary expansion; major movements of reformation and renewal; interaction with other major faiths; and causative factors in the periodic shifts or extermination of the faith.

Christianity from the beginning was a global faith—with its center of gravity in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia before it became a predominantly Western religion (c. 900). Now, after roughly five centuries, it is re-emerging as a non-Western phenomenon. A full historical account reveals a faith that is inherently global because it is ultimately local and therefore never fully defined by any historical phase or context. This course explores Christianity’s first two thousand years with a primary focus on the inherent dynamic that propels crosscultural transmission and the critical elements that have defined the experience and expressions of the faith in successive heartlands.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to major religions of the world focusing on their origin and development, beliefs and practices, and worldviews and institutions. The course will also survey major Christian responses to other religions. After successfully completing this class, students will be able to engage people of other faiths respectfully and better equipped to participate in God’s mission in a religiously and culturally pluralistic society.

Select one of the following courses to confront the urgent ethical challenges of this moment in light of your research interests, vocational goals, and scheduling/modality considerations:

ET513 Perspectives on Social Ethics*

An exploration of the relationship between biblical faith and contemporary social and political life, with special attention to current patterns of evangelical engagement with politics in the United States and around the world. The course will survey the diverse forms of contemporary evangelical political engagement as well as the varied content of evangelical views on selected public issues, including human rights, the environment, sexuality and family issues, poverty, church-state concerns, and war. 

ET528 Creation Care and Sabbath Economics*

In a time of unprecedented ecological crisis and economic inequality that threaten the sanctity of God’s creation and human life, all Christians are called to the faithful stewardship of creation care and witness to God’s justice. This course studies the theological and ethical grounds and directives of creation care and Sabbath economics that inform our personal and corporate responsibility as the followers of Jesus. The study includes 1) an analysis of the detrimental impact of global capitalism on the ecology and 2) an exploration of appropriate spiritual formation, communal practices, and public policy proposals of creation care and the Sabbath economics in local, national, and global contexts. 

ET520 Biblical and Practical Peacemaking*

The way of Jesus in the New Testament and his message of the breakthroughs of the reign of God centrally include the way of peacemaking. We will seek to deepen our understanding of that way and our ability to teach it and model it. We will compare major present-day ethical positions—nonviolence, just war, and just peacemaking—as they relate to overcoming terrorism, preventing nuclear war, peace in the Middle East, and practical peacemaking among church members, including role-playing conflict resolution within churches. And we will study how to begin inward/outward journey small groups in churches with a mission of following Jesus in peacemaking.

Select one of the following courses to hone your anthropological understanding in light of your research interests, vocational goals, and scheduling/modality considerations:

MB524 Christian Anthropology from the Margins*

Developing an epistemology of diversity and cultural contextualization via truth seeking by reading selected biblical passages from the margins. Challenging the limits of discrete anthropological and theological epistemologies by gesturing toward a transdisciplinary understanding of an emerging practical theology for the purpose of contextualizing Christian theological thinking. Enabling students’ cultural, racial and ethnic exploration for selfawareness and facilitating engagement with diverse communities. Also taught in Spanish.

MB526 Anthropology for Global Engagement*

This course focuses on application of anthropological and sociological insights for engagement and witness in diverse cultural settings. Exploring the interface of proposition, story, and wisdom in cultural context serves as one of the foundational approaches to cultural competence. 

MB533 Social Analysis and Contextualization in Church Planting*

A course on Social Analysis and Contextualization will teach you how to exegete the culture and context of a church plant to help develop churches that are relevant and transformative. 4 units.

Select one of the following courses to deepen your understanding of global poverty and God’s calling to empower the poor in light of your research interests, vocational goals, and scheduling/modality considerations:

MD500 Globalization, the Poor, and Christian Mission*

This course examines the globalization phenomenon as a deeply rooted historical change process that has significant impact on the contemporary church and the poor. The course ML: Master’s KThM: Korean Master of Theology PD: Professional Doctoral PhD: Doctor of Philosophy & Master of Theology 180 consists of two parts. The first part of the course examines the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of globalization with a view toward unraveling myth from reality and applying biblical lenses to this assessment. Supporters and skeptics are examined, as are the major global players who have the power to shape the nature of globalization. The second part of the course briefly examines the impact of globalization on the church and global mission, but primarily focuses on the impact of globalization on the poor and a critical examination of global proposals for eradicating poverty

MD525 Poverty/Communication Development/International Development*

This course explores the challenges of empowering the poor in a world marked by marginalization, disempowerment, abuse and injustice. Poverty is explored from a number of perspectives, concluding with a biblical framework. Responses to poverty are then explored, including the goals of transformational development and the process and principles by which it is pursued. The focus is largely on development in the global South.

This course will explore these dynamics in an interdisciplinary approach with attention given to theological, historical, social and scriptural perspectives. The course will guide students through a process of reflection identifying their power assumptions originating from their personal narrative and rooted in longstanding paradigms informed by the complexity of power and gender/ethnic relationships. Through the use of seminal perspectives and constructive social and spiritual disciplines, students will have the opportunity to integrate a plan for effectively leading others. Also taught in Spanish.

As with every field of study, missiology has its particular focus, literature, and methods. To engage in missiological integration requires appropriate skills to use the tools and resources available. This course integrates the learning from the core courses in
missiology taught in the MAICS degree. A special feature of the course is the use made of a capstone paper for crossculturally-experienced students (5yrs+) to engage missiological integration, reflection, and action. Students under 5 years of crosscultural/missional experience will write a working proposal for a practicum/apprenticeship. Because global
missional leadership develops interactively, opportunity will be given for peer collaboration in learning and integration of their learning in a capstone and direct application in a practicum setting.