Jones, Robert P. The End of White Christian America. New York: Simon & Shuster, ISBN:

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1 Houston Graduate School of Theology MC 620 Culture and Context (Hybrid) Spring 2018, Saturdays, 9am - 3pm; 1/27; 2/17; 3/24; 4/21 Dr. James H. Furr, President and Professor of Church and Culture jfurr@hgst.edu or x 122 Dr. John R. Franke, Visiting Professor of Mission and Theology jfranke@hgst.edu Houston Graduate School of Theology equips women and men to be ministers and messengers of God s mission of reconciliation through academic excellence, personal transformation, and leadership development I. Course Description An examination of the content and dynamics of demographic, physical, social, and cultural environments, and to their implications for Christian ministry. Attention is given to analyzing emerging phenomena such as the major social institutions, language, social change, and technology, and to understanding cultural norms, values, and traditions. Three hours. II. Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: A. Describe the key features of cultures and social contexts and explain the implications of those dynamics for Christian faith communities and leaders through online assignments, a context resource guide, and a final exam.(maml-1; MAML-3; MDiv-2; MDiv-3) B. Identify and analyze major social and cultural trends in Western societies and assess the implications for Christian communities and leaders through online assignments, and a final exam. (MAML-1; MAML-3; MDiv-2; MDiv-3) C. Describe the nature of culture and cultural change in Western societies and formulate a strategy for faithful response through online assignments, a context resource guide, and a final exam. (MAML-1; MAML-3; MDiv-2; MDiv-3) III. Texts and Course Schedule Required Textbooks: Franke, John R. Reforming Theology: Toward a Postmodern Reformed Dogmatics. Westminster Theological Journal 65 (2003): Jones, Robert P. The End of White Christian America. New York: Simon & Shuster, ISBN: Van Gelder, Craig, and Dwight J. Zscheile. Participating in God s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the Church in America: Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, ISBN: Volf, Miroslav. A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, ISBN:

2 2 Class Topics and Assignments Class Mtg. Date Topics Covered in Class Reading Assignments Assignments Due Jan. 27 The Nature of Culture & Context Posts to Coursesites due Feb. 1 Jan. 27 class notes Online Assignment # 1 Posts to Coursesites due Feb. 8 Volf ix-74 Online Assignment # 2 Posts to Coursesites due Feb. 15 Volf Online Assignment # 3 Feb. 17 The Interaction of Church & Culture Posts to Coursesites due Feb. 22 Jones 5-77 Online Assignment # 4 Posts to Coursesites due March 1 Jones Online Assignment # 5 Posts to Coursesites due March 8 Jones Online Assignment # 6 Week of March 12 Spring Break No Assignments Posts to Coursesites due March 22 Franke Article Online Assignment # 7 March 24 Social & Cultural Trends Posts to Coursesites due March 29 VG & Z 1-59 Online Assignment # 8 Posts to Coursesites due April 5 VG & Z Online Assignment # 9 Posts to Coursesites due April 12 VG & Z Online Assignment # 10 Posts to Coursesites due April 19 VG & Z Online Assignment # 11 April 21 The American Church and its North American Context Posts to Coursesites due April 23 VG & Z Online Assignment # 12 Final Exam The professors reserve the right to adjust the schedule and topics as the course develops. IV. Course Requirements A. Online Assignments: Every week between the four class sessions, students will respond to online assignments provided by the professors, read the posts of other students, and reply to two of their colleagues online posts. Students will be prepared to discuss these answers, previous class conversations, and reflections on their own ministry contexts during class. Online postings will be through CourseSites.com. To log in, follow this link: (60% of the total grade; 5% each week)

3 3 B. Context Resource Guide: With guidance from the instructors, students will compile an exhaustive list of key contextual issues and related resources that can further inform Christian congregations and leaders. (25% of the total grade) C. Final Exam A final exam will reflect questions about the assigned readings, class lectures, and discussions with primary particular attention on how the course has enhanced the student s knowledge, skills, and personal formation. (15% of the total grade) D. Student Workload Expectations Total 145 hours Class Time: 24 hours Reading Assignments: 50 hours (745 15/hour) Online Posts: 36 hours Context Resource Guide: 30 hours Final Exam: 5 hours V. Course Grading Scale - Grading criteria include, following the assignment (30%), compiling a paper or project with graduate-level content (50%), using proper grammar and writing techniques and adhering to correct formatting (20%). An A represents excellent work in all categories; B is good; C is fair; and D is poor. Plusses and minuses will be assigned as appropriate. A B C A B C B C D VI. Classroom-related Academic Policies A. Regular attendance and regular submission of assignments on due dates in the syllabus is expected. The following guidelines have been approved for inclusion in all HGST syllabi and reflect standards for all courses: Fall/Spring semester 15-session course 3-absence maximum Summer term 8-session course 1-absence maximum (equals 4 hours). 6-session hybrid 1-absence maximum 4-session hybrid 0-absence maximum If a student reaches the designated number of absences, the student will no longer be allowed to stay in the class. The student does have the opportunity to appeal to the Academic Dean and should assume responsibility for scheduling that meeting as soon as possible. B. Work is expected on the due date. Late papers will receive no less than a one-letter grade reduction. C. Turnitin.com 1. All written assignments are subject to required submission to to check for originality and style. The assignments that are required for submission will be described in the syllabus. 2. Students will create an account at After doing so, the student will join the course page with the code and password supplied by the instructor. A list of assignments and due dates will be available on the course page.

4 3. Students will submit assignments by the due date and time and will be required to submit the assignments in a hard copy format as well. D. Electronic Equipment Usage in Classrooms It is expected that students will use technology (cell phones, laptop computers, ipads, etc.) during classes only for the purposes of class work. Therefore, students should turn off cell phones and refrain from texting and using laptop computers during classes except for the purposes of taking notes or doing research specifically authorized by the course instructor. Students who have emergency needs not covered by this policy must ask for an exception from the course instructor. E. Please review the Academic Catalog for policies regarding Incompletes and Plagiarism. For more information on HGST and area Library Services, please download the Library Handbook from the HGST website. 4 VII. Notes for Writing Assignments All writing assignments should conform to Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8 th Edition. This includes matters of style and format. The instructor requires the use of footnotes for documentation when more than one resource is cited. The student must number pages. According to Turabian, page numbers appear in the upper right hand corner, except on pages with major headings (titles). Margins should be one inch on all four sides, except where major headings (titles) require a two-inch top margin. Critical, or formal, writing differs from colloquial writing or spoken English at several points. The student should note the following guidelines for critical writing. The instructor expects students to follow these guidelines strictly for academic-style assignments. Failure to do so will be penalized. Avoid first- or second-person references, both singular and plural ( I, we, or you ). Keep the written projects objective and professional. The student must remember that imperative forms are second person. Never use contractions. Avoid passive voice construction (i.e., The student should write God chose Joshua rather than Joshua was chosen by God. ). Some exceptions are necessary, but limiting the use of passive voice is a good policy. Be sure that number and tense always agree (i.e., Do not write in one place that Brueggemann argues... and at another place Brueggemann argued... ). Subjectverb agreement is imperative. Spellcheck! Spellcheck! Spellcheck! Grammar check works as well! All pronouns should have clear antecedents. Avoiding it is and there is in the paper removes much of the ambiguity of pronoun usage. Sentence fragments are unacceptable. Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate.

5 5 VIII. Bibliography Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, rev. New York: The New Press, Bevans, Stephen B. Models of Contextual Theology. Revised & Expanded. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, Block, Peter, Walter Brueggemann, and John McKnight. An Other Kingdom: Departing the Consumer Culture. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Carter, Craig A. Rethinking Christ and Culture: A Post-Christendom Perspective. Grand Rapids: Brazos, Cobb, Kelton. The Blackwell Guide to Theology and Popular Culture. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Chung, Paul S. Reclaiming Mission as Constructive Theology. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, Cone, James H. The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, Cressman, Tim. Place: An Introduction. 2 nd ed. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Crouch, Andy. Culture Making: Rediscovering Our Creative Calling. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, Emerson, Michael O., and Christian Smith. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. New York: Oxford University Press, Froese, Paul, and Christopher Bader. America s Four Gods: What We Say About God and What That Says About Us. New York: Oxford University Press, Grenz, Stanley J., and John R. Franke. Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. New York: Oxford University Press, Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, Jennings, Willie James. The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race. New Haven: Yale University Press, Kinnaman, David, and Gabe Lyons. UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and Why it Matters. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007.

6 6 Lyon, Larry and Robyn Driskell. The Community in Urban Society, 2 nd ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Moschella, Mary Clark. Ethnography as a Pastoral Practice: An Introduction. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture. Rev.ed. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, Penner, Myron B. Christianity and the Postmodern Turn: Six Views. Grand Rapids, Brazos Press, Rah, Soong-Chang. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church. Chicago: Moody Press, The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity. Downers Grove, IVP Books, Roxburgh, Alan J. Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World: The New Shape of Church in Our Time. New York: Morehouse, Scharen, Christian. Faith as a Way of Life: A Vision for Pastoral Leadership. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Fieldwork in Theology: Exploring the Social Context of God s Work in the World. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Stassen, Glen H., D.M. Yeager, and John Howard Yoder. Authentic Transformation: A New Vision of Christ and Culture. Nashville: Abingdon, Tanner, Kathryn. Theories of Culture: A New Agenda for Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, Sunquist, Scott W., and Amos Yong. The Gospel and Pluralism Today: Reassessing Lesslie Newbigin in the 21 st Century. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, Van Gelder, Craig, ed. The Missional Church in Context: Helping Congregations Develop Contextual Ministry. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Charles A. Anderson, and Michael J. Sleasman. Everyday Theology: How to Read Cutural Texts and Interpret Trends. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Volf, Miroslav and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. Public Faith in Action: How to Think Carefully, Engage Wisely, and Vote with Integrity. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2016.