MN591/691: Transforming the City: A Seminar on the Nature and

Mission of the Church in Los Angeles (4 units)
Jude Tiersma Watson, Associate Professor of Urban Mission
Winter 2006 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

The seminar is designed around an urban consultation in order to acquaint participants with the socio-cultural dynamics that affect the quality of life, inform theology and challenge the manner in which ministry is conducted in our urban world. Using Los Angeles as our lab, an analysis of the urban context and ministry strategies will be engaged through lectures, multi-disciplinary readings, discussions, interviews with community leaders, small groups, and site visits.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the course students will:

· Be equipped to think critically about transformation in a global city.
· To understand what facilitates a ministry that is transformational.
· To learn to use and apply a Model Analysis Guide, that can be the common basis for approaching, listening, interpreting, and reporting site visits and case studies.

COURSE FORMAT:

This is a conference course based on a Los Angeles consultation sponsored by Bakke Graduate University, to be held Jan. 26-29, 2006. Course will run simultaneously with several seminaries. Ray Bakke will be the key lecturer. Dr. Bakke has convened similar consultations in 250 world class cities. The Consultation will feature lectures, case studies, small groups, site visits. For those receiving course credit, there will be an extra day beyond the consultation of site visits and evaluation of visits (January 30).

REQUIRED READING:

Bakke, Ray Theology as Big as the City. Intervarsity Press, 1997.
Gornick, Mark To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the changing Inner City. Eerdmans, 2002.
Tanner, Kathryn, ed. Searching for Soul in the Urban Landscape.
One book (minimun) on Los Angeles.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Banham, Reyner, The Architecture of Four Ecologies.
Davey, Andrew, Urban Christianity and the Global Order.
Davis, Mike, City of Quartz: Excavating the Future of Los Angeles. Vintage.
Dear, Michael, Ed. From Chicago to LA.
Hayden, Delores, The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History.
Klein, Norman, The History of Forgetting: Los Angeles and the Erasure of Memory. Verso Press, 1997.
Ortiz, Manuel, One New People: Models for Developing a Multi-Ethnic Church.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. 1200 pages of reading.
2. Five book reports, 500-600 words (2 pages) each, giving the thesis of the book and how it applies to your context.
3. A 3,750-6,000 word (15-20 page) Journal with both reflection and analysis of the conference and each site visit.
4. Final 3,000-4,500 word project (12-15 pages) on a topic related to the nature and mission of the urban church.

PREREQUISITES: None, however MN520 Introduction to Urban Mission is recommended. No audits. Students may participate in the consultation without taking the course for credit, however. Conference registration must be completed independently by students at www.signsofhopela.org (cost $150).

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAM: None.

Last Date Edited: January 5, 2006