MP541/641: Living the Text in a Postmodern Context (4 units)
Steve Taylor, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Contemporary Culture
Summer 2007 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

This course will explore the communication of the Biblical text in a contemporary world, with particular missiological reference to the use of the Bible in the postmodern, emerging church. It will apply theological insights around text, community and culture, to the task of maintaining and communicating the integrity of the Biblical text with reference to postmodernity. As a result of the course, students will be better equipped to read and communicate the Biblical text in a postmodern context.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Appreciate the potential of Biblical resources in contemporary communication.
• Critically analyze the way the Bible is being used in the emerging church.
• Practically apply techniques to living the Biblical text.

COURSE FORMAT:

An intensive of seven hours per day taught over one week. The course will combine both theory and practice, believing that learning often happens through seeing new models, while new practices necessitate a shift in the under girding values. This will include one field trip to experience the use of images in communication.

REQUIRED READING:

Pick 1000 pages from the following. If you have read any of the required texts for another course, please select an alternative text from the recommended reading list or a book approved by the instructor.
Blue, Debbie, Sensual Orthodoxy. Cathedral Hill Press, 2003.
Drane, Olive M. Fleming, Spirituality to Go: rituals and reflections for everyday living, DLT, 2006.
Rowell, Gill, The (Spiritual) Adventures of CyberCindy. Paternoster: Carlisle, 2003.
Rose, Lucy Atkinson, Sharing the Word. Preaching the Roundtable Church, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, 1997.
Sample, Tex, Ministry in an Oral Culture. Living With Will Rogers, Uncle Remus, and Minnie Pearl, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, 1994.
Stephens, Mitchell, The Rise of the Image, the Fall of the Word. Oxford University Press: New York, 1998.
Taylor, The Out of Bounds Church? Learning to Create a Community of Faith in a Culture of Change, Zondervan, 2005.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Adams, Douglas, The Prostitute in the Family Tree. Discovering Humor and Irony in the Bible, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, 1997.
Drane, John. The McDonaldization of the Church. Spirituality, Creativity & the Future of the Church, DLT: London, 2000.
Drane, Olive M. Fleming, Clowns, Storytellers, Disciples. Spirituality & Creativity for Today’s Church, BRF: Oxford, 2002.
Paggitt, Doug. Preaching Re-imagined. Zondervan, 2005.
Troeger, Thomas H. Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multi-media Culture. Abingdon: Nashville, 1996.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Personal vision statement and community reflection: Students are required to prepare a thoughtful and carefully written personal statement in which they reflect on their growth and development during the course, together with looking forward to the place of the Bible in their future ministry. It should be 1000 words, written in the first person, and contain no footnotes. Each student will place their statement on a blogsite on the Tuesday after class lectures conclude.

Students are then expected to contribute 5 X 100 words response, in the form of making comments on five different student blogs over the next 3 weeks. Students are expected to cite sources in their comments. Assessment will be based class all learning outcomes and on the 1000 word plus five blog comments. Total 1,500 words. Worth 40% of final grade.

2. Critical reflection: Students will choose one example of how the Bible is being used in a contemporary context. Examples will be provided by the lecturer (see Resources below). Students will identify strengths and weaknesses, using the tools gained during the class (all learning outcomes). 3,000 words. Due end of quarter. Worth 60%

LIBRARY RESERVE RESOURCES (needed for Assignment 2: Critical Reflection)

• Spirituality2go: Practising the faith 2007 Lenten resources, supplied to students by lecturer.
  Comic: Steve Ross, Marked, Seabury: New York, 2005.
  Visual: Simon Smith, 40, CD-ROM.
  Bibliodrama: Bjorn Krondorfer, “Abraham, Isaac and co. Bibliodrama as a Participatory Process.” Living Text 2 1997 26-32. Further work on bibliodrama can be found in “Entering Biblical “Halakhah” to Create Contemporary Midrash Aggadah. A Bibliodramatic Exploration of Non-Narrative Texts.” Living Text 4 1998 29-33. “From White Fire to Black Ink,” Living Text 3 1998 38-41. “Midrashic Moments,” Living Text 1 1997 40-43.
  Sermon: Either Mike McNichols, “Jesus the Ultimate Outsider” (Chapter 14) or Ryan Schellenberg, “A Father’s Advocacy” (Chapter 15). In Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross. Edited by Mark Baker, Baker Academic, 2006.

Note: Both pieces of assessment must demonstrate a detailed knowledge of, and reflective responses to, knowledge and insights gained from the class and assigned reading. Assessment criteria will include:
Research : appropriate resources and methodology
Critical analysis : depth of theological and Biblical understandings, awareness of multiple contexts, critical evaluation, awareness of integration between text and contemporary life
Communication and presentation : spelling and grammar, word limit observed, bibliography

ThM: ThM students are expected to supply an annotated bibliography of 10 helpful resources for their living of the text. 1000 words. Fuller expects from all of its ThM level students an overall greater analytical depth on writing assignments.

DMin: Students are expected to supply an annotated bibliography of 10 helpful resources for their living of the text. 1500 words.

In addition, it is assumed that D Min students are in ministry. Thus they are expected to come to this class with a recently completed sermon. During the class they will be asked to re-preach this sermon, using one of the techniques learnt in class. They are then expected to hand in a thoughtful and carefully written personal statement in which they reflect on their growth and development in Living the text through this exercise. 1500 words. Due three weeks after class concludes.

FINAL EXAM: None.

PREREQUISTES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

Last edited: March 153, 2007