MATUL Generic Syllabus
The aim of the MA in Transformational Urban Leadership is to increase the capacity of emergent leaders among the urban poor, with wisdom, knowledge, character and skill across the full range of leadership dynamics of urban poor movements.
TUL560: Theology & Practice of Community Economics (3 units)
Coursewriters: Development of these courses is a collective process over several continents. The following have contributed to this design:
Arthur E. Medina, Jasmine Lydia Lamech, M.A., M.Phil., PhD, Dr Froilan H. Parado, Dr Peter Nitschke, Ed. D., Justiniano E. Gonzaga, Jr. MDiv., ThM.
Bryan Johnson, MPhil.., Viv Grigg, B.E.E., M.A., PhD
Professor: Viv Grigg, (email: vgrigg@apu.edu)
This course introduces students to training slum dwellers in biblical economics, basic bookkeeping, business planning, savings cooperatives, and micro-enterprise.
This course relates biblical and theological perspectives on human development to the theory and practice of community wealth building. Special emphasis is given to considering how working men and women in the slums might use micro-enterprises and individual development accounts to create a better environment for asset building and ownership.
This course will build from reflections on Kingdom economic principles throughout the scriptures. It will expose the students to theory, policy and practice in community based economic development and to help them read and think critically about these ideas. Students will develop internal organizational processes for registration of churches, quality bookkeeping, and deacons development processes for their ministries. The candidates will be able to plan and initiate small business programs as transformational mission, such as: establishing revolving loan fund, micro-enterprise programs; cooperatives, and the techniques related to strategic business planning among the urban entrepreneurial poor.
Do not be hard hearted or tightfisted towards your poor brother. Rather be open handed and freely lend him whatever he needs. (Deut 15: 7-8)
The need to come up with strategic, sustainable and transformational poverty alleviation program for churches and faith-based organizations cannot be denied nor be met with just talks and scholarly dissertations by theologians and urban poor workers. The vicious cycle of poverty in the country must be cut to its throat and uproot the very cause of this social cancer not tomorrow but today.
This course will examine the root causes of poverty and theory and practice of community economics that lead people to have a poverty mentality. Candidates will be able to understand the relationship between the Redemption Mandate and Creation Mandate in fulfilling the Great Commission by re-examining Stewardship Theology applied in Community Economic Development.
The creation narratives of Genesis provide the essential pre-suppositions relating to God’s original design for mankind to control, have full dominion over creation, the animal, plant kingdoms, aquatic resources, and minerals derived from living and non-living things around the world.
Biblical economics involves an understanding of triad of powers in society such as the Government (law-maker & law enforcer), the Marketplace (the economic influence ), and the Masses (the low-income market, cheap labor force, and the electorate) versus the Power of the Most High God manifested through the Church.
This course reflects the following values
The practical part of the course will enable the candidates to see the community through the eyes of the Redeemer by means of holistic community needs assessment tools. Through an internship, students will be exposed to models of successful community economic development programs being operated by faith-based organizations yet empowering the real target urban poor community folks.
By the end of this course students will be expected to:
Cognitive (Head):
1. Kingdom Economics: Understand a comprehensive theology of creativity, production, stewardship; redistribution, work and rest, ownership and other Biblical principles evidenced in a theological training presentation for slum-dwellers with only elementary level education.
2. Community Economics: Understand methods and strategies to alleviate different levels of poverty.
Level 1: Proclamation of Good News to the poor and the effect of conversion and entrance to the community of faith on work habits, motivation, relational skills, integrity etc.
Level 2: Analyses and assessment of poverty before implementing MFI and MED.
Level 3: Local
Level 4: National
Level 5. Economic Systems
Affective (Heart):
Practice (Hands):
Required Materials marked with an asterix. Others recommended.
The course is designed around your experiences in working under a mentor in a small business development or microfinance NGO among the urban poor, and reflecting on the lessons learned.
The teaching component of the course will utilize a weekly SKYPE discussion, a story telling process of learning, building from stories of lecturers and students to develop a theology and strategy on poverty alleviation methodology among semi-literate slum culture. There are three hours of content in presentations online weekly, some of which we can cover during the SKYPE time, the rest of which you need to research out. The course will focus on both theory and design of practical outcomes. It is not always feasible to match the flow of content of the academics with the learning process onsite, but we will try for a balance.
Most of the course is dependent on your taking responsibility to do independent research and writing, utilizing both experience and local/global literature in order to accomplish the course learning outcomes.
The course is laid out around the core Biblical principles of economics as they are applied at different levels of complexity within the city.
Economic Discipleship Level |
Course Content |
Readings : Select from the books below (Those with an asterix are required readings) |
Level 1. |
Biblical Basis of Cooperative Economics
|
Snyder, H. (1985). The Age of Jubilee. A Kingdom Manifesto: 67-76. |
Level 2. |
Poverty Assessment
http://www.cashpor.in/ppi.html
|
*Greer, P. and. Phil. Smith. (2009). The Poor Will Be Glad. Grand Rapids, Zondervan. chapter 5,6 |
Level 3a. |
Micro Finance
|
Start with *Greer, P. and. Phil. Smith. (2009). The Poor Will Be Glad. Grand Rapids, Zondervan. chap 7,8 |
Level 3b. |
Cooperative Models: Self-Help Group Methodology
|
Kagawa, Toyohiko. (1936). Brotherhood Economics. New York and London: Harper and Brothers. |
Level 4. |
Social Entrepreneurship or Micro Enterprise Development (MED) & Business Development Service (BDS)
|
Entrepreneurship
Microfinance Systems (extra credit for mastering this one)
|
Level 5 |
Economic Systems and their impact on local urban economics: two circuits theory, dependency theory, urban economics, take off theory, global capitalism and critiques, psychological/ religious roots of an achievement culture. |
*Grigg, V (2010). Conversations on Kingdom Economics. (Access at http://www.urbanleaders.org/home/publications.html). Section contrasting Capitalism and Socialism with Biblical principles.
|
Economic Discipleship Level |
Assessment Task |
Maximum Mark |
Weighting |
1. |
Proclaiming Good News to the poor of a kingdom Jubilee Be sure to include Jesus’ message of the Jubilee and demonstrate its relationship to other scriptures. Demonstrate 200 pages of reading related to these principles. |
10 |
10% |
2. |
Poverty Assessment
|
5 |
5 |
3.0 |
Internship Contract |
2 |
2 |
3.4 |
Internship Evaluation: Ask your internship supervisor to fill in the evaluation form and email it to the course faculty. |
4 |
4 |
3.1. |
Micro Finance Evaluate your engagement with an MFI organization, include in your analysis:
|
30 |
30 |
Or 3.2. |
Or examine Cooperative or Self-Help Group Methodology
List completion of 200 pages of reading related to these issues. |
30 |
30 |
Level 4. |
Local Content: Social Entrepreneurship, Micro Enterprise Development (MED) & Business Development Services (BDS) From your local content expert or local classes, reflect in a 2500 word essay on Christian micro enterprise development and the development of social entrepreneurs, utilizing the local and international literature, and at least five stories from local contexts. Include an annotated literature review of local literature, covering five to seven books. Discuss the spiritual foundations, the capital formation phase and the major character and paradigm shifts required. Complete 200 pages of readings related to these issues. Present to class 2 significant aspects of the above in a graphical web-based format could be drama, could be video, could be Powerpoint, could be narrated sideshow. |
25 |
25 |
Level 5 |
Economic Systems: National and international economic systems can help or hinder the emergence of local economies. Interact with the literature and local contextual issues in a 1500 word essay. Demonstrate Completion of 200 pages of readings related to these issues. |
10 |
10 |
|
Final Annotated Bibliography. Submit your list of books/articles read in APA format, with 3-7 lines of annotations for each book, and an analysis of total pages read for each development level and total course. |
4 |
4 |
|
Total |
100 |
100% |
The course will involve a mixture of class discussion, lecture, field trips to emerging faith- based community economics model, small group discussions, handouts, documentary videos, projects, and guest speakers. Not all reading material assigned will be discussed in class; it is the responsibility of the students to follow up with the instructor on materials on which they need further clarification. Students will be divided into teams of 2- 4 members each to work on discussion questions and other class activities for the semester.
It is necessary that each student be committed to the “4 Ps” of student involvement:
Delivery Mechanism |
Hours |
Content Delivery |
40-45 (22 mediated by SKYPE) |
Site visit |
0-10 |
Internship |
40-50 |
Self-study reading and writing |
40-60 |
Total hours |
120-160 |
The correlation of class hours and assignments with local delivery is to be evaluated in the first week of whichever starts first – local or online (See document Planning Work Load with Partnering Schools Courses).
Grades are assigned according to the following levels of proficiency (a different roster will apply for each school):
|
|
|
Grade |
GPA |
Numeric |
A+ |
|
|
A |
4.0 |
93-100 |
A- |
3.7 |
90-92 |
B+ |
3.3 |
87-89 |
B |
3.0 |
83-86 |
B- |
2.7 |
80-82 |
C+ |
2.3 |
77-79 |
C |
2.0 |
73-76 |
C- |
1.7 |
70-72 |
D+ |
1.3 |
67-69 |
D |
1.0 |
63-66 |
D- |
0.7 |
60-62 |
F |
0 |
0-59 |
Inc |
|
|
Satisfactory progress in the degree requires a GPA of 3.0 or above, across your courses.
Extra Credit for involvement in course development
The development of this program and course is a collective venture that has included well over two thousand people so far in the design process. This particular APU design online will have many details that need refinement. The following are worth up to one extra credit point each (max of 3 extra credits).
VII. Course Policies
Attendance in the online SKYPE calls or discussions is an essential in any learning community, as each class builds on the previous, paradigms reflecting an expanding matrix of foundational to complex ideas.
Writing Assignments: papers are due on assigned dates. All assignments should be:
Late assignments will be deducted 5% for each week late (1 week late = 5% deduction, 2 weeks = 10% deduction). After 2 weeks they receive a zero. If late please note at the top left “1 week” or “2 weeks”.
Study time: In a 15 week course, students earn one unit of credit for an average of three and a half hours of work per week, including online class time, over the length of a regular 15 week semester. The expected total course time for one class is between 120-150 hours. The general rule of thumb is that a Module requires at least two and a half hours of work off line for each hour the student spends online in class each week. In an online course there is less face to face time (Usually 1 ½ hours per week), but the total of 8-10 hours per week remains.
The aim of a course is not to kill you with stress but create a positive learning environment. Your workload should not be excessively more or excessively less, despite the drivenness of the culture around. Learning a healthy work-life balance is part of the graduate experience. Work hard, play hard!
In the MATUL it is easy for local leaders to wish to use the foreigner as an extra worker in the ministry. To succeed in your studies, church involvement should be limited to Sundays and one night per week. Your primary objective is not to respond to every request for ministry but to complete your masters, learning as you go. You are strongly advised to advise your pastor that you are restricted to Sunday activities and one other night.
Academic Integrity: The mission of the MATUL includes cultivating in each student not only the academic skills that are required for a university degree, but also the characteristics of academic integrity that are integral to a sound Christian education. It is therefore part of the mission of the university to nurture in each student a sense of moral responsibility consistent with the biblical teachings of honesty and accountability. Furthermore, a breach of academic integrity is viewed not merely as a private matter between the student and an instructor but rather as an act which is fundamentally inconsistent with the purpose and mission of the entire university. A complete copy of the Academic Integrity Policy is available in the Office of Student Life, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs, and online. References to author and text must be included whenever the author is quoted or ideas used. This is simple respect. Use the APA6 Author-Date system. It is required that you get a copy of EndNote from IMT or the Library for keeping your references over the years. It will do most of the formatting for you. Disability Procedure: Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should meet with the MATUL program director, as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion of course requirements.Slum Realities
de Jesus, Carolina Maria. (2003). Child of the Dark. New York, London, Auckland: Penguin.
de Soto, H. (1989). Informal Housing (J. Abbott, Trans.), The Other Path (pp. 17-57). New York: Harper & Row.
de Soto, Hernando. (2003). The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else: Basic Books.
Jocano, F. L. (1975). Round-the-Clock Activities. Slum as a Way of Life. Quezon City, New Day Publishers: 33-50.
Kingdom Economics
Grigg, V. (2004). Paved with Good Intentions. In Companion to the Poor. GA, USA: Authentic Media
---. (2010). Conversations on Kingdom Economics. Access at http://www.urbanleaders.org/home/publications.html
---. (2004). God’s Happy Poor. In Companion to the Poor. GA, USA: Authentic Media
Kagawa, Toyohiko. (1936). Brotherhood Economics. New York and London: Harper and Brothers.
Meeks, D. (1989). God the economist: The doctrine of God and political economy. Fortress.
Miller, Darrow L. with Gutrie, Stan. Discipling Nations The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures. YWAM Publishing.
Moffitt, Bob with Tesch, Karla. (2004) . If Jesus Were Mayor. Zondervan Bible Publisher.
Myers, Bryant. L. (2004) Walking with the Poor. Orbis Books. Maryknoll, New York.
Nichols, Dwight.(1998) God’s Plans for your Finances. Whitaker House.
Schumacher, E.F. (1973). Small is Beautiful – Economics As If People Matter, Colophon Books
Snyder, H. (1985). The Age of Jubilee. A Kingdom Manifesto. pp. 68-76.
Microfinance
Bornstein, David. (1997). The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank. (Third Reprint edition). University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0226066444. 370 pages.
Busseau, David (2004). Reflections on Christian Microenterprise Development. Christian Transformation Resource Centre.
Busseau, David & Russell Mask. (2003). Christian Microenterprise development – An Introduction. Regnum Books international in Association with Paternoster Press. U.K. ($18 Amazon).
Mask, Russell. Principles and Practices of Christian Micro finance and Micro enterprise Development. Chalmers Centre for Economic Development. U.S.A. (see also http://www.chalmers.org/work/gtc/trainers-in-the-majority-world).
Mayoux, Linda. Micro-finance and the Empowerment of women. (Access at http://www.ilo.org/employment/Whatwedo/Publications/WCMS_117993/lang--en/index.htm)
Otero, Maria and Elisabeth H. Rhyne, eds. (1994). The New World of Microenterprise Finance: Building Healthy Financial Institutions for the Poor . Kumarian Press. ISBN: 1565490304 318 pages.
Rhyne, Elizabeth. (2001). Mainstreaming Microfinance: How Lending to the Poor Began, Grew, and Came of Age in Bolivia. Kumarian Press, ISBN. 1565491262. 272 pages.
Robinson, Marguerite. (2001). The Microfinance Revolution: Sustainable Finance for the Poor . World Bank, ISBN: 0821345249.
---. (2002). Microfinance Revolution Volume 2: Lessons from Indonesia. World Bank. ISBN: 0821349538.
Wright, Graham . (2000). Microfinance Systems: Designing Quality Financial Services for the Poor. Zed Books. ISBN: 1856497887. 256 pages.
Yunus, Muhammad (1999). Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty 272 pages. ISBN: 1891620118
Indian Perspectives
CGAP FOCUS NOTE 20. Micro finance, Grants and Non-Financial Response to Poverty Reduction. Where Does Micro credit fit (website)
Hishiguren, Gaamaa. (2000.) Holistic approach to development; The Activists for Social Alternatives (ASA): Tamil Nadu.
Gariyali. C.K, Dr. Vettiral. S.K, (2006) Pillars of Hope. Vetri Publisher, Tamil Nadu.
Gariyali. C.K. (2007) Climbing Higher. Vetri Publishers. Tamil Nadu.
M-Cril. (2003). Improving Micro finance Practice – “Best Practices” followed by India leading MFIs. End Poverty Foundation. New Delhi.
Sa-dhan (2003) An Introduction to Micro finance Delivery Models in India. Sa-dhan. New Delhi
---. (2003) Microfinance and poverty. Sa-dhan. New Delhi.
---. (2003) Sustainability of Micro finance Intervention. Sa-dhan. New Delhi.
---. (2006) Financial Requirement for Future Growth of Micro finance in India. Sa-dhan. New Delhi.
---. (2003) On the Road to Effective Governance of Micro finance Organization, Sa-dhan, New Delhi
---. (2003) Quality Parameters of Self-Help Groups. Sa-dhan. New Delhi
---. (2006). Side by side A slice of Micro finance operation in India. Sa-dhan. New Delhi.
---. (2007). Annual Policy Conference, Sa-dhan. New Delhi.
Sa-dhan & SMCS (2006). Facilitating Access to Micro-insurance – Issues and Challenges. Sa-dhan. New Delhi.
Salehuddin Ahmed & Hakim.M.A. (2004) Attacking Poverty with Micro credit University Press Limited. Bangladesh
Global and Urban Economic Theories
Entrepreneurship
Filipino Perspectives
Selected Reading Publications on Christian Micro-Finances in the Wholistic Transformation Resource Center (WTRC):
Books on Microfinance in the APU library
Significant web sites with global perspectives