(revised April 2002)
Viv Grigg
Transformational Conversations: Theology and Global Issues
(An integration of Grigg’s Transformational Conversation Approach to Theology and Rich Slimbach’s outline of Global Issues at APU)
Major global issues and trends are examined so as to frame possible Christian social interventions in response to some of the moral and ethical challenges of today. Students prepare and present a formal project report.
This course is designed to promote a personal inquiry into, and a faith-informed interpretation of, contemporary global issues and emerging prospects. The course expects students to integrate knowledge and thinking/writing skills from previously taken general studies courses, culminating in the production of a senior thesis. This will explore particular global issues through the eyes of Christian faith or through the perspective of whatever faith system the student brings.
COURSE STRUCTURE
This course invites students from various majors having diverse career goals and personal interests. It assumes, however, that there is a need to make meaningful connections among the various strands of truth they have studied. These are then to be applied at a point of convergence to an area of moral and ethical concern of global scope and impact. By means of the reading of textual and related materials, along with whole class discussions, the student will be challenged and prepared to research and write an extensive "capstone" paper (thesis). The course is roughly divided into five sections:
Weeks 1-4: Christian Worldviews - assisting students to choose one informed view of the world. Transformational Theoogy as an Analytic Tool
Weeks 5-9: Global Issues - structuring students' survey of key global and local issues.
Weeks 10- 12: The Church in Society - considering how we, as members of Christ's church, can engage the culture at the point of its most critical questions both strategically and redemptively. Utilizing transformational theology analysis to discern change dynamics.
Weeks 13-14: Oral Presentation of Thesis – condensing and communicating convincingly a formal thesis.
Recommended
· John Stott. (1999). Human Rights & Human Wrongs: Major Issues for a New Century. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.
· American Psychological Association. (2002). APA Style Helper 4.0: Software for New Writers in the Behavioral Sciences.
At regular intervals and as needs become apparent, time will be taken in class to engage in writing activities that help equip us to become better writers and to prepare us to do thoughtful and convincing writing of academic prose. Your conscientious investment in sharpening skills in composition will be observed as part of your "participation" grade.
You should select a major ethical issue relevant to your interests and major. The intent is that you will focus on the moral issues and ethical implications that are inherent within the topic of choice. In so doing, you will reflect upon what you have learned from your reading and experiences both locally and internationally and relate that knowledge to and integrate it with both previously-taken course offerings and new information this course provides. You will not limit yourself to the required readings but will read other relevant materials that are included in the textbooks of this course and do further research drawing upon other biblical/theological materials, philosophical, ethical, and inter-disciplinary resources. You are expected to fully exploit the print media, film and fiche resources, and the electronic research databases available in both libraries. Such a search may also require the use of the interlibrary-loan services available to you. Submission of theses on both paper and in Word, Wordpro or html format on diskette is required. The top papers may be published on the web.
3. Oral Presentation to Class and Evaluators
The last weeks of class will include presentation of the theses. This should include overhead, powerpoint, graphics, and may include postmodern approaches of drama, video, art etc (though preparation should be limited to a maximum of 6 hours – the focus is on the written thesis). Presentation will be to the class, but grading will be done by two examiners, based equally on (a) clarity of logical presentation, (b) power of motivational presentation, (c) creativity and style.
GRADING
| Attendance Participation, weekly thesis development pages, reading log and five 2 page reading summaries Final Paper (Thesis) Oral Defense of Thesis
|
10
50 15
|
Anthropology, overseas experience, urban involvement.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM
Elective. Final Year Project integrating diverse issues. 4 Units. (40 hours teaching, 120 hours work total)
FINAL EXAMINATION
Yes. Class Presentations
April 21, 2002.