Criteria in Establishing a New Domain
In trying to understand my three creative children, I picked up Howard Gardner of multiple intelligences fame, in his Creating Minds (1993) as he analyzes Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham and Gandhi as genii, each in some ways creating domains of knowledge. His search was to explore creativity, but some of his conclusions (Ch. 10) help to frame the progressions in development of domains of culture.
An exemplary creator has (1) an earlier period of a creative breakthrough that creates a new paradigm, and (2) a later breakthrough into a broader paradigm, then (3) decadal paradigmatic contributions. These begin (3) in the camaraderie of activism, of organizing, of stimulating others to new heights, then crystallize into (4) retreat into a realm of special interest. At this point the creative becomes isolated, sensing he/she is on the verge of breakthrough, working isolated from peers, yet craves cognitive and affective support, so that he/she can retain her bearings. (5) Often there is a breakdown. (6)"There may be an amalgam of creativity and hard-headedness", (i.e. generally they are a pain in the butt) and there is (7) a concern for self-promotion of their work (for good or for narcissistic reasons). (8) If, after the second breakthrough, the domain is wide open, the creator retains the opportunity to continue to create. (9) He indicates ten years between the paradigms.
These relate to Gardner's focus on the creative individual. Beyond these, I am suggesting other criteria in this paper to evaluate the claim of being a catalyst in creating a domain of knowledge:
The following musings show need, definition, institutional support, integration, publication, dissemination, modelling, cadre, but also a profound sense of inadequate production, institutional fragility and lack of empowerment, compared with the immensity of the task.
Criteria for Faith Integration in Establishing the Domain of Urban Poor Missiology
APU defines faith integration as, "the informed reflection and discovery of the relations between Christian faith and the academic disciplines, professional programs and lived practice, resulting in the articulation of Christian perspectives on truth and life in order to advance the work of God in the world." (Faculty Handbook, 2014-5; Section 7.3).
For the purposes of APU review, the question of faith integration within this domain is indicated by (1) clear goals for integration, (2) adequate preparation, (3) appropriate methods, and (4) significant results (5) all demonstrated by some artifacts, among the totality of ones works (this is based on Glassick 1997, pg. 36 ff). This Reflective Commentary Statement should demonstrate clear goals, adequate engagement with faith-informed materials, appropriate methodologies for the discipline, and significant contributions to the field for each artifact.
The goal of faith integration in this paper (#1 above) is in the development of a domain of urban poor missiology which includes multiple correlations of Biblical theology with social activist movements, missional structures, and educational outcomes.
To demonstrate this, I will focus on some artifacts within my work (#5 above), that have involved the creation of new paradigms, as illustrative of quality, a depth of concept and breadth of action derived from those concepts. While not required in a demonstration of quality of publication, the breadth of publication is an essential indicator of the development of fields and of a domain – an indicator of dissemination, hence is also included for that purpose. Put another way, dissemination is not a criterion for evaluating a professorial level of faith integration, but is important in this overall reflection on the creation of a domain.
1) The Lifestyle and Values of Servants (Grigg, 1981): a monograph that has become the foundational document for several missions I helped form. It integrates the theology of an apostolic motivation for incarnational living and its practical outworking in missional values of simplicity, justice-making and other values.
(2) Companion to the Poor (Grigg, 1984): a book translated into six languages, reprinted nearly yearly, demonstrating the integration of a new paradigm of incarnational mission in the slums with the field of cultural anthropology.
(3) The Spirit of Christ and the Postmodern City (Grigg, 2009): a book analyzing the relationship of the work of the Holy Spirit with the transformation of a postmodern city, using Auckland as a case study.
(4) Transformational Conversations (Grigg, 2009, ch.3): the extension of processes of story-telling into a paradigm for urban theology that results in structures that outwork that theology into cities. A paradigm for faith integration research.
(5) Kiwinomics (Grigg 2016): demonstrating elements of one course that combines ten principles of Biblical economics with specific economic issues at five levels of individual, family, community, national and international economics.
(6) The MATUL Commission: The Commission is the core cadre of professors, deans and directors that integrate and disseminate the domain. 23 fields of knowledge are evidenced in 15 courses and the processes of dissemination in MATUL Commission website discussions.
Notes: [1] I am using Gardner's conclusions about creating domains, not putting myself in the erstwhile cluster he studied. [2] Disclaimer: All of the above has been dependent on the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, so that the following shows only the empty shell of the human and structured progressions, but is not an analysis of His work – something difficult to quantify in an academic paper. Any success has been through walking behind Him. Someone reading this might attribute his work to the worker - a grave mistake – for he is the Wind of Creation, and Spirit of Wisdom.