33-502: Teaching for Biblical Faith Fall 2016 Instructors: Jack Seymour & Heesung Hwang &

Transcription

1 REVISED : Teaching for Biblical Faith Fall 2016 Instructors: Jack Seymour & Heesung Hwang & Course Description Christians have been called people of the book. The profession of the church is that the Bible contains the witness sufficient for faith and life. Yet it is with increasing difficulty that biblical understandings are connected to the present day because of the distance of culture and time. The role of the Bible appears diminished to some. But the Bible remains a living book the Church s book that offers life and hope to those who open themselves to it through the power of the Holy Spirit. This course focuses on opening the Bible to laypersons in congregations so that persons can live out a vital faith. The course is project focused. Students will complete a peer teaching practicum examining some of the key approaches to teaching the Bible in the church: exegetical, historical, devotional, cultural, feminist, womanist, social justice, missional, cross-cultural, and interfaith. We will learn together and assess the effectiveness of these approaches as we discover and critically examine our own approaches to the Bible. This course meets the requirements for United Methodist professional certification in Christian Education, Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, Evangelism or Spiritual Formation. It is a foundational course in Christian Education for the M.A. and M. Div. degrees. In addition, many denominational boards of ministry require an exegesis and Bible study for ordination. This class will prepare students to complete those requirements. Course Goals: A. Knowing: To know practices and disciplines of Christian education and formation and to understand how these are affected by differing cultural contexts. This goal includes the following sub-themes: 1. To know major approaches to faithful teaching and learning. 2. To understand learning theories particularly liberative and transformative learning and multiple intelligences theory and their pedagogical use. B. Doing: To examine, assess, and lead a variety of approaches to teaching and learning appropriate to a particular faith community. This goal includes experience or practice in the following: 1. To be able to read, evaluate and engage the culture of a congregation and its community with particular sensitivity to culture, race, class and gender. 2. To teach Christian practices and faith in intentional ways to address the developmental and faith issues of people in congregations. 3. To integrate practices of biblical and theological study into teaching and learning leadership in a congregation. 4. To coordinate and lead a congregation in its educational ministry. C. Being: To be a theological educator who seeks to liberate and empower persons to be cocreators of the reign of God in our multi-cultural and multi-faith environment. This goal includes the following: 1. To be a reflective teacher and leader who can empower others in the congregation to be reflective and open to transformation.

2 2. To be a Christian disciple who continues to engage in the practices that develop and deepen faith. 3. To understand oneself as a critical and open participant in an ongoing theological tradition. Required Texts: Jack Seymour. Teaching the Way of Jesus: Educating Christians for Faithful Living. Abingdon Press, ISBN $25.28 Jack Seymour. Teaching Biblical Faith: Leading Small Group Bible Studies. Abingdon Press, ISBN $13.01 William P. Brown, ed. Engaging Biblical Authority. Westminster John Knox Press, 2007; ISBN $ Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited. Beacon Press, Reprint ed., 1996; ISBN $ A Study Bible Preferred NRSV HarperCollins, NRSV Oxford or The CEB Study Bible. Texts for Teaching/Learning Experiences: (After the class meets and books have been discussed, students should choose two books from this list. Students are encouraged to use Teaching Biblical Faith and one of the books below to assist with teaching session. NOTE you are not teaching one of these books, yet the approaches to teaching that are described in them can be helpful to you as you prepare the teaching session. Note teaching books may be added or revised by students with conversation with instructor.) Jennifer Grace Bird. Permission Granted: Take the Bible into Your Own Hands. Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN $13.53 Walter Brueggemann. Chosen?: Reading the Bible Amid the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Westminster John Knox, ISBN $11.79 Elizabeth F. Caldwell. I Wonder: Engaging a Child s Curiosity about the Bible. Abingdon Press, ISBN $ Mitzi J. Smith, ed. I Found God in Me: A Womanist Biblical Hermeneutics Reader. Cascade Books, ISBN Pb $36.00; ecopy $9.99. R. S. Sugirtharajah. Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World. Orbis Books (3rd Revised and Expanded ed), ISBN: $ Assignments: 1. Active class participation and reading of assigned literature (20% of grade). Class participation is essential to the integration of course learning goals. First, the class is a learning community where we will teach each other and learn from each other. (Missing more than one session will adversely affect your grade.) Second, participation includes preparation for class, constructive verbal contributions to class discussions, attentive listening, and facilitating the participation of others. Third, reading assignments provide theoretical grounding; therefore, class members are expected to have completed all readings by the class session for which they are assigned. (The right to participate in class discussion is based on having read the assigned texts for the session.) 2. Complete the Biblical Hermeneutics Self-Inventory (10% of grade) After filling out the Biblical Hermeneutics Self Inventory (found on the class moodle site), write a 2-page paper defining the key convictions that shape your own frame of reference as you approach the study and teaching of the Bible. 2

3 3. Curriculum Review (10% of grade). Using the Religious Education Curriculum Library (in the United Library) or other sources, examine two curriculum resources for Bible study. These may be for children, youth, or adults. Prepare two 1-page handouts to share with classmates (bring sufficient copies for everyone) and a display for the curriculum fair. You may find the UMC Curriculum Checklist helpful in completing this assignment. ( The checklist is found on the class moodle site.) On the handout, include the following bibliographical information on the resource, critical assessment of how scripture is used (particularly issues of authority and interpretation), educational process, and an evaluation of the adequacy of the resource. (In the evaluation, please give reasons for your comments.) 4. Two Teaching Sessions (40% of grade): Complete a micro (15 min.) and full (50 min.) teaching session with a small group of 2 persons as well as a written evaluation. The assignment also includes: Plan with your group a Bible study to be taught in class. While you will use different approaches to teaching, the scripture study is the focus of your work. Select a scripture that will be the focus of the study and complete an exegesis of the biblical text you are teaching (due early in term). Study the description of the approach in Teaching Biblical Faith as well as in an outside resource (e.g. one of class teaching books.) Prepare a group teaching plan and consult with the instructor before teaching (due week before teaching). Use the Board of Ordained Ministry Bible Study Guide (to be found on class moodle site) or a similar guide used by your denomination. Prepare for class a one-page handout offering a brief summary of your approach to teaching. Note on this handout which of the approaches you are using and the sources you drew on to develop the lesson plan. (Bring copies of the handout for the class.) Write an individual evaluation paper (5-6 pages; due week after teaching). The evaluation should address the following: 1. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses from biblical/theological and educational perspectives. 2. Assessment of yourself as a teacher, including what you learned about your strengths and weaknesses? 3. As you write these papers, use the vocabulary we develop together in class drawing on readings. 4. United Methodist students will find using the Board of Ordained Ministry Bible Study Guide will enhance their preparation of documents for meeting with the Board of Ordained Ministry. Other denominations may have a similar guide which can be used. 5. Prepare a statement on Teaching the Bible in the Church (5-6 pages; 20% of grade). As you articulate your own position on the task of teaching the Bible in the church, address the following questions: How will you seek to empower laity to read, engage, and teach the Bible? What theological assumptions and educational assumptions inform your approach to the Bible 3

4 or use of the Bible in your ministry? How does your social location inform your approach to teaching the Bible? What implications do your assumptions have for the way you preach, teach, engage in mission, and lead a congregation? This paper should reflect your dialogue with the texts of this course as well as learnings from class discussions. 6. Important statements about grading. All papers need to be typed in an accepted academic style. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. All papers need to be 12-point type and double spaced (except the handout for class). All papers, presentations, and conversations need to be sensitive to and inclusive of gender, race, ethnicity, age and so forth. Use an acceptable citation style in footnotes. See for example o APA, o MLA, or o Chicago Manual of Style, Incompletes will be granted only for reasons beyond the control of the student. Grades will be reduced for late papers. All assignments must be completed to pass the course. Class Schedule: September 6 Teaching for Biblical Faith Focus: Introduction to the class, assignments, and class members. Reflection on approaches to biblical faith and how Bible study affects the development of faith. Biblical Exegesis/ Education: During the first few sessions of class, we will take time to engage in an exegesis and/or educational approach on a biblical passage. We begin with Luke 4: Think about how this passage defines the task of Christian religious education. o Teaching Biblical Faith Preface, Introduction, Part One (pps. vii 18); o Teaching the Way of Jesus Introduction (pps. ix-xx); & o Luke 4: (Pay particular attention to the text Jesus reads; Read it in its original Isaiah 61:1; Read the two stories to which Jesus refers the widow at Zarephath in Sidon (I Kings 17) & Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5: 1-19) September 13 Teaching the Way of Jesus: The Context and Content of Teaching Focus: Reflection on the social context(s) which impacted the development of the Bible as well as reflection on the social context(s) that affect our teaching. Biblical Exegesis/ Education: For biblical exegesis, read Matt 6:9-15 and Luke 11:2-4. Think about how the petitions of the prayer might define the realities in Jewish society of Jesus time. Note how this is a Jewish prayer. o Teaching the Way of Jesus Chapters 1 and 2 (pps. 1-45) o Jesus and the Disinherited September 20 Interpreting the Bible Focus: Examination of understandings of biblical authority as well as clarification for participants of the convictions they bring to the interpretation of scripture. Biblical Exegesis/ Education: Read Luke 18:9-30. Think about teaching goals you might develop 4

5 using this text. Reading: o Teaching Biblical Faith Chapters 3-5 (pps ) o Any four chapters in Engaging Biblical Authority (Choose essays that both complement and challenge your own frame of reference.) o Essay in a Study Bible on biblical authority and/ or canonization of scripture Complete: Biblical Hermeneutics Self Inventory (After filling out the Biblical Hermeneutics Self Inventory write a 2-page paper defining the key convictions that shape your own frame of reference as you approach the study and teaching of the Bible). September 27 The Church s Education Focus: Clarification of approaches to Christian religious education. Particular attention will be given to defining teaching goals, connecting them with learning theories (e.g. multi-intelligence styles), aligning teaching goals and teaching practices, relating teaching goals to the lives and experiences of participants, and preparing lesson plans. o Teaching the Way of Jesus Chapters 3-7 (pps ; Pay particular attention to Chapters 3 and 5 considering the people of God as faithful interpreters and of processes of planning for study) o Teaching Biblical Faith Chapter 13 (pps ) Complete: Exegesis (3-4 pages) of the text you will be teaching. October 4 Approaches to Teaching the Bible Focus: Experiencing some of the key approaches of teaching the Bible and reflecting on the interpretive convictions at the heart of these approaches. We will particularly focus on the approaches that attend to interpretive education, liberative education, cross-cultural education, and education for mission. o Teaching Biblical Faith Chapters 3-10 (pps ) o One of the texts for teaching/learning experiences Complete: Curriculum Review for class Curriculum Fair (See item 3 in Assignment section above.) October 11 No class October 18 Micro peer teaching sessions (See instructions about lesson plan) October 25 Micro peer teaching sessions (See instructions about lesson plan) November 1 Teaching the Way of Jesus Focus of Class: Considering Christian religious education in light of religious education in other religions of the book (Judaism and Islam) o Teaching the Way of Jesus (Section III, pages ) o Teaching Biblical Faith (Chapters 11-12, pages 71-84) November 8 Peer Teaching sessions (See instructions about lesson plan and evaluations) 5

6 November 15 Peer Teaching sessions (See instructions about lesson plan and evaluations) November 22 No class; Thanksgiving holiday November 29 Peer Teaching sessions (See instructions about lesson plan and evaluations) December 6 Teaching for Biblical Faith: Perspectives on Teaching the Bible in the Church o Teaching the Way of Jesus Chapters 7-8 (pps ) o Teaching Biblical Faith Chapter 14 (pps ) Complete: Final Paper on Teaching the Bible in the Church is due December 9. Come with a draft to discuss in class. 6