Syllabus for The Emergent Church Class at SF Urban

Westmont College
San Francisco Urban Program

RS-117 The Emerging Church: 1st & 21st Centuries

Professor: Scott E. McClelland, Ph.D.

Cell Phone: (415) 734-8761; FAX: (415) 931-0212
E- Mail: Smcclelland@westmont.edu

DESCRIPTION:
The early church did not have a ‘script’ from which they operated as they took the message and ‘life’ of Jesus to their contemporary world. As portrayed in “Acts”, they were led both by the Spirit and by their understanding of how best to interact effectively with their culture. Unfortunately, the ‘Church’, as it institutionalized, lost the spontaneity and cultural relevance aspects of this movement. We tended to woodenly adhere to ways in which they ministered as trans-cultural and ultimate, rather than creative and fluid. The Emergent Church of the 21st Century, particularly in ‘Post-Christian’ cities such as San Francisco, is recapturing this ancient approach. Our course will observe the enduring characteristics of these movements to gain a better understanding of how our own personal witness and ministries can be more effective in this cultural context.

COURSE GOALS/LEARNING OUTCOMES:
to understand more about the literary features of the Acts of the Apostles..
to better understand the historical and cultural situations in which Acts was written.
to develop ability in interpreting Acts and the Bible more effectively.
to understand how early church leaders ‘exegeted’ and devised strategies to display the life and teachings of Jesus to their culture.
to learn how to better ‘exegete’ our present cultural context.
to adapt effective characteristics of the 1st Century’s ‘Emergence’ to the need for the church to emerge in the 21st Century.
to appreciate the unique challenges to the ‘Emergent Church’ in a post-Christian urban environment.

COURSE FORMAT:The course will meet weekly on Thursday afternoons from 1:00PM to 4:00PM and be characterized by lecture, discussion, group presentations, video presentations, guest speakers and field trips.





REQUIRED READING:

The Acts of the Apostles. In a modern translation (not a paraphrase).

Pagitt, Doug and Jones, Tony (eds.) An Emergent Manifesto of Hope. Baker, 2007.

Patzia, A. The Emergence of the Church: Context, Growth, Leadership, Worship. IVP, 2001.

Scandrette, Mark. Soul Graffiti. Jossey-Bass, 2007.

Tickle, Phyllis. The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why. Baker, 2008.


FOCUSED READING: (choose one specialized topic for team presentation)

East- West
Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Oxford, 2002.
Or
Spencer, Aida Besancon & pencer, William David. The Global God: Listening to God and Learning From Culture. Baker, 1998.

Indwelling Jesus
Everyday: Claiborne, Shane. Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. Zondervan, 2006.
Or
Politics: Wallis, Jim. God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get it. Harper-San Francisco, 2005.

Segregated Hour
Emerson, Michael & Smith, Christian. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. Oxford, 2000.
Or
Milne, Bruce. Dynamic Diversity: Bridging Age, Race and Gender in the Church. InterVarsity, 2007.

Confronting Global Crises
McLaren, Brian. Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope. Thomas Nelson, 2007.
Or
Goudzwaard, Bob, Vander Vennen, Mark and Van Heemst, David. Hope in Troubled Times: A New Vision for Confronting Global Crises. Baker, 2007.


HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE

1. Check the Course Schedule and Note all calendar items.


2. Begin reading Acts prior to the first class period. You synopsis on Acts is due that day!


3. Prepare to complete the Book Synopses when they are due. Be sure to answer the specific questions provided for each text (NOTE The Pagitt/Jones book does not require a synopsis).

4. Begin thinking about which of the Case Presentations you would like to do. Also decide if you wish to do it with someone else in class.


5. Fill our the Case Study Application Sheet (last page of the syllabus) Do this asap or by Feb. 18 and email to Scott. You will hear back by the next class which one you are assigned. Then be sure to plan ahead for the research involved.


6. Plan your Presentation around your Term Paper. The subject matter is one and the same. You should specifically mention your research and the books read in the midst of your term paper. Consider using creative materials in your presentation such as Power Point, video clips, etc.













Individual Components of the Course


Course periods will feature lecture and discussion field trips, guest speakers and hands-on activity. Students will participate by reading the assigned readings prior to the class periods and begin working toward their contribution to a group presentation on a selected topic toward the final class periods of the course.

Group presentations (see more details on Pg. 5) will take place during final weeks with all students participating either as presenters or discussion partners. Students will be involved during the preceding weeks organizing, gathering presentation materials and considering their positions for a 1-2 page analysis of the topic, including questions for presenters.

A term paper (see more details on Pg. 5) will be submitted on or before April 29th. Papers must follow the guidelines provided in the Syllabus. Term papers will focus on NT texts which inform the specific topic as well as specific applications they experienced during their time in San Francisco.

Required readings will be completed during the course. Students will submit a written Reading Synopsis (see more details on Pg. 7) for each Required Reading text they read. An additional Synopsis, written by the guidelines provided in the Syllabus is required for each text read in connection to the student’s selected topic.

NOTE: All of the Required texts, and many other relevant texts are available in Scott’s office (bookshelf to the right of the entrance, third shelf down on right side of shelf). All other texts in Scott’s library may be used in connection with this course as well. You may also order and purchase your own texts.










Case Studies for Presentation/ Term Paper

A significant part of our final week(s) will be taken up by student individual and/or group presentations adapting the learning experience of the class to contemporary Case Studies.

By Feb. 18 each student is to complete a Case Study Application Form (found on the last page of the syllabus). Students may group together or do a Presentation individually. Students will be notified, by the following week, which Case Study they will have.

It is expected that students will spend a significant portion of the weeks prior doing the research and preparation for the presentation. Time will be specifically allotted at the end of several classes for group meetings for organizational purposes. Students will expand their work on this presentation into the heart of their Term Paper. Term Papers are due on or before Apr. 29.

Guidelines to Writing Your Paper
Relate the topic to the material covered by the course. Integrate as many themes from the entire course as is relevant to your discussion.
State a general thesis in the first few paragraphs and show logically how you develop the thesis throughout the paper.
Write as if the reader has only a moderate acquaintance with the topic.
Do not string together several quotations with minimal transitional phrases. Restate what your sources say in your own words and show how it relates to your topic.
Only use a quotation when the exact words of a source are crucial to your argument.
Back up your statements with documentation of sources in footnotes or endnotes.
Document Scripture passages in the body of you paper, not in footnotes.
Use inclusive language when possible (i.e., “humanity” for “mankind”, etc.)
Quotations of up to 4 lines can be in the text, longer ones should be indented and single spaced.
Avoid slang, puns, colloquial or ‘cute’ expressions.


CASE STUDIES FOR PRESENTATION

1. “The Most Segregated Hour in America”
Case: For many years it has been noted by many commentators that approximately 90% of US churches are not diverse (most have a 90th percentile of one ethnic/racial group). Using some of your experiences and our discussions of Acts and Galatians see if there is some guiding principles that speak to the strengths/weaknesses of this situation as a representation of the Kingdom to our world today.

Research: Design a visit to one or more churches in San Francisco which either try to be intentionally diverse, or positively homogeneous. Report on your findings (which must include conversations with members/officials of the churches visited).

2. “God’s Politics”
Case: The 1st Century Church had very little opportunity to take an active role in political issues. Yet in our most recent past, conservative Christians have identified with political action often incorporated into the agenda of the “Religious Right”. In fact, many churches have been encouraged to hand out “Voter Guides” to their congregants, often at the risk of threatening their tax-exempt status. Explain how you see the Emergent Church deals with political issues. Are they returning to a ‘non-participatory’ position as found in the 1st Century or are they just as active, but perhaps in a different direction or emphasis than their evangelical counterparts?

Research: Interview at least two different Emergent Church leaders and several congregants (in person/phone/email and discuss your findings from these interviews and the selected readings. Is there a discernable shift in the political thought of the Emergent Church? Explain your findings.

3. “Confronting Global Crises”
Case: The New Testament church community had very little power to change anything on a global scale except through influence and over a very long time. The 21st Century finds Christians often in powerful positions of influence and confronted with mounting problems that appear to need urgent solutions. In understanding the “framing stories” (McLaren) and/or the approaches suggested in Hope for Troubled Times, present a strategy for challenging a contemporary church with how individually and collectively we, as followers of Jesus, need to become engaged in solving global crises.

Focus on a major global crisis (environmental, security concerns, financial markets, homelessness, poverty…) and create a survey to be given to at least three area churches. Try to work with churches of diverse theological starting points. You can contact a staff member, or find a way to administer it to three or more members of a congregation. Discuss what you observe to be the level of concern the parishoners have toward these crises and how they feel their faith informs the degree of involvement they wish to have.

4. “As Far as the East is From the West”
Case: The New Testament moved from the ‘Oriental’ to the ‘Occidental’ world in its western expansion. This movement has often been seen to integrate aspects of Greek philosophical traditions and other pagan accommodations found in Europe. Prior to this assimilation, what principles of the NT and early church contexts seem to have been changed and/or absent from the contemporary Evangelical (Western) Church? What contributions are/ will be coming from the Developing World churches that may alter these patterns? Evaluate some of these new patterns.

Design visits to at least three diverse cultural churches/ Christian gatherings. Report on your observations and note what similarities and differences are evident in the priorities of these communities vis-à-vis the community in which you have matured in Christ.


Reading Synopsis Assignment

Reading Synopses (Minimum 3 pg. in length for each book reviewed) are required for the following books: The Acts of the Apostles, Patzia, Tickle and Scandrette.

In each synopsis, indicate Bibliographic matters (author, book, publisher, et al.) and answer the specific questions listed under each title.

Students will email their Synopsis as an attachment (email address, above). All emails will be acknowledged with a reply. (If you do not receive one, double check to be sure I have received your submission). All synopses must be received by the due date on the Course Schedule.

Specific Questions to Answer for each Required Text

The Acts of the Apostles
1. What do you believe is the main purpose(s) of the author?
2. Cite 3 examples of cultural adaptation found in the presentation of the message about Jesus in the book.
3. What conflicts arose because of the crossing of cultural barriers? Are there similar dangers found in our cultural contexts today?

The Emergence of the Church (Patzia)
1. Does the possibility that Jesus did not come to found the church in the traditional way we think of the term trouble you in any way? Explain.
2. Note the significance of the church at Antioch in the development of the Christian mission
3. Outline the issues involved with the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. How significant was this meeting for the future of the church?

The Great Emergence (Tickle)
1. Describe the events leading up to the “500 year rummage sales” of history and their aftermath. What positive and negative changes can you see have happened by these changes?
2. Name three things you understand Tickle believes will happen as a result of the present “Great Emergence”.
3. Interact with what you think would be the reactions in your own church community to some or all of these changes.


Soul Graffiti (Scandrette)
Provide a definition of what Scandrette calls, ‘The Way of Jesus’. What is he actually describing?
Name some of the stories of how Scandrette follows Jesus which seem to be fully unique to a context such as San Francisco, and those which you feel are adaptable to any locale.
Scandrette seems to be pushing for a holistic integration of a believer’s life with following Christ. How practical do you see this applied to most of the Christians you know? What priorities would need to change to make Scandrette’s vision a reality for such Christians?


Course Schedule:
Jan. 21 (10:30- 12:00) Overview of Acts and 1st Century Cultural Background

28 Early Church Adaptations to 1st Century Culture
Book Due- Acts- Synopsis Due

Feb. 4 No Class

11 No Class

18 Early Church Adaptations to 1st Century Culture
Book Due- Patzia- Synopsis Due

25 Early Church Adaptations to 1st Century Culture

28 (Sun.) 7:00 PM An Evening with Mark Scandrette: The Beginnings of the Emergent Church (Attendance Req’d)
Book Due: Scandrette- Synopsis Due

Mar. 4 Introduction to Post-Modern Culture

11 Emergent Church Adaptations to 21st Century Culture
Book Due- Tickle- Synopsis Due

18 No Class

25 Evangelicalism: History & Diversity
Book Portion Due- Pagitt/Jones: 22-32

27 (Sat) 4:00-7:00 PM Participate with “The Welcome Ministry”
to Feed the Homeless at Old First Presbyterian Church (Attendance Recq’d)

Apr. 1 Emergent Issues
Book Portion- Pagitt/Jones: 36-170

8 Emergent Issues
Book Portion Due- Pagitt/Jones: 171-301

15 1:00-4:00 PM Field Trip: St. Gregory of Nyssa- Institutional Emergent Church

22 Emergent Issues

29 Student Presentations
Term Paper Due


Grading & Due Dates

1. Class attendance and participation: [10%]
2. Book Synopsis of required & optional texts (3-4 pg. each). [20% Due Dates on Course Schedule]
3. Term Paper (10-15 pp.) [40% Due April 29]
4. Presentation [30%]

Attendance Policy
Academic credit for a class requires regular attendance, whether or not this is stated in the syllabus, and is not just a matter of completing the assignments. Attendance means being present in the class for the entire scheduled class meeting, not just some part of it. In the event of absence for any reason, you are responsible for any information or class content missed. Additional work to make up work may be required for an absence. If you are absent from a significant portion of the course, or if you are frequently late for class meetings, even due to extenuating circumstances, this may result in a lower grade or even a failing grade for the course.

Academic Integrity CommitmentAcademic integrity requires that as students, we will produce all the work assigned in every course as our individual work, unless collaboration is required or expressly permitted by the instructor; we will obtain prior permission from the professor or professors involved in order to submit the same work in more than one course or to use work (in whole or in part) submitted in another course; we will avoid all forms of plagiarism; we will not submit as our own work papers obtained from another person (with or without that person¹s knowledge) or from other sources such as term paper companies or the Internet; we will give credit for all the major sources of our ideas, whether written or oral, formal or informal, published or unpublished.

Special Notes:
1. Policy on Submission of/ and Late Papers: Papers are due as Email attachments (MS Word only) on the respective days indicated in the Course Schedule All submissions on the due days must be completed by 6:00PM. No late papers wil be accepted without prior permission.

2. Policy on Plagiarism (Literary Theft): Each paper needs to reflect the student’sown thoughts and original research on the topic. Any incident of plagiarism will result in an automatic failing grade for the course (regardless of the student’sperformance to that point). It is the responsibility of the student to know what constitutes plagiarism and to avoid it. This includes[1]:
Using someone else’s ideas as your own without permission.
Duplicating sources extensively without use of quotation marks and documentation (footnotes or endnotes)
Duplicate an author extensively by changing some words and not noting the source (generally a sequence of 5-6 words calls for documentation).
Using a quotation within a source as if you consulted the source yourself (instead indicate the quote came from the source you consulted).
Pretending to use an author’s analysis of an idea or opinion as your own (document!)
Copying someone else’s work as your own.
Cutting and pasting from the Internet without documentation.

3. Return of Papers/ Exams: Papers will be returned by email attachment.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

New Testament Texts and Tools

1. Interpretive Handbooks

Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983.

Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard. An Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Word: Waco, 1993.

Soulen, Richard N. Handbook of Biblical Criticism. 2nd ed. Atlanta: John Knox, 1981.

Webb, William. Slaves, Women and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis. InterVaristy, 2001.


2. New Testament Introductions

Carson Donald, Moo, Douglas Morris, Leon. An Introduction to the New Testament.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. 4th. ed. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1990.

Kee, Howard Clark. Understanding the New Testament. Fifth ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: PrenticeHall, 1993.

Koester, Helmut. Introduction to the New Testament. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1982.

Kummel, Wemer Georg. Introduction to the New Testament. Rev. English ed. Trans. Howard C. Kee. Nashville: Abingdon, 1975.


II. New Testament Backgrounds

Barrett, C. K. The New Testament Background: Selected Documents. Revised ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1989.

Carson, D.A., O’Brien, Peter T. & Seifrid, Mark A. (eds). Justification and Variegated Nomism. (Vols 1 & 2). Baker, 2001

Capes, David B., Reeves, Rodney and Richards, E. Randolph. Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to Hs orld, Letters and Theology. InterVarsity, 2007.

deSilva, David A. Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testement Culture. InterVarsity, 2000.

Elwell, alter A. and Yarbrough, Robert W. (eds.) Readings From the First-Century World. Baker, 1998.

Finegan, Jack. Myth and Mystery: An Introduction to the Pagan Religionsd of the Biblical World. Baker, 1989.

Gorman, Michael J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. Eerdmans, 2004.

Hays, Richard B. The Conversion of the Imagination: Paul as Interpreter of Israel’s Scripture. Eerdmans, 2005.

Hendrick, Charles and Hodgson, Robert J. (eds). Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism and Early Christianity. Hendrickson, 1986.

Hengel, Martin. Judaism and Hellenism. Trans. John Bowden. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974.

Hurtado, Larry W. The Earliest Christian Artifacts: Manuscripts and Christian Origins. Eerdmans, 2006.

Jeremias, Joachim. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1969.

Lohse, Eduard. The New Testament Environment. Trans. John E. Steely. Nashville: Abingdon, 1979.

Pao, David W. Acts and the Isaianic New Exodus. Baker, 2000.

Vermes, G. The Dead Sea Scrolls in English. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1975.

Westerholm, Stephen. Perspectives Old and New on Paul: The “Lutheran” Paul and His Critics. Eerdmans, 2004.

Witherington III, Ben. Conflict and community in Corinth: A Socio-hetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians. Eerdmans, 1995.

III. Emergent Church Materials

Bakke, Ray. The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today’s Urban World. IVP, 1987.

Barton, Ruth Haley. Equal to the Task: Men and Women in Partnership. IVP, 1998.

Bell, Rob. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. Zondervan, 2006.

Burke, Spencer and Pepper, C. Making Sense of the Church. Zondervan, 2003.

Carson, D.A. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church. Zondervan, 2005.

Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. IVP, 1996.

Conder, Tim. The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture. Zondervan, 2006.

Gibbs, Eddie. Church Next: Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity, 2000.

___________. Churchmorph: How Megatrends are Reshaping Christian Communities. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2009.

Guder, Darrell L. The Continuing Conversion of the Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Henderson, David W., Culture Shift: Communicating God’s Truth to our Changing World. Baker, 1998.

Hunsberger, George R. and Van Gelder, Craig. The Church Between Gospel and Culture: The Emerging Mission in North America. Eerdmans, 1996.

Kimball, Dan (ed). The Emerging Church. Zondervan, 2003.

____________. Emerging Worship. Zondervan, 2003.

McLaren, Brian. Adventures in Missing the Point. Zondervan, 2003.
__________. A New Kind of Christian. Jossey-Bass, 2001.
__________. A Generous Orthodoxy. Zondervan, 2004.
_________. Finding Faith. Zondervan, 1999.

_________. The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in a Post-Modern Matrix. Zondervan, 2000.

_________. More Ready Than You Realize. Zondervan, 2002.

_________. The Story We Find Orselves In: Further Adventures of A New Kind of Christian. Ossey-Bass, 2003.

Miller, Donald. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality. Thomas Nelson, 2003.

__________. Searching for God Knows What. Thomas Nelson, 2004.

Oden, Thomas. The Rebirth of Orthodoxy. Harper Collins, 2001.

Pagitt, Doug. Reimagining Spiritual Formation. Zondervan, 2004

Sweet, L., McLaren, B., and Haselmayer, J. A is for Abduction: The Language of the Emerging Church. Zondervan, 2003.

Sweet, Leonard I. Soul Tsunami Sink or Swim in the New Millennium. Zondervan, 1999.

___________. Aqua Church: Essential Leadership Arts for Piloting Your Church. Grove Publishing, 1999.

________. (ed.). The Church in Emerging Culture. Zondervan, 2003.

Taylor, Steven. The Out of Bounds Church. Zondervan, 2005.

Van Leeuwen, Mary Stewart. Gender and Grace: Love, Work and Parenting in a Changing World. IVP, 1990.

Webber, Robert. The Younger Evangelical. Baker, 2004.


Web Sites

http://www.futurechurch.net Tom Hohstadt & Dama Media
http://www.zondervan.com Follow Emerging Church link
http://www.emergentvillage.com The ‘Official voice’ of Emergent.
http://www.anewkindofchristian.com Brian McLaren
http://www.leonardsweet.com Leonard Sweet
http://www.theooze.com On-line Contemporary Dialogue.



























Case Study Application Form

Name:

Email Address:

Place a Number by each Case Study indicating your #1-3 choice:

Most Segregated Hour ______
God’s Politics ______
Confronting Global Crises ______
As Far as the East is From the West ______

Briefly indicate why you wish to select a Case Study as your # 1 and #2:






Briefly indicate what qualifications/ preparations/ experiences you have to bring to a particular Case Study selection:







Briefly indicate what relevance a particular Case Study has for your ministry:
[1] I’m indebted to Art Patzia for this material from one of his syllabi.