Course Descriptions & Offerings: Spring

3 credits
Jeremy Hultin

A continuation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of biblical Hebrew. The course focuses on the translation of selected portions of biblical texts. OT 111 and OT 204 should be taken sequentially in one academic year.

Prerequisite: OT 111.

Note: Language courses may not be taken for audit or reading credit except by permission of the instructor.

3 credits
Esther Hamori

The biblical universe is a world of monsters, from the ghouls of Sheol to the composite monsters that guard the divine throne. The creatures of the cosmos serve a range of functions in biblical literature, as they do throughout ancient Near Eastern writing. When monsters appear in the increasingly monotheistic traditions of the Bible, however, there are provocative implications. This course explores the theological and social functions of the creatures of the cosmos in light of work on the development of monotheism and the biblical divine assembly, ancient Near Eastern mythology and apotropaic ritual, and modern monster theory.

Prerequisite: OT 101 and OT 111 and OT 204.

Notes: Meets at Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) on Tuesday afternoon. Register with a Cross-Registration form. Equivalent to OT 236.

3 credits
Esther Hamori

This course includes a brief introduction to biblical wisdom literature, historical critical study of the book of Job, and a significant focus on the issues of suffering and injustice reflected in the book. In addition, we consider the ecological implications of the book’s emphasis on creation as God’s answer to Job.

Prerequisite: OT 101.

1 credit
Esther Hamori

This intermediate biblical Hebrew course meets online every other week. Students read poetry as part two of this two-part course. Work includes issues of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, reading aloud, and use of critical tools. OT 313A and OT 313B must be taken sequentially in one academic year. Class meetings are determined between faculty and students in the fall semester, for both courses.

Prerequisite: OT 313A.

Note: Language courses may not be taken for audit or reading credit except by permission of the instructor.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

4 credits
Aliou Niang

A condensed introduction to the complex historical, literary and theological worlds of the New Testament. Core texts of the gospels, Acts, Paul and Revelation are examined within their Roman imperial, Hellenistic and Jewish colonial contexts – and with an eye to past and current interpretational struggles at the intersection of gender, race, class and religion. Can we learn how to read “with new eyes?”

Note: Required weekly tutorial. Required for MDiv students completing option A of the Bible requirement.

3 credits
Jeremy Hultin

A continuation of the basic grammar and vocabulary of biblical Greek. The course focuses on the translation of selected portions of biblical texts. NT 111 or NT 204 should be taken sequentially in one academic year.

Prerequisite: NT 111.

Note: Language courses may not be taken for audit or reading credit except by permission of the instructor.

3 credits
Jeremy Hultin

The goal of this course is to acquire a greater knowledge of the Gospel of Luke and to become familiar with a variety of literary, historical-critical, and theological approaches to the book. We situate Luke within the emerging traditions about Jesus (both canonical and non-canonical). Students also compare Luke to ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish “biographies” of holy teachers and wonderworkers. Special attention is given to important Lukan themes, including: Luke’s emphasis on the women in the Jesus movement; attitudes toward wealth; and the relationship of Jesus to Jewish institutions.

Prerequisite: NT 101 or equivalent.

3 credits
Amy Meverden

Revelation is perhaps one of the most notorious and misunderstood books of the Bible. Given the violent warfare, natural disasters, beasts of empire, and ominous portents, the average readers of Revelation find themselves perplexed by its symbolism and at a loss for its contemporary relevance. This class seeks to “decode” Revelation through a prominent image that opens and closes the book and speaks directly to the abuses of empire and power: The Tree of Life. This course employs an empire-critical, visual-exegetical framework to Revelation in order to engage themes of power, ecology, and identity. We engage Revelation’s Roman imperial context and visual imagery while performing a close reading of the biblical text to produce contextual interpretations for a world in desperate need of hope and transformation.

Prerequisite: BX 101 or NT 101.

1.5 credits
Jeremy Hultin

Part two of a two-part course for students who have completed at least two semesters of biblical Greek. Students review grammar as well as further their linguistic and translation skills by reading a selection of different Greek texts. NT 315A and NT 315B must be taken sequentially in one academic year.

Prerequisite: NT 315A.

 Note: Language courses may not be taken for audit or reading credit except by permission of the instructor.

3 credits
Brigitte Kahl
Aliou Niang

Based on a close reading of the text in its Greco-Roman imperial and colonial contexts, this course aims at bringing (West) African and (Eastern) European perspectives into dialogue towards an anti-colonial, gender-critical and ecological re-imagination of Galatians. How does Paul’s fundamental declaration of freedom and equality, penned down under Rome’s watchful eyes and addressed to a province reminiscent of “uncivilized” Celtic tribalism, bear on the “barbarians” of our present-day world?

Prerequisite: BX 101; or OT 101 and NT 101.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

2 credits
Brigitte Kahl
Amy Meverden
Aliou Niang

A continuation of the seminar for PhD students with a concentration in New Testament, discussing a variety of topics and themes. Work-in-progress is presented by students and professors.

Prerequisite: NT 550.

Notes: Pass/fail. Required for first-and second-year PhD students. Open to other advanced students with permission of the instructors.

2 credits
Gregory Horn

This course examines the essential elements of Presbyterian polity as they inform, and are informed, by: the practices of pastoral ministry; representative leadership; and group discernment in the Reformed tradition. The course focuses on the foundations of Presbyterian Polity, the Form of Government, and the Rules of Discipline sections in Part II of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), also known as The Book of Order, as well as the basic parliamentary and pastoral skills used to provide effective moderatorial leadership to sessions and congregations, and participating in church councils.

Notes: Recommended for students with professional church leadership experience interested in pastoral ministry. Open to all students.

3 credits
Euan Cameron

Sometimes, very troubled periods in the life of the churches produce amazing spiritual literature, which was certainly true in the century after the Church of England was re-established under Elizabeth I in 1559-1560. Barely had the church achieved its settled institutions and heritage texts, when it was challenged both politically and theologically from within and without. Yet in this context, spiritual leaders of all kinds wrote inspiring texts of prayer and preaching. Leaders deployed all the tools of Renaissance rhetoric to celebrate the beauties of their faith and their liturgy. Especially in the 17th century, poets like John Donne, George Herbert, Henry Vaughan and Thomas Traherne expressed eloquent, complex, and often astonishingly frank and candid poetry in the depth of their spiritual struggles. This course reviews these texts and offers opportunities to explore the relationship between the spiritual, the artistic and the poetic.

Note: Fulfills an elective for MDiv students with a concentration in Anglican Studies. Identical to CH 317.

2 credits
Heather Fosburgh

This online course examines the historical development and structural polity of the United Church of Christ (UCC). This course also focuses on the emerging UCC and gives students a chance to explore social justice, world missions, ecumenism, and new and renewing congregational ministry within the UCC.

Notes: Offered by the Center for Progressive Renewal. Register with an Add/Drop form. Students are required to also register with the Center.

3 credits

A continuation of WESM 600 focusing on two concerns: 1) enabling the student to understand the nature, mission, and functioning of the United Methodist Church as the institutional expression of its historical development and theological assumptions, to affirm and explore the institutional structures as viable instruments for ministry, to understand the nature of authority and power as they relate to the United Methodist structure, and to contribute to the process of change in the church structure; 2) a study of the origins of the United Methodist doctrinal heritage in the theology of John Wesley, Philip Otterbein, and Jacob Albright; the development of that heritage in the Methodist, Evangelical, and United Brethren families of churches, and the distinctive marks of that heritage.

Notes: United Methodist course offered by Drew Theological School. View Complete Theological Listingsection offerings and days/times here. Register with a Cross-Registration form.

3 credits

This course will focus on an articulation of a definition of evangelism, a biblical basis for evangelism and a theology of evangelism. It will provide students with a familiarity and practical tools for helping both individuals and congregations engage in evangelism. This course fulfills the Division of Ordained Ministry requirement in evangelism for United Methodist students.

Notes: United Methodist course offered by Drew Theological School. View Complete Theological Listing section offerings and days/times here. Register with a Cross-Registration form.

3 credits
Cecilia deWolf
Charles Read

Our ability to impact communities is wholly dependent on our facility as live communicators. In this semester-long process, students gain appreciation for the part that live communication plays in helping communities grow and thrive. Students practice in varied contexts, receive feedback, and gain awareness as live communicators. Upon completion, students are better able to engage with others consciously, meaningfully, and deliberately – regardless of circumstances or setting.

Notes: Enrollment limited to eighteen students. Required for MDiv students completing option B of the Practical Theology requirement.

3 credits
Cecilia deWolf

When we engage with others – teaching, preaching, counseling, community organizing – we can make something happen (or not) depending on how we show up. This hybrid course is designed as an interactive process: students learn by doing communication, receiving feedback, and supporting one another on a shared journey of discovery. Along the way, they become more aware of themselves as live communicators. Only with this awareness can they make critical choices, change habits, and practice new behaviors.

Prerequisite: CA 102 is recommended.

Note: Enrollment limited to six students. Additional individual sessions are required.

3 credits
Su Yon Pak

This course is the second half of a two-semester course, with six credits earned at the end of the spring semester upon completion of all related field placement requirements. Theological reflection and professional development through didactics and group process are components of this seminar. Students are concurrently in supervised field placements of twelve to fifteen hours per week. FE 103 and FE 104 must be taken sequentially in one academic year.

Prerequisites: FE 103. Restricted to MDiv students. Permission of the senior director of integrative and field-based education prior to FE 103 enrollment.

Notes: Required for MDiv students. Enrollment limited to thirty-five students per section. Students have the opportunity to apply to the hybrid field education-clinical pastoral education program. Access https://utsnyc.edu/academics/field-ed/hybrid-field-education-opportunities/ for more information and application process. Students accepted to this hybrid program must register for section 02.

3 credits
A. Meigs Ross

Independent study in connection with a supervised field placement. Required meetings with field education staff are arranged. Proposals must be submitted to the senior director of integrative and field-based education prior to registration. 

Prerequisites: FE 203. Restricted to MDiv students. Permission of the instructor and senior director of integrative and field-based education.

3 credits
Su Yon Pak

A minimum of eight consecutive months of full-time supervised field experience in an out-of-seminary setting. Proposals must be submitted for approval to the senior director of integrative and field-based education prior to FE 303 enrollment. FE 303 and FE 304 must be taken sequentially in one academic year. Formerly FE 300.

Prerequisites: FE 303. Restricted to MDiv students. Permission of the senior director of integrative and field-based education.

Notes: Enrollment in other courses is normally precluded, and is limited to five students. Students are required to subscribe to student medical insurance if they do not have comparable coverage.

3 credits
Su Yon Pak

Clinical pastoral education (CPE) is graduate-level theological and professional education for ministry that takes place in a clinical setting. CPE students learn the art and skills of pastoral and spiritual care by providing pastoral and spiritual care to patients, families and staff, and then reflect on their ministry experiences with a certified CPE supervisor and a small group of peers. Students may request to receive academic credits for up to one unit of CPE to fulfill the field education requirement. The senior director of integrative and field-based education will consider an application to substitute a unit of CPE taken on an extended basis through the academic year in order to fulfill the field education requirement. FE 363 and FE 364 must be taken sequentially in one academic year.

Prerequisites: FE 363. Permission of the senior director of integrative and field-based education.

Note: Identical to PS 364.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

3 credits
Joshua Samuel

Justice lies at the heart of Church’s mission. How have Anglican missions responded to injustices in their mission fields? Was seeking and doing justice part of their work? Were the missionaries interested in bringing justice to the oppressed? When we speak of missions and justice, we also need to acknowledge the close relationship between the Anglican Church and their mission bodies and the British empire. How did they reconcile this fundamental moral and ethical contradiction? This course pays particular attention to the role and responses of the ‘colonized Anglicans.’ Within the context of colonialism, how did the native, indentured, and enslaved anglicans, and the Anglican missionaries who were willing to learn from them, seek to redeem the face of the Anglican church and missions? How does this wisdom of/from the subjugated influence the understanding of mission and justice today for the Anglican communion worldwide? The course addresses these questions by listening to voices on/of mission in the global Anglican church that foreground social justice and liberation of the oppressed.

Note: Required for, but not restricted to, MDiv students with a concentration in Anglican Studies.

3 credits
Rebecca O. Johnson

This course introduces students to the concept and practices of community engaged Buddhism with New York City housing as a lens for practice, analysis and reflection. Using participatory methodologies related to the work of Paulo Freire, emerging Buddhist social analysis and ethics, traditional scriptures from across the Buddhist spiritual landscape and the frame of the Community Land Trust model, students engage such questions as: What meaning do the precepts have in Buddhism(s) social justice/community engagement thinking and theorizing? Do(es) Buddhism(s) have inherent communal/societal responsibilities? Who is community to US practitioners of Buddhism(s)? As practitioners with an aspiration to serve in ministry, how do the social/economic/cultural conditions experienced by your future congregants inform your personal, communal and societal spiritual practices? How might one interpret early/original sources within contemporary social and political conditions?

Note: Identical to IE 245.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

3 credits
Cláudio Carvalhaes

How do we imagine performance, public worship and ritual practices in the face of ecological disasters, white supremacy, extreme poverty, violence and interreligious dialogue? This course introduces students to the performative ways we enact religious and non-religious beliefs that constitute public performances, rituals, Christian worship and rites of passages. The following techniques are explored: structural patterns, theological themes, spiritual paths, ​aesthetics, ethical issues and historical-social-cultural​practices.

3 credits
Derrick McQueen

This course has students walk with a person in the Bible/Non-Canonical text throughout the semester. The goal is to understand the contextual voice of said person to explore how they might speak to today’s prominent issues. With faculty approval, students may focus on a historical character whose voice is not often not seen as influential.

3 credits
Cláudio Carvalhaes

This course engages with liberation theologies from the South, considering major texts from Latin America and Africa. We have the presence of one of the best African liberation theologians visiting us: Vuyani Vellem. Students respond to readings by thinking and performing liturgical liberation liturgies/rituals.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

3 credits
Elijah Nealy

Psychoanalytic theorizing about the intersection of power, gender and sexuality has been richly elaborated by the development of feminist and queer theory, and this trend has changed the landscape in which male and female subjectivity have been described and defined. This course focuses on how psychoanalytic ideas about sexuality and gender experience evolved. We explore how the disposition and operation of power is implicated in theorizing about sexuality and gender, how this affects individual development, our relationships with others and with the Divine, and in the ways we find our spiritual practice.

Prerequisites: PS 101 or PS 110 is recommended.

3 credits
Eileen Campbell-Reed

An in-depth exploration of the physical, emotional, sociocultural, and spiritual dimensions of death and dying, and the process of bereavement, through the lenses of pastoral theology, thanatology, and psychology. Students explore the skill and art of ministering to the dying and the bereaved, and develop their own theological framework for understanding and facing terminal illness, life-threatening violence, and death. Topics include pastoring to diverging beliefs about evil, suffering, and life after death, and funerals as pastoral care.

Prerequisite: PS 101 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.

3 credits
Su Yon Pak

Clinical pastoral education (CPE) is graduate-level theological and professional education for ministry that takes place in a clinical setting. CPE students learn the art and skills of pastoral and spiritual care by providing pastoral and spiritual care to patients, families and staff, and then reflect on their ministry experiences with a certified CPE supervisor and a small group of peers. Students may request to receive academic credits for up to one unit of CPE to fulfill the field education requirement. The senior director of integrative and field-based education will consider an application to substitute a unit of CPE taken on an extended basis through the academic year in order to fulfill the field education requirement. FE 363 and FE 364 must be taken sequentially in one academic year.

Prerequisites: PS 363. Permission of the senior director of integrative and field-based education.

Notes: PS 363 and PS 364, or PS 366Q, required for students with a concentration in Psychology and Religion. Identical to FE 364.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

3 credits
Pamela Cooper-White

This is the foundational synchronous/online course to meet the personality theory competencies on several levels of clinical pastoral education (CPE). The course provides an overview of psychodynamic theories including object relations (especially Winnicott), self-psychology, and an introduction to contemporary relational psychoanalytic theories, with an emphasis on their application to supervision and leadership.

Prerequisites: Restricted to DMin students. PS 101 or equivalent and four units of CPE or equivalent. Restricted to PhD students with a concentration in Psychology and Religion. Identical to DM 438.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

3 credits
Mary C. Boys
Shuly Rubin Schwartz

This seminar, designed for both Jewish and Christian participants, offers an experience in interreligious learning. Students study the origins and development of Christianity in Second Temple Judaism, survey key historical encounters, address significant questions in the relationship of the two traditions, and examine implications for the education and formation of Jews and Christians in our time. The course serves as a case study in interreligious conflict and reconciliation.

Notes: Meets at Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) on Monday afternoon. Register with a Cross-Registration form. Equivalent to RE 344.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

3 credits
Jan Rehmann

The course explores some major theoretical concepts of social justice and relates them to the current systems of exploitation, oppression and marginalization. In order to understand the two main paradigms of “Western Civilization”, we compare Aristotle’s concept of justice with critical impulses from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. In order to acquaint students with the predominant justice discourses in modern capitalism, we scrutinize the concepts of classic liberalism (Locke), welfare liberalism (Rawls), neo-liberalism (Hayek) and confront them with some major theoretical and religious criticisms. The structural injustices of global capitalism, ecological destruction, racism, sexism and homophobia are explored. How can we grasp the intersections of different ways of oppression and overcome the fragmentations of social movements? Could a Green New Deal help build a broad social alliance that is both diverse and coherent?

Note: Identical to CS 301.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

3 credits
Andrea White

This course interprets theological positions in contemporary Christian theology. The course aims to develop both familiarity and facility with theological discourse in postmodern, contextual, liberationist, and constructivist theologians. The texts studied address theological language and method, and the doctrines of scripture, God, Trinity, Christ, Holy Spirit, creation, providence, the human person, sin, salvation, the church, and the last things. The course examines the ramifications of contrasting theologies while giving consideration to how socio-political context informs theological thinking.

Note: ST 101 or ST 103 or ST 104 required for MA and MDiv students fulfills foundational Theology requirement.

3 credits
Khin Maung Yee

This course explores several theologies in Asia. Since the early 20th century, Asian theologians have formulated theologies for their own particular context. Therefore, theological ideas in Asia are quite different from western theologies. Asian theologians have tried to discover the revelation of God in Asia and to translate the gospel into the particular forms of Asian cultures and realities. They also pay close attention to socio-economic-political situation facing Asian communities.

Note: Identical to IE 115.

3 credits
Roger Haight

It is difficult to teach “church” in a pluralistic context; this course offers an ecumentical view of the church by first looking at the ecclesiologies of the church as they developed from the first century to the present. Essentially taught through reading R. Haight, Christian Community in History, I-III, an extensive essay in historical and comparative ecclesiology accompanied by various primary sources. The course then examines what an ecumenical church might look like: what are the essential elements? Despite this broad canvas, the goal of the course is to learn the self‑understanding of the church in the various communions that developed during the course of its history. This broad examination of the church in these different historical manifestations reveals both the relativities in the church’s structure as well as certain consistent elements in its constitution. The course ends with an essay at expressing a common understanding of the apostolic core of the church as it appears today across and within the churches.

Note: Recommended for students entering ministry. Identical to CH 216.

3 credits
John Thatamanil

In recent years, definitions of “Man as the Rational Animal” have been heavily contested. Leading the way has been the work of Affect Theorists who have prioritized embodied feeling over against thin accounts of rationality. Political thought and theology are only beginning to catch up to these shifts in philosophy. But, in another sense, religious life has long been attentive not only to feeling but also to practices for the shaping of affect, liturgical, contemplative, and practices of political resistance, for example. This course will seek to think through the connections between affect, practice, and theology in conversation with a wide variety of voices including affect theory, neuroscience, animal studies and theology. How can theologians learn from these voices? What do theologians have to offer back to this conversation?

Note: Attendance at an April conference on the theme of this course held at Union is required.

3 credits
Jason Wyman

This course takes a deep dive into the work of Augustine of Hippo, setting his theology both in its historical background and in its continued relevance for the contemporary world. The class looks at portions of Augustine’s key works as they pertain to grace, original sin, ethics, and theological form. We look at foundational works like Confessions, The City of God, and other texts that dwell on specific doctrinal issues. Contemporary scholarly engagements and uses of Augustine are also considered as they relate to the same key themes. Throughout, consideration of Augustine’s method, historical place, and relevance for ongoing theological discussions is held in view.

Prerequisite: ST 101 or ST 103 or ST 104.

3 credits
Jerusha Tanner Rhodes

This course examines Islamic perspectives on religious diversity, other religious and non-religious traditions, and interreligious engagement. It involves exploration of primary Islamic sources (including the Qur’an and Hadith) and traditional and contemporary interpretations drawn from exegetical, legal, polemical, and theological discourses. Emphasis is placed on theological, exegetical, and contextual assumptions; interpretative methodologies; and on the relevance of the Islam-specific conversation to broader discussions of religious diversity and interreligious engagement.

Note: Relevant to students interested in Islam, theologies of religion, and/or interreligious engagement. Identical to IE 320.

3 credits
Roger Haight

This course intends to provide a basic appreciation of the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. It traces his early period, before and during Vatican II, the period following Vatican II (roughly between 1965 and 1972), and the period after 1972. The readings focus on four themes: revelation-faith, method in theology, christology, and ecclesiology, with some attention to the doctrines of creation and eschatology which play a significant role in his theology.

3 credits
John Thatamanil

A relatively recent group of theorists question the meaningfulness of the category “religion.” Theorists argue that religion is a western and/or Christian and/or modern invention which has been imposed across cultures and historical periods. Some hold that the category cannot be deployed consistently and so is unserviceable. Questions of justice are prominent among postcolonial theorists who argue that religion is a Western concept foisted upon other cultures by the coercive mechanisms of colonialism. Nonetheless, new theories of religion sensitive to the complexities surrounding category formation continue to be ventured. Thinkers seek to overcome the objections raised by those who seek to deconstruct religion and argue for a chastened but still viable deployment of the category. This course reads important voices from both sides and asks the following fundamental questions: What do these disputes about the category of religion mean for theology? Do religions exist? Is it still plausible to develop contemporary theories of religion? How do theories of religion shape ideas about religious belonging, syncretism, interreligious dialogue, political theology, the relationship between economics and religion, and our very conception of the tasks of constructive theology? Do theologians even need the category “religion?” or must we “Imagine No Religion?”

Note: Identical to IE 364.

1-3 credits

Independent study for master-level students under the guidance of a member of the faculty. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Reading form for more details.

3 credits
Andrea White

Is theology always political? Is the political always theological? This course examines the view that theology has something to say about the way in which ideas and practices are organized for the structures of social power. It studies thinkers who view theology as a resource for the political insofar as theology engages in the enterprise of ideology critique and discourse analysis. Students also examine the contention that theology is not so much resource as culprit, since genealogies of race demonstrate that theology is the origin of empire building, colonialism and imperialism. Readings include works by theologians who analyze the use of the body for the sake of the state and argue that while racial designations are politically activated (Copeland, Brown Douglas), it is actually theology that formed the colonialist moment (Jennings, Carter). Themes throughout the course address the relationship between God and power, the question of how religious ideas and practices shape politics, secularism as a religious category, the fragility of politics, the notion that political power needs to be “redeemed” (Ricoeur), and the antagonistic relation between truth and politics (Arendt). Other thinkers argue that it is theology, always already political, that needs to be redeemed.

1-6 credits

Independent study for doctoral candidates under the guidance of faculty with whom they are doing their major work. A topic/title is established in collaboration with the sponsoring faculty.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Cannot be taken for reading credit. See Guided Research form for more details.

1 credit
Malcolm Merriweather

Singing diverse works from across the sacred choral spectrum, with participation in periodic Monday noon chapel services.

Note: Pass/fail. May be repeated as audit, but taken only once for credit.

1 credit
Gary Mitchell, Jr.

Exploring the styles and rhythms of gospel traditions, with participation in Wednesday noon chapel services.

Note: Pass/fail. May be repeated as audit, but taken only once for credit.

1 credit
Jane Alexandre

A contemporary dance technique class framed within the investigation of dance in the context of worship.  The class consists of warm up, technique development, and movement/exploration.

Notes: All levels of experience welcome, with the goal of advancing individual student development. May be repeated as audit, but taken only once for credit.

2 credits
TBD

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC) represents a cross section of progressive African American faith leaders and their congregations in the United States. The SDPC was created to continue the rich legacy of the faith community’s engagement in issues of social justice. Students attend the annual conference as an opportunity to focus on education, advocacy and activism. Students gain practical skills on how to promote justice by resourcing and organizing partner churches, clergy and lay leaders to address the diverse concerns of communities. Requirements include a three-page reflection paper as well as planning and participating in a Union Chapel service based on the theme of the conference. Details of the conference including location and theme, are provided when available.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Notes: Enrollment limited to fifteen students. Audits may be considered. Held during the annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. Union covers the conference registration fee only; students are responsible for hotel and travel expenses. Students are required to obtain class syllabi in advance, and make their own arrangements with instructors regarding missed class assignments during the week of the conference.

1 credit
Anna Olson

How does a struggling local church invite its community to cast a vision for its future? What happens when the neighbors are handed the keys to the church and the freedom to bring their dreams of community thriving inside? It’s sometimes a mess, often quite a bit of fun and never ever boring. As traditional models of church crumble rapidly and formulas for 21st century church serve ever narrowing swaths of privileged communities, the rest of us are entering a period of uncertainty and possibility. Taught by a Union alumna, two decades of practical, highly contextual parish ministry in diverse, marginal, urban communities are shared. In her book, Claiming Resurrection in the Dying Church: Freedom Beyond Survival, she describes casting aside the death-dealing conventional wisdom of church growth programs and denominational measures of viability and throwing the doors wide open on the assumption that God is already at work in the community making all things new. Together we unpack context, ask good questions and imagine concrete steps towards a church that offers itself to God and God’s beloved.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit. Students may read the book and come prepared to reflect on a specific ministry context and its challenges (home church, field education site, current call, specific neighborhood, etc).

1 credit
Charon Hribar

In the dozens of primary and presidential debates leading to the 2016 election, no time was given to the issue of poverty, yet the census tells us that 140 million people, nearly half of the nation, are poor or low-income. This course takes up the role of religious and moral leaders in the growing movement to end poverty as we approach the 2020 election. We examine how efforts like the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival pushes the question of poverty and its relationship to racism, environmental devastation, and militarism into the conversation. Of particular importance is an exploration of the leadership of the poor themselves–their plight, fight and insight–in shifting conceptions of who are the poor, why we are poor and the expanding political possibilities for ending poverty, racism, militarism, gender oppression and environmental devastation.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit.

1 credit
Michael Cooper-White
Robin Reese

Communication is essential in any organization that has a will to flourish and carry out its mission. Churches and non-profit public service organizations, businesses and governmental agencies, often falter when a crisis suddenly overwhelms them. The question is rarely if it will happen, but when. Having a plan and team in place for crisis communication can “save the day” and aid in post-crisis recovery and sustaining positive constituent relationships and donor confidence. Gone are the days when oral delivery and fledgling print publishing were the only methods to communicate. Today’s leaders must learn to deliver their message via dozens of media, while competing with all the other “voices” that are out there. This course explores proven strategies and tools for effective communication in all circumstances, with particular focus on developing a crisis communication plan.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit.

1 credit
Julie Novas

The Brahmavihārās, known as the four immeasurable or heavenly abodes, are both Buddhist virtues and meditation practices. The Brahmavihārās are cultivated as part of the heart-based practices in the Theravada tradition. They are known as heavenly abodes because they are a space of refuge that supports us in keeping love in all our social interactions, regardless of how difficult it may be. As ministers, people often engage us when they are growing through some of the most painful and challenging aspects of their lives. This course is designed to support the new and the seasoned in orienting into the Brahmavihārāas a means for ministerial engagement or chaplaincy.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit. Part of a series of courses offered in the Thich Nhat Hanh Program for Engaged Buddhism.

1 credit
Karenna Gore

We are living in a time of both unprecedented ecological destruction and increasing consciousness of the interconnectedness of all life on Earth. Many efforts to protect air, land, water, biodiversity and whole ecosystems are blocked by the legal reality that nature is treated as property. This is compounded by the fact that corporations have inordinate power, including the designation of legal “personhood.” This course, offered at the Center for Earth Ethics, examines the Rights of Nature, with special attention to Indigenous wisdom and leadership, religious belief systems, church history, and the practical realities of the legal system. Students learn from guest speakers and examine case studies in New Zealand, Ecuador, India and the United States.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit.

1 credit
Keisha Kogan
Sally MacNichol

Centered in people, relationships, healing and accountability, Restorative Justice offers a different paradigm for thinking about conflict, harm and wrongdoing. This course reviews the fundamental principles and practices of Restorative Justice from an historical, psycho-social, theological and spiritual perspective. A variety of models currently being practiced in the U.S. and internationally is examined. Particular attention to the restorative practice of peacemaking circles gives students an opportunity to learn about and practice how circle can be used to address interpersonal and social harms in their communities.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit.

1 credit
Shanté Paradigm Smalls

In Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Nyingma and Kagyu Schools, there is a great deal of emphasis on working with the environment, the elements, and the phenomenal world. As a practice, philosophy, or religious practice, the Four Karmas (Pacifying, Enriching, Magnetizing, and Destroying) refer both to esoteric elemental practices and practical ways of working with our own minds, as well as with difficult interpersonal, individual, and structural challenges. How do we apply that to our contemporary moment when we are dealing with a resurgence and intensification of anti-Black violence and racism, the continuance of Indigenous dispossession, and the stronghold of patriarchy and misogyny finally being challenged in a genuine way? This introductory course combines tantric Buddhist wisdom with undoing interlocking structural oppressions. It will focus on sitting meditation instruction (shamatha), walking meditation, discussion groups, short readings, and light physical movement.

Notes: Pass/fail. Cannot be taken for reading credit. Part of a series of courses offered in the Thich Nhat Hanh Program for Engaged Buddhism.