PS1501 Reflective Practice
Spring 2001
Susan E. Davies
Email: sdavies@bts.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course serves as an introduction to the field of Pastoral Studies. Attention is given to the larger cultural context in which the church finds itself at the beginning of the 21^st century; current issues in the church such as language for God and human beings; gender, race and class; vocation and calling; critical thinking; personal spiritual discernment; and ministerial ethics. Entering students develop learning goals for their theological education based on their degree program goals. The course also includes instruction in developing a portfolio in preparation for the mid-degree review.

GOALS

1. To deepen understanding of the larger social context of the church.
2. To provide skill building for critical thinking and theological reflection.
3. To examine the relationship between individual vocation and a call to ministry.
4. To introduce the principles of conflict resolution, communication skills and pastoral ethics.
5. To develop individual learning goals.
6. To provide instruction in creating an academic portfolio.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

1. Regular class attendance, preparatory reading, and effective participation in class discussion. (20%)
2. Regular attendance at a worshipping community.
3. An interview with two members of the worshipping community you attend regarding their understanding of their life and/or work as vocation. Write 4-6 pages on your learnings which will be presented in triad groupings. (20%)
4. Short papers and exercises as assigned for class meetings. (40%)
5. Two drafts of your goals for theological education

1. First draft due April 16
2. Final draft due May 25 (20%)

COURSE GROUND RULES
(Adapted from Dr. M. Shawn Copeland)

1. We will listen to one another – patiently, carefully – assuming that each one of us is always doing the best that she or he can. We will speak thoughtfully. We will speak in the first person.
2. Although our disagreements may be vigorous, they will not be conducted in a win-lose manner. We will take care that all participants are given the opportunity to engage in the conversation.
3. We will own our assumptions, our conclusions, and their implications. We will be open to another’s intellectual and personal growth and change.
4. We cannot be blamed for the misinformation we have been taught and have absorbed from our society, our culture and our religious backgrounds, but we will be held responsible for repeating misinformation after we have learned otherwise.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

• Killen, Patricia O’Connell and John DeBeer. The Art of Theological Reflection. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1995.
• Leas, Speed B. Discover Your Conflict Management Style. Alban Institute, 1995.
• Warford, Malcolm. Our Several Callings. Bangor Theological Seminary, 1990.
• Warford, Malcolm. Becoming a New Church. Cleveland: United Church Press, 2000.
• Hobgood, William Chris. The Once and Future Pastor. Alban Institute, 1998.
• Paul, Richard and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, April, 2000.

OTHER READINGS

• Anderson, Margaret L. and Patricia Hill Collins. Race, Class and Gender: An Anthology, Third Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1998.
• Brookfield, Stephen. Developing Critical Thinkers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989.
• Chaffee, Paul. Acountable Leadership. Palo Alto, CA: Church Care Publishing, 1993.
• Chideya, Farai. The Color of Our Future. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1999.
• Cimino, Richard and Don Lattin. Shopping for Faith: American Religion in the New Millennium. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.
• Ending Racism in the Church. Davies and Hennessee, eds. Cleveland: United Church Press, 1998
• Davies and Stonestreet. "Welcoming the Stranger." Prism, vol. 14, #1, Spring 1999, 72-94.
• Gratton, Carolyn. The Art of Spiritual Guidance. New York: Crossroad, 1999.
• Green, Garrett. "The Gender of God and the Theology of Metaphor" in Speaking the Christian God. Alvin F. Kimel, Jr., ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992.
• Hewett-Ellis, Marybeth. "No Sanctuary for Clergywomen." Zion’s Herald, Vol. 175 #1, January-February 2001.
• Hopkins, Nancy. "Making the Sanctuary Safe: An Interview with Nancy Myer Hopkins," The Witness, April, 1995: 25-27.
• Lawyer, John W. and Neil H. Katz. Communication Skills for Ministry, Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
• Lebacqz, Karen. Professional Ethics: Power and Paradox. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1985.
• Roof, Wade Clark. Spiritual Marketplace. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999.
• Russell, Letty M. "Toward a Trinitarian Language of Hospitality." The Living Pulpit, Vol. 8 #2, April-June 1999, pp.26-27.
• Stalfa, Frank S. "Vocation as Autobiography: Family of Origin Influences on the Caregiving Role in Ministry." Journal of Pastoral Care, Winter, 1994, 48, 4:370-383.
• Wren, Brian. What Language Shall I Borrow?
• The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version. Oxford University Press
• Richard Paul and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools

"A" -- work is excellent. It is punctual and demonstrates full control of the assignment, the material and the language. The writing has no English usage problems, the material is clearly and effectively organized, and the writer speaks clearly and firmly from the page.

"B" -- work is very good. It is punctual and directly addresses the assignment. The writing may show English usage problems, but the grammar, punctuation and spelling are good. The material is well organized but transitions may be abrupt and information may be thin.

"C" -- work is adequate. The assignment has been completed on time and according to instructions. However, the writing may be awkward, unclear and contain English usage problems.

"D" -- work is barely adequate. It may be late or not according to instructions. It is careless, not well organized, and the information is not under the control of the writer.

"F" -- work is inadequate.

At the suggestion of the instructor, and with the agreement of the student, a student may submit rewrites for materials which have been deemed unsatisfactory.

PLAGIARISM

You are reminded that using others’ words or ideas without attribution and citation constitutes plagiarism, an act of intellectual dishonesty which may result in failing the course. See the Student Guide for a complete description of plagiarism.

SYLLABUS
PS1501
Spring 2001
Susan E. Davies

Email: sdavies@BTS.edu
Bangor Theological Seminary Homepage: www.bts.edu

February 5 Introduction to the Course

• Opening Prayer
  Introduction to course purposes and structures. Triad groups.Introduction of participants; exploration of participants’ interests and concerns for course.
• Development of course ground rules.
• Email addresses and use
• Reading Presentations
• Outline of processes leading to theological reflection:
  • movement toward insight
  • changes toward theological reflection
  • framework for theological reflection
• Definitions of vocation and calling

February 12 The Church’s Current Context

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Wade Clark Roof, Spiritual Marketplace, Chapters 1 and 2
  or

• Cimino and Lattin, Shopping for Faith, Chapter 6 and Postscript to that chapter
  and

• Davies and Stonestreet, "Welcoming the Stranger." Prism, vol. 14, #1, Spring 1999, 72-94.

Research:

• Read one month’s worth of "The Christian Century" in the library from 1999-2001

Write: 

• Draft three to five pages on the salient issues facing the church in the early 21^st century, as you have encountered them in your own life, in the assigned readings, and in your research in The Christian Century.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on current issues facing the church.
2. Student Presentations on readings
3. Triad groups: Discuss draft papers
4. Class discussion of current issues

February 19 Reading Week

Attend worship on February 18 and 25. Attend carefully to the language used in hymns, prayers, printed materials, choral offerings, and sermon. Look for felicitous new usages and beautiful traditional usages. Note which, if any, gave you a new or deeper experience and/or understanding of your relationship with God. Attend as well to the presence of the "current issues" facing the church discussed February 12 in class.

February 26 Language in the Church

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Brian Wren, What Language Shall I Borrow? Chs. 3 and 4
• The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version, General Introduction
• Garrett Green, "The Gender of God and the Theology of Metaphor," in Speaking the Christian God, pp. 44-64.
• Letty M. Russell. "Toward a Trinitarian Language of Hospitality." The Living Pulpit, Vol. 8 #2, April-June 1999, pp.26-27.

Research: Read Luke 8 in the King James Version, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version, and one other version of your choice.

Write: 

1. Revise the "salient issues" paper from February 12, and submit to instructor.
2. Write 2-3 pages on what you have learned from your worship experiences, the four readings, and the various versions of Luke 8. Possible questions to address are:

1. What major differences did you find in the various versions of Luke 8?
2. Which author’s position(s) most challenged you?
3. How would you explain to a parishoner the issue of language in the church?

Be prepared to discuss in triad groups. This paper will not be turned in to the instructor.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on language in the church
2. Student presentations on readings
3. Triad groups: discuss language learnings
4. Continued discussion of language usage

March 5 Gender, Race and Class in the Church

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Anderson and Collins. Race, Class and Gender: An Anthology, Third Edition, "Introduction," pp. 1-7; "Shifting the Center and Reconstructing Knowledge," pp. 11-19; and "Conceptualizing Race, Class and Gender," pp. 67-87.
• Hayford. "Confessing What Separates Us" in Ending Racism in the Church
• Davies. "Combating Racism in Church and Seminary" in Ending Racism in the Church
• Marybeth Hewett-Ellis. "No Sanctuary for Clergywomen" and "Response to ‘No Sanctuary’" in Zion’s Herald, Vol. 175 #1, January-February 2001, pp. 5-9.
• Farai Chideya. The Color of Our Future. Chs. 1 and 2.

Research:  Spend two hours watching television in which you take particular note of the ways in which women and men are treated in the shows and ads; the presence/absence and portrayal of individuals from different racial and ethnic groups; and the ways in which class status is conveyed by language, clothing, occupation, and relationships.

Write: 

• 3-4 pages on what you have learned from your readings and television research.
• Possible questions to consider as you write:

1. What new insight have you gained into the issues at hand?
2. When you watch TV now, what if anything do you see differently?

• Turn in to instructor at the end of class.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on the social construction of reality
2. Student Presentations on readings
3. Triad groups: discuss television discoveries
4. Gender, race and class in the church

March 12 Critical Thinking

PREPARATION

• Read: Richard Paul and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools
• Stephen Brookfield. Developing Critical Thinkers. Chapters 1-3

Research: Using the standards on p. 6 of the Miniature Guide, examine the logic and critical thinking found in Anderson and Collins, "Introduction."

Write: Use the Questions on p. 5 in the Miniature Guide as a guide for writing 1-2 pages on what you find. Turn in to instructor.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on critical thinking
2. Student Presentation on Brookfield
3. Triad groups: Use the standards on p. 17 to discuss the differences between diversity, multiculturalism and "thinking relationally."
4. Case study on critical thinking

March 19 Theological Reflection

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Killen and DeBeer. The Art of Theological Reflection, Introduction, Chs 1 and 2
• Materials distributed on communication skills
• Frank S. Stalfa. "Vocation as Autobiography: Family of Origin Influences on the Caregiving Role in Ministry"

Write: Complete the exercise on pp. 26-27 of Killen and DeBeer. Bring to class to discuss in triads.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on readings: theological reflection
2. Student Presentation on Stalfa article
3. Triads: discuss 1 or 2 and 4 of the exercise, practice active listening.
4. Report findings from triads. Practice theological reflection.

March 26 Discerning God’s Purposes Through Theological Reflection

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Killen and DeBeer, Chapters 3 and 4
• Malcolm Warford. Becoming a New Church, Chapters 1-4

Write: Complete the exercise on pp. 69-71 of Killen and DeBeer.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on the movement toward insight and the nature of the church.
2. Student presentations on and discussions of readings.
3. Triads: Reports on the results of the exercise. Practice active listening.
4. Report on findings. Practice theological reflection.

April 2 Vocation and Calling

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Malcolm L. Warford. Our Several Callings
• William Chris Hobgood. The Once and Future Pastor, Chapters 1-3

Write: In light of this week’s readings, last week’s exercise from Killen and DeBeer, and earlier readings and research, write 3-5 pages on your present understanding of your vocation. Possible questions for attention:

1. How does vocation differ from occupation?
2. How does my social location (class status, gender, ethnicity/race, occupation, family background, age, health, education, dis/ability, etc.) affect my understanding of vocation?
3. To what fundamental purpose is God calling me?

Turn in to instructor.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on the nature of vocation
2. View and discuss "Billy Elliot"

April 9 READING WEEK

Assignment: Interview two people from the worshipping community in which you participate, or people on campus who are not in this class, about their understanding of their life and/or work as vocation. Bring a one page summary of the interviews to class on April 16. For April 23, write 4-6 pages reporting on your findings to turn in to instructor.

April 16 Vocation, Educational Goals and Portfolios

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Hobgood. Chapters 4-6
• Warford. Becoming a New Church, Chapters 5-8, 15-17

Write: In 2-3 pages, write a first draft of your goals for theological education. Give specific attention to the goals for your degree program (see Catalogue, pp. 23 or 26).

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on goals in theological education.
2. Triads: Using the questions on p. 9 of the Miniature Guide, discuss draft educational goals.
3. Discussion of educational goals and portfolios. Practice theological reflection.

April 23 Skills for Leadership: Conflict Resolution

PREPARATION

Read: Leas. Discovering Your Conflict Management Style

Write: Complete and analyze the Conflict Management Style form in Leas and bring to class.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on conflict resolution
2. Discussion of conflict resolution styles
3. Role plays

April 30 Skills for Leadership: Conflict Resolution

PREPARATION

Read: pp. 128-137 in Communication Skills for Ministry, Chapter 7.

CLASS MEETING

1. Presentation on varieties of responses to conflict
2. Role plays on conflicted situations
3. Theological reflection on the nature of conflict
4.  

May 7 Spirituality and Mentored Practice

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Materials to be distributed on Mentored Practice
• Carolyn Gratton. The Art of Spiritual Guidance. Introduction and Chs. 1&2

CLASS MEETING

1. Spiritual grounding for ministry
2. Analysis of options for Mentored Practice
3. Theological reflection on the practices of ministry

May 14 Ministerial Ethics/ Review and Evaluation

PREPARATION

Read: 

• Chaffee. Accountable Leadership, pp.3-16,27-28, 184-203.
• Hopkins. "Making the Sanctuary Safe," The Witness, April, 1995:25-27.
• Underwood, duplicated materials
• Lebacqz. Professional Ethics, pp. 119-121.

Write: Using the readings, write a two page statement on your ministerial ethics. Turn in to instructor.

CLASS MEETING

1. Discussion and role plays regarding ministerial ethics
2. Course review and evaluation

FINAL PAPER DUE MAY 25, 2001.