COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY CONCENTRATION

From the General Education curriculum:

RELI 110 Understanding Faith from a Global Perspective, freshman year. 3 credit hours. No pre-requisites. Through the lens of Christian traditions and values, this course will introduce the discipline of Religious Studies through basic concepts such as scripture, deity, authority, worship and ritual, ethics, the nature of religious experience, and faith. Students will apply this knowledge to analyze and understand faith commitments in other religious traditions. ISLO 2.

PHIL 230 Ethics, sophomore year. 2 credit hours. Pre-requisite EN 131. This course examines moral standards and applications of moral reasoning to some of the social and personal complexities of our time from a multicultural perspective. The course emphasizes values and ethics commensurate with those values (perspectives) and the role both play in our lives, socially and personally. The course examines the ways in which ethics and a sense of morality are shaped by society while also transforming society. Finally, the course explores different classical and contemporary moral theories and introduces various ways to consider justice. ISLO 3, 4.

HU 225 Interdisciplinary Humanities, sophomore year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite EN 131 and EN 132. This course provides a chronologically arranged, global survey of the period from the 19th century to the present. It focuses on key events, cultural movements, literature, music, dance, sciences, philosophy, and visual arts (painting, architecture, and sculpture) that express and define the values of cultures in broad eras along this time span. It includes attention to Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism from an international and cross-cultural perspective. ISLO 4, 5.

The courses of the shared Common Core:

RELI 205 Intro to African Traditional Religion and Culture sophomore year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite RELI 110 and EN 131. This course introduces the student to African Traditional Religion and to the culture and civilization of Africa before the coming of Arab and European colonialism and religions. Students will learn why African Traditional Religion is still practiced today amid Western and Eastern religions. SSLO 3, 5.

RELI 241 Religions of the World, sophomore year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite RELI 110; EN 131. A brief look at the religious beliefs and practices of Hinduism and Buddhism as well as the Near-Eastern traditions of Judaism, , and Islam. The cultural background of each religion will be discussed as well as the ways that religion affects culture and society around the world today. SSLO 5.

CMIN 260 Intro to , sophomore year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisites RELI 110; EN 131. This introductory course takes a look at and his teachings in an historical context and provides a general overview of the major doctrines of Christianity and concepts of Christian Theology. The course examines the creeds of the early church, taking into account the major reasons that necessitated their formulations. The course also builds on a platform to demonstrate how Christianity has helped to forge theologies of liberation that have sparked societal change and have been instrumental and necessary in bringing about social justice. SSLO 1, 4.

RELI 250 African American Religious History, sophomore year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisites HI 130; EN 131. This course will examine complex and varied African American religious experiences. The course’s goal is twofold: first, to introduce students to the history and culture of African American Religion; and second, to determine the manner in which it relates to contemporary society. Specifically, this course addresses Black religious practices, institutions, and thought in the African American quest for freedom, justice, and equality through a thorough examination of: African Traditional Religions; the African Diaspora; Religion of the Slave; Black Church and Abolitionist Movements; Race, Class, and Gender; Black Catholicism; Black Muslims; Alternative Black Religious Practices; Crisis in the Black Church; Civil Rights and Black Power Movements; and Mega Churches. SSLO 1, 3.

PHIL 235 Intro to Philosophy, sophomore year. 3 credit hours. EN 131. This course introduces students to the study of philosophy and philosophical methods through a survey of key themes, thinkers, and problems in their historical settings. The course distinguishes between philosophy, religion, psychology, and anthropology. Philosophic approaches to be introduced may include: materialism, idealism, pragmatism, phenomenology, and existentialism. Themes to be introduced may include the reliability of knowledge, make up of ultimate reality, free will, determinism, the problem of evil, race, class, and gender. SSLO 1, 3.

CMIN 333 Biblical Prophets and Social Justice, junior year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisites RELI 110; EN 131 and EN 132. Co-requisite: RPCM 390. This course will focus on the Prophets of Israel and their understanding of social justice with major attention directed to Jeremiah, Amos, and Micah. Students will be introduced to God’s covenant with Israel in order to lay the foundation for a critical analysis of justice. This course must be taken concurrently with RPCM 390. SSLO 4.

CMIN 335 Intro to Black Theology, junior year. 3 credit hours. Pre-requisites EN 132; CMIN 260 and RELI 250. This course examines the origin of Liberation Theologies and their diverse expressions. Black Theology is considered in its global context; in its roots in Latin American and African American religious thought; and in its dialogue with other theologies such as feminist and Womanist theologies. In so doing, the course introduces students to the relevant conditions, primary issues and themes of African and African American history that contributed to the formation of religion, theological thought and moral reflection. The course will also critically examine the four basic building blocks of Black Theology that were used to construct a Black Theology of liberation in response to the question — What does it mean to be Black and Christian? The course will also examine and critically analyze the theological thoughts of first generation black theologians such as James H. Cone, J. Deotis Roberts, Gayraud Wilmore and Charles H. Long. Further, second and third generation theologians such as Jacqueline Grant, Delores Williams, Dwight N. Hopkins, Cornel West, Anthony Pinn, and Eddie Glaude will be part of the class discussion as we consider responses to the first generation's theological positions. SSLO 1, 3, 4. RELI 365 Theories of Justice, junior year. Pre-requisite: EN 131 and EN 132; PHIL 220 and PHIL 230. Co-requisite: RPCM 391. This course examines the concept of justice by addressing injustices primarily experienced by people of color. Attention will be given to womanist theology, Latino/a theology, and other theologies that speak to social justice in a global context. After defining the concept of justice, and examining a case of injustice through the lens of Franz Fanon, we will examine different theories of justice (both theological and philosophical) that address real world problems of injustice. The third part of the course examines four social justice projects attempted by Booker T. Washington, WEB Dubois, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. Finally, the students are encouraged to critically examine one of the projects and determine its strengths and weaknesses, its success and failures. The intention of the course is to provide constructive ideas that can be applied and appropriated to address social injustice in our society. This course must be taken concurrently with RPCM 391. SSLO 1, 2, 3, 4.

PHIL 436 Philosophy of Religion, senior year. Prerequisite PHIL 220; CMIN 260; EN 132. A critical examination of definitions, assumptions, and arguments central to religion as they occur in historical and cultural settings. Topics for discussion may include: the nature of religion and religious experience, questions of faith and knowledge, arguments for and against the existence of God, the nature of the divine, the relation between God and the world, the relation between theology and philosophy, the problem of evil, and the nature of religious language. SSLO 1, 2.

CMIN 410 Religious and Social Thought of Howard Thurman, senior year. Pre-requisite: CMIN 335. A seminar course providing an introduction to the thought of Howard Thurman through a close reading of key texts. In addition, through discussion, audio and visual resources, the class will explore the relevance and implications of Dr. Thurman’s religious and social thought for contemporary times and consider the practical applications of his emphasis on the intersection between theological formation and social change. It will also explore Thurman’s insights into the powerful connection between discipline, , and transformation. In the life and thought of Howard Thurman students will come to understand the synergy between concerns of philosophy, theology, and Christian ministry and how they combine to provide his unique perspective on the world and on his expression of Christian values. SSLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

RPCM 390 Field Experience I, 3 credit hours. Co-requisite CMIN 333. Placement at a local faith-based or service organization to work at least nine volunteer hours per week in a field related to the student’s career goals. Activities will vary but must be approved by the internship supervisor and the instructor for the course. A minimum of 135 hours must be completed for the course, as well as a series of reflective written assignments. This course must be taken concurrently with CMIN 333 Prophets and Social Justice.

RPCM 391 Field Experience II, 3 credit hours. Co-requisite RELI 365. Placement at a local faith-based or service organization to work at least nine volunteer hours per week in a field related to the student’s career goals. Activities will vary but must be approved by the internship supervisor and the instructor for the course. A minimum of 135 hours must be completed for the course, as well as a series of reflective written assignments. This course must be taken concurrently with RELI 365 Theories of Justice.

RPCM 498 Senior Research, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisites EN 131 and EN 132; junior or senior standing; a minimum of 30 credit hours in the major. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to research methodology and instruct them in doing scholarly research in their field. The format of the course is designed to assist students in designing a project, beginning the research, and completing a prospectus of their senior projects. As part of the course, each student will present a proposal at the Professional Seminar for critique by the faculty and must submit a preliminary draft of his or her paper by the end of the course. SSLO 2.

RPCM 499 Senior Seminar, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite: successful completion of RPCM 498. This course is intended to provide guidance for students refining and developing the research project proposed and approved in RPCM 498. Completed research projects will be orally presented and defended before a faculty committee. This course also requires successful completion of senior exit exams in four content areas. SSLO 2.

Courses for the Concentration in Christian Ministry:

CMIN 220 Spiritual Formation, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite RELI 110 and EN 131. This course will focus on the formation and development of mature character in the life of the Christian leader. The course will explore biblical models of transformation and faith development combining elements of academic study and Christian experience. The course invites the student to think critically, to develop new ideas, and work with them. The purpose of this kind of learning is not to stop at the academic level, but encourage personal spiritual growth through participation and reflection and enable the student to facilitate others to grow in Christ.

CMIN 343 Introduction to Christian Doctrines, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite CMIN 260. This course will examine the Christian doctrines thought of by Christians to be the chief elements of Christian belief. This course will examine, in an in-depth way, the various creeds and confessions of the early church, giving proper consideration to the Nicene Creed, the ecumenical Creed in Christian history and the Westminster Confession of Faith, the subordinate standard of doctrine in the Reformed Church. Background study of these statements of faith will lead to examinations of the various councils that forged their existence and the various controversies the councils encountered. This course will also entail discussions of how these doctrines came to be refined and explained in later church history, and how different segments of Christianity interpret them.

CMIN 344 Liberation Theologies, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite CMIN 260. This course explains and examines various liberation theologies (Latin American, Black, Mujerista, Feminist, etc.) in conceptual and practical terms. The course elaborates the theological frameworks that are the basis for these theologies. It outlines how they relate to larger theological issues such as sin and salvation, incarnation and redemption, and the relationship between love and justice. Finally it examines the relationship between praxis (thoughtful reflection on action), social analysis and liberation.

CMIN 350 Preaching in the African-American Tradition, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite CMIN 260 and RELI 250. This course will explore and examine the particularities and uniqueness of the African-American preaching tradition. Emphasis will be placed on the ways in which, historically and culturally, preaching is conducted in the African-American tradition. Specifically this course will focus on the use of language, metaphor, imagination, and responsible encounter with the biblical text from an African-American perspective. This course will attempt to answer the question: “What does it mean to effectively preach in the Black Church tradition in the 21st century?” Students will have the opportunity to preach at least once during the semester.

CMIN 354 Introduction to Practical Theology, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite: CMIN 260. This course will explore the nature of practical theology as a discipline; its history, methods and relevance for the academy, church and society. Course participants will consider the work of various practical theologians; examine models of theological reflection; and explore how practical theologians integrate other disciplines and methodologies into their work. This is an interactive course and students will be given the opportunity to reflect upon their own experiences alongside lectures and discussions. A key element of the course will therefore involve the ‘practicing’ of theology through reflection upon lived practical experiences and wisdom.

CMIN 361 , 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite: CMIN 260. The course will survey the broad theological, psychological and practical foundations critical to the task of pastoral care. From a theological and psychological understanding of pastoral care, this course will provide students with skills to apply their learning to ministry and community settings, systemic care, crisis care, emotional hurt and harm, end of life issues and the needs of the caregiver will be the foci of the course. The course is designed for students who are considering pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, or other pastoral care work.

CMIN 420 Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite: This course is designed to introduce the student to the basic understanding of Old Testament Theology. The course will focus on the historical development of key themes of Old Testament theology and search for a center of the Old Testament Studies. The student will explore the concepts of God, mankind, the nature of revelation, sin, salvation, prophecy, God's eternal purpose, worship, blessing and abundance, stewardship of cultural and redemptive mandates, covenant community, social ethics, morality, justice and grace.

CMIN 425 Theological Interpretation of the New Testament, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite: This course explores the theology of the New Testament literature in its unity and diversity. Attention will be paid to the methodological and interpretive problems involved, and will focus on a series of central topics such as predestination, sin, atonement, the church, , eschatology, and Christology.

CMIN 431 History of Christianity I, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisites: CMIN 260 and CMIN 343; EN 131 and EN 132. A survey history of Christianity that focuses on the early Church through the fifteenth century. The course will give particular attention to the Christological controversies of the early church was well as to selected Latin and Greek fathers, and to the Church councils that determined theological doctrines. The second half of the course will examine the Church in the Middle Ages and the movements of renewal and reformation that arose. The course will also include the beginning of Colonial Christianity as the Church expanded in the fifteenth century. This is a seminar course; students will read primary sources in translation and write essays on historical topics.

CMIN 432 History of Christianity II, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite CMIN 431. A survey history of Christianity starting with the background of the Protestant Reformation and extending through the multiple reformations of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and their aftermath. This seminar course will have a global focus; the spread of Christianity to Asia, Africa, and the New World will be covered from the beginning of European colonization through the Missionary Movement of the nineteenth century and into the present day. This is a seminar course; students will read primary sources in translation and write essays on historical topics.

CMIN 445 Homiletics, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite either CMIN 420 or CMIN 425. This course combines both theory and practice of preaching. It introduces a functional methodology of organizing and developing the elements of a . It examines issues of bridging exegesis and exposition as well as the application of biblical truth and the effective delivery to listeners. Approximately one-third of the course is devoted to a lab setting where lessons and are video-recorded and critiqued.

CMIN 460 Christian Ethics, 3 credit hours. Pre-requisite: PHIL 230. Moral agency is central in an understanding of ethics, and of particular important in preparing for, and engaging in, the practice of ministry. A study of moral agency intersects various ethical frameworks, each of which takes on theological significance. This course elaborates an understanding of moral agency while it examines various approaches to ethics, inclusive of love, justice, and the intersections of church and the larger society, religion and science, and the many challenges we face, personally and collectively.