Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Religious Studies
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 469 976 HE 035 408 AUTHOR Devine, Richard, Ed.; Favazza, Joseph A., Ed.; McLain, F. Michael, Ed. TITLE From Cloister to Commons: Concepts and Models for Service- Learning in Religious Studies. AAHE's Series on Service- Learning in the Disciplines. INSTITUTION American Association for Higher Education, Washington, DC. ISBN ISBN-1-56377-054-7 PUB DATE 2002-00-00 NOTE 199p.; Published in cooperation with the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion. AVAILABLE FROM American Association for Higher Education, AAHE Publications Orders, P.O. Box 1932, Merrifield, VA 22116-1932 (members, $24.50; nonmembers, $28.50). Tel: 301-645-6051; Fax: 301-843 9692; Web site: http://www.aahe.org/catalog/ order_info.cfm. PUB TYPE Books (010) Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS College Students; Higher Education; Program Development; *Religious Education; *Service Learning ABSTRACT This essays in this volume, 19th in a series, discuss why and how service-learning can be implemented in Religious Studies and what that discipline contributes to the pedagogy of service-learning. Part 1, "Service- Learning and the Dilemma of Religious Studies," contains: (1) "Service- Learning and the Dilemma of Religious Studies: Descriptive or Normative" (Fred Glennon); and (2) "Creating the Engaged University: Service- Learning, Religious Studies, and Institutional Mission" (Charles R. Strain). Part 2,"Service Learning and Its Communities," contains:(3) "Making Meaning: Reflections on Community, Service, and Learning" (Keith Morton); (4) "On En/Countering the Other" (Elizabeth M. Bounds, Barbara A. B. Patterson, and Tina Pippin);(5) "Service-Learning and Community Partnerships: Curricula of Mutuality" (Peter M. AntOci and Sandra K. Smith Speck}; and (6)"Expanding. the Horizon of Engagement: Pioneering Work at the University of Denver" (M. Elizabeth Blissman). "Course Chapters," part 3, contains: (7) "Toward an Assessment-Based Approach to Service-Learning Course Design" (Thomas G. McGowan);(8) "Service-Learning in an Introduction to Theology Course" (Robert Masson);(9) "'God and Human Suffering' as a Service-Learning Course" (Chris Johnson);(10) "'Religion and Social Engagement: Labor and Business Ethics'" (John Leahy and Kim Bobo);(11) "Making a Difference with Service-Learning: 'Christian Ethics'" (Walter H. Schuman);(12) ""The Interweaving of 'World Religions' and Service-Learning in a Community College Setting" (Raj Ayyar);(13) "The Role of Service-Learning in the Transformation of 'Islam: Faith and Practice'" (Jonathan Brumbery-Kraus); (14)"'The History and Religion of Ancient Israel': An Introductory Course to the Hebrew Bible" (Bradley D. Dudley); and (15) "Fieldwork in the Jewish Community" (Terry Smith Hatkoff). Most chapters contain references. An appendix contains a print and electronic resource guide listing 42 resources. (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. a 0' "OD I I : I II' II I I 0' I 1 I 1 4 '1 I III UCATI " kkCCOL'ITINGSOCt.: OGYNURSINGPEACES1I' IESEi PONM' . LPHILu TIONMATHEMA IOGYSPANISH- LITICALSCIENCETEACHEREDUCATI PSYC i410SOCIOLOGYNURSING.PEACESTUDIESENVIRONMEi II II . 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Michael McLain, volume editors Edward Zlotkowski, series editor A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Published in cooperation with the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion 3 Acknowledgments This volume is published in cooperation with the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion at Wabash College, Raymond Brady Williams, director. Wabash Center For Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion From Cloister to Commons: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Religious Studies (AAHE's Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines) Richard Devine, Joseph A. Favazza, and F. Michael McLain, volume editors Edward Zlotkowski, series editor Copyright © 2002 American Association for Higher Education. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the American Association for Higher Education nor its members. About This Publication This volume is part of AAHE's Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines. Additional copies of this publication or others in the series from other disciplines can be ordered from: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION One Dupont Circle, Suite 360 Washington, DC 20036 ph 202/293-6440, fax 202/293-0073 ISBN 1-56377-054-7 www.aahe.org ISBN (set) 1-56377-005-9 BESTC 'toVAVAILABLE Contents Foreword Raymond Brady Williams About This Series vii Edward Zlotkowski Introduction 1 Richard Devine, Joseph A. Favazza, and F. Michael McLain Part I Service-Learning and the Discipline of Religions Studies Service-Learning and the Dilemma of Religious Studies: Descriptive or Normative? 9 Fred Glennon Creating the Engaged University: Service-Learning, Religious Studies, and Institutional Mission 25 Charles R. Strain Part ll Service-Learning and Its Communities" Making Meaning: Reflections on Community, Service, and Learning 41 Keith Morton On En/Countering the Other 55 Elizabeth M. Bounds, Barbara A.B. Patterson, and Tina Pippin Service-Learning and Community Partnerships: Curricula of Mutuality 69 Peter M. Antoci and Sandra K. Smith Speck Expanding the Horizon of Engagement: Pioneering Work at the University of Denver 77 M. Elizabeth Blissman Part III Course Chapters Toward an Assessment-Based Approach to Service-Learning Course Design 83 Thomas G. McGowan Service-Learning in an Introduction to Theology Course 93 Robert Masson J "God and Human Suffering" as a Service-Learning Course 107 Chris Johnson "Religion and Social Engagement: Labor and Business Ethics" 127 John Leahy and Kim Bobo Making a Difference With Service-Learning: "Christian Ethics and Modern Problems" 139 Walter H. Schuman The Interweaving of "World Religions" and Service-Learning in a Community College Setting 147 Raj Ayyar The Role of Service-Learning in the Transformation of "Islam: Faith and Practice" 153 Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus "The History and Religion of Ancient Israel": An Introductory Course to the Hebrew Bible 169 Bradley D. Dudley "Fieldwork in the Jewish Community" 183 Terry Smith Hatkoff Appendix Print and Electronic Resource Guide 191 Contributors to This Volume 197 Foreword by Raymond Brady Williams Director, Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, Wabash College We at the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion are pleased to be associated with this project on service-learning in religion. The authors' reflections illustrate the creativity, engagement, and power of what Parker Palmer calls "good talk about good teaching." They explore issues of learning and transformation that, although at the heart of our work as teachers, are too often not expressed, examined, or tested in dis- cussion with others. We are pleased that this volume joins those from other disciplines in the AAHE series. Scholars in religion are often absent or silent during discussions about teaching and learning, which is unfortunate. We have much to learn from the experience of those in other disciplines, and this book enriches mutual reflection with what has been learned from best practices in other disciplines. Equally important, these teaching scholars in religion bring insights from best practices and philosophical and theological reflection from service-learning components of religion courses. Peter Antoci and Sandra Smith Speck note in their chapter that "the notion that higher education provides a vital public service is neither radi- cal nor novel," and they indicate that scholars in religion and theology should build on "this heritage of addressing the public good." Charles Strain traces the evolution of what "service" means in the history of higher edu' ca- tion in the United States. The mission statements of most colleges and uni- versities contain a remnant of a dedication to the common good. The founders claimed that they were establishing Wabash College to nurture the public good on the American frontier, directly through the transformation of individual students and indirectly through the education of preachers, teachers, doctors, and lawyers. All good teaching is local. These authors describe their best practices (and admit to their shortcomings) in service- learning, and place them in the rich context of the institutional missions of schools where we teach, the teachers' commitments expressed in course syllabi,