Content

This unit will explore the roots of the church in the messianic ministry of risen, crucified Jesus Christ and the sending of the Spirit. Attention will be given to the classical marks of the church (one, holy, catholic and apostolic) as well as to the particular marks noted by the Reformers (preaching and sacraments). Church-dividing disputes around sacraments and ministry will be noted. The character and history of minority ancient Christian communities (e.g. India, China, Ethiopia) will also be addressed. Attention will turn to the twentieth-century emergence of churches in the global south and the post-Christendom realities faced by mainline churches in lands marked by “Western culture” (with particular reference to the Uniting Church in Australia). Consideration of these developments will assist the critical examination both of classical ecclesiologies and of developing contemporary approaches to the body of Christ.

Unit code: DA8089P

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Mission and Ministry

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Pilgrim Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Describe the origins of the church in the messianic ministry of Jesus and the origins of ecclesiology in the biblical witness

2.

Explain the classical marks of the church, their origin and significance

3.

Explain the major ecclesiological issues which emerged at the Reformation

4.

Assess the shifts in ecclesiological reflection prompted by the emergence of the non-Western churches during the twentieth century

5.

Produce the outline of a post-Christendom ecclesiology in the context of a global church.

Pedagogy

Guided reading materials, online forums

Indicative Bibliography

  • Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a non-Western Religion. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1995.
  • Bradbury, John. Perpetually Reforming: A Theology of Church Reform and Renewal. London: Bloomsbury, 2013.
  • Hill, Graham. Salt, Light and a City: Introducing Missional Ecclesiology. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2012.
  • Idowu, E. Bolaji. Towards an Indigenous Church. London: Oxford University Press, 1965.
  • Irvin, Dale T. “From One Story to Many: An Ecumenical Reappraisal of Church History.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 28, no. 4 (1991): 537–54.
  • Kalu, Ogbu U. “Preserving a Worldview: Pentecostalism in the African Maps of the Universe.” Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 24, no. 2 (2002): 110–37.
  • Miller, Vincent J. “Where Is the Church? Globalization and Catholicity.” Theological Studies 69, no. 2 (2008): 412–32.
  • Sanneh, Lamin O. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2009.
  • Thiessen,Gesa. Apostolic and Prophetic: Ecclesiological Perspectives. Cambridge: James Clark, 2012.
  • Watson, Natalie. Introducting Feminist Ecclesiology. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 1996.
  • White, James F. Sacraments in Protestant Practice and Faith. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999.
  • World Council of Churches. The Church: Towards a Common Vision. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2013.
  • Yoder, John Howard. Body Politics: Five Practices of the Christian Community Before the Watching World. Nahsville: Discipleship Resources, 1992.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Seminar or Tutorial

Online participation in regular tutorials (600 words)

600 10.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

1200 words collation of tutorial reflections

1200 20.0
Essay

3000 words research essay on the global, post-Christendom church

3000 50.0
Learning Resource

1200 words web resource or study guide on biblical roots of ecclesiology

1200 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2015

Unit record last updated: 2022-10-04 13:28:56 +1100