Content

With the underlying purpose of making spiritual formation and the disciplines of discernment and self-discovery explicit to the educational experience from the students’ first year of study, this unit is designed to provide participants with the basic skills and resources to make life-giving connections between theology and the practice of faith.

Unit code: DA8701W

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Mission and Ministry

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Reflect critically on their own story of faith

2.

Examine a theological theme identified within their own life-narrative

3.

Discuss the concept of vocation and ministry vision

4.

Articulate the contours of practical theology and its major sub-disciplines of ethics, pastoral care, mission and spirituality.

5.

Utilise models of theological reflection that integrate theory, Biblical themes and practice

Unit sequence

Foundational for Whitley units in Field D

Pedagogy

Readings, personal reflection, participation in on-line forum.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Anderson, Ray S. The Shape of Practical Theology: Empowering Ministry with Theological Praxis. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2001.
  • Benson, David, Martin Karan and Andrew Sloane (Eds). Transforming Vocation: Connecting Theology, Church, and the Workplace for a Flourishing World. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2021.
  • Brenner, D.C. The gift of being yourself: The sacred call of self-discovery. Downers Grove, IL: IVP books, 2004.
  • Osmer, Richard, R. Practical Theology: An Introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008.
  • Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000. (recommended for purchase)
  • Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty centuries of Christian wisdom on vocation. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2005.
  • Rohr, Richard. Immortal Diamond: The search for our true self. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2013.
  • Silf, Margaret. Sacred in the City: Seeing the spiritual in the everyday. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press Augsburg Books, 2019.
  • Volf, Miroslav, and Dorothy C. Bass, eds. Practicing Theology: Beliefs and Practices in Christian Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002.
  • Woolnough, B., and Wonsuk Ma. Holistic Mission: God’s plan for God’s people. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Forum - Three 500 word forum reflections

Three 500 word reflection papers building from online forum discussion

1500 30.0
Reflection

1500 word Theological reflection Paper

1500 30.0
Essay

3000 word Essay

3000 40.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 22 Sep, 2021

Unit record last updated: 2021-09-22 20:53:22 +1000