Prepping Class with Newspaper in Hand Posted on August 25, 2014 by Julia FoggI have observed that most of my traditional undergraduates do not read the day’s news reports, listen to weekly political analysts, or even follow current issues on social media. Unfortunately, this lacunae can further the perceived disconnect between the classroom/campus and “real life”…. ….so how can a newspaper help? What happens when we put contemporary issues side by side with biblical texts in the classroom? Can we prep class like Jeremiah, one eye on God’s word and the other on the political jungle around us?
Sustainable Service Learning: A SLO Transformation Posted on July 11, 2014 by Julia FoggI began incorporating service learning over a decade ago, fresh out of grad school. I had few committee and no administrative responsibilities so all my time and energy went into teaching. I quickly learned two things: service and experiential learning are deeply transformative for students but incredibly time consuming for faculty…. Designing service learning or experiential learning courses presents two make-or-break challenges. The first is challenge is logistical…the second is relational…
Theology of Mission in the Classroom: Embodied Cultural Contestations? Posted on April 25, 2014 by Robert SalerWhat does theologizing about mission mean for the seminary classroom? I would suggest that it means that discussions of theology and mission need to take a cue from history courses and emphasize that culture, like the history of the church, is not a peaceful stream of predictable events but a contested series of contingencies, complex theologies, and variegated worldviews. We must “complicate” talk of culture in the classroom with the same rigor with which we complicate the theological discourses native to our seminaries.
Reimagining Nimble Ways of Preparing Persons for Church Leadership—2 of 2 Posted on July 23, 2013 by Robin SteinkeLet’s clarify the challeges for preparing persons for Church leadership: The world needs the church to be better at being the church. Global crises are erupting around issues of poverty, environmental degradation, economic injustice, alienation of persons, refugees and immigration challenges, human trafficking and violence, to name just a few urgent issues. The list is long and complex. The world needs the church to be better at being the church in ways that bear witness to God’s promise for the flourishing of the world.