SCUPE’s CityVoices July 2007
A resource of the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education

2007-08 Curriculum

This edition of CityVoices brings you an up-to-date catalogue of SCUPE’s course offerings. You’ll find listings and descriptions for classes taught in the Graduate Theological Urban Studies (GTUS) program, the Center for African-American Theological Studies (CAATS), Nurturing the Call (NtC) and the Master of Arts in Community Development (MACD) program. While both GTUS and CAATS are designed for M.Div. students, NtC and MACD are open to a wide range of scholars, professionals and those seeking God’s call on their lives. Look through the listings carefully to determine the program, academic track or individual course that may meet your needs. Ask questions. Contact SCUPE’s Registrar, Dody Finch at (312) 726-1200, or dody@scupe.com.

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In September’s CityVoices --

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GTUS   Graduate Theological Urban Studies Course Listing

Fall 2007
SCUPE S-H 306: Theological Resources for Public Ministry – Christianity is about personal faith and public ministry. What are the motivating religious values related to the Christian faith that inform individuals, churches and faith-based organizations to actively engage the world?  This course is intended to give participants an appreciation of the rich resources within a variety of Christian traditions that can form a foundation and rationale for a variety of forms of public ministry. 3 semester hours. Professor: David Frenchak, Oct. 5-7, 19-21 (Fridays 4-9pm; Saturdays 9am-5pm; Sundays 8am-4pm), RSS Religion in Society Studies.
SCUPE  S-H 303: Public Issues in Urban Ministry – Examines the critical issues affecting the quality of life for those living in major metropolitan areas. An in-depth examination of the contributions of faith communities to social analysis, public theology, and transformation in relation to issues such as welfare reform, racism, poverty, violence, gentrification and the like.  3 semester hours. Professor: Cynthia Milsap, Nov. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 (Fridays 1-9pm; Saturdays 9am-5pm), RSS Religion in Society Studies.

Winter/ Spring 2008
SCUPE M 305: Dimensions and Dynamics of Urban Ministry – This course, organized as a sequence of days concentrating on particular neighborhoods and the ministries at work within them, demonstrates a variety of approaches to the gospel in the city. These conversations with urban ministers provide a comprehensive view of SCUPE's approach to Urban Work.  3 semester hours. Professor: Yvonne Delk    , (January-term) Jan 7-11, 14-18 (9am-5pm), MS I. Nature and Practice of Ministry.
SCUPE  B-Th 302: Urban Principalities and the Spirit of the City – Drawing from recent theological work on the biblical language of power, this course will seek to understand the city, its systems and its ministries by understanding the "principalities and powers."  3 semester hours. Professor: Bill Wylie-Kellermann, Feb 1-2, 8-9, 15-16 (Fridays 1-9pm; Saturdays 9-5pm), TS III. Topics in Theology.
SCUPE M 304: Christology and Culture – Employing a narrative hermeneutic, introduces Christology from a global, cultural and liberational perspective, and its significance for urban missiology. 3 semester hours. Professor: Jim Perkinson, Feb 29-March 1, Mar 7-8, 14-15 (Fridays 1-9pm; Saturdays 9-5pm)
SCUPE S-H 304: Good News for the City – Course held in conjunction with the Congress on Urban Ministry, which features nationally recognized speakers addressing current issues of evangelism and justice within arenas of politics, economics, race, culture. Fees include event registration. 2/3 semester hours. Professor: Glenn Martin Klaassen, April 15-18.
SCUPE M 306: Urban Preaching Intensive – This course is designed to provide individuals with the theoretical framework and social insight necessary to effectively preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the contemporary urban context. It refers to the act of preaching as an art, which presupposes that many of the traditional or classical homiletical approaches may not adequately respond to the needs of either this context or generation. This course, therefore, applies the language and hermeneutic tools of the arts, including popular culture, to describe both the social context of urban life and the preached word. 3 semester hours. Professors: David Frenchak/Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, April 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 (9am-5pm), MS V. Preaching and Communication.
SCUPE  S-H 305: Restoring Urban Communities – Introduction to principles and practices of church-based community development. Presents the relationship between biblical faith and development practice through site visits to effective models, and an overview of the resources and leadership skills necessary for effective community development. 3 semester hours. Professor: Mary Nelson, May 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 (Fridays 1-9pm; Saturdays 9-5pm), RSS Religion and Society Studies.
SCUPE Supervised Ministry Practicum – Focuses on personal formation for ministry by integrating work in the ministry setting with SCUPE's academic course load. Using a case study approach, it provides a forum for faith sharing, personal self-awareness of gifts and skills for ministry, theological reflection on experience, and peer group reflection on actual ministry in response to the Gospel. It is also the course vehicle for SCUPE's full-time summer internship field education/ministry credit. Credit varies by seminary. TBA.

Summer 2008
SCUPE  M 302: Cross-cultural Ministry Intensive – Using the city as a multicultural global laboratory, this two-week intensive provides a practical theology for ministry in a multicultural context, engages biblical study of the early church's struggle with cultural barriers, encourages respect and appreciation of world-views and value systems different from one's one, offers anti-racism training, builds skills in movement and communication across cultural divides, and exposes students directly to a wide variety of ministries in diverse cultural settings. 3 semester hours. Professor: Cynthia Milsap, June 2-6, 9-13 (9am-5pm), MS I Nature and Practice of Ministry.
SCUPE Supervised Ministry Practicum (Summer) – (See course description listed under Spring term), TBA.

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CAATS   Center for African-American Theological Studies Course Listing

Bib. R 301  Introduction to Biblical Studies – This course is designed to introduce participants to reading, studying, interpreting, and appropriating the Bible with an emphasis on the importance of critical interpretation for African Americans and other marginalized people. 
Bib. R 302  Biblical Hermeneutics -- The aim of the course is to increase the student’s understanding of the historical, cultural, and literary relationships between the Bible and ancient Egypt. The course will take an exegetical look at all the references to Egypt in the Bible. In addition, we will explore how these texts are interpreted by Africans, African-Americans, womanist scholars and Africentric interpreters.   
Bib. R 303  New Testament Survey – This is an introductory course on the reading of the New Testaments with a focus on the origins of the texts and processes by which they were compiled. Particular attention will be paid to how African-Americans have approached these texts in inhospitable social conditions. 
Hist. R 310  History of Christianity: An African Story – This course will focus on the period, early Christianity to 1960.  The goal is to show African agency in the formation of Christian traditions and African Christian initiatives under the hegemonic tendencies of Western colonial Christianity. 
Hist. R 311  African-American Church History – This course is offered to illuminate African-American religious thought, practice, and organizational development, as an integral, contributing component of the social and religious unfolding of the United States; to surface historical themes, issues, and practices that are instructive for an adequate understanding of contemporary U.S. life and of its constituent peoples, especially African-Americans.
Theo. R 320  Introduction to Theology – In order to achieve a basic understanding of the discipline of Theology this course will survey the central themes in Christian Theology from its beginnings in the first century, through the 18th century Enlightenment, to the rise of liberation theologies in North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America during the latter part of the twentieth century. Special attention will be given to the beginnings of Black and womanist theologies. 
Theo. R 321  Black Theology – The purpose of this course is to develop a critical understanding of the origins of black theology and its connections to liberation theology.  An exploration of the works of James Cone and other theologians who place the histories, experiences, and the intellectual and faith traditions of African Americans at the center of their theological construction and methods.
Theo. R 322  Womanist Theology – The purpose of this course is to develop a critical understanding and interpretation of womanist theology; to become familiar with its intellectual and faith traditions; to put womanist theologians in critical dialogue; to examine womanist scholar’s commonalities and differences; to see how they challenge our own perspectives; and to analyze ways that history and ethnography enhance womanist construction.
Eth. R 330  Introduction to Christian Ethics – This course explores the concepts of morality and ethics within the Biblical and Christian contexts with particular emphasis on clarifying how our interpretation of these concepts shapes our thinking and actions as it relates to issues such as race, gender, and other justice issues. 
Min. R 340  Pastoral Care in the African-American Community – This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of pastoral ministry and pastoral care and counseling within the African American Church.  To that end, it has been specifically designed around the life cycle and African-American identity issues. 
Min. R 341  Introduction to Africentric Preaching and Worship – This course examines the African American church and community context and the particular and unique role of preaching in the Black Church.  The course provides historical and cultural context, while also examining the changing needs of the congregations and its impact on the style and format of this style of the church’s preaching and worship services.
Min. R 342 Africentric Christian Education – This course will explore the historical, theological, biblical and pedagogical foundations of Africentric Christian Education and the implications they have on ministry in African American congregations. 
Min. R 343  Ministry in the African-American Church – This course will provide an introduction to the nature of ministry in the African-American church and community. It will explore the various roles and ministries provided by the church and the leadership of ministers serving in the church and in other locations.
Inter. R 360  Africentric Theological Inquiry – This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine what it means to use an Africentric theological perspective or lens for evaluating the experience, thought, and theology of Africans in the United States and in the Diaspora.
Inter.  R 361  Introduction to Theological Writing –The class guides students through a step-by-step process of academic writing and provide resources to strengthen writing used for a variety of different types of seminary or theological writing assignments. 
Theo. E 421  Africentric Issues in Theological Thought -- This is an introductory interdisciplinary course designed to bring students and educators together in an organic and emergent framework for raising and answering questions concerned with Black issues and contexts.
Min. E 441  African-American Leadership – Students will explore the economic, political, social, and religious history of America as it intersects with the African-American pursuit of dignity, equality, and opportunity. This history will be analyzed within the context of the Black church and the role it has played in fostering leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, and Mary McLeod Bethune. 
Eth. E 431  Proctor Conference Course – This class will require students to attend the annual Samuel D. Proctor Conference (February). The course will be built on presentations from the top African-American pastors, preachers, and seminary professors representing a range of denominations, ministries, and theological perspectives.

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NtC   Nurturing the Call Course Listing

SCUPE Th-200 Introduction to Theological Studies – It is through one's personal quest for answers that faith and theology emerge and become the basis for determining and fulfilling one’s Christian vocation. This course guides students in an exploration of their own theological beliefs and faith traditions and the beliefs of key theological thinkers
in the Christian tradition. 3 semester hours.
SCUPE M-210 Urban Ministry Practicum I – This course provides structured personal and peer group reflection which links one’s personal faith, life experiences, and religious tradition.  Particular emphasis is placed on exploring how these experiences contribute to the process of spiritual formation and shape one’s call to ministry. 2 semester hours.
SCUPE B-220 Introduction to Biblical Studies -- This course introduces students to a Biblical framework for interpreting the Scriptures, exploring themes of liberation and justice.  Students learn to read, study, and appropriate the Bible using methods that emphasize the importance of critical interpretation. 3 semester hours.
SCUPE Th-R 230 Theological Research and Study Skills – A general introduction to theological research and study skills, the course is designed to help students integrate their theological studies with practical ministry application and research skills. 3 semester hours.
SCUPE H-240 Church History – This course offers a critical exploration of the historical and religious roots of African American Christianity and the Christian movement.  It explores African American religious history, thought, and traditions and their influence on the ecclesiastical activity of today’s local congregations. 3 semester hours.
SCUPE M-300 Urban Ministry Practicum II – This course provides peer group reflection and faith-sharing that increases the student’s level of self-awareness and gifts for ministry.  Using the case study approach, students reflect on the work done in the student’s ministry location or area.. 2 semester hours.

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MACD   Master of Arts in Community Development Course Listing

Required Courses
MACD 5010: Professional Communication for the Field – This course enables the student to engage in a writing process that produces well supported arguments and other professional correspondence for a variety of purposes, contexts, and audiences.
MACD 5120: Historical Perspectives on Community Development -- Using Chicago as its primary laboratory, this course examines the history of the theories and the realities of community development.
MACD 5130: Urban Politics and Community Development – This course explores the context of community-based development and seeks to develop a new understanding of municipal, state and federal politics for present day practitioners.
MACD 5140: Cultural Competence in Community Development – This experiential learning course is intended to advance students’ ability to effectively engage in and facilitate community development activities in a culturally-diverse context.
MACD 5210: Applied Research Methods – This course examines the many uses of applied research for community work. Students will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of traditional and other methods, along with the moral presuppositions of each method and the ethical implications of their use.
MACD 5310: Principles and Process of Community Development – The purpose of this foundational course is to provide a comprehensive background in the theories of community development, with a particular focus on asset-based community development.

Specializations (certificates, degree students select one four-course specialization)
I.  Community Building:
MACD 5450: Appreciative Inquiry: Building Communities from Within – This course will introduce Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as an approach to community building. Building communities from the inside requires a systematic approach that taps into, draws upon, and integrates the knowledge, skills and participation of community stakeholders.
MACD 5451: Asset-based Community Development – Each and every community boosts a unique combination of assets upon which to build its future. Included in this combination of assets are the gifts of individuals, the capacities of citizen associations and the resources of local institutions.
MACD 5452: Capacities and Competencies for Mobilizing Community Leadership – A community-building leader facilitates the efforts of community residents and professionals to engage in collective action. This course examines the theories and key competencies for leadership development in the context of community building.
MACD 5453: Building Sustainable Communities – A sustainable community can provide for all of its residents, promoting their health and co-existence with the natural world. This course addresses systems, their breakdown, positive alternatives, and courageous practices committed to waste nothing and no one.

II. Community Organizing
MACD 5550: Principles and Practices of Community Organizing – This course introduces the field of community organizing, in which organizations seek to impact public policy by building power at the grassroots, through bringing together large numbers of concerned people.
MACD 5551: Community Organizing: Field Experience – This field-based practicum provides a supervised experience in working with a community organization to build a community meeting. Students will get experience in membership recruitment, issue identification, issue campaign development, meeting planning and media relations. 
MACD 5552: Comparative Studies in Community Organizing –Using case studies, this course will examine the myriad of ways organized community groups in Chicago seek accountability from elected officials, corporations and institutions as well as increased direct representation within decision-making bodies and social reform.
MACD 5553: Changing Public Policy through Grass-roots Action – This course builds on the previous three courses in the community organizations specialization to examine how grassroots action can effect public policy change in larger arenas, such as at the city, state and national levels. 

III. Housing and Economic Development
MACD 5650: Introduction to Community Economies – This course provides an introduction to the economic life of neighborhoods and cities. Students will examine the strengths and weaknesses of economies based solely on monetary cash values and discuss the possibilities for exchanges measured in “time dollars” and other non-cash values.
MACD 5651: Government Housing Policy and Local Communities – This course centers on the development of U.S. Housing policy as a by-product confluence of events after World War II. We examine the Chicago experience: racial turnover, public housing, the impact of the landmark Gautreaux case and its aftermath.
MACD 5652: Practices of Community Economic Development – This course provides case studies and practical examples of community-based economic development. The most common government programs that affect local neighborhoods are examined in terms of their usefulness for community development.
MACD 5653: Construction and Management of Affordable Housing –The course covers the basics of developing and managing federally regulated housing programs, with emphasis on the operation of community development corporations.

IV. Congregational-based Community Development
MACD 5750: Wholistic Strategies for Congregational-based Community Development – Participants will be introduced to the principles and strategies of resident-based community organizing, collaboration and mobilization; the role of the church in community transformation, leadership development, community exegesis, and understanding the ramifications of institutional racism on urban communities.               
MACD 5751: Congregational-based Community Economic Development – The course examines theory, methods and best practices of community economic development; ways to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the local economy; and provides a larger context for analysis through an overview of regional, national and global economies.
MACD 5752: Organizational and Leadership Development – This course examines the organizational and leadership resources required to establish a viable nonprofit community development corporation from a congregational base.
MACD 5753: Faith, Justice and Public Policy – The course examines current public policy issues impacting low income communities and the biblical examples of response.  We will explore various methodologies of engaging people of faith in moving from charity to development, from individual actions to “up the river” systems and policies changes.

Electives – (Degree students select two electives from the following or from SCUPE’s GTUS courses)
MACD 5600: Finance and Fundraising for Community Development – This course introduces students to advanced theories and strategies of financial management and fundraising for community-based organizations.
MACD 5950: Topics in Community Development – The topics course is designed to address emerging issues in the field of community development. It is not intended to address content routinely covered in the curriculum and will be offered as a supplemental elective as warranted by student demand.
MACD 5910: Independent Study (1 -3 SH) – This course provides opportunity to study in detail a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a MACD faculty member whose approval is prerequisite for the course. (repeatable)

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Must Read!

“Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities,” by Robert M. Franklin, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2007

With his recent book, Robert M. Franklin, Distinguished Professor of Social Ethics at Emory University, provides first-person insight as he identifies the crises residing within three anchor institutions that have played key roles in the black struggle for freedom. Black families face a "crisis of commitment" evident in the rising rates of father absence, births to unmarried parents, divorce, and domestic abuse or relationship violence.

Black churches face a "mission crisis" as they struggle to serve their upwardly mobile and established middle class, right alongside the poorest of the poor. Historically black colleges and universities face a crisis of "relevance and purpose" as they now compete for the best students and faculty with the broad marketplace of colleges. With clarity and passion, Franklin calls for practical and comprehensive action for change from within the African-American community and from all Americans.

“In ‘Crisis in the Village,’ Robert Franklin provides us with a much-needed blueprint that doesn’t just tell us what’s wrong in Black America, but gives specific suggestions for what we can do to change and make things right. It should be required reading for everyone concerned about the future of Black children, the Black community, and America.” – Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children’s Defense Fund

“Practical Justice: Living Off-center in a Self-centered World,” by Kevin Blue, InterVarsity Press, 2006

Many of us know the world is filled with injustice, but ask, “What can I do about it?” We are well-intended people, but stuck in the rut of everyday life. We don't know where to start. We wonder about everything from whether to give a dollar to a beggar to how to participate in the political process. We question shopping at Wal-Mart, as well as how much we spend on a car.

“Practical Justice” deals with the hard matters of providing direct relief while at the same time fixing the system, counting the cost of service while at the same time committing oneself to a lifetime of justice. In a short 138 pages, the author provides a timely and comprehensive set of recommendations for following Christ and living for one’s community.

Author and urban ministry activist Kevin Blue has spent most of his adult life in Los Angeles where he ministers with Servant Partners as well as directs InterVarsity’s Los Angeles Urban Project. His experience in training college students for urban ministry as well as in international treks to the poorest parts of the world shows through. “Practical Justice” will help you catch a vision for right thinking, right action and just living.

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Thanks for Reading SCUPE’s CityVoices!

For further information about SCUPE, or CityVoices newsletter, contact:
Roger Johnson
SCUPE’s CityVoices
200 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 502
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 726-1200 Ext. 239
(312) 726-0425 fax
roger@scupe.com

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