Content

The Spiritual discipline implicit in the telling of sacred stories rests in narrative theology. This unit considers performance, contemplative listening and story telling tools of memory and recollection. These tools will be developed and applied, drawing on a repertoire of sacred narratives, sacred texts and poetry drawn from major religious traditions. Students will engage in reflective practice within the process of story selection and application to context. The unit addresses performance skills, contemplative listening and tools for storytelling from memory. There will be the opportunity to apply these tools in field work and in-class storytelling. Attention will be paid to verbal and non-verbal elements, building students’ confidence and capacity to create storytelling events and engage their audiences.

Unit code: DE8001P

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Education Studies

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Pilgrim Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Integrate appropriate passages from Christian scripture and tradition as well as other sources to convey their meaning in small and large groups;

2.

Identify and apply learning practices in kinaesthetic, visual and auditory modes to map and recall stories;

3.

Critically evaluate various contexts for oral story telling and explain the selection of appropriate material for audience engagement;

4.

Analyse the strategies of vocal delivery and non-verbal communication that modulate a text for different audiences and contexts in vocal delivery and non-verbal communication;

5.

Analyse the language elements within texts in order to identify triggers that enable memorability and audience connection;

6.

Describe and analyse the reciprocity of telling and listening in self-reflection and peer review.

Pedagogy

Live demonstration Performance practice Video demonstration Lecture/tutorial Models rubrics Action reflection

Indicative Bibliography

  • Armstrong, Karen. A Short history of Myth. Melbourne: Text, 2005.
  • Bausch, William. Storytelling Imagination and Faith. Mystic: Twenty third publications, 1986.
  • Boomershine, Thomas. Story Journey, an Invitation to the Gospel as Storytelling. Nashville: Abingdon, 1998.
  • Cathcart, Michael and Darian-Smith, Kate, eds. Stirring Australian Speeches. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2004.
  • Crossan, John Dominic. The Dark Interval, Towards a Theology of Story. Farmington: Polebridge, 1988.
  • Kelly, Lynne. The Memory Code. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2016.
  • O’Brien, Dominic. Learn to Remember. London: Duncan Baird, 2009.
  • Ong, Walter. Orality and Literacy, the Technologizing of the Word. London: Routledge, 1982.
  • Ramsden, Ashley and Hollingsworth, Sue. The Storyteller’s Way. Stroud: Hawthorn Press, 2013.
  • Silf, Margaret. One Hundred Wisdom Stories. Oxford: Lion, 2011.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Case Study

Case study report [outlining story selection, rehearsal notes, preparation of space, reflection on practice and self-evaluation, including photos, sound/video recording 2000 words

2000 40.0
Report

Report – review storytelling performance using rubric 1000 words

1000 10.0
Oral Presentation

15 mins oral presentation from memory equivalent 2000 words 2 examiners and video/audio recordings

1000 20.0
Report

Report of 1000 words identify and analyse oral qualities of language in a speech

1000 10.0
Oral Presentation

15 mins oral presentation from memory equivalent 2000 words 2 examiners and video/audio recordings

1000 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2016

Unit record last updated: 2022-10-04 10:16:28 +1100