Church, Culture and Hermeneutics I - Identity and Belonging (DP0161W)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit explores the role of culture as a hermeneutical tool and its impact upon the way we be the church. Students will be equiped with skills in reading and understanding culture, as well as understanding basic skills in biblical hermeneutics. Students will reflect upon their own hermeneutical practice and respond to questions of communal identity, belonging, and intercultural and intergenerational community life. This unit will invite guests from among church leaders to contribute to the conversation had in class.

Unit code: DP0161W

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Diploma

Unit discipline: Pastoral Theology and Ministry Studies

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Utilise basic skills in hermeneutics
2.

Apply selected theories of culture into specific contexts
3.

Discuss a cultural hermeneutic at work in a personal faith based context

Pedagogy

Student lead discussion, workshops, engagement with cultural representatives

Indicative Bibliography

  • Chan, Simon. Grassroots Asian Theology: Thinking the Faith from the Ground Up. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2014.
  • Foster, Tim. Suburban Captivity of the Church. Moreland, VIC: Acorn Press, 2014.
  • Jeung, Russell. At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus among My Ancestors and Refugee Neighbors. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016.
  • Lee, Hak Joon, ed. Intersecting Realities: Race, Identity, and Culture in the Spiritual-Moral Life of Young Asian Americans. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2018.
  • Maggay, Melba Padilla. Global Kingdom, Global People: Living Faithfully in a Multicultural World. Cumbria, CA: Langham, 2017
  • Mburu, Elizabeth. African Hermeneutics. Cumbria, CA: Langham, 2019.
  • McCaulley, Esau. Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2020.
  • Rah, Soong-Chan. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church. Chicago: IL: Moody, 2010.
  • Richards, E. Randolph and Brandon J. O'Brien. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2012.
  • Shin, Sarah. Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2017.
  • Woodley, Randy. Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012.
  • Yoder, Laura S Meitzner, ed. Living Radical Discipleship. Cumbria, CA: Langham, 2021.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Journal

Five 150 word journal entries on a specified theme

 750 25.0
Seminar or Tutorial

15 minute class presentation

 1000 30.0
Reflection 1500 45.0
Approvals

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

Unit record last updated: 2021-09-22 20:58:30 +1000