This graduate seminar explores selfhood within Black transnational consciousness through the lens of missio Dei—God’s redemptive mission unfolding across history and borders. Tracing relational identities from the Atlantic slave trade, colonial alienation, Pan-African resistance, and digital diasporas, students engage Fanon, Gilroy, Wynter, and Mbembe alongside theological reflections on divine agency in liberation. The course culminates in original frameworks integrating Black being, global justice, and God’s mission in climate and AI futures.
Students emerge equipped to articulate Black transnational selfhood as a theological and historical force within missio Dei, blending Fanon’s psychic critique with divine liberation narratives. They gain rigorous skills in interdisciplinary analysis—spanning Africana philosophy, postcolonial theory, and theology—while crafting original frameworks that connect global Black resistance to God’s redemptive mission. This prepares them for ministry, academia, or activism that confronts racism, migration, and ecological crisis through a faith-rooted, border-transcending lens.
In an era of escalating global migration, resurgent racial violence, and climate-induced displacement, this course stands uniquely crucial: it equips students to interpret Black transnational selfhood as the vanguard of missio Dei—God’s border-defying mission of justice. While other courses dissect identity or theology in isolation, this one fuses Africana thought with divine liberation, revealing how Black consciousness historically incarnates God’s redemptive movement. Graduates thus become indispensable interpreters of faith amid polycrisis, guiding churches and societies toward solidarity that transcends nation, race, and epoch.
This course integrates the Biblically-based core value by grounding explorations of Black transnational selfhood in scriptural narratives of God's redemptive mission, from Genesis's cultural mandate for stewardship amid colonial alienation to prophetic calls for justice in Pan-African resistance and creation care in eco-futures. Drawing on biblical examples like Jesus' parables and Acts' communal witness, it equips students to discern divine agency in global Black consciousness, transforming missional practice through faithful cultural engagement and kingdom-oriented relationships.
This course integrates the missionally-driven core value by immersing students in God's redemptive mission, affirming their sentness to join divine work amid Black transnational struggles—from colonial alienation to digital diasporas. Through biblical discernment of God's activity in Pan-African resistance and eco-justice, it cultivates compassionate action and communal perseverance, equipping learners for lifelong leadership in global kingdom restoration.
This course integrates the contextually-informed core value by embedding sociocultural analysis of Black transnational experiences—from colonial racialization to digital diasporas—into theological reflection, drawing on demographic and cultural data to shape missional strategies. Students cultivate awareness of diverse worldviews, evaluate intercultural dynamics in Pan-African resistance, and apply incarnational living to God's redemptive mission across global contexts.
This course integrates the interculturally-focused core value by grounding Black transnational selfhood in biblical foundations like the Table of Nations and Jesus’ Samaritan engagement, while examining colonial power imbalances in alienation narratives. Students build authentic connections across diasporic contexts, cultivating humility and communication proficiency to advance God’s redemptive mission in Pan-African and global justice movements.
This course integrates the practically-minded core value by translating theoretical insights on Black transnational selfhood into actionable missional strategies, drawing on research-informed practices to advance justice in diasporic contexts. Students develop professional identities aligned with God's mission, bridging faith and diversity through critical writing, ethical integrity, and scalable engagements from local communities to global eco-justice initiatives.
This course integrates the experientially-transformed core value by embedding reflective field practices into explorations of Black transnational selfhood, applying classroom theories on colonial alienation and Pan-African resistance in real-world missional contexts. Through student-faculty collaborations and theological reflection, it fosters personal responsibility and open-minded integration, equipping learners with transformative skills for God's redemptive mission amid global diasporas.
