Examines and evaluates various theories and practices used to appropriate the message of the Christian Faith in the local context with a special focus on the globalization and pluralistic context of the twenty-first century. The student will develop strategies for assessing a particular context and bringing the Gospel into constructive conversation with it.
The bachelor level course will provide the student with an introduction to the reality that all theology is contextual and the missional task is a theological task. The master’s level course assumes a basic knowledge of contextual theology and examines case studies of the contextualization process. This course will provide necessary skills and a conceptual framework for evaluating a context entering into a constructive, missional dialogue with it.
The missional imagination is one in which the reign of God is realized within every particular context in the world, both conforming to the shape and transforming the shape of that context with the message of Jesus. This course teaches the practical process of living that theological reality out in everyday practice within community, and is thus, vital to the vision of Missional University.
The Bible is a contextual document, written in particular contexts for particular contexts. Doing theology in context is a Biblical practice.
The mission of God is to bring the message of Jesus into the myriad of particular contexts in the world for the purpose of God’s reign being realized within each context. This course offers a framework in which to participate in the process.
This course embraces the core value that everything is contextual and allows the student to enter into that conceptual and practical space.
It is a growing reality that many contexts are a pluralistic mixture of cultures, thus adding complexity to the contextualization process and the necessity of learning to communicate interculturally.
All theology is practical theology because it is the process of framing the lived experience in the mission of God at work in the world. This course offers the practical experience of doing theology.
The process of doing theology in a particular context is the experience of dialogue with the neighbor who is different. This course will offer opportunities to experience the dialogue.
