Course Listing 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 - with projected offerings for Revised November 8, 2020 - Chicago Theological Seminary
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Course Listing
with projected offerings for
2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22
Revised November 8, 2020All courses listed here are subject to change.
Additional courses not listed will be offered by Adjunct Faculty
Courses ending with the letter B are Bayan Courses offered in partnership with CTS
For up to date course information contact Tina Shelton, Registrar
Phone: (773) 896-2471 Email: tina.shelton@ctschicgao.edu
For information on textbooks for courses to be offered in the upcoming semester:
https://mycts.ctschicago.edu/student-resources/courses-degrees/.
Fields of Study:
RH — Religious Heritage
Hebrew Bible...........................................................................................................................p. 1
New Testament .......................................................................................................................p. 4
Religious History .....................................................................................................................p. 7
RHB denotes Religious Heritage courses offered through Bayan Chicago.
TEC — Theology, Ethics & Contemporary Culture
Theology .................................................................................................................................p. 9
Ethics & Contemporary Culture ........................................................................................... p. 17
TEB denotes Theology, Ethics, & Contemporary Culture courses offered through Bayan Chicago.
LM — Leadership and Ministry (formerly “CM”) ........................................................................... p. 22
LMB denotes Leadership and Ministry courses offered through Bayan Chicago.
FE — Field Education ................................................................................................................... p. 31
Other Information:
Academic Calendar ........................................................................................................................ p. 32
Required Course Schedules ........................................................................................................... p. 33
MA and MDiv Prerequisites ........................................................................................................... p. 35
Levels of Courses:
300 - 399 Introductory
400 - 499 Intermediate
500 - 599 Advanced
600 - 699 Doctoral
e - evening offering
o – online offering
h – hybrid offering
f – flex offering
TBA - To be announced. Course is not expected to be offered in the next three years.
Cross-Registration in the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS)
Students of any of the ACTS schools may take courses from any of the other member schools with no
added charge. Registration for all courses, no matter which school, takes place in the school where the
student is enrolled. Students may register by completing a cross-registration form. Each school in ACTS
reserves the right to limit enrollment in certain courses for pedagogical reasons and to set its own
policies for the admission of students from other schools to such courses. A student who cross-registers
is subject to the policy for incompletes at the school into which she/he cross-registers. The ACTS catalog
can be found at http://actschicago.org/, and the registration form can be found on MyCTS under
Registrar.Accreditation Accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, and the following degree programs are approved: MDiv, MA (Religious Studies), STM, PhD Approved for a Comprehensive Distance Education Program. Approved for a fully online MDiv, MA (Religious Studies), and STM. The Commission contact information is: The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada 10 Summit Park Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15275 USA Telephone: 412-788-6505 Fax: 412-788-6510 Website: www.ats.edu Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and the following degree programs are approved: MDiv, MA (Religious Studies), STM, PhD Approved for a fully online MDiv, MA (Religious Studies), and STM. The Higher Learning Commission 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 4000 Chicago, IL 60602-2504 MDiv and Certificate Concentrations in Islamic Chaplaincy as well as the MA in Islamic Studies are offered via an articulation agreement based on a MOU with Bayan.
Religious Heritage
Hebrew Bible Very Different Visions: Jewish and Christian
Biblical Interpretation
Rachel Mikva
RH 301
How do Jewish and Christian exegetes read such
Interpreting the Hebrew Bible
Ken Stone or Staff different notions of God and humanity out of the
same texts? We explore ideas about creation,
An introduction for beginning students to the sin, sex, messiah, body/soul, with attention to
problems of the historical and theological multiple ways in which they have been
interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Special interpreted within Judaism and Christianity
attention given to Pentateuch and narrative
To be offered: TBD
history (Joshua-2 Kings).
MDiv, MA required course. RH409
To be offered: F19e, F19o, S20o, F20, F20o, S21o, F21, Study Tour in Israel and Palestine
F21o, S22o Rachel Mikva
History pours out of every rock, and hopes for
RH 302
the future radiate from every face. This 2-week
Interpreting the Hebrew Bible II journey explores the biblical heritage, the vitality
Rachel Mikva of the modern State of Israel, and the
tremendous challenges in pursuing justice and
An exploration of historical, literary and
peace for Palestinians and Israelis. We meet
theological interpretations of the prophetic,
partners in the Jewish and Palestinian
short story, and wisdom texts of the Hebrew
communities working on coexistence,
Bible—with a taste of Apocrypha. We will utilize
sustainability, interreligious engagement, gender
a range of classical and contemporary lenses,
and sexuality. Substantial subsidies for CTS
from rabbinic midrash to liberation theology and
students are available. Requires preparatory
queer theory. Assignments emphasize
work in the preceding semester.
interpretation and practical application.
Fulfills MDiv requirement. Pre-req: RH 301. RH 411
To be offered: S20e, S20o, S21, S21o, S22, S22o Judges, Gender and Violence
Ken Stone
RH402 This course uses a close reading of Judges to
Jewish Thought: Traditionally Rooted, Radically examine both the role of gender in biblical
Engaged interpretation and the implications of difficult
Rachel Mikva texts for the task of "biblical theology."
An overview of Jewish thought and practice To be offered: TBA
utilizing works of Jewish literature from the
rabbinic period to modernity. Texts include
RH 416
Talmud, Midrash, medieval philosophy,
Dangerous Religious Ideas
commentary, codes, kabbalah, Heschel, Buber.
Rachel Mikva
We explore the ideas as they illuminate the
worlds of Judaism and beyond, in their historical Contending that all religious ideas are dangerous,
context and our own day. To be offered: F20 flex this course examines how Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam embedded tools for self-critical faith as
a vital part of our spiritual inheritance. Using
RH 405 primary and secondary sources, the class
1explores how the traditions have dealt with the reading biblical texts. SBFL Concentration.
potentially positive and perilous dimensions of To be offered: Summer 2019, S20
scripture, chosenness and election, supersession
and salvation, reward and punishment. One goal RH 492
of this work is to improve religious discourse in Reading Between the Testaments
the public square, so students will also develop Staff
their voice for public theology. This course examines Jewish literature from
To be offered: S21 c.200 BCE to c.50 CE, such as the Old Testament
Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Literary and
RH 417 theological issues emerging from the primary
Loss and Healing in the Bible and in Rabbinic texts will be highlighted.
Literature
Rachel Mikva To be offered: TBA
An exploration of communal and individual loss,
RH 494
along with the rhetorical and theological
Story and Religious Imagination in Judaism,
strategies for coping, for understanding, for
Christianity, and Islam
healing. Passages for study include
Rachel Mikva
Lamentations, Job, Psalms and Ruth, plus
selections from Torah - with midrashic, medieval Why do religious stories have such a powerful
and modern interpretation. There will be impact? What can they teach us and why are
opportunities to address the subject personally, they an essential component of every faith
academically and professionally, with some tradition? What do they share, and how are they
flexibility based on your objectives. Interreligious distinguished by historical context? Looking at
Engagement elective. diverse genres of post-scriptural narrative across
To be offered: Summer22 multiple faiths and cultures, the course explores
how story shapes religious thought and action.
RH 450
Cross-listed as TEC 441. Interreligious
Words in Her Mouth: Giving Voice to Biblical Engagement, Muslim Studies. To be offered: TBA
Women
Staff RH 498
Course description listed in Religious History LGBTQ Issues and Biblical Interpretation
Teresa Hornsby
section.
To be offered: TBA This course explores contemporary research on
LGBTQ issues and biblical interpretation and
RH 465 considers implications of that research for
Womanist Biblical Interpretation religious communities and the wider society.
Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder Attention is also given to 'queer readings' of the
This course examines the trajectory of U.S.-black Bible. (cross-listed as TEC 498). LGBTQ and Social
women’s biblical interpretation from the Transformation Concentration Elective. Formerly
nineteenth century to the present, by both non- titled Homosexuality and Biblical Interpretation.
specialists and specialists. Learners will discuss To be offered: F20o
major issues, themes, continuities and
discontinuities in black women’s hermeneutical RH 499
approaches. They will also examine the Animals, Ecology, and Biblical Interpretation
interstructured oppressions of gender, class, race Ken Stone
and sexuality that inform black feminist and
Can be taken as either an online or a hybrid
womanist scholars’ analytical approach to
course. Those who wish to take the course in
2hybrid format will participate in periodic face-to-
face discussions at CTS, at times agreed upon by RH 590/591
participants, in place of some of the online Directed Study
forums. Course (1) examines the Hebrew Bible’s Staff
attitudes toward animals and food, (2) Individual study with professors in the area of
introduces contemporary animal studies and Hebrew Bible on topics of student interest not
food studies literature, and (3) considers the covered by listed courses. Permission of
implications of that literature for biblical instructor required.
interpretation and contemporary ethics. To be offered: TBA
To be offered: S21o
RH 601
RH 532 Contemporary Hermeneutical Strategies
Postcolonial Theory and Biblical Interpretation Staff
Staff Advanced seminar exploring a range of emerging
Course description listed in New Testament hermeneutical strategies (literary, social-
section. scientific, liberationist, feminist, Afro-centrist,
To be offered: TBA womanist, deconstructive, psychoanalytic) with
attention to impact of global and post-Holocaust
consciousness.
PhD required course.
To be offered: S21
3New Testament
This course closely reads the Gospel of Matthew
in context. We will examine various contextual
RH 321 issues related to ethnicity, gender, sexuality,
Interpreting the Gospels nationality, religiosity/spirituality, class,
Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder or Staff
geopolitics, etc., both within the text and the
This course serves as a graduate level readers.
introduction to the contemporary interpretation
To be offered: TBA
of the Gospels in the New Testament and related
documents. It will address the Greco-Roman and
Jewish milieu of the Gospels, the methodological RH 435
development of the Gospel scholarship, and the Luke-Acts in Context
distinctiveness of each Gospel with regard to Staff
literary style, Christology, discipleship, and This course closely reads the Gospel of Luke and
community concerns. It will also highlight the the Acts of the Apostles in context. We will
importance of ethical interpretation of the examine various contextual issues related to
Gospels that will promote justice and mercy in ethnicity, gender, sexuality, nationality,
today's world. religiosity/spirituality, class, geopolitics, etc.,
both within the text and the readers.
To be offered: F19, F19o, S20o, F20e, F20o, S21o, F21,
F21o, S22o To be offered: TBA
RH 325 RH 437
Interpreting the Epistles Who Is Jesus?
Teresa Hornsby or Staff Teresa Hornsby
Offers an introduction to both the Pauline and This course considers primary sources (the New
non-Pauline corpus. In addition to reading Testament and other Early Christian writings)
selected letters in light of ancient epistolography and secondary sources (“Historical Jesus”
and rhetorical practices, we will also pay scholars, novels, films, cartoons, the internet) to
attention to the historical situations of these ask, Who is Jesus? We shall see that everyone
letters. seems to answer this differently. As a final
Fulfills MDiv requirement. project, you will be asked to answer this as well.
To be offered: TBA
To be offered: S20o, S21, S21o, S22o
RH 465
RH 425 Womanist Biblical Interpretation
Gospel of Mark in Context Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder
Staff
Course description listed in Hebrew Bible section.
This course closely reads the Gospel of Mark in To be offered: Summer19, S20
context. We will examine various contextual
issues related to ethnicity, gender, sexuality, RH 498
nationality, religiosity/spirituality, class, LGBTQ Issues and Biblical Interpretation
geopolitics, etc., both within the text and the Teresa Hornsby
readers. Course description listed in Hebrew Bible section
To be offered: TBA (cross-listed as TEC 498).
RH 430 LGBTQ elective.
Gospel of Matthew in Context To be offered: F20o
Staff
4RH 532
Postcolonial Theory and Biblical Interpretation
Staff
This interdisciplinary seminar will explore
discourses that intersect postcolonialism and
biblical interpretation. We will study historical
background of postcolonialism, learn key
concepts and major theoretical works in
postcolonial discourses, examine the complex
interplay of colonial and resisting voices in the
Bible, interrogate the colonizing practices of
biblical interpretations, and explore postcolonial
interpretations that decolonize both the text and
the readers. Cross-listed as TEC 532.
To be offered: TBA
RH 533
Feminist Theory and Biblical Interpretation
Staff
Seminar on feminist theory and its applications
to biblical interpretation. Attention to complex
relationships between sexism and other binary
modes of “isms” such as racism, heterosexism,
and (neo)colonialism; various feminist strategies
for ethical biblical interpretation. Cross-listed as
TEC 544.
To be offered: TBA
RH 590/591
Directed Study
Staff
Individual study with professors in the area of
New Testament on topics of student interest not
covered by listed courses. Permission of
instructor required.
To be offered: TBA
RH 601
Contemporary Hermeneutical Strategies
Staff
Course description listed in Hebrew Bible section.
PhD required course.
To be offered: S21
5Engagement elective. Fulfills MDiv non-Christian
Religious History course requirement.
To be offered: F20o
RH 344
History of Christian Thought RH 409
Jose Morales
Study Tour to Israel and Palestine
This course will survey the significant theologians Rachel Mikva and/or Zachary Moon
and movements from the early Christian Church History pours out of every rock, and hopes for
through the Reformation, focusing primarily on the future pour out of every face. This 12-day
the Western Church. journey explores the biblical heritage, vitality of
MDiv, MA required course. the modern State of Israel, and challenges in
To be offered: F19o, S20o, F20, F20o, S21o, F21e, F21o,
S22o pursuing justice and peace for Palestinians and
Israelis. We meet partners in Jewish and
Palestinian communities working on gender and
RH 367
sexuality, coexistence, sustainability,
History and Polity of the United Church of Christ
Stephen Ray interreligious engagement. Substantial subsidies
for CTS students will be available. Requires
A study of the history, structure, theology and preparatory work in preceding semester.
practices of the United Church of Christ, Interreligious Engagement and Social
including its antecedents: the Congregational Transformation Concentration elective.
Christian Churches and the Evangelical and To be offered: J20, J22
Reformed Church. Satisfies current UCC
requirements for ordination.
To be offered: Summer19 J19, J20, S20o, J21, S21o, J22, RHB 418
S22o Muslim Spirituality Among the Religions of the
World
RH 390 A/B/C Bayan Staff
United Methodist History/Doctrine/Polity
Staff This course situates the diverse religious
experiences and spiritual expressions of Islam
A series of three courses to partially fulfill the
within a global context. All students gain
requirement for ordination in the United
appreciation for the approaches to enrichment
Methodist Church.
Currently offered through Garrett-Evangelical Theological
and growth cultivated by Muslims in different
Seminary. See ACTS listings. socio-political and cultural environments. Muslim
students acquire tools for understanding other
RH 402
faiths’ search for meaning and enlightenment.
To be offered: F20
Jewish Thought: Traditionally Rooted, Radically
Engaged
RH 421
Rachel Mikva
Living, Breathing Judaisms
An overview of Jewish thought and practice Rachel Mikva
utilizing works of Jewish literature from the
What we need to know about Jews and Judaism,
rabbinic period to modernity. Texts include
and what we learn about ourselves in the
Talmud, Midrash, medieval philosophy,
process. The course explores ethics, Sabbath and
commentary, codes, kabbalah, Heschel, Buber.
festival observance, life cycles, family, prayer,
We explore the ideas as they illuminate the
community, conflict and change in diverse Jewish
worlds of Judaism and beyond, in their historical
contexts.
context and our own day. Interreligious
Interreligious Engagement, Fulfills MDiv non-
6Christian course requirement.
To be offered: TBA RHB 457
Intermediate Arabic 2B
RH422 Staff
Religious Education in a Multicultural World Students further develop their reading, speaking,
Heesung Hwang listening, and writing skills, while expanding their
This course will explore multifaceted dimensions vocabulary. They will master more complex
of the society and the role of religious education grammar and syntax involving words derived
and interfaith dialogue. Students who complete from Arabic root patterns, using them to produce
this course will have a broader understanding extended sentences and passages. They also
and teaching plans of various issues on social master conjunctions and additional verb tenses.
justice and faith formation. Performance-based formative assessments will
Free elective help students achieve the equivalent of the
second year of university-level Arabic.
RHB 451 Bayan MDiv requirement.
The Qur’an: Collection, Composition, and To be offered: S20o
Teachings
Bayan Staff
RH 462
This course aims to introduce students to the
Race and Religion in the United States
collection, compilation and standardization of Staff
the Qur’an along with its main features, In this course students will explore what W.E.B.
structure, and themes. We will examine the DuBois called “the problem of the Twentieth
different interpretive processes and approaches Century is the problem of the color-line.” This
employed by exegetes, from the classical to the situation is no different in the Twenty-First
modern period, to yield meaning that is relevant Century. As a class, we will engage the history of
to confront theological, legal and social issues. Christianity in the continuance of the problem.
The course will also address the role of the We will read prominent historical, theological,
Qur’an in everyday life and thought of a Muslim. and theoretical texts on the current state of race.
Non-Christian elective and MDiv Interreligious Stories and personal experience will be integral
Concentration and Muslim Studies Concentration to our comprehension of race. This course will
elective. Bayan MDiv requirement. equip students to engage race both personally
To be offered: F19o and professionally in meaningful ways. SBFL
Concentration elective.
RHB 456 To be offered: F19o
Intermediate Arabic 2A
Staff RHB 476
Students further develop their reading, speaking, Our Interfaith Heritage: Lessons from Medieval
listening, and writing skills, while expanding their Spain
vocabulary. They will master more complex Staff
grammar and syntax involving words derived Medieval Spain is often cited as a shining
from Arabic root patterns, using them to produce example of centuries of interfaith harmony, or
extended sentences and passages. They also convivencia, between Muslims, Christians and
master conjunctions and additional verb tenses. Jews, whereas the reality was complex. In this
Performance-based formative assessments will course, we will learn about key periods of Iberian
help students achieve the equivalent of the political and social history from the 7th and 16th
second year of university-level Arabic. centuries, and examine the positive interactions
Bayan MDiv requirement. as well as the sources of tension and violence
To be offered: F19o among the three faiths. We will consider how
7shifting theological and racial views of the time mysticism we will work with interpretive models
reshaped relationships and policies, setting the for understanding this phenomenon, including
stage for each community's distinct historical perennialist, feminist and pluralist formations.
narrative about the era. We will also evaluate Students will be encouraged to take a
and discuss modern scholarly historiography contemplative approach to these explorations,
regarding interfaith relations in medieval Spain, seeking both academic and personal
and how this literature informs or departs from understandings of the connections between
popular understandings. mysticism and the lived experience of faith.
To be offered: S20o To be offered: TBA
RH 590/591
RH 485 Directed Study
Religion in North America Staff
Julia Speller Individual study with professors in the area of
This course will explore the historical Christian Heritage on topics of student interest
development of religion in America from the not covered by listed courses. Permission of
17th to 21st centuries, highlighting the ways that instructor required.
its diversity has shaped American culture and To be offered: TBA
identity.
MDiv required course. Pre-req: RH 344.
To be offered: S20e, S20o, S21, S21o, S22, S22o
RH 497
Women and Christian Mysticism: History and
Experience
Cynthia Stewart
In this course we will look at the development
and interpretation of ecstatic and/or unitive
experiences and contemplative connections to
the divine beyond all word and thought. We will
primarily focus on the experiences of Christian
women from the early church through the
modern era. As we seek the deeper meaning of
Theology, Ethics & Contemporary Culture
Theology MDiv and MA required course.
Pre-req: RH 344.
TEC 307 To be offered: S20, S20o, S21e, S21o, S22, S22o
Systematic Theology
JoAnne Terrell
The nature of theological thinking and TEC 400
theological method. Constructive Theology
8Christophe Ringer tendencies, language and nomenclature of the
This course serves is designed to facilitate the contemporary Islamic thought. MDiv Non-
comprehensive construction and communication Christian elective and MDiv Interreligious
of each student’s own positions on key Christian Concentration and Muslim Studies Concentration
doctrinal loci. The course will focus on the elective.
following themes: theological method, God, To be offered: S20h
Jesus, sin and evil, ministry and church. MDiv
TEC 402
required course. Pre-req: RH 301, RH 321, TEC
Christology
307, LM 331 or LM 332, LM 400, FE 471, TEC 321.
Bo Myung Seo
To be offered: F19e, F19o, F20, F20o, F21, F21o This course will examine how Christ has been
understood theologically and doctrinally over the
TEC 395
centuries. The course will try to provide a
Managing and Developing Interreligious Non
comprehensive review of the history of
Profits
Christology as well as providing contemporary
Najeeba Syeed
theological options in thinking about Christology.
This course covers the literature of non profit
To be offered: S21
management, strategic planning, fund raising
and ethics. The course engages Muslim,
TEC 403
Christian, Jewish and Buddhist scholarship in the
Theologies of the Atonement
area of ethical non profit management. Students JoAnne Terrell
will finish the course with actual tools in hand to
implement community based problem solving This course is a survey of four major theories of
projects that are relevant to their particular the Atonement, an examination of their impact
communities and contexts. The course also on contemporary worship traditions and
emphasizes how to do interfaith engagement in discussion of the implications of currently held
multi-religious settings and ways to build doctrine for the postmodern context.
interreligious coalitions on the dire social justice To be offered: TBA
issues of our time. Interreligious Concentration
and Certificate. TEB 404
Islamic Theology and Philosophy
Bayan Staff
TEB 401
Global Islamic Movements This course is an introduction to the major
Bayan Staff figures, issues, discussions, and texts of Islamic
This course is an introduction to the major thought as manifested in the interconnected
figures, issues, ideologies, and texts of the 20th domains of theology and philosophy. A
century and early 21st century of Islamic developmental/ chronological approach will
thought. We shall analyze the responses given to draw connections with other religious and
the challenges of modernity, postmodernity, philosophical traditions, and demonstrate
colonialism, and post-colonialism. To this end, confluence and change within Islamic thought
we will have a number of readings from Muslim over time. Students will also evaluate claims
philosophers and theologians (such as Seyyed regarding “decline” in Islamic thought in
Qutb, Mawdudi, S. Hossein Nasr, Yusuf al- connection to modernity. MDiv Non-Christian
Qaradawi, Hasan al-Turabi, Ruhollah Khomeini, elective and MDiv Interreligious Concentration
Tariq Ramadan, Said Nursi, Fazlur Rahman, and Muslim Studies Concentration elective.
Khaled Abou el-Fadl, Fethullah Gulen, Bayan MDiv requirement.
Abdulkerim Sourush, Mohammad Arkoun etc.) To be offered: S20h
to familiarize ourselves with the concerns,
9TEC 410 other extrinsic factors.” We will examine a range
Queer Theologies of influential thinkers and texts that have shaped
Staff the discourse on “reform,” “revival,” and
This course will explore a range of representative “reconstruction of Islam.” The thinkers’ key ideas
attempts at queer(ing) Christian theologies. We and themes will be studied in the context of their
will examine the sources, methods, and histories own particular time and circumstances.
of queer theologies, tracing their emergence and To be offered: F20
development from early turns to traditional
theology to affirm same-sex love, to efforts to TEC 412
revise theologies in light of queer lives and Latinx Studies and Religion: Questions, Methods,
concerns, to the impact of queer theory on and Issues
theological approaches. Topics include Jose Morales
intersectional and queer of color theologies, In ¿Existe una filosofía de nuestra América?,
queering theological doctrines, and political and Peruvian philosopher Augusto Salazar Bondy asks
ethical issues. LGBTQ Concentration elective. what defines Latin American philosophy. His
answer is a thematic one: Latin American
To be offered: TBA
philosophy is haunted by the unanswered
question of identity. What do we mean by “Latin
TEC 411 American,” “Caribbean,” “Hispanic”, “Latinx”?
Howard Thurman and the Search for Common This perennial questioning and negotiating of
Ground identity (or identities) serves as the starting point
Christophe Ringer to explore theological/jurisprudential/religious
themes, phenomena, and expressions in nuestra
Howard Thurman is known as a mystic, poet,
América.
prophet, preacher, pastor, philosopher and
To be offered: SP21
theologian. This course will critically examine
Howard Thurman’s account of religious TEC 413
experience and its ethical significance for Theologies of the Body
transformation of persons and society. In JoAnne Terrell
particular, close attention will be paid to
How has Christianity come to be associated with
Thurman’s interpretation of Jim Crow
the denigration of the body? What are resources
segregation, the religion of Jesus, spiritual
in tradition for a theological re-appropriation and
disciplines, and the nature of the self. Special
celebration of the body?
attention will be paid to Thurman’s relationship
with the Black Church, inter-religious To be offered: TBA
engagement, philosophical traditions and the
role of religion in American public life. TEC 414
SBFL Concentration elective. The Theology of Art
To be offered: F19o Bo Myung Seo
This course examines the ideas of the aesthetic
TEB 411 and art in the history of Christian thought. After a
Contemporary Islamic Thought historical survey, some contemporary reflections
Bayan Staff on art will also be examined.
To be offered: F19, F21
Over the last two centuries, Muslim scholars and
intellectuals have sought to engage with and
TEC 416
respond to the specific challenges of “modernity,
Latin American Liberation Theologies
“secularization,” “Western hegemony,” and José Morales
10This course in intellectual history and culture in the constructions of criminality at the
constructive theology looks back to engage the intersection of race, class gender. In addition,
philosophical and theological wisdom that the course will integrate these aspects in
initially sourced Latin American liberation examine the challenge and possibilities for
theology [“LALT”], tapping into its prophetically Christian social witness.
incisive and intellectually rigorous roots. And the SBFL concentration elective.
course looks ahead to evaluate LALT’s
To be offered: TBA
contemporary relevance and to assess valid
criticisms posed to LALT: feminism criticizing TEC 420
machismo; ecology expanding anthropocentric Introduction to Political Theology
soteriologies; Afro-Latinx theology denouncing Staff
Latinx anti-blackness; and narrative theology’s This is a reading-intensive and discussion-
existential sense as a counter to “disembodied” based survey course in political theology.
structural analyses. To be offered: Summer19o
Since the start of the War on Terrorism, the
TEC 417 United States has operated through
Theology and Photography competing worldviews. This course will
Bo Myung Seo investigate these two worlds. The purpose is
This course examines ideas of theology and art. to equip students to recognize the difference
After a brief historical survey of how theology between the often misunderstood concepts
related itself to art and aesthetics, the course will of fascism and liberal democracy. The
examine photography in terms of its history and concept of fascism has become a misnomer
theory and how it can contribute to theological for denouncing political enemies. This is
reflection and practice of faith. evident by caricatures of both President
To be offered: TBA
Bush and President Obama with Adolf
Hitler’s mustache. In particular, the course
TEC 424
looks at the upcoming presidential election
Theological Method
Bo Myung Seo
and apocalyptic ways in which society and
pundits are framing the election. As a class,
This course will examine various schools of
we will work answer the following questions:
thought in theology in terms of their distinct
approaches to how theology is to be done. 1) what is the historical precedent that has
While the course will begin with a historical led to the perceived importance of 2020? 2)
examination of methods in theology, more of its How do we theologically understand the
time will be spent examining modern and socio-political situation of the 21st Century?
contemporary options in theological method. 3) As religious leaders, how do we use the
To be offered: S22
knowledge gained in our local contexts? By
the end of this class, students will be able to
TEC 429 correctly recognize fascist rhetoric and how
Mass Incarceration, Politics and Public Theology to use your status as religious leaders to
Christophe Ringer resist.
The course will examine relationship between
mass incarceration, American democracy and the
resources of public theology. This course will play TEB 453
close attention to the economic and political Islamic Law and Legal Theory
structures that sustains mass incarceration. This Bayan Staff
course will pay close attention to the role of
11This course explains the internal workings of witness keeps alive the perennial debates about
Islamic law at its theoretical roots. It engages the relevance of the academy for addressing
students with the tools of ijtihad (the mechanism society’s most pressing problems. The course
of Islamic legal reasoning) with an eye to the will attend to a diverse selection of Dyson’s
interpretive methodologies of the various published work as well as his mode of public
schools of Islamic law. It also explores the engagement. Special attention will be paid to
relationship between Islamic law and Dyson’s corpus as a window into contemporary
government and surveys two selected areas of debates about the complexities of African
substantive law: family and criminal law. It American life as well as the scholarly project of
concludes with a look at modern Islamic legal interpreting iconic African American men as a
and political reform. lens through which to view the possibilities and
To be offered: F20 contradictions of American culture society. SBFL
concentration elective.
TEC 436
Policing Queer Bodies and Activist Theology To be offered: TBA
Kate Lassiter
TEC 448
This course examines the hyper-regulation of
Public Theology and Racial Justice
queer bodies and lives as well as activist Staff
theologies and practices. Rooted in the
movement for LGBTQ survival and inclusion, This course will examine the concept of theology
students will attend to issues in which queer lives expressed within the public sphere as a focused
are policed and threatened, ranging from sex methodology for combatting racial injustice in
work to the school to prison pipeline. Students our religiously plural American society. The
will also attend to and develop theologies that course will approach public theology and racial
name and counter harmful theologies, policies, justice from a transdisciplinary framework
and practices. LGBTQ Concentration elective. viewing myriad points of inquiry including, the
legal system and the education system as well as
To be offered: TBA historical, social, economic, and political lenses.
SBFL Concentration elective.
TEC 445
To be offered: TBA
Contemporary Theology of Culture
Bo Myung Seo
TEC 465
This course will examine the developments in
Trauma and Theology
theology of culture since the days of Tillich and Zachary Moon
Niebuhr. The impacts of the rise of popular
culture, postmodern and cultural theories will be This course will explore multiple conceptual
considered. frameworks of trauma with an emphasis on
theological reflection and constructing
To be offered: TBA contextual theologies. This course is designed as
a seminar in which students will be active
TEC 447 readers and contributors to the learning
Mike Check: The Public Witness of Michael Eric community. Students will theologically engage
Dyson and integrate learning from cognate clinical fields
Christophe Ringer of trauma theory, therapeutic practice, and
The work of Michael Eric Dyson continues to literature.
navigate the busy intersection of religion, Chaplaincy Concentration elective.
philosophy, cultural criticism, ethics and politics To be offered: F19o, F20o
in American life. In addition, Dyson’s public
12TEC 484 This course is will examine the theological
Theological and Ethical Perspectives on AIDS and traditions in East Asia and their distinct
Violence contributions to Christian theology. As we
JoAnne Terrell examine the themes and issues raised by the
In this course we examine theological and ethical readings, an attempt will be also made to see
perspectives on the pandemics of AIDS and how they appropriate the intellectual and
violence as they affect policy and theology and spiritual heritages of Asia.
ask, “How may historical doctrines be freshly To be offered: TBA
interpreted in order to mediate a humane
response?”
TEC 499
LGBTQ Concentration elective.
Introduction to Philosophy of Religion
To be offered: F19, F20 Bo Myung Seo
TEC 487 The course will examine the basic issues and
Theologies of the Third World problems in religion from the philosophical
Bo Myung Seo
perspective. They include such issues as Religious
The course will examine some of the recent Knowledge and Experience, God, Evil, Suffering,
theological developments in the third world and Immortality.
countries, with particular attentions being paid
To be offered: J21
to the historical and economic conditions.
To be offered: TBA TEC 504
Augustine, Niebuhr, & Malcolm X
TEC 491 JoAnne Terrell
Interreligious Dialogue We will review the ideas of these three highly
Bo Myung Seo
influential thinkers about the nature of sin in
Reading of Christian theologians who have human existence and those qualities of human
proposed dialogues with religions of the world. beings requiring redemption, giving special
It involves examining some of the Christian attention to the theme of sin as pride and
doctrines within the context of such dialogues. sensuality.
Interreligious Engagement Concentration SBFL, Interreligious Engagement Concentration
elective. elective.
To be offered: TBA To be offered: F19, F20
TEC 505
God and Philosophy
TEC 497a Bo Myung Seo
Theology in Asia
Bo Myung Seo
This course will introduce the ways in which the
question of God was dealt with in the
Examination of different contemporary 20th century Western philosophy. In doing so,
theologies in Asia. An attempt will be made to the course will also examine the relationship
see how they reflect the historical contexts of between philosophy and theology during that
Asia and how they use the cultural and religious period.
traditions of Asia.
To be offered: TBA
To be offered: TBA
TEC 506
TEC 497b Existentialism: Theology, Literature, and Cinema
Theology in East Asia Bo Myung Seo
Bo Myung Seo
13This course examines the basic ideas of Womanist and Feminist Christologies
existentialism and how they have been JoAnne Terrell
incorporated into Western theology, literature A seminar examining servanthood vs. surrogacy,
and cinema. The writers and filmmakers to be the Black Christ and the historical Jesus Christ
discussed include Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, and Christa and atonement and abuse. SBFL
Camus, Tillich, Bergman, and Tarkovsky. Concentration elective.
To be offered: TBA To be offered: TBA
TEC 507 TEC 527
Theology in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson and African American Political Theology
Beyond Christophe Ringer
Bo Myung Seo This is an advanced course that examines the
This course will read Emerson’s major essays and religious and theological dimensions of American
examine them theologically and philosophically. political life from the experiences of African
His intellectually legacy will be discussed through Americans. Political theology has re-emerged as
the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Stanley an inter-disciplinary field that investigates the
Cavell, Cornel West, etc. powerful religious, historical and cultural forces
shaping the ultimate meanings found in political
To be offered: TBA
communities. This course will investigate the
religious and theological aspects shaping
TEC 508 American democracy through African American
Contemporary Atheism and Theism religious, cultural, and philosophical sources.
Bo Myung Seo
SBFL elective.
This course discusses the philosophical and
To be offered: F20o
theological arguments for atheism and theism.
We will begin with some historical review of the TEC 520
literature, but emphasis will be upon more Theology and Anthropology
recent attempts to restate the arguments. Bo Myung Seo and Emily Vogt
Readings will be drawn largely from the Anglo- This course deals with the question of how
American discussions. The course will be theology and anthropology have related to each
conducted as a seminar. other since the middle of the 19th century and
To be offered: TBA how a dialogue between the two can promote
deeper reflections on theological themes. We
TEC 509 will consider anthropological interpretations of
Proto-Womanist Thought religion, ethnographic methodology, theories of
JoAnne Terrell culture, and how these are relevant and
instructive to students of theology, as well as
The course will focus on the lives, thought, and
theological approaches to the study of culture.
spiritual practices of proto-womanists Harriet
To be offered: TBA
Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Jarena Lee, and trace
the intellectual and spiritual paths of some of TEC 533
their spiritual descendants in contemporary Women’s Voices: Ruether, Lorde, Plaskow,
womanist circles. Waddud
SBFL Concentration elective. Rachel Mikva
To be offered: S20 An in-depth study of four prominent feminist
voices: Christian, Jewish and Muslim. With
TEC 510 diverse and evolving relationships to their own
14religious traditions, these women lay lasting To be offered: TBA
foundations for womanist/feminist perspectives TEC 590/591
on culture, power, ethics and theology. Students Directed Study
will examine the commonalities and Staff
distinctiveness of feminist thought and activism Individual study with professors in the area of
within Judaism, Christianity and Islam through theology on topics of student interest not
the work of these women and those who follow. covered by listed courses. Permission of
Interreligious and Muslim Studies Concentration instructor required.
elective. Meets MDiv Non-Christian course To be offered: TBA
requirement.
To be offered: TBA
TEC 595
MA/STM Thesis Seminar
Bo Myung Seo or Staff
TEC 540
Theology and Cultural Analysis This full-year 3-credit course assists MA and STM
Bo Myung Seo students in a) writing an academically superior
and critically informed Masters-level thesis on a
The course will first examine different theologies
topic that contributes to the study of theology
of culture in terms of how they see the relation
and religion and, when appropriate, the interface
between theology and culture and then examine
with contemporary culture and other disciplines
different ways of reading the contemporary
and b) successfully defending the thesis in an
Western culture theologically. SBFL
oral exam. MA and STM required course.
Concentration elective.
To be offered: All years, face to face and online
To be offered: TBA
TEC 602
TEC 550
Christology
Ideas of Freedom
Bo Myung Seo
Bo Myung Seo
This course will examine how Christ has been
The course will deal with the idea of freedom
understood theologically and doctrinally over the
from theological, philosophical, and political
centuries. The course will try to provide a
perspectives. Theology elective.
comprehensive review of the history of
To be offered: TBA Christology as well as providing contemporary
theological options in thinking about Christology.
TEC 555 To be offered: S21
Works of Love
Bo Myung Seo
TEC 603
This course will examine various conceptions of Philosophical Thought
love in philosophy and theology. The focus will Bo Myung Seo
be on more recent thoughts on love. The course builds philosophical foundations for
To be offered: TBA
beginning doctoral students.
To be offered: TBA
TEC 581
Perspectives on Suffering
Bo Myung Seo TEC 604
Pedagogies
Theological and philosophical considerations of Zachary Moon or Lakisha Lockhart
suffering as to its nature and meaning. Theology
elective. This course will examine critical pedagogy,
educational theories and classroom practices.
15Students will articulate their teaching mass incarceration, American democracy and the
philosophy, learn practical skills for course resources of public theology. This course will play
development, implementation, and assessment, close attention to the economic and political
and apply their expertise to engaging learning structures that sustains mass incarceration. This
communities in various contexts including course will pay close attention to the role of
multiple higher education settings, online culture in the constructions of criminality at the
courses, and religious communities. PhD intersection of race, class gender. In addition,
Students only. the course will integrate these aspects in
To be offered: S21o examine the challenge and possibilities for
Christian social witness. (Doctoral students only.)
TEC 605 To be offered: TBA
20th Century Theology
Bo Myung Seo or Staff
TEC 647
Seminar for advanced degree students covering Mike Check: The Public Witness of Michael Eric
significant developments in theology in the 20th Dyson
century. Focus on the emergence of new voices Christophe Ringer
and the theological precedents for them. The work of Michael Eric Dyson continues to
To be offered: TBA navigate the busy intersection of religion,
philosophy, cultural criticism, ethics and politics
TEC 614 in American life. In addition, Dyson’s public
The Theology of Art witness keeps alive the perennial debates about
Bo Myung Seo the relevance of the academy for addressing
This course examines the ideas of the aesthetic society’s most pressing problems. The course
and art in the history of Christian thought. After a will attend to a selection of Dyson’s published
historical survey, some contemporary reflections work as well as his mode of public engagement.
on art will also be examined. Doctoral students (Doctoral students only.)
only. To be offered: TBA
To be offered: F19, F21
TEC 624
Theological Method
Bo Myung Seo
This course will examine various schools of
thought in theology in terms of their distinct
approaches to how theology is to be done.
While the course will begin with a historical
examination of methods in theology, more of its
time will be spent examining modern and
contemporary options in theological method.
Doctoral students only.
To be offered: S22
TEC 629
Mass Incarceration, Politics and Public Theology
Christophe Ringer
The course will examine relationship between
16Ethics & Contemporary Culture To be offered: F19flex, F20flex, F21flex
TEC 321 TEC 390
Christian Ethics Introduction to the Study of Black Faith and Life
Christophe Ringer or JoAnne Terrell Christophe Ringer
Course examines moral codes, divine This course will explore the critical themes,
commandments and legal proscriptions that disciplines and thinkers important to the study of
influence the development of Christianity, and Black faith and Black life. The discussion will be
how the historical expressions of these systems afrocentric in focus, interreligious and socially
in various communions have led to competing comprehensive in scope. SBFL Concentration
moral theories in Christian thought. MDiv required course.
required course, fulfills MA requirement. To be offered: F19, F21
Pre-req: RH 344. Co-req: TEC 307.
TEC 393
To be offered: S20, S20o, S21e, S21o, S22, S22o Introduction to LGBTQ+ Religious Studies
Scott Haldeman
TEB 321
Islamic Ethics Participants explore historical trajectories of
Bayan Staff studies by and about queer adherents to various
religious traditions, while focusing on questions
This course introduces the general ethical of method—past, present and future. LGBTQ
theories that have been constructed by Muslim Concentration required course. To be offered:
scholars historically. Participants will engage F19, F19o
primary source readings in English translation
from Muslim mystics, philosophers, and TEC 395
theologians to explore the major trends, texts, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Introduction to
and concerns of Islamic ethics. Discussion will Interreligious Engagement
also cover how Islamic ethics can be read in Rachel Mikva
comparison with other religious traditions. Skill-building for interfaith leadership.
To be offered: Su2020 Emphasizing personal and social transformation,
the course covers theological foundations for
TEC 355 multifaith contexts, contexts and models of
Living into our Commitments and Effecting Social engagement, interreligious literacy, conflict
Change transformation and leadership strategies for
Rachel Mikva interreligious engagement.
Using the CTS “Statement of Commitments” as Interreligious Engagement, Muslim Studies, and
the basis for study, we critically examine the To be offered: F19o
ways in which injustice diminishes our world, and
explore strategies for personal and social
transformation. The CTS community is also a
living laboratory, enabling us to discuss what it
means to try to live into these commitments
together, how to make space for different visions
of justice, and what to do when we fall short.
Participation in the face-to-face components is
strongly encouraged.
MDiv required course.
17TEC 419 To be offered: TBA
Dangerous Religious Ideas
Rachel Mikva TEC 428
Using primary and secondary sources, the class Social Justice and Public Policy
explores religious ideas that might be considered Christophe Ringer
“dangerous” in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The course examines the relationship between
Ideas that make the list might surprise you! Our
visions of social justice and concrete policy
goal is to understand the potentially constructive
problems encountered in organizing, activism
and destructive aspects of each concept, and to
and advocacy. Students will learn to identify and
consider how the history of interpretation
analyze competing visions of justice within public
determines their impact. Interreligious
policy debates as well as their social, cultural,
Engagement and Muslim Studies Concentration
and religious influences. Students will produce
elective.
an analysis of an actual policy issue in their social
To be offered: J21
context.
TEC 422 To be offered: S21
Contemplation as the Ground for Action
Cynthia Stewart
TEC 429
In this course we will look at the writings of
Mass Incarceration, Politics and Public Theology
activists who found the grounding of their bold Christophe Ringer
social action in their mystical experiences, such
as Howard Thurman, Dorothee Soelle and Caryll Description in Theology section. SBFL
Houselander; at scholars who call for an concentration elective.
understanding of mysticism and contemplation To be offered: TBA
to be the groundwork from which social action
springs, such as Matthew Eggemeier and Beverly TEC 438O
Lanzetta; and we will engage in spiritual practices Christianity,LGBTQ Suicide, and the Souls of Queer
such as various kinds of prayer and meditation as Folk
we create groundwork for our own forms of Sanders
social action.
This course will explore the intersection of LGBTQ
suicide and religious, spiritual, and theological
To be offered: F20o
narratives with two primary foci: (1) to inform caring
praxis with LGBTQ people, and (2) to develop robust
TEC 425
understandings of the ways that religious, spiritual,
Progressive Faith Responses to Anti-LGBTQ and theological narratives become constitutive of our
Initiatives sense of self, identity, or soul. Rooted in qualitative
Staff research with LGBTQ people, as well as the works of
In the Trump era, faith leaders are called to LGBTQ theologians, the course will help students
respond to widespread violations of civil rights, develop perspectives on pastoral praxis that
including renewed attacks on LGBTQ people. both resist the potential for harm (soul violence) that
attend many religious and theological narratives,
Using analytical, personal, scriptural, and data-
while simultaneously learning to draw on religious,
driven methodologies, this course explores some spiritual, and theological narratives toward the praxis
hard choices faith leaders face when they do so: of justice, love, community, and cultivating the
between pragmatism and principle, liberal and livability of life. While the course material is rooted in
radical, short-term and long-term, engagement LGBTQ religious and theological experience and
and safety, community and coalition, speech and theological construction, the applicability of the
silence. course to inform pastoral praxis intends to benefit
LGBTQ religious/spiritual communities as a whole.
Offered Sp 21
18TEC 441 the lens we will bring to the immersion
Story and Religious Imagination in Judaism, experience is one of thoughtful inquiry and
Christianity, and Islam sincere appreciation. Additional cost for trip.
Rachel Mikva Fulfills MDiv non- Christian course requirement.
Why do religious stories have such a powerful To be offered: TBA
impact? What can they teach us and why are
they an essential component of every faith TEB 453
tradition? What do they share, and how are they Homo Islamicus: Explaining Human History from
distinguished by historical context? Looking at an Islamic Perspective
diverse genres of post-scriptural narrative across Bayan Staff
multiple faiths and cultures, the course explores
how story shapes religious thought and action. This course engages scientific descriptions of the
Interreligious Engagement, Muslim Studies. creation of the Universe, Earth, and Biological
To be offered: TBA life, and the compatibility and/or incompatibility
of these descriptions with an Islamic worldview.
TEC 443 The focus of the course will be on the emergence
Haiti Study Tour of the human species with all of its cultural
JoAnne Terrell and Emily Vogt diversity, and how an Islamic worldview might
In this study trip, students, staff, and faculty will compete with secular intellectual trends. Close
explore beautiful Haiti and learn from its people readings of various texts will be used to provide
about their history, customs, art, spirituality, and insight into our own processes of worldview
other sources of resilience in the face of formation, and students will be free to accept or
geopolitical and economic isolation, reject various theses.
demonization, racism (both systemic and To be offered: F20
internalized) and entrenched poverty. SBFL
To be offered: TBA TEB 454
Islamic Rational Theology: Ilm al-Kalam (Classical
TEC 444/644
Period: 8th-13th c.)
Bayan STaff
Queer Eco-Spiritualities
Ken Stone
This course introduces participants to the core
principles of classical Kalam (rational theology), a
Course description TBA. consistent system for affirming Islamic tenets of
LGBTQ Concentration. faith that emerged in the 9th/3rd (CE/AH)
To be offered: S20, S20o, S22, S22o centuries and used "reason" as its primary
instrument of argumentation. The course covers
TEC 446 foundational methodological and discursive tools
Introduction to Buddhism produced by notable theologians, and applies
Christophe Ringer and JoAnne Terrell them to emergent theological questions of the
early period of Islamic thought.
During this seminar, students, staff, and faculty
To be offered: F20
will travel to Thomasville, North Carolina for an
immersion in contemplative practices and
Introduction to Buddhism at the Thomasville
Retreat Center with Repa (Dharma Teacher)
Bushi Yamato Damashii. The theme of this study
trip is “Mindfulness,” one key component of the
eight-fold path that Gautama Buddha taught
(563-483 BCE or 483-400 BCE). This means that
19TEC 458 Homosexuality and Biblical Interpretation
Religious Liberty and LGBTQ Equality Teresa Hornsby
Staff This course explores contemporary research on
As LGBTQ equality has advanced in America, LGBTQ issues and biblical interpretation and
conservative religious voices have demanded the considers implications of that research for
right to opt out. How do we balance civil rights religious communities and the wider society.
and pluralism, equality and religious freedom? Attention is also given to 'queer readings' of the
This seminar will take a multi-disciplinary Bible. (cross-listed as RH 498). LGBTQ. Formerly
approach to these questions, incorporating legal, titled Homosexuality and Biblical Interpretation.
moral, and personal modalities. LGBTQ To be offered: F20
To be offered: TBA
TEC 529
TEC 464 Religion, Ethics, and Human Rights
Justice at the Intersections: A Study Tour Christophe Ringer
Exploring Race, Gender and Religion in the South Human rights are one of the most powerful ideas
Rachel Mikva and Christophe Ringer expressing our desire to work for a more just
world. This course attends to the religious depth
This study tour examines the resurgence of white
of human rights as a pedagogy and praxis of
nationalism and Christian supremacy in American
justice, hope and sacredness of the human
public life through the lens of intersectionality.
person. Students will be introduced to the
State-sanctioned racialized violence is intimately
history of modern human rights since the
woven into recent attacks on immigrants and
drafting of Universal Declaration of Human
religious minorities, as well as police violence
Rights and their promotion through institutions
and the legislative assault on reproductive rights.
of global civil society. Close attention will be
We examine these issues by engaging the role of
paid the various ways in which religious,
religion within historical and contemporary
theological, cultural and political voices both
struggles for social justice in the South--even as
support and contest the legitimacy and
the lessons are instructive for the whole of the
understanding of human rights.
nation. From the removal of native populations,
to the painful history of lynching and other To be offered: S20
practices of terror, we journey to exceptional
sites and speak with transformative leaders
working to fashion a more just, humane future.
Additional costs apply.
SBFL Concentration elective.
To be offered: S20, S22
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