Reimagining Religion and Mission (LM 679/879)

Prerequesites

Successfully completed one competency exercise and a minimum of 60% of LM 500 level work

Most Recent Date Taught

First Block January 2025 Intensives

Credit

2.0

Course Description

The categorizing of “religion” as a separate sphere of life from the “secular,” as well as its use in identifying various systems of belief or commitment, is a distinctly modern phenomenon. In this class we will discuss the notion of “religion” as a modern concept, deconstructing its usage and discussing the impact this has on mission, the contextualization of Christianity in various cultures, and interfaith dialogue and relationships.

Professors

Jon Barnes

Associate Dean and Coordinator of Student Academic Services & Program Director for the Pathways for Tomorrow Grant & Affiliate Faculty of Church History and Mission

Education

PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Nata

MDiv from Baptist Theological Seminary

BA from Gardner-Webb University

Bio

Barnes has over a decade of international experience, serving in South Africa and Mozambique with Global Ministries (DoC and UCC) and in South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) with the Mennonite Central Committee.

He received a BA from Gardner-Webb University (1993), a MDiv from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (2000), and a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2010) in South Africa.  In addition to numerous journal articles, Barnes is the author of Power and Partnership: A History of the Protestant Mission Movement (Pickwick, 2013) and co-editor of Restoring Dignity, Nourishing Hope: Developing Mutuality in Mission (Pilgrim Press, 2016). More recently, he wrote “Mission and Ministry in the Age of Pandemics,” which appears in Threshold Dwellers in the Age of Global Pandemic (Pickwick, 2022) and is a guest editor for an issue of the Review & Expositor focusing on faith responses to imperial Christianity and Christian nationalism.

Esther Shanti Parajuli

Assistant Professor of Christian Theology

Education

Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Union Theological Seminary

Master of Sacred Theology (STM) with a concentration in Systematic Theology from Union Theological Seminary

Master of Theology with an emphasis on Systematic Theology from United Theological College

Bio

Esther Parajuli (she/her), theologian, a third generation migrant and a Naga-Nepali hybrid, completed her Ph.D. in Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York in May 2022. Her current research work integrates apophatic theology with liberation theology as well as postcolonial theory to contemplate the question of selfhood and its relationship with “the Other.” Her commitment to theological education is rooted in her belief in the interconnectedness of spirituality, critical thinking, and the praxis of liberation.

Course Information

Course Goals & Learning Outcomes
  1. Intellectual: (1) Describe the genealogy of “religion” and how the term has evolved over time. (2) Contrast the modern use of “religion” and “secular,” including how the terms are codependent.
  2. Practical: (1) Demonstrate the ways in which various religious traditions in our world have impacted and informed one another. (2) Examine the possibility of other religious traditions deepening and widening one’s own faith.
  3. Spiritual: (1) Develop a spirituality of dialogue that will foster a collaborative, inter-religious engagement in mission. (2) Expand one’s experience of the divine in light of the genealogy of religion. (3) Develop one’s understanding of God’s mission, both in theory and practice, in light of the genealogy of religion.

While presented as separate bullet points, the intellectual, spiritual, and practical goals are intricately linked, each complementing and enriching the others.

Required Textbooks
  1. Ariarajah, S. Wesley. Strangers or Co-Pilgrims? The Impact of Interfaith Dialogue on Christian Faith and Practice. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017. (36 Pages; Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box)
  2. Asad, Talal. Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity. 1st edition. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2003. (90 Pages; Details about purchasing the book are available on the Required Textbook Page). Entire book available at: http://www-tandfonline-com.lextheo.idm.oclc.org/loi/rrel20#.VjE8f7erSM8
  3. Bediako, Kwame. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of Non-Western Religion. Edinburgh: Orbis Books, 1996. (18 Pages; Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box). Entire book available at: https://lextheo.on.worldcat.org/oclc/32780596 (DTL)
  4. Niles, Damayanthi. Doing Theology with Humility, Generosity, and Wonder: A Christian Theology of Pluralism. Fortress Press, 2020. (26 Pages; Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box). Entire book available at: https://lextheo.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1154427769
  5. Nongbri, Brent. Before Religion: A History of a Modern Concept. Reprint edition. New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 2015. (For Masters/Certificate students, a Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box (51 pages). Note that DMin students are required to read the entire book. Details about purchasing the book are available on the Required Textbook Page).
  6. Oduyoye, Mercy Amba and Hendrik M. Vroom (eds). One Gospel-Many Cultures: Case Studies and Reflections on Cross-Cultural Theology. Leiden: Brill, 2003. (22 pages; Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box).
  7. Pui-lan, Kwok. Postcolonial Politics and Theology: Unraveling Empire for a Global World. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2021. (15 Pages; Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box). Entire book available at: https://lextheo.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1268205575
  8. Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. 2nd edition. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2009. (79 Pages; Pdf copy of the text available on Canvas file box). Entire book available at: https://lextheo.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1099948549
  9. Thatamanil, John J. Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity. 1st edition. New York: Fordham University Press, 2020. (152 Pages; Details about purchasing the book are available on the Required Textbook Page).
  10. Williams, Rhys H., Raymond Haberski, and Philip Goff. Civil Religion Today: Religion and the American Nation in the Twenty-First Century. NYU Press, 2021. (58 Pages; Pdf copy of the text available on canvas file box) Entire book available at: https://lextheo.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1273982609 
Is there pre-course work?
Yes. Before you arrive on campus for your time in class, you must complete the pre-class assignments consisting of reading, writing, and lectures. The written assignments must be submitted prior to our first class meeting so that we may discuss them.
What technology is required?

Students should bring with them their laptops, tablets, or device with which they use to access the course materials and complete assignments.