GLOBAL THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES (STSP-4900)

Together in this online course we will engage Christian theologies coming from Asian American, Black liberation, Dalit, feminist, indigenous/Naga, Korean, ecojustice, womanist, and other perspectives. Through these encounters, students will have ample opportunity to grapple with and articulate their own theologies, and will gain facility with navigating multiple, complex theological ideas that help enliven theologically diverse and spiritually robust communities. Students will also cultivate spiritual practices, informed by insights from The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, that will serve as long-term resources for spiritual, emotional, and professional wellbeing.  We will engage in theological reflection in light of contemporary issues of injustice to create frameworks for hopeful, strategic justice work. Learning is facilitated through regular written assignments, small group and paired discussions, and prayerful disciplines. The course culminates in a final project of the student’s design. This course is taught from a commitment to liberative, contemplative pedagogy where students' voices and journeys are valued. This course fulfills curricular requirements for BST students in all four areas: spirituality and resilience, creative church and community, bridge-building and border-crossing, and justice and reconciliation. Students from all GTU schools and centers and in both masters and doctoral degree programs are most welcome and encouraged to enroll in this course. Course combines Moodle participation with weekly Zoom discussions.