PhD/ICS Course Offerings

PhD/ICS students should also note the PhD/EDS courses listed under the EDS course selection in the catalog, many of which also may be taken for PhD/ICS program credit. Some PhD/THS courses may also be available for credit. PhD/ICS courses are offered on a rotating basis and may not all be offered during a given academic year.

Advanced Master’s/Doctoral Courses

ME 7710 (801)   Contextualization
A study of contextualization from theoretical and practical perspectives, including an examination of the meanings and methods of contextualization as proposed in recent literature, an analysis of the proposals of prominent contextualizers, and the development of limited contextualized materials for selected target cultures. Cross-list as CC. Three hours.

ME 7800 (753)   Area Studies Seminar
Studies in the cultural and religious backgrounds, historical development, and present situation in a specific area of the world as these relate to the preaching of the gospel and the development of the church. Special area strengths in the department include East Asia, South Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. May be repeated for credit as the areas under consideration change. Offered on demand. One to three hours.

ME 8000 (845)   Seminar: Current Issues in Mission and Evangelism
Topics chosen deal with significant issues in mission and/or evangelism. Opportunity provided for seminar discussion and for the presentation of advanced research papers. Two to four hours.

ME 8210 (842)   Intercultural Communications
This course focuses on the theory and practice of interpersonal communication across cultural lines. Specifically designed for those involved in intercultural ministry, the course focuses attention on language and culture, culture shock, ethnocentrism, paternalism, nonverbal communication, contextualization, and dynamics of change. The focus will, of course, be on the communication of the gospel itself interculturally. Three hours.

ME 8215 (811)   Teaching the Bible in Intercultural Settings
The course is designed to integrate cultural philosophies of education with ethno-pedagogy for the task of teaching the Bible in another culture. An emphasis will be placed on the use of case studies and will move from description and analysis to the question of “How should we teach the Bible in other cultures?” The course will be useful for students who desire to teach the Bible in any cultural setting. Cross-list as EM. Three hours.

ME 8230 (813)   Global Church Planting
An examination of the theological foundations, models, methods, and strategies of planting indigenous churches in a wide range of cultural contexts. Factors for establishing and promoting healthy church planting movements are also considered. Special attention is given to cultural factors, the role of the missionary, evangelism, development, multiplication and avoidance of dependency. Offered annually. Three hours.

ME 8235 (726)   Advancing Indigenous Churches
A comprehensive survey of the theological and sociological factors that promote the growth, maturity, and reproduction of local congregations and indigenous movements. Special emphasis is placed on cross-cultural church ministry and emerging churches. Approaches to church growth theory and practice, developmental models, local leadership, church-mission relations, and contextualization are examined and evaluated. Cross-list as PT. Three hours.

ME 8310 (830)   Religious Pluralism and Mission
An examination of the current debate over Christianity and other religions and an evaluation of the issues from an evangelical perspective. Theological, philosophical, and missiological implications of the debate will be explored. Three hours.

ME 8312 (849)   Christian Encounter with World Religions
An examination of some historical, theological, and intercultural issues in the Christian encounter with other major religions. Historical approaches by Christian missionaries to Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism will be examined, with special emphasis on implications for such encounters today. Three hours.

ME 8315 (837)   Christian Encounter with Islam
A study of Muhammad, the Qur’an, and the history, culture, and theology of Islam, together with modern trends and its confrontation with Christianity in order to develop appropriate Christian ministries in Muslim contexts. Offered on demand. Two or three hours.

ME 8370 (833)   Christian Encounter with African Religions
This course provides descriptions and analyses of African religions in order to ascertain areas of continuity and discontinuity between these religions and the Christian message. Theoretical issues related to the study of African Religions will be reviewed. The major topics of study are the following: the structure of African religions; the nature of theism; and ideas concerning human destiny taught in these religions. Christian approaches of African religionists will be examined. Three hours.

ME 8380 (832)   Religion in the Modern World
The past three centuries have produced far-reaching social and intellectual transformation, initially in the West and now increasingly worldwide, which have significantly affected traditional religions and also produced an array of new religious movements and alternative spiritualities. Modernization, secularization, globalization, colonialism, and nationalism, as well as various counter-modernizing movements, all have had an impact upon current religious realities. Theoretical issues in the relevant literature, as well as specific application to particular Islamic, Hindu, or Buddhist contexts, will be considered. Implications of these patterns for Christian ministry and mission will be explored. Three hours.

ME 8385 (834)   Christian Encounter with Popular Religions
A study of the religious beliefs and rituals of common folk, particularly those related to spirits, ancestors, magic, divination, witchcraft, shamanism, and other phenomena. Attention is given to developing a biblical response to these beliefs in the context of missions. Three hours.

ME 8455 (808)   History of Christianity in China
A broad overview of the history of Christianity in China and a survey of the current situation. After considering the various mission efforts in China, the course will focus on the historical development of the Chinese churches and several key Chinese church leaders. The course will then explore historical, cultural, political, ecclesiastical, and theological issues while considering their impact on today’s church. Cross-list as CH. Three hours.

ME 8624 (952)   Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution
Focuses on interpersonal and small-group conflicts that are interethnic or intercultural. Significant attention is given to how Westerners handle conflict compared to peoples in the two-thirds World and how Scripture speaks to both contexts. Offered alternate years. Three hours.

ME 8720 (831)   Sin, Guilt, Suffering and Death
A course designed to give the student an understanding of human cultural and psychological realities related to sin, shame, guilt, conscience, suffering, sickness, and death. The goal is to integrate cultural and psychological understandings with biblical and theological ones, and to use these understandings to communicate the gospel in a manner that is intelligible, subjectively relevant, and meaningful to people of specific cultures. Three hours.

ME 8760 (733)   Spiritual Warfare
An examination of the spiritual warfare that servants of God face in Christian ministry. Attention is given to studies in biblical, historical, and contemporary perspectives of spiritual conflict. Three hours.

ME 8815 (847)   Ethnicity: Modes of Inquiry and Analysis
Participants in this seminar will employ anthropological and intercultural communication theories and analytical modes as they develop culture-specific taxonomies of ethnic variables, recognize factors that may facilitate communication or trigger conflict, and explore interfaces among theology, ethnicity, and ministry. Three hours.

ME 8875 (829)   Church, Mission, and Community Development
Seminar participants are introduced to the community development literature and critically examine how it relates to the church’s responsibility to engage in a mission to the poor that is distinctly holistic—an approach based on Christ’s ministry. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of nonformal education in facilitating development. Offered alternate years. Three hours.

Doctoral Seminars

ME 9000 (910)   Contemporary Issues in Intercultural Studies
Topics chosen deal with contemporary issues in missions. Recent seminars include Cross-Cultural Theology and Intercultural Competencies for Missionaries. Three hours.

ME 9050 (913)   Prolegomena: Missiology as a Discipline
This seminar examines the roots, current debates, and future directions of missiology based on classical and current publications in the field. It explores the integrative character of Christian mission drawing on the contributions of theology, history, and the social sciences. Students are encouraged to develop a missiology that is relevant, orthodox, and creative, and a lifelong commitment to mission scholarship and writing. Three hours.

ME 9075 (946)   Sociological and Anthropological Presuppositions
An analysis of the theories of sociology and anthropology and how they have affected our Christian views of ministry. Particular attention is given to recent theories that will be evaluated in terms of the contributions they can make to our thinking and the questions they raise. Three hours.

ME 9080 (951)   Worldview and Evangelization
A study of the nature and functions of worldviews and the dynamics of worldview change. Special attention is given to the transformation of worldviews in the light of the Scriptures and to problems of syncretism and contextualization. Three hours.

ME 9146 (943)   Urban Evangelism
The seminar explores critical issues facing the church in light of the rapid urbanization of the world. Among these are how the city shapes our lives as humans and as Christians and how Christians can plant churches and minister in the city. Attention is given to developing a theology of urban ministry. Three hours.

ME 9240 (964)   Intercultural Teaching in Higher Education
The course is designed for professors who teach in cross-cultural settings. Participants will investigate the theory and practice of course design, including cultural expectations, teaching outcomes, learning activities, and curriculum evaluation in the light of cultural differences in thinking, learning, and teaching. Three hours.

ME 9245 (940)   Educating for Intercultural Competencies
When people leave to work in intercultural settings, they need to learn the skills that will help them make an effective transfer into the host culture. Participants in this seminar will examine the precedent research on intercultural competency, explore and experience interactive approaches to learning the necessary critical skills, and together design curriculum for that purpose. Three hours.

ME 9250 (914)   Leadership Development and Culture
The course will investigate theological, philosophical, anthropological, and developmental foundations of leadership. These foundational issues will inform the practical challenge of developing leaders in cultures that have different assumptions and worldviews. Special emphasis will be given to the missionary role of teaching leadership development in cross-cultural settings. Models of education and curriculum design for leadership development will also be explored. Three hours.

ME 9320 (915)   Anthropology of Religion
An advanced seminar focused on readings in the anthropology of religion. Attention will be focused on anthropological theories of religious experience, religious symbols, myth, ritual, magic, witchcraft, spirit possession, ancestral cults, conversion, and secularization. The class will attempt to assess these theories biblically and to explore their relevance to missiology. Three hours.

ME 9400 (954)   Seminar: History of Mission in the Modern World
A study of some of the major missiological paradigms throughout the history of the global expansion of the church, with special emphasis on the modern Protestant missionary movement. Writings of mission theorists and missiologists will be examined for their contribution to our understanding of contemporary missiology. Both continuity with Christian mission from biblical and apostolic times and diversity according to historical circumstance are stressed. Three hours.

ME 9610 (928)   Anthropology for Missions and Evangelism
An introduction of the field of anthropology and the contributions it makes to the discipline of missiology. The seminar encourages participants to develop a model they can use in studying and ministering in specific societies and cultures. Attention is given to a study of the issues involved in cross-cultural communication, contextualization, and social transformation in evangelism and church planting in cross-cultural settings. Three hours.

ME 9700 (927) Seminar: Theology of Mission and Evangelism
A doctoral seminar focusing on the theology of mission in the Old and New Testaments with special attention to the operation of the Trinity, the missionary mandate, call, methods, motives, and the problems of dialogue, syncretism, and universalism. Three hours.

ME 9710 (922)   Cross-Cultural Theology
An examination of the nature and methodology of theology, the effects of culture, ethnicity, and intercultural differences on the theological process and the development of a globally informed biblical theology. Three hours.

ME 9720 (949)   Theology of Religions
A doctoral seminar focusing on the biblical and theological understanding of non-Christian religions. Participants will examine the critical issues facing the church in light of biblical teaching and current conflicting ideas and theories regarding human religions. Attention will be given to religious diversity among humans, truth, and salvation in religions. Three hours.

ME 9922 (948)   Ethnographic Research Methods
This course teaches various ethnographic research methods oriented toward intercultural mission and congregational settings: participant observation, ethnographic interviewing, how to write field notes, the use of audio and video in field settings, how to “code” verbal data, and so on. Other topics covered include ethical issues in fieldwork, the place of theory in ethnographic research, proposal writing for qualitative research, epistemological issues in anthropological research, and recent controversies over ethnographic representation of “social others.” Three hours.

ME 9925 (925)   Historiographic Research Methods
Specialized inquiry skills are developed in order that responsible use can be made of documentary and interview materials. Disciplines of the historian are identified and critiqued. Three hours.

ME 9930 (926)   Missiological Research Methods
An introduction to the principles and practices of missiological research. Attention will be focused on the relationships among theological inquiry, socioanthropological inquiry, and missions practice. Development of a research design, bibliography, and database for high-level missiological research will be emphasized. Three hours.

Updated to 2008-09 Catalog