Mission, Culture and Social Context

5 Credit

Module Content:

1. Experience of church and mission
   The missionary nature of the church; models of mission and recent studies on missiology (e.g. D Bosch, S Bevans etc); the Irish missionary heritage and its legacy.
2. The nature of practical theology:
   A theological discipline, with sub-disciplines that operate with different methods and secular partners. Pastoral care – psychology; religious education – pedagogy; homiletics – rhetoric; liturgy – symbol theory; congregation building – models of community work; diakonia – social studies, advocacy.
3. The Role of Religion in Contemporary Irish Society Defining and interpreting religion as a social reality:
   comparing guiding sociological frameworks, methods and types of enquiry; religion and modernity: secularization or individualization; deinstitutionalization and the cultural and civic roles of religion; globalization and religion.
4. The Church’s Engagement in Mission in Contemporary Ireland Resources for constructing ‘local theologies’ (R Schreiter) appropriate to Irish contexts;
   discernment of strategies of mission appropriate to contemporary Irish contexts.
5. Comparative Contexts for Christian Mission.
   Understanding key differences in context between mission in Ireland, and in e.g., Britain, US, certain African and Asian contexts; the meaning of conversion; mission and advocacy concern; mission and evangelism; hospitality, encounter and conversion in an interfaith context.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module students will be able:

• To appreciate a range of models of mission and to engage with a number of key recent missiological proposals.
• To understand the complex nature and multi-methodological dimensions of practical theology and to develop the skills necessary to articulate a ‘local theology’ to underpin Christian mission and ministry in contemporary Ireland.
• To analyse critically the role of religion in contemporary Irish society.
• To reflect on the church’s understanding of its mission in contemporary Ireland.
• To understand the similarities and differences between the Church’s mission in Ireland and in other countries.
• To connect biblical models of mission with mission as institution.

Methodology:

Part-time Mode A:

This module will be taught through a series of lectures and student-led seminars. Students will be required to participate and lead class seminars and also to take part in collaborative small groups and independent study.

There will be a joint seminar with each of the other two strands – Biblical Studies and Theology.

Part-time Mode B:

This module will be taught through workbook and DVD lectures. Students will also contribute to online seminars and will be required to engage in independent study of set texts. Students will also be required to take part in collaborative small groups and independent study.

There will be a joint seminar with each of the other two strands – Biblical Studies and Theology

Assessment: 2,500 words of coursework (e.g. essay or project as agreed by course leader)
Contact Hours: 20 Work Load: 100 - 120 hrs