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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : World Christianity

Postgraduate Course: Critical Debates in Christian Mission (WRCH11016)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryUsing David Bosch's 'Transforming Mission' as a general guide, the course looks at a range of new thinking and writing on mission since the 1960s, and seeks to challenge students to consider the relevance of new definitions of mission for the contexts in which they live and work.
Course description Academic Description:
The course aims to stimulate critical thinking and debate on the meaning, scope, and contemporary relevance of Christian mission. The course introduces students to a broad range of seminal texts on Christian mission from Catholic, mainline Protestant and evangelical sources, with the accent on the post-colonial era.

Syllabus/Outline Content:
The course begins by outlining the challenges that the contemporary context presents to traditional ideas of Christian mission. Attention is then paid to the idea of the missio Dei, debates over the meaning and scope of mission, religious pluralism, inculturation, and controversies over proselytism and conversion. Later sessions of the course examine a number of key issues, including the impact of postmodernity, mission and justice, and mission and the created order.

Student Learning Experience Information:
Each week comprises a two-hour class which combines formal lecture input, (normally) a student presentation, and interactive discussion on the basis of key primary texts set for each week. Each student selects one week of the course to make a 15-minute presentation focussed on the texts for that week. Specific guidance is offered on the approach that is most suitable for that week, and prompt feedback is given as formative assessment.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 11, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 90 %, Practical Exam 10 %
Additional Information (Assessment) The course will be assessed by:
one 4,000 word essay: topic to be agreed with the course manager (90%);
and a class presentation (10%).
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Engage critically and intelligently with recent major debates on the meaning and scope of Christian mission.
  2. Interact critically with some of the main documentary statements on mission to have been issued by major confessional groupings since around 1960.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of the implications for Christian mission of relevant contested topics within the field of religion.
  4. Construct a coherent presentation introducing a selected topic within the field and engaging intelligently with relevant primary texts.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Alexander Forsyth
Tel: (0131 6)50 8970
Email: Alexander.Forsyth@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: rdutton@ed.ac.uk
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