SJ&E; Praxis: politics as Ministry

Instructor: Jenny Whitcher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Religion & Public Life and Director of the Office of Professional Formation
E-mail: JWhitcher@iliff.edu
Office: 303.765.3116
Office Hours: By appointment,

To schedule a meeting, please select an open slot from my appointment calendar (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. (gmail sign-in required).

Course Meeting Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m., September 14 - November 16, 2017
Course Location: I-202 (except for Nov 9)

Course Synopsis:

This course will explore little "p" politics as a practice of ministry, including student development of political skills, and critical reflection on one's role and responsibility as a public and political leader within the context of ministry.

Syllabus:

We will co-create a syllabus the first week of the quarter based on the collective learning objectives identified by the class.

Resources:

Together we will decide which resources, including those not on the provided list, we want to cover in the course. Resources will either be hyperlinked within the Media Resource List Google Doc, or actual resource files (those without weblinks) can be found in the Resources Google Folder .

1. Media Resource List (Google Doc): For books, articles, videos, audio/podcasts, etc.
2. People, Locations, & Event Resource List (Google Doc): For guest speakers, locations/sites we can visit, public events/trainings, etc.

Required Reading: Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes, by Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb (2014)
This book will get us through the first couple of weeks of the course during which we will decide together what media resources are useful for the quarter. The purpose of this reading is to reframe through a little "p" political lens how we might imagine politics as ministry starting with the Bible. Given what I know of those who have enrolled in the course so far, I imagine we will have a diversity of definitions for "ministry," and I also understand ministry broadly. Please know that we will take an inclusive lens, and also, start with a re-framing of the Bible through a geo-political and cultural lens as a foundation for our co-learning.

Google Docs:

• Class Notes
• Media Resource List
• People, Locations & Events Resource List

Canvas Pages:

• Democratic Learning Environment:

  This course strongly encourages students of diverse backgrounds, politics, religious beliefs, and values to learn together and from one another in a respectful, democratic, and rigorous learning environment.

  I understand my role and responsibility to you and the institution as facilitator of a productive learning environment. I also believe that democratic pedagogy supports increased student engagement and learning. Bridging my role as facilitator with a democratic approach and within an institutional setting, I have provided some structures and guidance to facilitate your learning, and welcome and encourage your collaboration on how to best structure our time together. One the first day of class, we will review and negotiate the syllabus. I have included areas within the syllabus where you can make choices about the course content, and welcome additional changes that best fit the learning needs of this particular classroom community.

  Due the democratic nature of this course, students are asked to remain flexible as the course schedule may change. Any changes to the course schedule will be discussed and agreed upon as a group, and the updated schedule will be posted to Canvas and sent out to all students by the instructor through a Canvas announcement.  As opportunities arise, the class may leave campus during the class meeting time, always returning to campus by the end of our scheduled classroom time.

  Course Objectives: As a result of participation in this course, students will:

  1. Explore and develop an understanding of politics as a practice of ministry;
  2. Develop and demonstrate political skills for the practice of ministry; and
  3. Critically reflect and act on the role and responsibility of ministry as public leadership.

  Class Learning Objectives: [co-created by the class in week 1]

  In this class we will:

  1. Learn how to understand and honor real differences in political agendas, applied moral frameworks, identities, cultures, and institutions, and still inspire and motivate people to work towards common goals and social change.
  2. Develop public skills to engage politics and ministry, focusing on:
     • Communication between religious and public institutions;
     • How to mobilize religious communities for immediate political response;
     • Approaching religious communities about their relationships with other religious communities as someone who doesn’t belong to a religious community, or who doesn't identify with the involved communities; and
     • Encouraging others to engage politics and ministry for social justice.

• Praxis Participation: Your active participation is of primary importance to your learning in a praxis course structure and environment. In order to build an effective learning community it is essential that each participant is present. As such, a major basis for accountability and evaluation is regular and timely participation in this course. If you are unable to attend class—either due to illness or other unavoidable conflicts, please notify the professor in advance.

  If you arrive to class late or leave early twice, this counts as one absence. Absences in excess of two class periods or their equivalent is an automatic failing grade for this course.

  You will complete a Self-Evaluation and Grading Rubric at the end of the course. I will provide this rubric to help you with the self-grading process, which is open to your revision. The first section of the rubric will directly correlate to the course objectives and learning goals that we will review and co-develop during our first class period, and the second section will include the below democratic learning performance goals.

  Evaluation of your learning and performance should look at both the quality and quantity of your engagement with course content and the learning community. Here are some example questions to keep in mind as you think about evaluating your learning and performance:

  1. Did I actively engage with course content: preparatory reading/media, reflective group dialogue, and course assignments?
  2. Was my engagement meaningful?
     1. Did I contribute to the co-creation of knowledge in useful and meaningful ways?
     2. Did I engage in multi-directional dialogue?
     3. Did I demonstrate critical analysis and creative thinking?
  3. Did I help create a democratic learning environment?
     1. Did I demonstrate agency in my learning and the learning of others, as well as encourage agency of others in the classroom community (i.e.: not relying solely on the instructors for my learning experience)?
     2. Were my interactions respectful?
     1. Respectful of other voices by being concise, but thorough in my contributions
     2. Limit judgmental tone/language
     3. Speak for myself, and not inappropriately speak for others
     4. Share experiences, reflections, and/or questions, while trying not to make assumptions about other cultures and people
     5. Honor the value that each person brings to the classroom community, knowing that we are all products of different experiences, educational backgrounds, opportunities, cultures, and histories, and are at different places in our own self understanding and understanding of others
     3. Did I encourage equitable contribution within the classroom community (i.e.: encouraging others to speak if I speak often; speaking up more often if I tend to be quiet; and asking opinions of those who might have something valuable to contribute)?
     4. Did I encourage the classroom community to consider multiple perspectives, including those not obviously present in the classroom?
• Classroom Community Norms