Ancient & Emerging Practices

Instructors: Eric C. Smith, PhD and Katherine Turpin, PhD

 Weekly Posts and Responses:

Five weekly posts will be required of every student. These will be based in and responsive to the weekly readings, and will invite students to engage with particular arguments in the texts, historical questions presented by the authors, ancient or contemporary artifacts, etc. Sometimes the posts will be primarily historical in nature, and focus on the practices themselves: what we know about them, how they might have been performed in antiquity, what meanings they might have carried, etc. At other times, these posts might provide students the opportunity to comment upon how these practices have or have not been brought into the contemporary world, and how they might be reinvigorated or reclaimed by present-day communities. These weekly posts (or responses to a colleagues' post) constitute the baseline conversation of the course. These posts are worth 40% of the final grade.

Talking Circles During Gathering Days:

By the time of the Gathering Days meetings, students should have identified an ancient practice (and, depending on your choice for the final project, also its emerging counterpart,) that they want to study further. An initial abstract (350 words) should be posted in the appropriate forum on Canvas for others to review and comment upon. Then, during Gathering Days, we will have opportunity for people working on similar topics to gather in small groups (“talking circles”) to share knowledge and insight, as well as resources, toward the final project. 10% of the final grade will come from the abstract and the student’s participation in the talking circles.

Final Project:

Building on the talking circle at Gathering Days, each student will complete a final project focusing on a single practice. These projects can take one of two forms, depending on the interests of the student:

1. The project will examine a practice not covered in the course (or a particular aspect or instantiation of a practice that was covered in the course), offering an in-depth analysis of some particular question or concern. Examples of this kind of paper might be an inquiry into the precise method of baptism in North African churches, or an examination of the way meal practices in Christian communities in China differed from those in the Mediterranean world. This project will take the form of a 10-12 page academic paper.

2. The project will examine a practice (either covered in the course or not),offering an overview of the practice in antiquity, an overview of the practice in contemporary Christian communities (if it exists). This portion of the project should take the form of a paper of approximately 8-9 pages. Then, students should produce suggestions for further development and reclamation of the practice for contemporary Christian communities, and the student should include sample liturgies, spatial models, or other tools for modern implementation. This portion of the project should be the equivalent of 3-4 pages of academic writing, but can be divided however the student prefers, so long as the work covers all of the requirements.

The final project will be worth 35% of the final grade.

Final Project Presentation:

Each student will produce a single sheet graphic or poster, uploaded/posted to Canvas, in which they present the results of their final project. This could include some background information about the practice, some description of the sample tools for emerging implementation, or some combination of the two. While the graphic does not need to be professionally produced, it should be compelling, interesting, and original. 15% of the final grade.

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MASJE, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

Course Overview

 This course examines ancient Christian practices like baptism, membership rituals, pilgrimage, care for the sick and dying, virginity and widowhood, funerals, meals, singing of hymns, reading of scripture, asceticism, monasticism, and generosity as examples of Christian embodiment, materiality, and communal life. It then asks how those practices are instantiated into contemporary Christian communities, and whether ancient practices can inform contemporary or emerging Christian communities.

Course Objectives

Course Overview

 This course examines ancient Christian practices like baptism, membership rituals, pilgrimage, care for the sick and dying, virginity and widowhood, funerals, meals, singing of hymns, reading of scripture, asceticism, monasticism, and generosity as examples of Christian embodiment, materiality, and communal life. It then asks how those practices are instantiated into contemporary Christian communities, and whether ancient practices can inform contemporary or emerging Christian communities.

Course Objectives

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MASJE, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.