Pre-requisites

None.

Co-requisites

None.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the purposes and objectives of a variety of approaches to theological contextualization.

• Compare the different approaches to theological construction in context.

• Articulate an understanding of how culture and worldview impact theological reflection, with particular reference to theologizing in the vocational contexts.

• Propose a theological model for theological construction in vocational context.

• Interpret sacred, human and social texts in contextually appropriate ways.

• Employ practical theological research methodology to identify a specific vocational concern.

• Design and implement a practical theological intervention to address a particular.

Unit Description

Most people spend most of their waking hours working, yet seldom reflect on its significance. Further, the church frequently gives priority to the in-church activities and the professional ministry without affirming that the whole people of God are in ‘full time’ ministry Monday to Friday, and often Saturday as well. Starting with the definition of work as ‘purposeful activity, whether manual or mental or both, whether remunerated or not’ learners will explore both the biblical basis of a theology of work and then wrestle with the contextual implications.

Theology is an ellipse with one focus on the timeless Word of God and the other in the contemporary situation. The course will involve learning as a community and putting into practice the theology of work one has gained.

The unit commences with an introduction to the historical and contemporary relationship of the local church to the culture that houses it. Special attention will be given the work demands that are faced by Christians in the 21st century. The learner is required to show an understanding of the relationship between personal faith and the theological task of doing theology in context and to be able to discuss areas of difficulty that arise from the study.

Learners will be exposed to the contextual nature of theology while exploring this seminal question: how can the church and its members be faithful to the gospel and relevant to the particular culture, without falling into syncretism? Learners will be required to articulate the contextual nature of theology while being able to highlight the positive and negative implications of this fact.

Special attention is given to the culture of disbelief, since it seems to describe the context for many believers in so-called post-modern societies. Theories of cultural analysis are outlined as a means of introducing the necessarily local influences in the construction of any theology. Different schools of understanding the nature of contextualization will be discussed and examined in detail. Special attention will be given to translation, and anthropological, praxis, synthetic and cross cultural communication models. The learner is required to evaluate the issues that arise from this study and to be able to select an appropriate approach in a given context.

Teaching Strategies

The learning process consists of three phases: Reading, Residential, and Research. Each phase has a blend of individual and group learning, and subsequent phases build upon the learning of those that come before.

The first phase is a Reading phase, and lasts for 12 weeks. The learner, as part of a small cohort study group (3 to 5 members), is guided through a reading program to explore the current scholarship on the practice of “Doing Theology in Vocational Contexts”.

Reading assignments are compiled with the help of the librarian, the educational technologist, and administrative support staff. Required weekly readings are posted to the unit website once a week for downloading, utilising Tabor Victoria’s Moodle platform.

Students are also required to read the prescribed textbooks in this phase.

During this first phase learners in cohort groups embark on a guided social inquiry (empirical research project), resulting in a research project . Hands-on research conducted in context by each participant allows him/her to gain an understanding of specific, emerging concerns/questions encountered by Christians as they seek to mature as believers.

Second phase is a residential phase: Equipped with the reading and research, learners then undertake a Residential phase of 40 hours’ worth (one week, full-time) of residential study. During the residency, all cohort groups gather in a local church setting chosen because of a leader who is known as a thoughtful practitioner, and because the agency has a proven track record in assisting Christians at work.

In the third Phase students complete a personal theology in which issues related to “Doing Theology in Vocational Contexts” are explored. Cohorts also plan and implement an intervention to address vocational questions that were identified. The intervention is a professional presentation that summarises findings and proposes a number of ways the church/agency might go about addressing the emerging questions. The intervention invites church leaders into theological reflection and constructive thinking about the concern and what might be done to begin addressing it. Following the intervention, the small cohort study group reflects upon and assesses their collaborative work.

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Unit offerings

Face to face: (Every 3rd Year, Semester 2)

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.