WESTERN SEMINARY

Portland, Oregon 97215

 

DIS 561I: SHIFTING LIFE, CHURCH & MISSION INTO THE FUTURE TENSE

Summer Semester, June 16-20, 2003

 

Tom and Christine Sine

 

SYLLABUS

 

CLASS TEXT

Tom and Christine Sine, Mustard Seed vs. McWorld: Reinventing Life & Faith for the Future

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is an intensive course to enable students to create new forms of life, church and mission, and to respond to the new challenges of our new global society, reflecting the aspirations and values of God’s purposes.

 

COURSE CONTENT & GOALS

This course is designed to enable students to:

  1. anticipate needs, challenges and opportunities facing the church in the 21st century, in the emerging one-world economic order;
  2. forecast how church attendance, spiritual practices and giving patterns may change in the future;
  3. critique the widespread adoption, by followers of Christ, of aspirations and values driving the global economy;
  4. rediscover our Biblical imagination, discerning God’s purposes for our global future;
  5. create new approaches to discipleship/stewardship, putting God’s purposes first;
  6. create new Christian communities, including co-op housing, giving Christians the opportunity to experience with other disciples the values of God’s kingdom, in an atmosphere which provides support and accountability;
  7. create ways to advance God’s new order through living our mission.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

  1. The text for the course will be read in its entirety. 10%

 

  1. Students will write 2,000-word paper, describing one creative way to address new global challenges in our lives, churches or mission field; an outline will be provided during class.  This paper will constitute 40% of the student’s assessment.

 

  1. There will be an essay exam; this will constitute the other 40% of the assessment.

 

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Summer, 2003

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  1. Attendance at all sessions will be required. 10%

 

  1. All assignments are due on or before August 22, 2003 unless otherwise noted.

 

 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Joseph Stiglitz, Globalization and its Discontents
  2. Benjamin R. Barber, Jihad vs. McWorld
  3. Naomi Klein, No Logo
  4. Philip Jenkins, The Next Christianity
  5. Wendell Berry, Sex, Economy & Community
  6. N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Jesus
  7. Walter Brueggeman, Living Toward a Vision: Biblical Reflection on Shalom
  8. Don Kraybill, The Upside Down Kingdom
  9. Rodney Clapp, A Peculiar People, Families at the Crossroads
  10. J.Richard Middleton & Brian J. Walsh, Truth is Stronger than it Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age
  11. Gerard Kelly, Retrofuture
  12. Athol Gill, The Fringes of Freedom: Following Jesus, Living Together, Working for Justice
  13. Esther DeWaal, Celtic Way of Prayer
  14. Robert VanDeWeyer, Celtic Fire
  15. David Adams, The Rhythm of Life
  16. George Hunter, The Celtic Way of Evangelism
  17. Alternative Celebration Catalogue: Alternatives for Simple Living
  18. Tom & Christine Sine, Living on Purpose: Finding God’s Best for Your Life
  19. Christine Sine, Tales of a Seasick Doctor; Survival of the Fittest
  20. Tom Sine, Cease Fire: Searching for Sanity in America’s Culture Wars; Live it Up! How to Create a Life You Can Love; Wild Hope & the Mustard Seed Conspiracy

 

BACKGROUND FOR TOM AND CHRISTINE SINE

Dr. Tom Sine has a BA in communications from Cascade College, studies in theological education at Western Evangelical Seminary, an MA in counseling from UC at San Jose State and a Ph.D. in history with a minor in futures studies from the University of Washington.  He has worked in Christian higher education, urban ministry, Christian development in Haiti with World Concern, and works as consultant to a number of denominations and mission organizations in several countries, in futures strategic planning.

 

Christine is a graduate of Sydney University, Australia, where she was trained as a physician.  She created the medical ministry for the YWAM mercy ship the Anastasis, and has worked in Africa, Asia, the Carribean and Central and South America.  She has

DIS 561 I Syllabus

Summer, 2003

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 authored two books: Tales of a Seasick Doctor and Survival of the Fittest.  She has just completed a new book that will be published in October entitled Sacred Rhythms: Finding Peace in a Hectic World.  Tom and Christine work as a team with a broad range of churches and Christian organizations in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.  They are both adjunct professors for Fuller Theological Seminary in Seattle.