Church and Ministry. Religious Education
RE501. Religious Education as Formation and Transformation
Fall and Spring. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
This course explores practices and theories of education that aim to form, renew, and transform Christian faith in persons and communities. Special attention is given to the interaction of faith and culture in congregations, schools, community agencies, and public life.
RE515. The Art of Teaching
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
This course explores theories and practices of teaching and learning with an eye toward their aesthetic and religious dimensions. The course aims to enhance theological understanding of the teaching dimensions of ministry and the ministry dimensions of teaching. Teaching practicum experience is included in the course to facilitate the advancement of teaching skills.
RE517. Introduction to Youth Ministry
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
This course introduces students to youth ministry in its historical and cultural contexts and to a variety of approaches of working with youth, involving congregations, youth, adult mentors, the Bible, and Christian tradition. Students will be challenged to engage these various approaches critically and appreciatively in order to construct specific approaches appropriate to their contexts. A special focus will be on practical dimensions of youth ministry.
RE526. Empowering Youth for Global Citizenship
Credit, three hours. (Corrie)
This course seeks to explore what it means— pedagogically, theologically, politically and ethically—to help young people to become faithful “global citizens.” It examines and evaluates the phenomenon referred to as globalization and the varied impact it has on different communities around the world. It then connects the dynamics of globalization to the different ways we can approach youth ministry in the United States.
RE527. Peace Building with Youth: Unlearning Violence, Learning Nonviolence
Credit, three hours. (Corrie)
This course dissects the underlying cultural assumptions around violence and myriad ways in which members of our society, particularly young people, are “taught” violence as a solution to resolving problems and conflicts. Theories and practices of youth education that help to “unlearn” these lessons, and teach instead methods of conflict transformation and nonviolent strategies for social change will be studied.
RE540. Teaching the Bible
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as BI641.)
This course equips students with the methodology to enable others to experience the Bible as an intelligible, relevant, and powerful force in daily life. It examines how the Bible shapes personal faith and corporate life. (RE540CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)
RE545. The Art and Practice of Christian Prayer
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as PT515.)
Students in this course will be introduced to the rich history of Christian prayer across the continents; apply the practices of prayer both personally and in small groups; examine pacticular dimensions of the practice of prayer including the impact of gender, racial, sexual, and religious identity; examine the construction of one’s personal prayer life through readings that are historical as well as autobiographical; consider the relationship between their own personal prayer journey and others; consider the use of prayer in pastoral care and within a congregation.
RE605. Dynamics of Difference
Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: RE501 or permission of instructor (Faculty)
An exploration of ways perspectives of group identity and difference are developed and affect the church. We will consider theological perspectives on cultural, racial/ethnic, gender, and other particularities, and constructively assess ways that religious education can enhance the dynamic interplay of diverse peoples within faith communities. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
RE610. Be(com)ing Christian: Theology, Education, and Public Life
Credit, three hours. (Ayres)
Christian communities are sites of both nurture and outreach. The whole tapestry of the Christian life includes practices of education and nurture as well as practice of service and justice. In this course we will consider how these two kinds of Christian practice are related to each other and how theology relates to them both individually and together.
RE619. Modernity, Meaning, and Youth Ministry
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
Explores ways to engage and support youth in discerning and living out their Christian vocations in contemporary culture.
RE621. Creativity and Pedagogy
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
Examines the pedagogical and theological significance of human imagination and creativity. A variety of creative or artistic activities are studied, experimented with, and reflected upon during the course. Students learn to use creative media in informed and critical ways to enhance the educational dimensions of their ministry.
RE623. Spirituality and Liberative Pedagogy
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
Draws from the depths of Christian spirituality and liberative pedagogy to discover insights, questions, and directions for future educational practice. Through actionreflection, students will explore and construct educational practices that can deepen spiritual life and contribute to liberation in this world.
RE625. Ethics of Ambition
Credit, three hours. (Mahan)
Author Joseph Epstein says that “ambition is one of those Rorschach words: define it and you instantly reveal a great deal about yourself.” Few people do not feel some ambivalence about personal ambition. That is to say, most agree that the inordinate desire for wealth, fame, or power often has deleterious moral and spiritual effects. But, as William James points out, moral and spiritual self-seeking, the very strategies we employ to transcend our more crass ambitions, are themselves forms of ambition. If this is the case, can we escape the infinite regress of piling egoism upon egoism?
In this course, students will examine the human tendencies toward material, social, moral, and spiritual self-seeking and investigate whether the Christian tradition—its literature and practices—might help us in our desire to study and gently resist those ambitions that stand in the way of living out our Christian vocation more fully.
RE630. Learning and Empathy
Credit, three hours. (Weaver)
This course begins with a substantial introduction to the practices and principles of Marshall Rosenberg’s process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The development of empathy skills is central to NVC. This section will include an exploration of how NVC might fit into a life committed to social justice ministry and work. The course will then move to explore a sampling of pedagogical methods and the ways that they relate to empathy as a path of learning.
RE632. Community Ministries as Religious Education
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as CC632.)
Students will explore methods, theories, and issues related to engaging congregations in experiential, community-based religious education. We will focus upon the educational benefits and challenges of this holistic approach to religious education and spiritual formation and will address benefits and challenges that arise with church and community partnerships.
RE635. Teaching World Religions to Youth
Credit, three hours. (Boykin) (Same as WR635.)
This course explores practices and theories for teaching world religions to youth in high school classes, church youth groups, and other contexts and provides a basic introduction to either Judaism and Islam OR Hinduism and Buddhism (each offerings of the class will focus on either the Abrahamic Religions OR the Eastern Religions but provide some resources for students who want to extend their learning about the religions not covered in the class; students are not allowed to repeat the course for academic credit.) Attention will be given to interreligious dialogue, especially strategies for exploring world religions in predominantly Christian settings. Students will come away from the course equipped with knowledge, understanding, strategies, skills, and resources for teaching world religions to youth.
RE636. Religious Education and Our Ecological Context
Credit, three hours. (Ayres)
In this course, students develop a theological framework for understanding the ecological dimensions of Christian life and vocation, and examine educational practices and theories that contribute to the formation of an ecological faith.
RE645. Teaching Peace in Congregations
Credit, three hours. (Corrie)
Congregational leaders are in a position to “teach peace” within the church, because peace education embraces not only explicit forms, such as a study of biblical teachings on peace and war but also implicit forms such as the methods by which mission trips are organized and conducted, liturgical practices are embodied and understood, conflicts are resolved, outreach is extended, and relationships with the community are developed. This course explores the definitions and theories of violence and nonviolence in relation to theological and historical resources and then considers several aspects of congregational life as means of teaching peace, including bible study, mission and outreach, leadership and administration, religious education, worship and prayer.
RE670A. Research as a Theological Practice
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as PT670A.)
This course reframes the research process, including reading and writing, as a theological practice. In addition to exploring the tools and techniques that support seminary students in their academic coursework, this course will help you think about that work as an element of your vocational and spiritual development. This course is appropriate for all Candler master’s degree students (in any track). The course requires no prerequisites.
RE670B. Hacking Ministry: The Work of the Church in a Digital Age
Credit, two hours. (Adams) (Same as PT670B.)
An introduction to creative techniques and reflective practices for the effective use of digital technologies in the arts of ministry.
RE698. Special Topics in Religious Education
Credit, variable. (Faculty)
Special topic or one-time offering courses led by Candler regular and visiting faculty. Prerequisites may be required and are noted on the course schedule when applicable.
