Course Description Masters Level
McCormick Theological Seminary
Course Number and Title: T 418 - Black Theology and Religious Experience
Faculty: Bernard Chris Dorsey
Term: Fall 2010
This course examines the form, content and history of Black Theology and the varieties of religious experience within the African-American community. While dealing primarily with African-American Christian thought, it also briefly engages Islam and African Religions.
As theology course, it is designed to engage students in an analytical exploration of how African-American religious thought both raises and attempts to answer questions of ultimate meaning and value for people of faith. We will explore particular questions such as: What are Black theology and Womanist theologies? To what extent is African-American Religious experience shaped by historical events? How do race, class, and gender factor into the religious experiences of African-Americans.
Masters Program Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes established for each degree program are below. The ones that are underlined are those addressed by the course above. Because a course may be taken by students in any masters degree program, outcomes in more than one degree program may be addressed by this course.
M.Div. Learning Outcomes
MTS Learning Outcomes
MA in Discipleship Development Learning Outcomes
MA in Urban Ministry Learning Outcomes
Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk, Penguin Classics. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1989.
Cannon, Katie G., Katie’s Cannon: Womanism and the Soul of the Black Community
Cone, James H. God of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Seabury Press, 1975.
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 1st Ballantine Books trade ed. New York: One World/Ballantine Books, 1992
Hopkins, Dwight N. Introducing Black Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1999.
Sernett, Milton C. African American Religious History: A Documentary Witness. 2nd ed, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999
Walton, Jonathon, Watch This!: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2009
Approximate amount of work per week students can expect (reading, writing, etc.)
100 – 150 Pages of reading per week
Writing will vary from week to week. Total number of written pages for course: 15 - 20
Course Assignments and Projects
1. Attendance and Participation in Class 10%
2. One (1) Reflection Paper 15%
3. In-class Mid-term Exam 25%
4. Class Presentation 15%
5. Final Paper 35%