This course begins with the age-old question: what is the right relationship between the church and the world? What is, and what should be the role of the church in the face of human suffering and structural injustice? Throughout history, various understandings of this church-world paradox have emerged. Each successive paradigm has influenced the character of Christian mission in a particular age and culture. Today, as an increasingly globalized economy makes the chasm between rich and poor, and the distortions of “development”, ever more visible and scandalous, the church-world question burns anew. Latin America’s theology of liberation, Black theology whether African or American are some of the 20th-century attempts to raise the question from the perspective of the oppressed. The World Council of Churches, Pope John Paul II’s “new evangelization”, and the Third Lausanne Congress on Evangelism in 2010 offer their own perspectives. We will analyse documents, explore biblical themes, and talk about context. Lectures, readings and presentation. Requirements include class participation, one major paper and one group presentation on an assigned/chosen topic.
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