REL 200: Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning II
The term “vocation” comes from the Latin roots “vocare” (to call) and “vox” (voice) & means “calling.”
The idea of vocation exists in religious traditions around the world. In a vision, the Native American visionary and healer Black Elk heard a song that said: “Behold, a sacred voice is calling you; all over the sky a sacred voice is calling.” (John G. Neihardt, Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1932), 19. Quoted by John Neafsey in A Sacred Voice is Calling: Personal Vocation and Social Conscience (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2006), 22-23.)
“Religious freedom brings religious diversity. Now we have it. We have lots of it. Diversity itself is not pluralism. Pluralism requires… that we engage with that diversity, that we find ways to know one another because we can't live at such close quarters with one another without knowing more about one another than we do.” – Diana Eck
Instructor: Ann Lutterman-Aguilar
Prerequisite: REL 100 or consent of instructor
Augsburg General Education Requirements: This course fulfills the Signature Curriculum requirement at Augsburg College.
What is This Course About? Course Purpose and Rationale
REL 200 builds on the basic knowledge of vocation, Bible, and Christian theology that you learned in REL 100. Taking seriously the claim in Augsburg Vocation: Access and Excellence that “what we believe matters,” REL 200 invites you to consider why and how this is so. It will draw you into critical thinking about the Christian Bible, which you will learn to interpret from a variety of perspectives. It will also introduce you to diverse religions and faith perspectives, such as Mesoamerican indigenous religions and spirituality, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Latin American liberation theologies. Finally, it will invite you to reflect upon your own philosophical and/or religious beliefs in a pluralistic society.
Required Readings
Brown, Robert McAfee. Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes. Westminster John Knox, 1984.
DeYoung, Curtiss Paul. Living Faith: How Faith Inspires Social Justice. Augsburg Fortress, 2007.
Eck, Diana L. Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras. Beacon, 2003.
Gomes, Peter J. The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart. HarperCollins, 2002.
Thich Nhat Hanh. Peace Is Every Step. Random House, 1992.
Course Objectives
Throughout this course, you will be expected to:
1. Learn and be able to explain why “what we believe matters” in relation to:
- discerning and/or living out our vocations (calling and/or purpose in life),
- engaging social/cultural issues,
- interpreting Christian Scriptures, and
- interacting with people of diverse religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions;
2. Practice talking respectfully with others about what you believe and why;
3. Articulate the relationship between your experiences in Mexico, what you are reading, and your own vocation;
4. Build relationships, do quality work, and have fun.
Teaching Methodology
Teaching strategies include lectures by the instructor; discussions of required readings and experiences; films; spontaneous journaling exercises; use of artwork and music which express course-related themes; field trips; guest lecturers; dialogue with a wide range of people expressing diverse viewpoints; participant observation; and interviews. Particular attention is given to story-telling, particularly by members of groups whose voices are not commonly heard in academia or the media.
Throughout the course, you will watch films about diverse religious and spiritual traditions, including Malcom X, Gandhi, Bonhoeffer, and Romero. Moreover, you will participate in field trips to ancient pre-Columbian sacred sites (“pyramids”) and an excursion to a rural, Nahua indigenous village, where you will meet with local religious leaders and have the opportunity to participate in local spiritual practices. You will also visit Catholic nuns and/or priests and grassroots “base Christian communities” (BCCs). The class will also include several guest speakers from diverse religious traditions, including indigenous spiritualities, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Latin American liberation theologies.
Due to the fact that approximately half of class time is spent listening to guest speakers or participating in excursions, you are encouraged to develop your strategic questioning and listening skills. It is very important that for you to ask informed questions and share your own interests, opinions, and experiences with speakers so you are not just educational consumers but partners in a common quest to learn more about the issues being studied.
“Engaging Our Communities” Lab GroupSince this course is taught as an integral part of the “Migration and Globalization: Engaging Our Communities” semester program, you will be asked to consider your own group of co-learners as a community “laboratory” because many of the same issues that require positive engagement in society at large can be found within the smaller microcosms of student groups. Therefore, in addition to our regular weekly internal class sessions, “engaging our communities” lab groups” facilitated by your T.A. will meet throughout the semester. Active participation in the lab group includes planning and facilitating (or co-facilitating) at least one hour of a lab group session in coordination with the T.A. You will sign up near the beginning of the semester. At least 48 hours prior to the lab group session, you must submit a short proposal that outlines the topic(s) you plan to address and the specific lab group objectives you will fulfill. You will then meet with your T.A. to discuss the proposal and plans for the session. At the time of the session, you must submit a one-page outline. The T.A. and other students will be asked to complete a short feedback form at the end of the session, and you will be expected to submit your own completed self-assessment form. Be sure to read the separate handout.
Course Requirements (100%)
Class Participation (30%): Effective class participation involves active participation in class sessions involving guest lectures, other experiential activities, and internal class sessions. Please note that class participation is required for a passing grade. Because participation is essential to the learning process, if you miss class activities for any reason, you must speak to the instructor prior to class and make arrangements to complete a short assignment. After 1 absence, your participation grade will be affected. Absences due to religious holidays and illness are considered excused absences. However, you still must inform the instructors of such absences in advance and discuss how to make up the missed session/s; otherwise your class participation grade will be affected. You are also responsible for obtaining notes, handouts, and announcements from other students if you arrive late to class or miss a class session. Absences for personal travel or visits from family or friends are not excused absences. Class participation includes:
* Active Participation in Class Sessions Involving Guest Speakers &/or Excursions (10%): This includes engaging in informed dialogue with speakers, asking probing questions related to required readings or other speakers, and sharing your own thoughts and experiences, as appropriate. Be sure to take notes that respond to the following types of questions: What are the speaker’s main points or arguments? What insights have you gained from this talk? What is confusing to you? What do you need clarified? What inspires you and/or angers you? How does it support and/or contradict previous notions you have had and/or articles and books you have read? About what would you like to learn more? What questions for further exploration do you have as a result of this talk?
* Active Participation in In-House Class Sessions (10%): You will be expected to demonstrate your comprehension of assigned readings by participating in class discussions, debates, role plays, in-class writing exercises, and/or completing other assignments in class that will not receive a specific grade but are considered part of class participation. You will be expected to come to class prepared to discuss required readings, prepare outlines of authors’ main points & key quotes, and write 2 responses to Constructive Theology Papers written by a peer, as well as post comments and/or questions about readings on the course’s Moodle site. Failure to come prepared to class by completing required readings in advance will seriously affect your class participation grade.
* Active Participation in the “Engaging Our Communities” Lab Group (5%): This includes active participation in regular sessions, as well as facilitation or co-facilitation of at least one session during the semester. See the separate handout for details.
* Interdisciplinary Blog & Photo-Essay (5%): You will be responsible for preparing one blog entry (with photos attached) as well as at least 1 response to an entry written on your group’s blog by one of your peers and two responses to the blog entries by your peers. The purpose of the blog is to develop a collective weekly photo essay and public journal reflecting what you are learning throughout the semester from multiple lenses and voices so that you can share some of what you learning with people back home and to create an international dialogue about important cultural and global issues. This is one of many ways in which you can fulfill the frequent request of guest speakers to take action and educate others about what you are learning in Mexico. See separate handout for detailed instructions, ethical guidelines, and grading criteria. Deadlines: Mondays of the three weeks for which you sign up for creating a blog or posting blog responses.
Two Constructive Theology Papers (30%)
1. Constructive Theology Paper #1 on the Sources & Methods of One’s Theology (10%): In this paper, you will discuss the sources and methods of your beliefs at the beginning of the semester. (See separate handout for details.)
2. Constructive Theology Paper & Oral Presentation #2 on “What I Believe & Why It Matters”: (20%): In this paper, you will discuss what you believe and why, as well as the ways in which your beliefs have been affirmed, challenged, and/or changed as a result of required readings, speakers, and experiences from throughout the semester. You will also discuss the ways in which what you believe matters – how it shapes your view of your vocation. In addition to the paper, you will give a brief oral presentation to the class. (See separate handout for details.)
Four Reflection & Analysis Papers on Required Readings & Experiences in Mexico & El Salvador (40%)
1. Reflection & Analysis Paper #1: “What We Believe Affects Our Vocations in Relation to Our Cultures.” Focus on DeYoung’s book Living Faith: How Faith Inspires Social Justice and experiences in El Salvador. (See separate handout for details.)
2. Reflection & Analysis Paper #2: “Discerning One’s Own Beliefs in the Context of Religious Pluralism; Respectful Dialogue with People of Diverse Faiths – Especially Mesoamerican Indigenous Spirituality, Buddhism & Hinduism.” Focus on Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Peace Is Every Step and Diana L. Eck’s book Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras and experiences from throughout the semester. (See separate handout for details.)
3. Reflection & Analysis Paper #3: “What We Believe Shapes How Read the Bible.” Focus on Peter J. Gomes’ book The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart and experiences in Mexico thus far. (See separate handout for details.)
4. Reflection & Analysis Paper #4: “How Social Location Shapes Our Faith & Politics.” Focus on Robert McAfee Brown’s book Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes assigned articles on Latin American liberation theology, and experiences in Mexico thus far. (See separate handout for details.)
