13th DRAFT

DREW UNIVERSITY
THE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL
CHSOC 401: RELIGION AND THE SOCIAL PROCESS
Fall 2005 - Thursdays, 4:00-6:30 p.m.

(Precepts: Thursdays. 7:00-8:15 pm -- SEM 210, 213, 214 & 215)

Location: SEM 101

Teaching Assistants

DESCRIPTION

In this core course, a systematic attempt is made at presenting, analyzing and discussing many significant ways in which social dynamics challenges the lives of congregations and impacts upon personal and communal ministry. An emphasis on the interlocking, systemic character of classism, racism, and sexism guides our interrogation. Of equal importance to our corporate attempt at dialogue, is an analysis of the role of the church as being complicit with the perpetuation of oppressions as well as of the part of the church in healing and dismantling the very same oppressions.

 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The main purpose of this introductory course is thus to enhance our capacity for grasping, analyzing, and strategizing for the interplay of the life of our religious congregations as they are interwoven, even entangled, with the major social problems and conflicts of our contemporary world. The objectives for the course are:

(a)   To grapple with sophisticated definitions of racism, sexism, classism in order to better understand them as social phenomena with systemic effects and consequences.

(b)   To strategize as church leaders concerning the "isms" as well as relating to the challenges, conflicts, traumas, and imbalanced privileges which grow out of those "isms."

(c)   To model deep, critical conversations on ideas which are considered "taboo" by many congregations and religious persons.

(d)   To provide a foundation for upper level courses in the Master of Divinity degree.

 REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

Maurianne Adams e.a. (eds.): Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (NY/London: Routledge, 2000, 521 pp. ISBN 0-4159-2634-3) will be our basic textbook.

William A. Gamson & Larry Peppers: SimSoc: Simulated Society. Participant's Manual (New York, NY: The Free Press, 2000. 5th edition. ISBN 0-684-87140-8).

Jeffrey Sachs: The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time (New York: Penguin, 2005. ISBN 1-594-20-045-9).

Thandeka: Learning to be White: Money, Race, and God in America (New York, NY: Continuum, 1999. ISBN 0-8264-1292-0).

Packet of xeroxed required readings (distributed in class).

WORKING METHOD:

Our Thursday class’ schedule will usually look something like this:

              4:00 -4:15/Prayers and housekeeping;
              4:15-5:15/Presentation (lecture, film, guest panel, etc.);
              5:15-5:30/Break;
              5:30-6:30/Class dialogue (Q&A, fishbowl, reflections, questions, etc.);
              6:30-7:00/Break
              7:00-8:15/Precepts (student-prepared presentation as springboard for conversations)

REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to have full and punctual attendance at all classes and precepts. If you must miss class for any reason, please inform your professor and precept leader before class. Students are expected to fully participate by coming to class prepared, listening actively, and engaging conscientiously in discussions. Classes missed, late arrivals, early departures, low and/or non-cooperative participation; late, incomplete and/or low quality papers/presentations will all contribute to lower the final grade. Three classes or precepts missed (for whatever reasons, justified or not) may entail the failure of the course.

Precepts: Weekly attendance and participation in a precept group is required. At the first precept, each student will sign-up for presenting one of his/her weekly reflection papers on one of the Thursdays of the semester. The oral presentation of that paper (15-20') should serve to focus or springboard the conversation of the precept for that day.

Inclusive Language: It is Drew's policy to require in written assignments the fair use of inclusive language in reference to human gender and divinity. Any theological or cultural objection to the use of inclusive language related to divinity must be justified by the author in text or footnote.

Plagiarism: It is important to bear in mind that paraphrasing too closely the work of others, or using an author's words as your own, is considered plagiarism and will have serious consequences for your grade. You must always put in quotations, with the appropriate reference, any phrase that is taken from the work of someone else (including from the internet, lectures, and class dialogues). In an effort to standardize practice, the Theological School (along with the rest of the University) has adopted an academic integrity policy. This course will strictly follow the Theological School’s Standards of Academic Honesty Policy as defined in http://www.drew.edu/catalog/theo/degree_integrity.html
Practicing respect for the intellectual property of others is mandatory, not optional.

Assignments:

A. Weekly Reflection Paper (1-2 pages: write a minimum of 9 papers over the 12 weeks)

Each week, a 1-2 page reflection paper in preparation for class and precept will be handed punctually at 4:00 pm in the classroom. This reflection paper should have the following three aspects (interwoven or separated, depending on your preference):

I. Summary: Summarize the main idea(s) of at least 3/4 of the readings. Show your comprehension of the concepts by recapitulating those ideas (and, if necessary, paraphrasing and/or quoting the text).
II. Issues and Questions: List the one, two, or three issues upon which you will be reflecting in relation to all the readings involved. Be specific. Identify the issues in a thesis statement or in the form of a question. Raise doubts, concerns, disagreements, certainties, uncertainties, surprises, etc. Particular attention should be given to theological concerns, i.e., what does this have to do with the church, with God, with neighbor, with self, with me as church leader, with how God functions in the world (or does not), with how good and evil are understood and function, with the nature of humanity, with the meaning of ministry, etc.
III. Response (most important aspect): Reflect on those very concerns and questions you have raised about the ideas you have summarized. Use your own voice. Give your own informed opinion and thoughtful insight. Analyze the issues you raise; engage and interrogate the questions asked; discuss implications for the issues at hand.

Late papers are not acceptable, regardless of the reasons for their being late (if you cannot attend a given precept, your report should be e-mailed IN ADVANCE or sent with another precept member).

All reflection papers should be double-spaced, in 12-point Times Roman font, in pages with all four margins of one-inch. Whenever possible, print on both sides of the page, or on the back of already used paper, so as to bring ecologically sound practices into our academic work. Please also consider purchasing the highest percent recycled content, chlorine-free paper possible.

B. Take-home Exams: .

Mid-Term Take Home Exam: To be distributed 10/6 for return in two weeks, on 10/20.

Final Take-home exam: To be distributed 11/17 for return in four weeks, on 12/15.

Note: There is absolutely no acceptable grounds for a late exam other than an emergency,
and only then if the emergency is announced to the instructors (e-mail, fax, telephone,
personal emissary, direct conversation, etc.) no later than 24 hours after the onset of the
emergency, and if a new deadline is negotiated with the instructors and faithfully kept.

GRADING POLICY & CRITERIA:

As you can read in the official catalog of our Theological School (p. 51), grading is done
on the basis of A (work of unusual excellence), B (work of superior quality), and C (work
of satisfactory quality). The grades given in this course will reflect the instructors' evaluation
of each student's learning process as a whole – taking into account exams; weekly reading
papers; attendance; as well as participation in class, in precept, and on Blackboard. 
Doing only the minimum required, even very well, will rarely earn a student more than a C+/B-.

              Punctuality and attendance                                                3 points
              Weekly reflection papers (9 in total)                               27 points
              Mid-term exam                                                                  30 points 
              Final exam                                                                         40 points 

Criteria for Reflection papers 

The best reflection papers will be coherent, informed, thoughtful, constructive, and
have integrity in technical matters:

(a) Coherent -- the organization is logical, easy to follow and works well with all parts
of the assignments.

(b) Informed -- there is use of evidence and a convincing amount of proof and support
for the author’s ideas.

(c) Thoughtful -- depth of reflection generates significant insight into the writer’s work
with issues and information in class resources, personal experience and
practice of ministry.

(d) Constructive -- the main idea is very clear or one idea clearly dominates. The
writer makes creative proposals in relation to that main idea.

(e) With integrity in technical matters -- the paper is virtually error free and correctly
done. (Note: If more than ten errors occur on any one page, the paper will be
returned to the author and encouraged to make an appointment with the
Writing Center.

These papers will be evaluated with a check minus (1 point), a check mark (2 points), or a check plus (3 points) and returned to you the next week. You are required to submit a minimum of 9 of the reports assigned; you may however -- for additional points -- choose to submit 10 or 11 papers (no more than 11).

CALENDAR OF LECTURES, FILMS, READINGS & REPORTS:

   Thu., Sept. 8^th: THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK & "TABOO" CONVERSATIONS (Lynne Westfield)

Thu., Sept. 15^th: SOCIOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK (Otto Maduro)
Readings: From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, read ALL of Section 1 (pages 1-58).

Thu., Sept. 22^nd: SEXISM & OUR CHURCHES (Lynne Westfield)
Readings: From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, read ALL of Section 4 (pages 199-260).

Thu., Sept. 29^th: THE BIBLE AND THE ECONOMY (Wesley Ariarajah)
Readings: From Handout: Philip Potter, "The Global Economic System in Biblical Perspective."
7:00 pm (instead of precept): It is required that you attend the Keynote Lecture given by Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether at the Drew Transdisciplinary Theological Conference, this year on the theme "Ground for Hope: Faith, Justice, and the Earth."

Thu., Oct. 6^th: U.S. CAPITALISM & OUR CHURCHES (Otto Maduro)
Readings: (1) From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, read ALL of Section 7 (pages 379-446). From handout: (2) Harvey Cox, "Mammon and the Culture of the Market: A Socio-Theological Critique;" (3) Frank, et al., Real World Globalization, pp. 25-34; (4) "The Crisis of Global Capitalism;" (5) Feffer, "Globalization and Militarization."

MID-TERM TAKE-HOME EXAM HANDED OUT IN CLASS THU. 10/6
(due back Thursday 10/20 at 4:00 pm or earlier)
Fall Break - Oct. 7-17

Thu., Oct. 20^th: ON POVERTY (with the game SimSoc) (Lynne Westfield)
Readings: (1) From the book SimSoc: Simulated Society. Participant's Manual read chapter 1, "Rules," up to page 37); (2) From the book The End of Poverty by Jeffrey D. Sachs, read especially chapters 1, 2, 3, 15, 16 &17.

Thu., Oct. 27^th: IMMIGRATION, ETHNICITY AND OUR CHURCHES (Otto Maduro & Elaine Padilla)
Readings: (1) From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Section 2: chapters 7 & 12. From handout (2) E. Allen Richardson, "One Nation -- Divisible," in Strangers in This Land pp. 45-85 & 94-99, plus notes; (3) R Stephen Warner, "Immigration and Religious Communities in the United States," in ibid. and Judith G. Wittner (eds.): Gatherings in Diaspora, pp. 3-27 plus notes; and (4) Jung Young Lee, "The Dandelion," Sermons to the Twelve.
Film in class: Maryknoll World Productions, The Ties That Bind: Stories behind the Immigration Controversy (56').

Thu., Nov. 3^rd: HETEROSEXISM & OUR CHURCHES (Mark Miller)
Readings: (1) From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, read ALL of Section 5 (pages 261-318). (2) From Peter Gomes, The Good Book, Chapter 8, pp. 144-172.

Thu., Nov. 10^th: THE CONSTRUCTION OF RACE (Lynne Westfield)
Readings: (1) Thandeka: Learning to be White, entire text; (2) From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Section 2, Introduction, and chapters 8, 11, 15, 16, 17 & 19; and Section 3, chapter 24; (3) Espiritu, "The Racial Construction of Asian American Women and Men."

Thu., Nov. 17^th: WHITE SUPREMACY & OUR CHURCHES (Lynne Westfield & Otto Maduro)
Readings: (1) Thandeka: Learning to be White- entire text; (2) From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, Section 2, chapters 9, 10, 13, 14, 18 & 20; and Section 3, chapters 21 & 26. (3) Peggy McIntosh: "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack."

FINAL TAKE-HOME EXAM HANDED OUT IN CLASS THU. 11/17
(due back BY NOON Thursday 12/15 or earlier)
Thanksgiving Break - Nov. 22-28

Thu., Dec. 1^st: ECONOMY, ECOLOGY & ECUMENISM (Rick Bohannon)
Readings: TBA

Thu., Dec. 8^th: WORKING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (Team)
Readings: From the textbook, Readings for Diversity and Social Justice read ALL of Section 8 (pp. 447-498).