The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they're doing, and they love it in front of others.
— mister rogers
current courses
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8.25: Introduction and Syllabus
David Brooks, “The Ultimate Spoiler Alert.”
9.1: OFF: Labor Day
9.8: The Myth of Neutrality
James K.A. Smith, “To Worship is Human” in You Are What You Love (PDF)
David Foster Wallace, “This is Water”
9.15: An Intellectual Life and Leisure
Hitz, What is Time For?
Jacobs, How to Think, Intro, Ch. 1
9.22: Various Patterns of Thought
Rationalism, Utilitarianism, Expressivism
Taylor, Ethics of Authenticity, Ch. 2-4
Hauerwas, The End of American Protestantism
Wolpe, The Return of the Pagans
9.29: Conversions and Changing Your Mind
David Dark, “Can Mr. Rogers Help Us Manage Our Anger?” in America Magazine
Kingsnorth, The Cross and the Machine
Vogler, A Spiritual Autobiography
Jacobs, How to Think, Ch 2-3
10.6: Family
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “The Beautiful Institution” in Plough Quarterly
Berry, Feminsim, the Body, and the Machine (PDF)
Jacobs, How to Think, Ch. 4
10.13: Friendship
Wesley Hill, “Love Again” in Comment
Billy Baker, Male Loneliness in BG (PDF)
Jacobs, Family Matters
Henreckson, Venturing Our Selves10.20: OFF: Fall Break
10.27: Repair and Reality
Kurt Armstrong, “Repair and Remain” Comment
Frank Mulder, Back to Reality, Plough
Jacobs, How to think, Ch. 5
11.3
In Class: Look and See
11.10: Vocation
Mako Fujimura, “Culture Care” in Comment
Wendell Berry, “Christianity and the Survival of Creation”
MLK, Jr: Three Dimensions of a Complete Life
Jacobs, How to Think, Ch. 6
11.17: Technology and Innovation
Skabelund, Modernity is a Dirty Diaper
Matthew Crawford, “Shop as Soulcraft” in the New Atlantis (PDF)
Jacobs, How to Think, Ch. 7
11.24 OFF: Paper Workshops
12.1: Paper Presentations and Celebration
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8.20: Introduction to the Class
8.25: Building a Foundation: What is the Gospel?
8.27: Building a Foundation: What is the Ministry?
9.1: OFF: Labor Day
9.3: OFF: Harrison Scott Key
9.8: The Heart of Ministry
(Nouwen, Prologue, Solitude)
9.10: The Heart of Ministry
(Nouwen, Silence)
9.15: The Heart of Minsitry
(Nouwen, Prayer, Epilogue)
9.17: The Center of Ministry: The Church
(Smith, The Church at the Center
Williams, The Nature of Ordained Ministry)
9.17-20: New Wineskins at Ridgecrest
9.22: Watch: The American Gospel
9.24: Watch: The American Gospel
9.29: Roles of Ministry
(Herbert, Intro, Ch. 1-17)
10.1: Roles of Ministry
(Herbert, Ch. 18-End)
10.6: Roles of Ministry
(Herbert, Poetry)
10.8: The Dangers of Ministry
(Eric Schumacher, Giving Up the Stage
Ortlund, You Don’t Deserve This)
10.13: Sharing from Exemplars
(Due: Ministry Mentor Interview)
10.15: The Goal of Ministry: A Life of Love
(Smith, Preface, Ch. 1)
10.20: OFF: Fall Break
10.22: The Problem of Ministry: Disordered Love
(Smith, Ch. 2)
10.27: The Re-orientation of the Church: The Reordering of Loves
(Smith, Ch. 3)
10.29: The Story of Ministry: Liturgical Formation
(Smith, Ch. 4)
11.3: Family Ministry
(Smith, Ch. 5-6)
11.5: Developing a Pastoral Imagination
(Robinson, 1-27)
11.10: Developing a Pastoral Imagination
(Robinson, 27-78)
11.12: Developing a Pastoral Imagination
(Robinson, 78-110)
11.17: Developing a Pastoral Imagination
(Robinson, 110-216)
11.19: Developing a Pastoral Imagination
(Robinson, 216-247)
11.24-26: OFF: Thanksgiving
12.1: Posture of Ministry
(Alan Jacobs, Lord Make Me an Idiot)
12.3: Review and Celebrate
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8.25: Introduction and Syllabus
9.1: OFF: Labor Day
9.8: Pastoral Culture: Establishing Norms
Jayber Crow, Part 1
Interview with Eugene Peterson
9.15: Pastoral Culture: Rest and Worry
Jayber Crow, Part 2
Podcast: Who Killed Mars Hill9.22: Pastoral Culture: Place and Care
Jayber Crow, Part 3
Podcast: Boomers and Big Churches9.29: Issue: Power and Abuse, Deconstruction
10.6: Issue: Identity and Authenticity
Taylor, Ethics of AuthenticityTrueman, Rise of Modern Self
10.13: Issue: Homosexuality, Transgenderism, Etc.
St. Basil, On Social Justice
10.20: OFF: Fall Break
Research for Church Issue Presentations10.27: Church Issue Presentations
11.3: Christian Imagination
Jennings, Intro, Ch 1-2
11.10: Christian Imagination
Jennings, Ch. 3-4
11.17: Christian Imagination
Jennings, 5-6, Conclusion
11.24: OFF: Thanksgiving Break
12.1: Intro to Church Polity and Research
12.8: Polity Presentations
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8.20: Introduction and Syllabus
8.25: An Aesthetic, Imaginative Anthropology
Cal Seerveld, “Obedient Aesthetic Life” in Rainbows in a Fallen World
8.27: Why Beauty?
Plato, Diotima
9.1: Off: Labor Day
9.3 What is Beauty
In Class: cruton, Why Beauty?
The Witness of Beauty, Part 1-3
9.4-6: Duke Field Trip
9.8: Duke Reflections
Green, Intro, Ch. 1
9.10: Theological Aesthetics
Green, Ch. 2-3
9.15: Theological Aesthetics
Green , Ch. 4--5
9.17: Theological Aesthetics
Green, Ch. 6-7
9.22: Theological Aesthetics
Green, Ch. 8-9
9.24: Theological Aesthetics
Green, Ch. 10, Conclusion
9.29: Modern Art
Weichbrodt, Intro, Part 1
10.1: Modern Art
Sosler and Ball, Intro Ch. 1
10.6: Postmodern Art
Weichbrodt, Part 2, Ch. 11
10.8: Postmodern Art
Sosler and Ball, Ch. 2
10.13: Sacramental Art
Sosler and Ball, Ch. 3-4
10.15: Sacramental Art
Sosler and Ball, Ch. 5-6
10.20: OFF: Fall Break
10.22: Christian Art: The Grotesque
Sosler and Ball, Ch. 7-8
Taylor, “Beauty as Love”
Weiss, “Shape-shifting Jesus”
10.27: The Grotesque in Action
O’Connor, “Parker’s Back” (PDF)
10.29: Architecture
Guest Lecture
11.3: Poetry
Bring a poem to class
11.5: A Theology of Making
Fujimura, Intro and Ch. 1-2
11.10: A Theology of Making
Fujimura, Ch. 3-4
11.12: A Theology of Making
Fujimura, Ch. 5-6
11.17: A Theology of Making
Fujimura, Ch. 7-8
11.19: A Theology of Making
Fujimura, Ch. 9-10
11.24-26: OFF: Thanksgiving Break
12.1: What’s It Mean to Be a Christian Artist
Maritain, “Reflections on Religious Art” in Art and Scholasticism
Pope John Paul, “A Letter to Artists”
12.3: Christian Creativity
JRR Tolkein, “On Fairy Stories”
Sayers, “Toward a Christian Aesthetic” in Letters to a Diminished Church
12.10: Final Exam Presentation
Past Courses
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An introduction to the tools and background necessary for understanding, interpreting, and applying the New Testament to contemporary life, designed to prepare students to intelligently discuss factual material in the New Testament and to make clear critical judgments regarding the validity of various interpretations of the New Testament. Required of all full-time students in the second semester.
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A course designed to help students define their personal Christian philosophy of life by integrating faith and learning. Students will be challenged to explore their Christian calling and to consider ways in which they can exert a Christian influence on the world.
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This course will work to develop a coherent ministry vision based on unchanging theology and changing cultural contexts. Based on Reformed theological orthodoxy, students will learn how theology has implications on how to see ministry and what to do in ministry by participating in ethnographic studies of different location and peoples. It will provide a foundation for how students can articulate, communicate, and live out doctrine in a specific place and time—whether an urban neighborhood, a rural farming community, a cross-cultural location, or working with youth.
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An interdisciplinary course examining the worldviews, trends, and problems of twentieth-century Western humankind. A Christian worldview and secular thought will be contrasted in several areas, including science and modern literature.
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