DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN MISSIOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION MANUAL October 2009 Edition School of Graduate Studies Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, Indiana
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN MISSIOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION MANUAL OCTOBER, 2009 EDITION School of Graduate Studies Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, Indiana
Bunkowske, Eugene W. and Alan D, Scott, 1998. Revised in 2000, 2004. Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology Comprehensive Examination Manual.. November 2004 edition. Fort Wayne, IN: School of Graduate Studies at Concordia Theological Seminary. 12 pp. Revised in 2009. 2009 by the School of Graduate Studies at Concordia Theological Seminary. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this manual may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. Protected under the Berne Convention. For more information about the Ph.D. Program at Concordia Theological Seminary, please write or telephone: K. Detlev Schulz, Th.D. Supervisor, Ph.D. in Missiology Program School of Graduate Studies Concordia Theological Seminary 6600 North Clinton Street Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996 U.S.A. Phone: (260) 452-3131 FAX: (260) 452-2285 E-mail: detlev.schulz@ctsfw.edu ii
CONTENTS PURPOSE OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION MANUAL... iv COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION PREREQUISITES...2 WRITTEN AND ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM COMPONENTS...4 The Written Comprehensive Exam Component...4 The Four Hour Comprehensive Essay Option...5 The Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Paper Option...9 The Oral Comprehensive Exam Component...10 COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION ASSESSMENT...11 INDEX...12 iii
PURPOSE OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION MANUAL This manual has been prepared toward the fulfillment of the following purposes: 1) To give students admitted into the Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology program a useful reference supplementing the catalog of Concordia Theological Seminary with more specific information on the Comprehensive Examinations; 2) To assist the Ph.D. in Missiology faculty and staff in more effective guidance and student evaluation within the Ph.D. in Missiology program; and 3) To supply the administration, faculty and students involved in the Ph.D. in Missiology program with helpful evaluative and assessment instruments. iv
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION The Comprehensive (Qualifying) Examination in the Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology Program at Concordia Theological Seminary is designed and administered for the purpose of nurturing within her students the highest integrity in missiological theory and practice. Specifically, the purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to assess student achievement of an integrational mastery of missiological theory and practice sufficient for Candidacy in the Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology Program. The Comprehensive Examination in missiological theory and practice is carried out under the Ph.D. Program objectives, and is concerned with assessing student mastery of the missiological aptitudes of: Informed investigation; Clear articulation; Faithful re-formation; and Holistic integration through the use of both the written and oral portions of the Examination. 1
2 COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION PREREQUISITES The Ph.D. student must successfully complete the Preliminary Examination and maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) on Ph.D. coursework before taking the Comprehensive Examination. The Ph.D. student is strongly encouraged to take the Comprehensive Examination upon satisfactory completion of eighteen (18) Ph.D. courses (54 quarter hours) with a final grade of B or better, including all sixteen (16) of the Core courses (48 quarter hours) listed below. A. Study of the Word 1. Biblical Foundations DMS 901 Missio Dei (The Mission of God) DMS 905 Old Testament Paradigms for Mission DMS 906 New Testament Paradigms for Mission DMS 907 Scripture, Christianity, Culture 2. Historical Foundations DMS 911 History of Missions One of the following courses: DMS 912 Missions in the 19th and 20th Centuries; DMS 913 Missions in The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod B. Study of the World 1. Culture and Communication DMS 923 Mission Communication
3 2. World Religions DMS 930 Worldview and Living Religions One course focusing on a specific non-christian religion or sect related to the student s dissertation research or future missionary work, approval by the Ph.D. Supervisor. C. Study of Missiological Research Literature DMS 961 Missiology Today One of the following courses: DMS 962 Sociological/Anthropological Contributions to Missions DMS 963 Planting and Growth of Churches DMS 964 Foundations for Missionary Leadership D. Research Design DMS 971 Seminar in Missiology DMS 975 Missiological Research Design One of the following courses: DMS 981 Historiographic Research Methods DMS 982 Methods of Statistical Analysis DMS 983 Social Science Research Methods DMS 976 Ethnographic Research Methods Note: If you are completing the original curriculum, please discuss these prerequisites with the Ph.D. Supervisor.
4 WRITTEN AND ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM COMPONENTS The Comprehensive Examination assesses student aptitudes through the use of two parts: (1) a written part; and (2) an oral part. These two parts are distinguished throughout the entire Comprehensive Examination process by the designations: (1) Written Comprehensive Exam; and (2) Oral Comprehensive Exam. Scheduling of the Comprehensive Examination is initiated by the student after completing the Comprehensive Examination prerequisites through a written announcement to the Ph.D. Supervisor of the intention to take the Comprehensive Examination. This written announcement also includes the chosen option (Four Hour or Forty-Eight Hour) for writing the Written Comprehensive Exam. The Ph.D. Supervisor is responsible for the actual scheduling of the Comprehensive Examination components. The specific locations for the components of the Comprehensive Examination are determined by the Ph.D. Supervisor in consultation with the circumstances of the individual student. The Written Comprehensive Exam Component The Written Comprehensive Exam is the first Comprehensive Exam component, consisting of Four Hour Comprehensive Essays or Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Papers. Preparation for the Written Comprehensive Exam includes the student s preparation of a bibliography of fifty to sixty (50 60) missiological resources. The format of the bibliography follows the Doctor of Missiology Dissertation Style Manual and the
5 Doctor of Missiology Annotated Bibliography Manual. The purpose of this bibliography is to help direct the student in comprehensive preparation for the comprehensive examinations. This bibliography is submitted to the Ph.D. Supervisor for approval as a preliminary step for developing the Four Hour Comprehensive Essay topics or in preparation for the Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Papers. Approximately half of this bibliography is to be directly relevant to the core areas of missiology and half is to be related to the student s concentration and chosen area of missiological research. The Four Hour Comprehensive Essay Option The Four Hour Comprehensive Essays are the first of two options available for the Ph.D. student in fulfilling the Written Comprehensive Exam. The Four Comprehensive Essays provide the Ph.D. student with the opportunity to exhibit a personal integrational mastery of missiological theory and practice through three (3) writing sessions of four (4) hours each. Development of Essay Topics The Ph.D. student develops five (5) specific essay topics for the Four Hour Comprehensive Essays. These five essay topics are to be drawn from a comprehensive array of missiological areas, with no more than two (2) of the five topics from the student s particular concentration and dissertation research area. Each individual topic must exhibit the potential for an integrational focus that is, topics which demand an
essay in which the student directly demonstrates a mastery of interdisciplinary insights from Scripture, history, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, etc. 6 Three major categories of written comprehensive topics are available to the student preparing for the Four Hour Comprehensive Essays. A Question within a Specific Context. Similar to a case study, this type of topic outlines a specific missiological context and follows with a question that elicits a comprehensive, interdisciplinary essay. For example: Buddhist/Shintô Altars of Converts in Suburban Japan Context: The Christian missionary in Japan is sooner or later involved with helping new converts to Christianity work through the problem of deciding what to do with the Buddhist and/or Shintô altar (and all the altar appointments) that has previously enjoyed a prominent place in the home of the recent convert. The issue facing the new convert is complex, emotional and far-reaching, especially new converts in suburban settings. Question: What can missiology bring to bear on converting the Buddhist or Shintô altar into a Christian space within the suburban Christian home? A Topic with Comprehensive Sub-Questions. This type of topic includes subquestions that logically structure a comprehensive essay without artificially limiting the discussion to a few disjointed sub-points. For example: Increasing LCMS Awareness of Muslim Immigrants Question: Having discovered that the average LCMS member in North America has little awareness concerning the presence of Muslim immigrants in the United States and how to reach them with the Gospel of Christ, you are asked to write a scholarly for the Lutheran mission society POBLO (People of the Book Lutheran Outreach). Write such an article that informs, motivates and equips the reader. Include the following areas:
A history of Muslim immigration to the United States over the last forty years, including the characteristics of immigrants, their diversity and any pertinent demographic information. Describe the worldview clash which Muslim immigrants face in the secular, non-muslim culture of the United States and the potential barriers this presents to Christian witness. 7 What practical advice and encouragement can you offer to an LCMS member who has a concern for bringing the Gospel to these immigrants, but does not know how to get a foot in the door? How can Christians relate to certain aspects of the Muslim immigrant s worldview as a starting point in presenting Jesus Christ as Savior? A Specific Missiological Question without Context or Sub-Questions. This type of topic is most appropriate with topics that naturally define the boundaries of the essay without need of a particular context or guiding sub-questions. For example: Coe s Missiological Contributions and Challenges Question: Discuss the missiological contributions of Shokie Coe and their benefits and challenges for international Lutheran mission leaders today. Approval of Essay Topics The Ph.D. student presents five essay topics to the Ph.D. Supervisor and the student s dissertation advisor (if an advisor has already been assigned) for approval. Once the five topics are approved, the student may begin to prepare to write the Four Hour Comprehensive Essays.
8 Writing the Four Hour Comprehensive Essays One Four Hour Comprehensive Essay is written on each of three consecutive days. The daily exam period totals approximately four-and-one-half (4.5) hours at an appropriate time and location specified by the Ph.D. Supervisor. The order in which the exam questions are written is determined by the Ph.D. Supervisor and not disclosed prior to each individual exam. Each individual written exam begins with the disclosure of the exam question by the Ph.D. Supervisor. This is directly followed by four (4) hours of uninterrupted writing time. A short period then follows for the checking of spelling. Both the exam question sheet and the student s written exam are then submitted to the Ph.D. Supervisor, concluding that day s exam period. Those students writing the exam on computer submit the floppy disk containing their written exam to the Ph.D. Supervisor, who then arranges for the printing of the exam. Those students writing the exam by hand submit their original handwritten exam to the Supervisor. The Supervisor then photocopies the student s work and returns a copy to the student. The student is then responsible for duplicating, word for word, the handwritten exam either on computer or typewriter and resubmitting the final copy in a timely manner as specified by the Ph.D. Supervisor. No additions are permitted, including additions or changes related to footnotes. Resources provided by the Ph.D. Supervisor to the student at the time of writing the Comprehensive Examination will normally be limited to the following: (a) an approved computer for those students writing the exam on computer (or writing paper for those
9 writing the exam longhand); and (b) an English translation of the Bible without note or comments. Students writing the exam on computer will be given a floppy disk for each day s exam. Students writing the exam by hand will be given writing paper, but are responsible for providing their own pens (black ink is preferred). Summarizing, the Four Hour Comprehensive Essays focus upon writing after extensive student preparation on the five specific agreed-upon topics. The Four Hour Comprehensive Essays may be thought of as high-quality doctoral level monographs that include properly formatted footnote citations of author, title, and year of publication. The Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Paper Option The Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Papers are the second of two options available for the Ph.D. student in fulfilling the Written Comprehensive Exam. The Forty- Eight Hour Comprehensive Papers provides the Ph.D. student with the opportunity to exhibit a personal integrational mastery of missiological theory and practice through three (3) writing sessions of forty-eight (48) hours each over a sixteen (16) day period, using approved missiological materials, on three (3) specific topics determined by the Ph.D. Supervisor. Individual topics are provided to the student at the beginning of the particular writing period without advance disclosure. The Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Papers focus upon writing after extensive student preparation on the core missiological topics and themes addressed in the Core courses in the Ph.D. Program and crucial topics relevant to the student s concentration
10 and chosen area of missiological research. The Forty-Eight Hour Comprehensive Papers may be thought of as well-organized, logically progressing and tightly-knit missiological monographs of approximately fifty (50) pages each with complete footnote citations and bibliography. These essays must be in full compliance with the specifications of the Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology Style Manual. The Oral Comprehensive Exam Component The Oral Comprehensive Exam is the second Comprehensive Examination component. Oral Comprehensives are normally held for one-and-one-half (1.5) hours and follow periods of: 1) A general introduction of purposes and procedures involved; 2) A personal and missiological introduction by the student under a twenty minute time limit; 3) Questions and follow-up by the Ph.D. Comprehensive Committee; 4) Questions and follow-up by other Ph.D. Faculty; 5) Questions and follow-up by other CTS Faculty; and 6) If time allows, questions by fellow Ph.D. students attending. The student taking the Oral Comprehensive Exam is to prepare in advance a two (2) page personal missiological statement that defines the student s understanding of missiology. This introductory statement is submitted to the Ph.D. Supervisor on a date agreed upon by the student and Supervisor and is distributed to the Comprehensive Examination Committee in advance of the Oral Exam.
11 The Oral component is fundamentally concerned with the student s integrational mastery of missiological theory and practice, primarily taking into consideration the student s personal missiological statement and the Written Comprehensive Exam. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION ASSESSMENT A student s achievement of an integrational mastery of missiological theory and practice necessary towards completion of the Ph.D. Program as a Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology candidate is assessed by the appointed Ph.D. Comprehensive Committee in consultation with the Ph.D. Supervisor with individual student results forwarded in writing to each participating student by the Ph.D. Supervisor. Categories of overall evaluation are: (a) fail; (b) pass; and (c) high pass. Each Comprehensive Examination is evaluated by the Ph.D. Faculty in terms of: Content; Creative interaction with the examination questions (description, analysis, and synthesis); Applicational component; Composition; and The level of academic and scholarly competence. Satisfactory completion by the student of all portions of the Comprehensive Examination will enable the student to continue in the Ph.D. Program at Concordia Theological Seminary as a Ph.D. Candidate.
INDEX announcement, written, 4 bibliography, 4, 5 computer, 8 concentration, 5, 9 core courses, 2 coursework, 2 forty-eight hour option, 4, 5, 9 four hour option, 4, 5, 6 grade point average, 2 location, 4 longhand, 8 personal missiological statement, 10 photocopy, 8 preliminary examination, 2 preparation, 4, 9 research, 5, 9 resources, 8 scheduling, 4 typewriter, 8 written announcement, 4 12