DMB9934 Prophetic Proclamation ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Fall Semester 2015 (MC) September 21-25, 2015 Jeremiah Wright, D.Min jeremiahwright@me.com I. Course Description This course is designed to provide a survey and analysis of the development of Prophetic Proclamation from biblical days up until the present day. Special emphasis will be given to Prophetic Proclamation as found in the black religious experience and the preaching of African and African-descended preachers within the Christian faith, both on the continent of Africa and in the African Diaspora. II. Student Learning Outcomes After completing this course students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate a knowledge of how the biblical text describes and supports a prophetic proclamation ministry. 2. Apply African American biblical scholarship to your ministerial project 3. Apply social scientific research methodologies to African American sources relevant to your project. 4. Not assessed in this course III. Course Requirements A. Textbooks and Other Readings. Boesak, Allan Aubrey, and Curtiss Paul DeYoung. Radical Reconciliation: Beyond Political Pietism and Christian Quietism. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2012. Brueggemann, Walter. The Prophetic Imagination. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001. J. I Believe I'll Testify: the Art of African American Preaching. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011.. The Heart of Black Preaching. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000. McMickle, Marvin A. Where Have All the Prophets Gone?: Preaching in America. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, The, 2006. Reclaiming Prophetic Myers, Ched. Binding the Strong Man: a Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus. Twentieth anniversary ed. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 2008 B. Attendance According to the student handbook, attendance at all class sessions is expected unless the professor has been notified in advance. Any student missing the
equivalent of 6 clock hours for a 30 hour course or 20% of a half course, will be required to do additional work, receive a lower grade or withdraw from the class; this is at the discretion of the professor. C. Assignments/Assessment of Student Learning 1. A fifteen page paper on an angle of the intersection of this course with your project from a biblical, theological, and/or historical perspective, whichever is most appropriate for where you are presently in the program. It must be specific; it must demonstrate how one of these perspectives intersect and informs your project in concrete ways. 2. A five-ten page review of literature paper that reviews some selfcontained works (e.g., book, article, essay, chapter) from this course that intersects or informs your project work. The work is due within ninety days of the end of class or no later than October 24, 2015. Papers must be received at McCreary Center, 1508 E. 71 Street, Cleveland, OH 44103, if mailed. Papers may be sent electronically as an e-mail attachment to Newmtzion@aol.com and wmmhmyers@aol.com or faxed to 216-431-6240. You may call the office at 216-431-5468 to check receipt. Papers must come as a Word document, pdf files are not acceptable. Papers must be double spaced, Ariel, 12pt font. D. Calculation of Grade and Connection of Learning Outcomes (Mitzi complete) Assignments Learning Outcomes Percent of Final Grade 1. Biblical, theological, 1, 2 70% historical paper 2. Literature review paper 3 30% IV. Tentative Course Schedule Day # Date(s) Lecture/Topic Readings/Assignments 1 September 21 Morning What is Prophetic Preaching? Class introduction and prior to CLASS Brueggemann, Walter
Afternoon (1-4pm) Wright Project research (5-8pm) Myers 2 September 22 Morning Afternoon (1-4pm) Wright Project research (5-8pm) Myers 3 September 23 Morning Afternoon (1-4pm) Wright Project research (5-8pm) Myers introduction of the general topic Prophetic Proclamation. Preaching the Word of God in a Strange Land! When Prophets Are Silenced The Prophetic Imagination (Both Prefaces, Chapter 1-3) The Heart of Black Preaching (Chapter 1) McMickle, Marvin Where Have All The Prophets Gone? (Chapters 1-3) prior to class: I Believe I ll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching (Chapters 1-3) The Heart of Black Preaching (Chapter 2) Myers, Ched Binding The Strong Man (Chapter 14: The Ideology and Social Strategy of Mark scommunity) prior to class: Brueggemann, Walter The Prophetic Imagination (Chapters 4-6) I Believe I ll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching (Chapters 4-6)
4 September 24 Morning Afternoon (1-4pm) Wright Project research (5-8pm) Myers 5 September 25 Morning The Audacity of Hope Profits or Prophets The Heart of Black Preaching (Chapter 3: Sermons by Katie G. Cannon and Jeremiah Wright, Jr.) McMickle, Marvin Where Have All The Prophets Gone? (Chapter 4) Boesak, A. & DeYoung, C. Radical Reconciliation (Chapter 7) prior to class: Brueggemann, Walter The Prophetic Imagination (Chapter 7 and A Postscript on Practice) I Believe I ll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching (Chapters 7-9) The Heart of Black Preaching (Chapter 4) McMickle, Marvin Where Have All The Prophets Gone? (Chapter 5) prior to class: I Believe I ll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching (Appendices)
McMickle, Marvin Where Have All The Prophets Gone? (Chapters 6-7) Myers, Ched Binding The Strong Man (Afterword and Appendix: Bringing the Gospel Down to Earth ) V. Recommendations for Lifelong Learning The venues and sources for prophetic preaching are legion. See the Hampton Ministers Conference every year the first week in June at the Hampton University in Hampton Virginia. See the Samuel DeWutt Proctor Institute every February. See videos like the Great Preaching Series among many others. See Academic guild venues for background material like the American Academy of Religion and Society for Biblical Literature every November. There are some other restricted venues, but inquire of your professors about rules for attendance. VI. Seminary Guidelines A. ATS Academic Integrity Policy Ashland Theological Seminary expects each student to uphold the Seminary s core value of academic excellence by contributing to an environment that is both challenging and supportive. In such an environment a student will neither seek nor offer improper assistance. All students have an obligation to be forthright in their academic endeavors and to respect ethical standards. The work that one submits for academic evaluation must be one s own, unless an instructor expressly permits certain types of collaboration. Academic integrity requires that each student will use one s own capabilities to achieve one s fullest potential and will neither offer nor accept aid that is not in keeping with regularly accepted standards of academic integrity. Failure to conform to this conduct shall constitute academic dishonesty. For further details of Academic Integrity Policy, please see the Student Handbook. B. Academic Support Services If you need assistance with writing projects for your coursework, contact the ATS Academic Support Center. The center provides free sessions with a peer consultant who can help you with all of your concerns about academic support including writing, critical thinking, documentation, reading skills, study skills, test taking skills, time management. Contact the center if you have a question about how to complete your assignment, if you have documentation questions, or if you
would like to have your paper evaluated for areas needing improvement. The ATS Academic Support Center can be reached at 419-289-5162 or by e-mail at atswc@ashland.edu. While DMin students have access to the writing center for papers within all of their courses, DMin students must hire an editor for the proposal and the dissertation, as the writing center will not edit proposals or dissertations. C. Students with Disabilities Ashland University makes every effort to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who have a specific physical, psychiatric or learning disability and require accommodations are encouraged to inform their instructors of their needs early in the semester so that learning needs can be appropriately met. It is the student s responsibility to document the disability with Disability Services in The Center for Academic Support on the 7th floor of the Ashland University Library, (419) 289-5904. D. ATS Grading Scale Grade Percent Description A 97-100 Superior achievement of course objectives, diligence and originality, high degree of freedom from error, outstanding evidence of ability to utilize course knowledge, initiative expressed in preparing and completing assignments, positive contributions verbalized in class. A- 92-96 B+ 89-91 B 86-88 Good work submitted, commendable achievement of course objectives, some aspects of the course met with excellence, substantial evidence of ability to utilize course material, positive contributions verbalized in class, consistency and thoroughness of work completed. B- 83-85 C+ 80-82 C 77-79 Acceptable work completed, satisfactory achievement of course objectives, demonstrating at least some ability to utilize course knowledge, satisfactory class contribution. C- 74-76 D+ 71-73 D 68-70 Passing but minimal work, marginal achievement of course objectives, poor performance in comprehension of work submitted, inadequate class contributions. D- 65-67 F Below 65 Unacceptable work resulting in failure to receive class credit, inadequacy of work submitted or of performance and attendance in class.
VII. Selected Bibliography or References See extensive bibliography in required readings
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