Click here to view the Fall 2008 Course Schedule
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For more information, call (860) 509-9527.
The 2008 Summer Session runs from Tuesday, May 27 through Friday, June 27. Most courses are weeklong intensives and will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weeks of June 2-6, June 9-13, June 16-20 and June 23-27.
An asterisk (*) indicates that the course fulfills core area requirements for the Master of Arts program.
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THEOLOGY
America’s Most Popular Theologian: Exploring the World of C.S. Lewis (TH-678) NEW view syllabus
Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This course explores the theology of C. S. Lewis as seen in both his fiction and non-fiction works. Placing his writing in the context of his life, we explore his Anglican orthodox theology, his apologetics, as well as his distinctive positions. We will look at the growing secondary literature on Lewis and discuss together the reasons for his popularity. Christy Lohr, Adjunct Instructor of Theology and The Rev. Dr. Bennett Brockman, Adjunct Professor of Theology and Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fairfield, CT. Previously Dr. Brockman was associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut, with special competence in religion and literature and children’s literature.
Major Islamic Thinkers: Jalal Eddine ar-Rumi (TH-683) NEW
ONLINE – May 26 through June 27
Rumi is one of the most renowned Sophists in Islamic thought. His horizons and writings on the knowledge and love of Allah are well known. This course will focus on presenting Rumi’s view of the universe and human activity within the created order through a Sufi perspective that highlights the overwhelming love of Allah for humanity and creation. Besides the reading of Qur’anic texts and Islamic theology, the course engages the fields of spirituality, worship, and human understanding of God, nature and creation. Imam Mahmud Abul-Huda Al-Husaini, Adjunct Professor of Theology and Dr. Munzer Absi, Adjunct Professor of Religion and Literature and Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Aleppo (Syria)
DIALOGUE (DI)
Building Abrahamic Partnerships (DI-650) View Syllabus
Sunday, June 1 – Sunday, June 8 (intensive schedule, includes all days and some evenings)
This intensive training program offers a practical foundation for mutual understanding and cooperation among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Participants learn about the tenets and practices of the three faiths, study texts from their respective scriptures together, attend worship at a mosque, synagogue, and church, and acquire pastoral skills useful in interfaith ministry. Building on the Seminary’s strengths as an interfaith, dialogical school of practical theology, this team-taught program is a resource for religious leaders who are grounded in their own traditions while open to the faith orientations of other communities. Due to the interfaith nature of this course, we aim for equal representation among each of the three Abrahamic traditions in admitting students to this course. Yehezkel Landau, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations and Co-Founder, Open House, Ramle, Israel
Building Abrahamic Partnerships II (DI-651) NEW
Monday, June 23 – Friday, June 27 (includes some evenings)
This course is designed primarily for students who have taken the basic Building Abrahamic Partnerships course. It presumes a familiarity with the beliefs and practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and some experience in interfaith dialogue. The focus is on developing practical skills for interfaith leadership, including: facilitating interreligious encounters; compassionate listening and nonbelligerent communication; joint study of sacred texts; designing interreligious worship; and spiritual resources for conflict transformation. Some evenings will be devoted to informal socializing and networking. Prerequisite: DI-650 Building Abrahamic Partnerships or permission of the instructor. Yehezkel Landau, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Relations and Co-Founder, Open House, Ramle, Israel
ARTS OF MINISTRY (AM)
The Business of Being the Church (AM-614) NEW
Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This course is a five-day intensive course on at least some of the things “they never taught us in seminary” in the areas of parish administration and personal finance. The five subjects covered include Creating a Mission Driven Budget, Funding Ministry, Human Resources Management, Stewardship of the Physical Plant, and Personal Clergy Finances. The instruction will take the form over the course of each day of lectures, interactive seminars, case studies, and partnered projects. Each student will receive a binder with resources for when it comes time to put theory into practice. The Rev. Ian Montgomery, Rector, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, CA, and The Rev. David Sellery, Priest-in-Charge, St. Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Bay Shore, NY. Revs. Montgomery and Sellery combine experience in parish ministry with professional experience in financial and endowment management, planning and fund raising.
Growing Healthy Congregations (AM-606)
Monday, June 23 – Friday, June 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Everybody thinks that “bigger is better” and a growing church is “blessed by god” -- but is that really true? Numeric church growth as an end in itself is unhealthy. This course will explore both current theories of church growth and recent sociological information about the characteristics of growing churches. Students will be encouraged to wrestle with an individualized and appropriate theory of congregational development that rests in a multi-dimensional understanding of the total health of a faith group and the unique vision and context of each congregation. Students will undertake a practical health and growth assessment of their own or another congregation within the course. Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion and Web and Distance Education
ETHICS (ET)
Marriage, Family, Sexuality: The Theology and Ethics of Relationship* (ET-620)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 27 through June 26, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. view syllabus
The changing nature of marriage and family life reflects the need for a thoughtful understanding of the complexity of these relationships and their theological base. This course will explore classic, modern, and contemporary views of marriage and family, including the spiritual, social, and sexual aspects of family relations. Readings will be from Augustine and Luther on up to current feminist and gay/lesbian views of marriage and family life and contemporary socio-cultural analyses of American family life. These explorations will fund our answers to questions such as whether marriage is a sacrament or a contract, whether marriage is between one man and one woman, and what can be done to support families in contemporary American culture. Heidi Gehman, Adjunct Professor of Theology and Ethics
Contemporary Islamic Ethics* (ET-655) View Syllabus
Monday, June 9 – Friday, June 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For Muslims committed to living Islam as a way of life, contemporary society offers many challenges. A commitment to the common good exists in tension with the need to protect individual rights. The desire to uphold family values may conflict with the need to defend pluralism and civil liberties. In a world threatened with violence from many sources, self-defense and security take on new meaning. In this class, we will examine these tensions and the Islamic principles that can help Muslims live ethically and with integrity in American society. Case studies will include debates about abortion, gay marriage, militarism and minimum wage. Ingrid Mattson, Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations
HISTORY (HI)
U.S. Christianities: Difference, Diversity, and Borders* (HI-657) NEW
Monday, June 23 – Friday, June 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The story of Christianity in the United States is one about diversity of belief, dissent, myth and history, insiders and outsiders. It is a history about a people who sought to understand God, as a new nation was being forged. This class will examine the major trends and religious movements that have helped to shape the Christianities of today. Issues such as gender, race, ethnicity, language, immigration and the varieties of religious experience will inform our discussion of American religious history. Readings will include primary documents as well as secondary literature, with extensive classroom discussion of these, as well as lectures and media presentations. Daisy L. Machado, Adjunct Professor of History and Professor of History, Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY
LANGUAGE (LG)
Introduction to Arabic Morphology and Syntax (LG-581)
Monday, June 9 – Friday, June 27, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
Vernacular Arabic will be the focus of this course, with an accent on all four linguistic areas of language learning: oral, aural, reading, and listening. Basic sentence and phrase structures will be highlighted while a vocabulary of several hundred words will be built. Assumes a prior knowledge of the Arabic phonology and script. Prerequisite: LG-580, or permission of the instructor. Steven Blackburn, Faculty Associate in Semitic Scriptures
RELIGION AND SOCIETY (RS)
Islamic Congregations, Organizations and Movements in the U.S. Context * (RS-677) NEW
Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This course will explore the diversity of Islamic congregations, organizations and movements in the U.S. We will explore demographic data describing the number and size of Muslim congregations and organizations. Students will be given the opportunity to understand the diversity of culture and sect found in Islamic congregations, as well as organizations and movements that emerge from these. Multimedia tools will be used to foster an interactive environment. Challenges related to immigrant communities and their assimilation, differences of sects within Islam will also be discussed. At the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of what makes for a healthy and effective Islamic congregation. This course will also provide an overview of the landscape of American Muslim organizations and movements across the country. Sayyeda Mirza-Jafri, Adjunct Instructor in Religion and Society
SCRIPTURE (SC)
Matthew, Mark and Luke: The Synoptic Gospels* (SC-540)
Monday, June 2 – Friday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. view syllabus
This course is an in-depth study of the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith in light of current biblical scholarship with special attention to the theological perspectives of Matthew, Mark and Luke as reflected in their varying presentations of the Good News in these three “synoptic” Gospels. Wayne Rollins, Adjunct Professor of Scripture
THEOLOGY (TH)
Church Challenges: Ecclesiology and Leadership Today (TH-625) NEW
Monday, June 9 – Friday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. view syllabus
Understanding the nature of the church and its emerging challenges is essential for effective ministry. This course examines both classic insights and new directions in ecclesiology, including their implications for leadership in churches today. During the week of the course, students will participate in a two-day conference that includes leading ecclesiology scholars reflecting on their own writings, and regional denominational leaders addressing significant challenges in their traditions. Students also will be invited to think of the church as a sign, considering exactly what the church signifies in and for the world. James Nieman, Professor of Practical Theology
TRAVEL SEMINAR (TS)
Mainland China and Hong Kong: Transition, Development, and The Role of the Church
Monday, May 26 – Monday, June 9
This travel seminar is offered by Hartford Seminary in cooperation with the Plowshares Institute. This seminar will use the church as a window in examining Chinese society, especially as it pertains to issues of transition and development. Through personal dialogue with church, government, and academic leaders, participants will wrestle with the issues facing China including environmental degradation, poverty, and human rights and reflect upon what these challenges mean in light of increasing global interdependence. Through visits with Chinese government representatives in Beijing, exposure to China’s rural areas, conversations in Shanghai with economic leaders, and dialogue with church and academic leaders in Nanjing, participants will have the opportunity to experience China in a way that extends far beyond the beaten path. The delegation will also be introduced to China’s rich culture through visits to renowned cultural sites such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. The seminar will conclude with several days in Hong Kong.
For more information and an application for the seminar please contact the Plowshares Institute directly at (860) 651-4304. For information about taking the seminar for credit please contact the Hartford Seminary Registrar at (860) 509-9511. There are additional fees for this travel seminar.
