Global ChristianityRELG XXX

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Instructor: Adam KotskoOffice: Humphrey House 109 Office Hours: E-mail: Adam.Kotsko@kzoo.edu

Course DescriptionDespite its roots in the Ancient Near East, Christianity has historically been identified with Europe and, later, majority-white former British colonies, most notably the U.S. In the postwar era, however, what is sometimes called the “Third World” has emerged as the home of the majority of the world’s Christians—and arguably the site of the greatest dynamism and innovation in Christian thought and practice.

This course investigates some contemporary manifestations of this trend—liberation theology and Pentecostalism (primarily in their Latin American forms), along with new types of Christianity developing in Africa and Asia—and their broader implications for the academic study of religion, centered in the question of the nature of religious transformation and the problems surrounding the identification of “a” particular religion.

Course GoalsUpon completing this course, students should:

understand representative forms of Third World Christianity in their historical, political, and economic contexts;

be able to identify the central themes and arguments of texts from a variety of perspectives and state them in a clear and sympathetic way in class discussion;

be able to bring those texts into productive dialogue with one another; and be able to formulate criticisms in a way that is attentive to the original author’s intent and

argumentation.

Course TextsRequired textbooks:

Harvey Cox, Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the 21st Century (Da Capo)

Kevin O’Neill, City of God: Christian Citizenship and Power in Postwar Guatemala (Univ. of California)

Gustavo Gutierrez, On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the Innocent (Orbis) Paul Gifford, African Christianity: Its Public Role (Indiana) Lamin Sunneh, Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture (Orbis) Andrew Sung Park, The Wounded Heart of God: The Asian Concept of Han and the

Christian Doctrine of Sin (Abingdon)Additional essays and selections will be made available as a course packet and are marked in the reading schedule (**).

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Course Requirements1. Course readings: The bulk of the work of this class is the reading. All readings should

be completed before the class session for which they are listed. Study questions will be provided to guide students in reading.

2. Film viewings: There will be three film viewings scheduled outside of class. Students who are unable to attend the scheduled viewing will be expected to watch the films on their own; copies will be on reserve in the library.

3. Class participation: Class periods will incorporate significant lecture elements, but each class period will include an in-class discussion. Students are expected to arrive in class ready to discuss the assigned readings in a way that is attentive and accountable to the texts, providing specific references to back up their points.

4. Reading quizzes: On Thursday of each week beginning with week 2, students will be given a quiz in-class that will deal with two randomly selected reading questions from the previous two class sessions. Quizzes will be graded; each student’s lowest quiz grade will be dropped when determining the final average of all quizzes.

5. Papers: Students will be expected to complete two papers of 4-6 double-spaced pages over the course of the quarter. These are not research papers; they are based entirely on the class readings. At the same time, they should go beyond “reflection papers” in drawing explicitly and heavily on those class readings rather than simply putting forward your own opinions.

a. Paper #1: Both Pentecostalism and Liberation Theology claim to be getting back to a more “primal” or “original” form of Christianity that the traditional churches have suppressed. Compare and contrast their vision of a “rediscovered” Gospel, concluding by offering an assessment of each: do you find their claims plausible, based on your knowledge of Christianity? How do you assess the forms of community and practice that result from their ways of reimagining Christianity?

b. Paper #2: A dominant theme in studies of African and Asian Christianity is the question of how to incorporate Christianity into a “foreign” (i.e., non-European) culture, a question that is normally discussed in terms of “indigenization” or “synchretism.” Discuss the main ways you see the groups and figures from our course reading have negotiated this problem—how have they tried to remain faithful to their cultural tradition while maintaining some kind of connection to the Christian tradition?

6. Attendance: Attendance is expected, in light of the fact that this is a discussion-heavy class. While attendance will not be formally tracked, a clear pattern of absenteeism will result in a reduction in your grade. In addition, Thursday quizzes are to be done in class only except under extenuating circumstances (exceptions will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis).

7. Academic integrity: All students are expected to fully abide by the Honor Code of Kalamazoo College. Collaborative study is encouraged, but all submitted work must be the student’s own.

Grade summary: Class participation: 10% Reading quizzes: 30% Papers: 30% each

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Outline of Course and ReadingWeek 1: What is Liberation Theology? Origins and Community

Film Viewing: Salvador (to be scheduled) Tuesday: Course intro; Lecture on origins of Latin American Liberation Theology Thursday: Boff, Selections from Ecclesiogenesis (**), Sobrino?

Week 2: What is Liberation Theology? Transforming Theological Reflection Tuesday: Gutierrez, On Job, introduction, parts I and II Thursday: Gutierrez, On Job, part III

Week 3: What is Pentecostalism? American Roots Film Viewing: The Apostle Tuesday: Cox, Fire from Heaven, preface, part I Thursday: Cox, Fire from Heaven, part II

Week 4: What is Pentecostalism? The Latin American Experience Tuesday: Cox, Fire from Heaven, ch. 9; O’Neill, City of God, intro, ch. 1 Thursday: O’Neill, City of God, one chapter from 2 through 5 to be assigned in class,

chs. 6 and 7

Week 5: The Missionary Experience in Africa Paper #1 due Tuesday in class Tuesday: Sanneh, Translating the Message, intro, chs. 3 and 4 Thursday: Sanneh, Translating the Message, chs. 5 and 7

Week 6: Christianity in Postcolonial Africa: Overview Film Viewing: Son of Man Tuesday: Gifford, African Christianity, chs. 1 and 2 Thursday: Gifford, African Christianity, one chapter from 3 through 6 to be assigned in

groups, ch. 7

Week 7: Christianity in Postcolonial Africa: Messianism and Faith Healing Tuesday: Selections from African Apocalypse (**) and The Story of Isaiah Shembe (**);

Ela, selections from African Cry (**) Thursday: Cox, Fire from Heaven, ch. 12; Comoro and Sivalon, “The Marian Faith

Healing Ministry,” in East African Expressions of Christianity (**); J&J Comaroff, “The Medicine of God’s Word,” in Revelation and Revolution, vol. 2 (**)

Week 8: Varieties of Christian Experience in Asia Tuesday: Cox, Fire from Heaven, ch. 11; Fernandez, “Filipino Popular Christianity,” and

Wiest, “Catholics in China,” in Twentieth-Century Global Christianity (**) Thursday: Selections from Minjung Theology (**)

Week 9: “Syncretism” and Transformation: An Example from Korean Theology

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Tuesday: Park, Wounded Heart of God, intro, chs. 1 through 4 Thursday: Park, Wounded Heart of God, chs. 6 through 9

Week 10: Concluding Reflections: What is “Global Christianity?” Tuesday: Catch-up day, concluding discussion Thursday: Thanksgiving Day, no class

Paper #2 due by noon on Friday of finals week

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