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Canyon College

online Praying the Scriptures course at Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Praying the Scriptures


Course Title: Praying the Scriptures - DV465
Department: Bachelor of Divinity
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Gerald M. FitzGerald, BD, MDiv, DMin, PhD TH (Candidate), E-Mail Vita
Prerequisites: None

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

This course seeks to introduce students into the study of the scriptures as material for the enterprise of praying. Students have probably heard of the mantra prayers associated with Eastern religions. There is the famous scene from the movie, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” in which Tina Turner finds the strength to escape an abusive relationship and to rescue her life as a singer from relative obscurity through the power of a mantra prayer taught to her by a friend who practices Buddhism. What this course does is to remind Christians of our own spiritual heritage and the power associated with praying the scriptures. After all, the scriptures are not the word of God but rather point to the word of God – Jesus Christ. By praying the scriptures, Christians can come within hearing distance of Jesus Christ and through him, God.

By the conclusion of our journey through the readings and discussions of this course, students should have an understanding of several approaches to praying the scriptures and should be equipped with a mantra prayer of their own and a technique that they can share with others.

DOCTRINAL STATMENT

Canyon College is a non-sectarian, non-denominational school committed to the study of God in all the richness and diversity of God's revelations to humanity and an exploration of what those revelations mean to the everyday lives of finite human beings. Canyon College does not advocate any particular belief, creed, doctrine or idea other than the reality of God and does not require that its students and faculty subscribe to any particular belief, creed, doctrine or idea other than a willingness to be challenged and a commitment to an investigation into truth and the pursuit of academic honesty and excellence.

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

Students should strive to use inclusive language in their writings. By inclusive language is meant language that is not gender specific and which attempts to include as many people as possible. For instance, instead of writing that "God wills that every man obeys His will," inclusive language would require us to write, "God wills that everyone obeys God’s will."

COURSE UPDATES

Please do not send attachments. Instead copy/paste to an email your weekly assignments to the Professor at his/her Canyon email address. Include your name, student number, course name and number, and include the questions within the text of your answers.

If the book you order and receive has a different publishing date, notify the Professor because some adjustment may be needed to the page numbers of the assignments.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Readings. The required texts are:    Online Book Store
- Brueggemann, Walter, Praying the Psalms, Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 1993, soft-cover
ISBN: 0884893227

- Meeks, Blair Gilmer, ed., The Landscape of Praise Readings in Liturgical Renewal, Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press, Int’l, 1996, soft-cover
ISBN: 1563381559

- Wilkinson, Bruce. The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life, Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 2000, hardcover
ISBN: 1576737330
Textbooks should be ordered from the Canyon College Online Bookstore to insure that the correct volume and edition is obtained.

2. Conferences. Students may schedule no more than two Internet conferences between the student and the professor. The student should schedule these as necessary. Of course, students may ask questions of the professor at any time by sending an e-mail to the address at the link above or by posting them to the message board.

3. Exams. There will be a midterm exam. The exam will cover the assigned readings and should be taken prior to the end of the week indicated below.

4. Papers. There will be a short paper of at least 1,250 words (not counting end-notes and bibliography), due at the end of each week’s readings in which students will answer the discussion questions and give a reaction to their readings. These papers are to be e-mailed to the professor. Papers should conform to the form and style outlined in Kate L. Turabian’s "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations," 6th ed. Students should use endnotes instead of footnotes. Finally, the papers are intended to be reflection papers and not research or the "author said" papers. Students should indicate their understanding of the texts and merely quoting the authors cannot do this.

5. Grades. Course work will be weighted as follows:
Papers 40%
Midterm Exam 30%
Outline of Class 30%
6. Grading Scale.
90-100% A - Excellent
80-89% B - Above Average
70-79% C - Average
60-69% D - Below Average
59% or below F - Failing Grade

A = Clearly stands out as excellent performance. Has unusually sharp insight into material and initiates thoughtful questions. Sees many sides of an issue. Articulates well and writes logically and clearly. Integrates ideas previously learned from this and other disciplines. Anticipates next steps in progression of ideas.

B = Grasps subject matter at a level considered to be good to very good. Is an active listener and participant in chats, message boards, e-mails and conferences. Speaks and writes well. Accomplishes more than the minimum requirements. Work is of high quality.

C = Demonstrates a satisfactory comprehension of the subject matter. Accomplishes only the minimum requirements, and displays little or no initiative. Communicates at an acceptable level for a college student. Has a generally acceptable understanding of all basic concepts.

D = Quality and quantity of work is below average and barely acceptable.

F = Quality and quantity of work is unacceptable.


WEEK 1

Reading: Meeks 1-61

Questions:
  1. What is Allen’s definition of faith and how does it differ from traditional notions of faith?
  2. What is the significance of time in liturgy?
  3. Is there a difference between individual and communal prayer? If so, what is it?

WEEK 2

Reading: Meeks 97-166.

Questions:
  1. What is liturgical language?
  2. What is symbolic language?
  3. What is sacred space? Is sacred space needed for prayer?

WEEK 3

Reading: Meeks 183-278


PLEASE COMPLETE THE MIDTERM EXAMINATION BEFORE THE END OF THIS WEEK.


WEEK 4

Reading: All of Brueggemann

Questions:
  1. What is a lament and what is its purpose? Write a lament of no more than 12 lines.
  2. You are going to visit a member of your church/parish who is in the ICU ward of a hospital. Which three psalms will you select for reading at the member’s bedside?
  3. Write a prayer that you would leave with the member and ask him/her to say it over and over again for healing and comfort.

WEEK 5

Reading: Read all of Wilkinson

Questions:
  1. What do you see as the benefit of Wilkinson’s book?
  2. What is the Jesus prayer?
  3. What is a mantra prayer? Write your own mantra prayer.

WEEK 6

Reading: Read the following webpage then prepare an outline for a class you have been asked to teach on Praying the Scriptures for an adult group and a children’s group. You should prepare a separate outline for each class. Your outline should include at least three Internet sources that you will use. Please email the outlines to Professor Williams by the end of this week.

http://www.littlefallschurch.org/prayingthescriptures.shtml