Course Descriptions
Field Education
Clinical Pastoral Education – Spring 2019
This course is for Starr King students engaged in part-time or full-time Clinical Pastoral Education. Participate in ministry to persons in crisis and engage in individual and group reflection. Didactic sessions draw together theoretical material from theology, the behavioral sciences, and pastoral care. Students learn to integrate theological understanding and knowledge of behavioral science with pastoral functioning. Upon completion, a written evaluation from the program supervisor will be placed into the student’s permanent file. Discuss CPE with your advisor and then faculty. Final evaluation from CPE supervisor needs to be sent to faculty by the last day of the semester to receive credit. Students are responsible for applying for and securing a place in a CPE program. Please check the SKSM Student Handbook for more information.
Relates to SKSM Threshold 5 and MFC Comp. 2.
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
1/28/19 –
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4012
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1 - 10
Community Field Work – Spring 2019
Field work describes an involvement in community work for up to 15 hours a week with the ongoing support of a mentor. Community Field Work includes work in gender, racial and economic justice, queer activism, disability advocacy, immigration issues, environmental responsibility, civil liberties protection, HIV response, youth at risk, peace building, participating in a fundraising campaign for a non for profit or grassroots organization, chaplaincy, teaching and more. Students should discuss the field work opportunity with their advisor before making arrangements with the professor. Student and community mentor will discuss and sign a learning agreement at the outset of the field work experience. Midterm and final student/mentor evaluations will also be required by midterm and the end of term. All forms are available on the SKSM website. Please see Student Handbook and Contextual Education Handbook for more information.
Relevance for specific SKSM thresholds and MFC competencies varies according to the nature of a student’s field experience.
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
1/28/19 –
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4062
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
0.5 - 5
Community Intern Reflection
This course is a peer group seminar for interns doing fieldwork in community field sites. It offers theo-ethical reflection, linking the experience in the internship to the student’s broad educational and vocational goals (praxis). The class is designed for students to assess their personal progress, gather support from peers and the instructor, integrate their internship experience into their degree program, and deepen theo-ethical practices to sustain religious leadership in community ministry. Students gather multi-religious sources of wisdom, which serve as touchstones for group theological reflection. The course includes a required weekly live web-based video seminar and frequent online discussion postings. This online course is synchronous on Zoom and counts as low residency; students must have consistent internet access to relevant technology. Evaluation is based on participation, depth of engagement with peers and resources, as well as written self-evaluations.
Required for MDiv/ MASC students enrolled in credit for community internship during the same semester.
This is a continuation of the Fall 2018 course (FE-4222). Students who did not take the Fall course and have qualifying internship positions may enroll in the Spring course (FE-4223).
Fulfills thresholds based on personal learning goals in the internship.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Online
Days
Th
Time
3:40 pm - 5 pm
Course ID
FE-4223
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
2
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Community Internship – Spring 2019
Community Internships involve engagement at a field site from 16 to 40 hours a week, under weekly supervision at the site and the support of the SKSM Community Intern Reflection class. Community Internships include a variety of settings, such as supervised placements in a non-profit service agency or grassroots organization, hospice work, chaplaincy, teaching and more. They can also entail creating new projects such as starting a new organization or planning a conference. Those who register for this course should also register for Community Intern Integrative Reflection Spring. Students should discuss the internship with their advisor before making arrangements with the professor. Student and supervisor will discuss and sign a learning agreement at the outset of the internship. Midterm and final student/supervisor evaluations are also required. All forms are available on the SKSM Website. Please see Student Handbook and Contextual Education Handbook for more information.
Relevance for specific SKSM thresholds and MFC competencies varies according to the nature of a student’s field experience.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4221
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
5 - 10
Congregational Field Work – Spring 2019
Fieldwork is an opportunity to put into action the theory learned in the classroom. Working in a congregation gives the student a chance to develop their unique pastoral voice while navigating complexities of a congregation’s history, culture, systems and ethos. Fieldwork placements may include: teaching a religious education class for children or adults, working with a youth group, serving on a pastoral care team, and more. All congregational field work students meet monthly by Zoom to discuss learning goals and monthly learning themes with the professor. The professor’s final evaluations of work is determined by monthly Zoom participation and the student’s final assessment of their work. This course is for M.Div. students and may fulfill UU ministry requirements. Depending on the focus of the field work project, it can relate to the following Starr King Threshold Areas: Life in Religious Community and Interfaith Engagement, Prophetic Witness and Work, Spiritual Practice and Care for the Soul, Educating for Wholeness and Liberation, and Embodied Wisdom and Beauty.
Requires approval from faculty advisor.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4052
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1 - 4
Congregational Internship – Spring 2019
This is a 10 month full-time (one year, 10 credits/semester) or part-time (two years, 5 credits/semester) ministry experience in a teaching congregation, under the supervision of a Minister in Final Fellowship (for UU students), working with an intern committee, and a professor at the school. For nonUU students, check with your denominational body to see if there are additional requirements for the congregational internship experience. Those who register for this course must also register for Congregational Intern Reflection Fall. This course is for M.Div students. The Intern Ministers meet monthly by Zoom to discuss progress on Learning Goals. UU students will use the UUA Internship Evaluation forms.
During the Internship experience, there are opportunities for all 8 Starr King Threshold Areas to be explored, as well as the UU Ministerial Fellowship Committee Competency Areas.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4211
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
5 - 10
Immersion
No courses found
Intensive
ChI Chaplaincy Electives
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) courses as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Students enrolling in ChI electives earn credit based on the total number of courses completed in a term. The one elective offered in Spring 2019 is Eco-Ministry. In this 3.5-day course that meets March 14-17, participants will learn ancient and innovative, life-affirming and healing practices for the Earth and the ecosystems on which humans depend. In addition to presentations with subject-area experts, this elective takes students outdoors to learn with the Earth, and to local venues where new and indigenous practices are showing paths forward for society. Art and ritual will constitute daily components of the course, allowing students to integrate course instruction through holistic forms of learning and expression.
ChI electives are only for students who have been admitted to the SKSM-ChI joint program and are not available to other SKSM students or to students from other GTU schools. This course does not count toward residency requirements. Relevant for SKSM thresholds 2, 6, and 8; MFC competencies 3 and 4.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Course ID
SPFT 1120
Faculty Approval Required
No
ChI Immersion- Ministry Basics 1
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. In Ministry Basics 1, areas of focus in classes include: Types of Ministries defined (prison; corporate; military; university; community; congregational/ceremonial), an Introduction to Expressive Arts in Ministry, Spiritual Interventions & Blessings, Witnessing Depression, Suicide and Dark Night of the Soul and an Introduction to the Professional Field of Spiritual Care. The ChI curriculum incorporates lecture, dyad/small group work, various art modalities, and site visits to deepen our many ways of learning and integrating new awareness.
This course is only for students who have been admitted to the SKSM-ChI joint program and is not available to other SKSM students or to students from other GTU schools. This course does not count toward residency requirements. Meets Mar. 13-15 + additional online coursework. Relevant for SKSM thresholds 1, 5, and 8; MFC competencies 2 and 3.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Time
9am-5pm
Course ID
SPFT 1100
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
ChI Ministry Basics 2
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate.In Ministry Basics 2, areas of focus in classes include: Guided Imagery and Blessings, Spiritual Assessment, Genograms/Family Systems/Grief Ritual, Public Speaking, and The Ministry of Prayer and Presence. The ChI curriculum incorporates lecture, dyad/small group work, various art modalities, and site visits to deepen our many ways of learning and integrating new awareness.
This course is only for students who have been admitted to the SKSM-ChI joint program and is not available to other SKSM students or to students from other GTU schools. This course does not count toward residency requirements. Meets May 15-18 + additional online coursework. Relevant for SKSM thresholds 1, 5, and 8; MFC competencies 2 and 3.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Time
9am-5pm
Course ID
SPFT 1101
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
ChI Spiritual Traditions 1
Global Spiritual Traditions 1: for joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. The first of a two-part series that introduces students to ChI’s core philosophy and learning approach as well as an introduction to World Religions and/or spiritual paths that have their origins in earth-centered, indigenous practice (Africa, Pagan, First Nation and other indigenous worldviews), as well as ancient Eastern philosophy and belief systems (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism). While engaging with the world’s knowledge, beliefs, traditions, scriptures, and practices, the ChI curriculum incorporates lecture, dyad/small group work, various art modalities, and site visits to deepen our many ways of learning and integrating new awareness.
This course is only for students who have been admitted to the SKSM-ChI joint program and is not available to other SKSM students or to students from other GTU schools. This course does not count toward residency requirements. Meets Feb. 19-23 + additional online coursework. Relevant for SKSM thresholds 1, 2, and 6; MFC competency 3.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Time
9am-5pm
Course ID
HR 1100
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
ChI Spiritual Traditions 2
Global Spiritual Traditions 2: for joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. The second of a 2-part series that introduces students to ChI’s core philosophy and learning approach as well as an introduction to World Religions and/or spiritual paths that have their origins in the Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity). While engaging with the world’s knowledge, beliefs, traditions, scriptures, and practices, the ChI curriculum incorporates lecture, dyad/small group work, various art modalities, and site visits to deepen our many ways of learning and integrating new awareness.
This course is only for students who have been admitted to the SKSM-ChI joint program and is not available to other SKSM students or to students from other GTU schools. This course does not count toward residency requirements. Meets Apr. 23-27 + additional online coursework. Relevant for SKSM threshold1, 3, and 6; MFC competency 3.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Course ID
HR 1101
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
ChI Theological Literacy
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Theology literally means “words about the Divine.” In Theological Literacy, students will explore the concepts that attempt to describe the Divine, as well as how we understand the universe and ourselves in relation to the Divine. Our approach to ministry is always directed by our theology. In this course, students will receive an interfaith orientation to theological concepts across the World Religions, to better discern, define and describe one’s own understanding of theological questions related to morality and end-of-life speculation. The ChI curriculum incorporates lecture, dyad/small group work, various art modalities, and site visits to deepen our many ways of learning and integrating new awareness.
This course is only for students who have been admitted to the SKSM-ChI joint program and is not available to other SKSM students or to students from other GTU schools. This course does not count toward residency requirements. Meets May 13-15 + additional online coursework. Relevant for SKSM thresholds 1 and 6, MFC competency 3.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Time
9am-5pm
Course ID
HRST 1101
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
Ministry in Times of Disaster
In times of communal crisis, people of faith are called to minister throughout the life cycle of a disaster. In addition to offering spiritual first aid and disaster response, faith communities are joining with grassroots organizations to advocate for a “just recovery” that is more equitable, resilient and sustainable. Whether communities suffer from hurricanes, floods, or wildfires, police violence, civil uprisings or mass shootings, entrenched systems of oppression and power impact who is harmed and how severely, as well as whose lives, visions, and values are centered during recovery and rebuilding. This class combines two three-day weekend intensives at SKSM along with asynchronous on-line study and reflection. Students will receive the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) Crisis Response Team Training during the first weekend intensive. The second weekend includes a local field trip to learn from communities recovering from wildfire disaster in this era of climate disruption. On-line study will include readings, video, audio, worship resources and an opportunity to interview clergy whose ministry was impacted by a disaster.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 2 & 5 and MFC Competencies 2, 4 & 7.
Evaluation will be based on familiarity with assigned reading, class participation, role play scenarios and written work.
Schedule:
1) Orientation Zoom call for the whole class, February 7th, 5:30-7:00PM Pacific Time. https://zoom.us/j/8103527466
2) Intensives at SKSM: March 29-31 and April 26-28
Fridays: 10am – 6pm;
Saturdays: 9am – 5pm (Field trip may impact ending time on April 27)
Sundays: 9am – 5pm.
3) Asynchronous on-line work
Prerequisites: Educating to Counter Oppressions (or equivalent with faculty permission).
Registration: Class is open to students on any degree track. A limited number of community auditors may register with faculty permission.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Fireside
Time
See course description
Course ID
PSRS 2300
Faculty Approval Required
No
Course Size
5 – 20
Units
3
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NOVA Crisis Response Training
The NOVA Crisis Response Team training provides caregivers with techniques to deliver critical education and emotional first aid to victims, survivors and community members in the event of a mass-casualty or natural disaster. Topics covered include: Trauma related crisis reactions; coordinating a community response team; crisis intervention for individuals and groups; death, loss and grief; spiritual dimensions; stress of caregivers and special issues of age faced by children and the elderly.
During this 1.5 unit weekend intensive, students will be trained alongside students in the 3 unit Ministry in Times of Disaster course (PSRS 2300), and will locate the role of religious leadership during the life cycle of a disaster.
Schedule:
1) Orientation Zoom call for the whole class, February 7th, 5:30-7:00PM Pacific Time.
2) Asynchronous on-line work
3) Weekend Intensive at SKSM: March 29-31, 2019
Friday: 10am – 6pm;
Saturday: 9am – 5pm
Sunday: 9am – 5pm.
Evaluation will be based on familiarity with assigned reading, class participation, role play scenarios and brief reflection paper.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 2 & 5 and MFC Competency 2
Class is open to students on any degree track. A limited number of community auditors may register with faculty permission.
Prerequisite: Educating to Counter Oppressions (ECO Core Intensive) or equivalent with faculty permission.
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
3/29/19 – 3/31/19
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
No Location
Room
Fireside
Days
F / Sa / Su
Course ID
PSRS 2350
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
Rites of Passage: Letting Go
Whether it takes the form of death, separation/divorce, a frightening medical diagnosis, or even the loss of a pregnancy, loss is a normal part of the human experience – but it can be challenging to surrender to the grieving process, to make sense of our loss within our religious/spiritual framework, and to trust that the unknown territory of mourning might carry us toward new meaning. This weekend intensive course will focus on crafting and leading rites of passage that give outward expression to the breadth of human loss. Most of the course will focus on memorial services, where we’ll divide our work between the content of these services – their theology, language, and liturgical components – and the pastoral responsibilities and hazards that might arise. A portion of this course will be spent exploring other significant or painful endings, rarely addressed by traditional rites of passage, to ask how communities of faith might respond to the pastoral needs and opportunities entailed therein.
Students may take both or one of the Rites of Passage intensive weekend courses.
This course relates to SKSM Thresholds 1, 5, 8 and MFC Comps 1 & 2.
This course is high-residence hybrid.
Format: Evaluation method: reflection papers and written project
Intended Audience: MDiv, MA/MTS, DMin
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
2/22/19 – 2/24/19
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
F / Sa / Su
Time
Friday: 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday: 1 pm to 7 pm
Course ID
LSPS 2001
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
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Rites of Passage: New Beginnings
New beginnings – like marriage of the birth/adoption of a child – are joyful, but they can also demand the navigation of complicated family dynamics. The wise religious/spiritual leader is prepared to celebrate these occasions reverently and responsibly. Most of this weekend intensive course will focus on weddings, which require that clergy/officiants wield several separate but interrelated skill sets: ministry as relationship-building (often with an unchurched couple); attention to the theology, language, and liturgical flow that provide ceremonies with depth and meaning; and the “ad-ministry” of attention to details that, if held carefully, will lead to a seamless rehearsal and ceremony. We’ll spend time on best practices, the importance of contracts, and creating savvy boundaries. A portion of the weekend will address ceremonies that celebrate the arrival of children into families – whether through birth of adoption. Students will also have the opportunity to explore rites of passage celebrating other forms of “new beginnings.”
Students may take both or one of the Rites of Passage intensive weekend courses.
This course relates to SKSM Thresholds 1, 5, 8 and MFC Comps 1 & 2.
This course is hybrid.
Evaluation Method: reflection papers and role play scenarios.
Intended Audience: MDiv, MA/MTS, DMin
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
3/22/19 – 3/24/19
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
F / Sa / Su
Time
Friday: 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday: 1 pm to 7 pm
Course ID
LSPS 2000
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
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Online
Counter-Oppressive Agrarian Theologies – Local Land-Based Learning
COUNTER-OPPRESSIVE AGRARIAN THEOLOGIES – LOCAL LAND-BASED LEARNING
How does a perspective of the divine grounded in the soil, in the humus that makes us human, shape our relationship to each other, to the planet, and to God? This online yet experiential and embodied course will help religious leaders gain first-hand experience in the spiritual and structural nuances of our food systems and in how our lives and ministries fit within them. We will explore how systems of oppression intersect with our own bodies through how we produce and interact with the food we eat, and create space for creative imagining and exploration of solutions to food systems problems.
This course builds upon the foundation laid in the required Agrarian Theologies Part 1 intensive. Students will spend time each week volunteering at a local garden or farm (instructor can offer assistance with placements), using that experience as a primary text to bring into dialogue with selected readings. Students will be evaluated based on their engaged reflections and online dialogue with each other, in addition to a final paper or project.
The course is intended for all students.
This course may help meet the Starr King thresholds for Prophetic Witness and Work, Spiritual Practice and Care for the Soul, Educating for Wholeness and Liberation, and Embodied Wisdom and Beauty. It may also help meet the MFC competencies of Spiritual Development for Self and Others, Social Justice in the Public Square, and Leads the Faith into the Future.
Students are required to also register for Agrarian Theologies Introductory Intensive.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Hybrid
Location
Online
Course ID
CERS 8102
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
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Faith-Rooted Organizing for Social Change
This foundational course – applicable to all vocational paths, from community organizing to parish ministry to non-profit leadership to theological scholarship – explores tools, best practices, and multi-religious theologies for faith-rooted organizing for change. Paying close attention to the intersections of social issues, identities, and religious traditions, participants will draw lessons from a diversity of historical and contemporary movements, ranging from Black Lives Matter to climate justice. Merging the pastoral with the practical, students will learn to articulate their unique faith-rooted organizing style and strategize on how to take concrete, spiritually grounded action in their own congregations and communities.
Relates to SKSM Threshold #1: Life in Religious Community and Interfaith Engagement and #2: Prophetic Witness and Work. Relates to MFC Competency #4: Social Justice in the Public Square.
This course meets online and is asynchronous on Zoom.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Online
Location
Online
Course ID
RSFT-8405
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Families & Spiritual Practice
This class will explore ways of strengthening and nurturing families at home, in congregations, and in the community through spiritual practice and care. Practices will include family rituals, sabbath time, prayer, meditation, community service, mindfulness, play, mealtimes, activism, devotion, creativity, nature, and gratitude. Families of all kinds, across the generations, and from different cultural and faith traditions – including students’ own families – will receive our attention. Course Format: Classroom discussion. Method of Evaluation: weekly reflections, spiritual practice exercises, and projects. Intended audience (M.Div., MASC, MA).
This online course is asynchronous. Low residency.
Relates to Threshold #: 5; 7; and 8
MFC Competencies #: 2; 3; and 6
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Online
Location
Online
Course ID
SPRS-8012
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Promised Lands and Immigrants
This course encompasses the study of racial/ethnic, gender and religious identity negotiations of Latina/o migrants both from theoretical literature as well as case studies. The many issues entailed to migratory patterns such as those of Latina/o migrants are examined through an interdisciplinary approach. The literature from the many disciplines involved in the study on these topics is vast, hence you are expected to be familiar with the main themes as viewed in class. The first section of the course will focus on general theoretical themes that cut across the course’s cases. It will provide you with tools to analyze the experiences of Latina/o migrants in general. The second section will focus first on the case of the United States and then on the case of Japan.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and MFC Comps 2, 3, 4, 7.
Intended Audience: MDiv, MA, and MASC; PHD With extra coursework.
Evaluation Method: 2 reflection papers, weekly class participation, final project.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Online
Location
Online
Course ID
RSHR-8427
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Quran: Feminist Readings
This synchronous online course will be conducted via zoom and Moodle platforms.
It will examine the worldview, language, narratives and teachings of the Quran to begin to understand the implications of the Quranic texts on the lives of women, on gender construction and gender relations. In the process we shall examine feminist writings on the Quran or on issues pertaining to Muslim and the Quran. The course will involve an extensive and intensive critical engagement with the texts. Students will submit weekly assignments 24 hours before the course meeting time and their questions and observations from their weekly journals will help the instructor frame the weekly class lecture and discussion. The insights of historical-critical method, form criticism, modernist interpretations and sufi praxis will inform our deliberations. Students will be expected to come to class having an introductory level knowledge of Quranic studies otherwise they will need to do some extra reading as indicated in the course syllabus. Students will be evaluated based on their weekly assignments, class attendance and participation and a final essay. The final essay for Phd students will be at least 5000 words long. This course is suitable for any graduate student with some preliminary knowledge of the Quran and an interest in feminist issues. The first class shall meet on Monday from 6:10 – 9 pm. At that time students will have the option of changing the class time through a poll. If no alternative suitable time is found at which the entire registered student body can meet then we shall continue to meet on Monday evenings from 6:10-9 pm.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds: Sacred Text and Interpretation, History of Dissenting Traditions and the Thea/ological Quest, Life in Religious Community and Interfaith Engagement and MFC Comps: Serves the larger UU Faith
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Hybrid, Online
Location
Online
Room
https://www.sksm.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Syllabus-QURAN-FEMINIST-READINGS-S-2019_.pdf
Days
M
Time
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Course ID
HRBS 8420
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Sexual Ethics
Sexuality is sacred. This intensive course examines the role of sexual health for faith communities and their leaders. Students will engage key theological, ethical and public health perspectives on themes in sexual ethics, including: sexual freedom and responsibility, pleasure and desire, boundaries and consequences, heteropatriarchy and resistance, responding to violence and misconduct, abortion care, reproductive technologies, and prophetic witness for sexual justice. The course also provides students pursuing ministry and leadership within a tradition the opportunity to demonstrate their competency in professional clergy sexual ethics and promoting sexually healthy congregations. Particular emphasis is paid to queer and womanist/feminist voices on sexuality and faith. Evaluation is based on participation and discussion leadership, as well as case study analysis. It is open to both high- and low-residence students who have consistent access to technology requirements.
Students should have taken the ECO Seminar, passed another course related to systemic oppression, or be willing to take a pre-course module.
Relates to SKSM Threshold 5 and fulfills required course content for MFC Competency 2.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Hybrid
Location
Online
Days
M
Time
2:10 pm - 5 pm
Course ID
CE-4040
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Trauma Informed Ritual II
A follow-up integration experience for participants in Trauma Informed Ritual I offered in January 2019. Online Only. Half Semester. Students must contact the instructor via e-email prior to enrolling in order to receive permission to register. Registration is contingent upon faculty approval.
Prerequisite: Trauma Informed Ritual I required.
Relates to Thresholds: 1. 5. 7. 8. relates to MFC competencies: Worship and Rites of Passage, Spiritual Development for Self and Others
Intended Audience: MDiv and MASC students who have completed the Trauma Informed Ritual I
Format: Online
Evaluation Method: group participation, reflection paper, interview with instructor
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Online
Location
Online
Course ID
RAFT 8400
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1.5
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Unitarian Universalist Theologies
Unitarian Universalist Theologies: This reading-intensive online course grounds its exploration in the fundamentals of liberal theology, through a survey of Unitarian Universalist voices. Its main purpose is to engage those considering UU ministry in the practice of theological reflection while exploring some of the historical, philosophical, and theological contexts shaping Unitarian Universalism as we know it today. This course is not intended to replace a class in systematic theology. Students will be expected to complete the reading, write a brief weekly reading response, and participate in dialogue about personal and spiritual responses to the topics each week. All students are required to submit a final paper on their own personal theology. Prerequisites: A) a systematic theology class or B) UU History before or concurrently with this course.
Relates to Starr King Threshold 1 and MFC Competency 6.
This course is online only.
Students must contact the instructor via e-email prior to enrolling in order to receive permission to register. Registration is contingent upon faculty approval.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Online
Location
Online
Course ID
ST-8401
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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UU Prophetic Witness
This intensive course will explore the history of Unitarian Universalist Prophetic Witness since the Merger in 1961, as expressed in action and voted on by the annual Unitarian Universalist General Assembly. It will combine historical investigation of social justice actions and witness with deep analysis of Unitarian Universalist polity and how congregations transform affirmation into action. Students will trace the moral arc from 1961 issues like desegregation, disarmament, reproductive rights, migrant farm workers, House UnAmerican Activities and Capital Punishment to those of the present, including Islamophobia, gun control and Black Lives Matter. Required texts will be drawn from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee’s reading list and will include The Arc of the Universe is Long, The Premise and the Promise, Prophetic Encounters, and Conrad Wright’s Congregational Polity.
Relates to SKSM Threshold 2 and MFC Comp 4.
Intended Audience: MDiv, MA, MASC
Evaluation Method: 1) class participation 2) oral presentations based on independent research 3) demonstrated preparation and 4) final paper or final project.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Online
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Course ID
HSFT-8409
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Residential
Body and Soul/Cuerpo y Alma
“Decolonizing Latinx and Liberation Theologies.” This course will explore Latin American Liberation Theologies and embodied ritual practices that interrogate the body as a space of contention, resistance, and transformation.
Requirements: Weekly attendance and participation; Three individual five (5) page reflection papers; One collective class presentation; One final individual paper/project. Examples of topics to be discussed:
1) Indigenous Ways of Knowing: The Lived Religious Experience.
2) Two-Spirits/Queer/GNC Latinx Bodies as Decolonizing Narratives of Resistance.
3) Fleshing the Spirit: Storytelling and Healing Rituals as Research and Theological Narratives.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds:4,5,6,8
Relates to MFC Comps: 1,3,4,6,7.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Residential
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Fireside
Days
M
Time
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Course ID
CEST 2300
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Residential Hybrid
Adult Religious Education
Amidst growing consensus that people joining progressive churches seek personal growth and spiritual deepening, most Unitarian Universalist congregations do not provide adequate programs to meet this need. This course provides students with an overview of the theory and practice of adult and multigenerational religious education in the progressive church. The second half of the course will be conducted as a seminar with students researching existing adult and multigenerational faith development/religious education/spiritual deepening programs and making constructive proposals for best practices in congregations. Participants will be evaluated on weekly participation and a final project.
The courseis suited to MDiv, MA/MTS, DMin, and certificate students.
While the course touches on all of the SKSM thresholds, it is most related to #7, 5, 4, and 2. It also addresses MFC competencies #3, 4, and 7.
This is a residential course accepting students participating through distance technologies.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Residential Hybrid
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
Th
Time
9:40 am - 12:30 pm
Course ID
ED 4072
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Church Administration as Ministry
Ministry is relational. This is crucial in all areas of parish administration — budgets, pledge drives, fundraisers, building campaigns, staff oversight, volunteer support, facilities, long-range planning,. What is the pastor’s role? Where to prod and when to defer to lay leaders? When to hold a program or a committee together or let it fall apart? How to supervise staff and what to pay? We will consider ministering in “after pastor” congregations and the experiences of leaders of color in dominant-culture congregations. To consider personal balance and boundaries as professionals, we will interview ministers about their stresses and lessons. In class discussions and papers, we will reflect on articles, books, case studies, and sermons. Semester project with an in-class presentation based on your goals and interests. Materials are intended for UU students but the course is open to other students on an ordination track. Please contact the instructor; approval is needed for all students. This course meets the SKSM Threshold: 1) Life in Religious Community and Interfaith Engagement and MFC Comp: 5) Administration.
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
2/4/19 – 5/24/19
Instructors
Course Type
Residential Hybrid
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Reading
Days
M
Time
9:40 am to 12:30 pm
Course ID
FT-2820
Faculty Approval Required
No
Course Size
5 – 15
Units
3
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Power and Movements: Approaches to Collective Liberation
The rationale of this course is to engage the interdependence of individual and collective power in contributing to social change movements, sustainability, and liberation. The course will explore specific approaches to change through various perspectives of power, organization, and movement. This includes the artificial and natural phenomena that contribute to and are perpetuated by interlocking systems of domination. Participants will have the opportunity to develop their relationship with collective liberation by: studying the qualities, forms, and functions of power and movements; working with concrete tools that deepen individual, interpersonal, and institutional relationships with power and movements; reflecting upon the wisdom of spiritual and secular sources; and collaborating in the equitable cultivation of community. Students will be expected to complete readings, case-studies, reflections, and a final project that contributes to the collective wisdom of the class.
Meets SKSM Threshold #4: History of Dissenting Tradition and Thea/ological Quest. Meets MFC Comp. #6: Serves the Larger UU Faith.
Intended Audience: MDiv, MASC, MA
Students must contact the instructor via e-email prior to enrolling in order to receive permission to register. Registration is contingent upon faculty approval.
Session
Spring 2019
Instructors
Course Type
Residential Hybrid
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
Th
Time
5:30 pm - 8:20 pm
Course ID
RSED-4907
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
3
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Thesis/Final Project
MASC Project
For SKSM Master of Arts in Social Change (MASC) students only. MASC students can split this course over two semesters or sign up for it during their last semester. This final project can take a variety of forms and should be representative of the student’s learning and creative work in the MASC degree. Projects include research thesis, public presentations, designing and implementing educational curricula, organizing local/national conferences and special events, multimedia artwork, writing a book, and more. The thesis topic, proposal, and final draft need to be discussed and developed with the faculty. The project can have a public presentation. A total of 3 MASC Project credits are required for graduation in the MASC degree. Please discuss with instructor.
Session
Spring 2019
Dates
2/4/19 – 5/24/19
Instructors
Course Type
Thesis/Final Project
Location
Off-site
Course ID
MA-5300
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
0.5-3