Course Descriptions
Field Education
Clinical Pastoral Education
This course is for Starr King students engaged in part-time or full-time Clinical Pastoral Education. Participate in ministry to persons, and in individual group reflection upon that ministry. Theoretical material from theology, the behavioral sciences, and pastoral care. Integrates theological understanding and knowledge of behavioral science into pastoral functioning. Upon completion, a written evaluation from the program supervisor will be placed into the student’s permanent files. Discuss first 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. Every year SKSM offers an orientation to CPE and to the application process; students are responsible for applying and securing a place in a CPE program. Please check the SKSM Student Handbook for more information.
Session
Summer 2017
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4012
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1-10
Community Field Work
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 should 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 available from the professor at the beginning of the semester and on the SKSM Website. Please see Student Handbook for more information.
Session
Summer 2017
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4063
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
0.5-5
Congregational Field Work
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, participating in a stewardship campaign and more. Please arrange with the professor.
Session
Summer 2017
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
No Location
Course ID
FE-4053
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
0.5-5
Immersion
ChI Interfaith Studies Immersion
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Each module offers contextualized immersions in the teachings and practices of a particular religious tradition as well as the embodied arts of spiritual ministry, preparing students for informed and open-hearted service to a pluralistic society. Students must register for the level of credit that reflects the number of modules completed during the academic term, at a rate of 1.5 units each. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FEFT-2492
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1.5-4.5
ChI Islam Intensive
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Students will explore the sacred texts of Islam, the Qur’an and Hadith, the Five Pillars of the faith, and also consider the cultural and religious dimensions of Islam in health care and community life. Islamophobia and images of Muslims in the media will be topics of discussion in a class this year. Students will also attend Friday Prayers at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California. In addition to the study of the faith tradition, this module will include social justice education. While focusing on spiritual care, students will explore the elements of prayer and presence, and boundaries and transference. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
7/19/17 – 7/23/17
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Immersion, Intensive
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
New
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
1 – 15
Units
1.5
ChI Protestant Christianity
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. For this module, students will study Protestant Christianity, with classes exploring the Christian vision, Evangelical Christianity, Salvation Theory and Baptism, as well as an overview of Protestant denominations. Also included is a theological focus on Buddha and Christ, and a social justice focus on the history of oppression and resistance. During this module there will also be two experiences of on-site learning, with visits to The Interfaith Peace Project with Fr. Tom Bonacci, and to the First AME (FAME) Church of Oakland. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
6/21/17 – 6/25/17
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Immersion, Intensive
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
New
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
1 – 15
Units
1.5
ChI Spiritual Direction Immersion
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Spiritual Direction Certificate. Each intensive learning module focuses on the development of practical skills and competencies for offering spiritual direction to persons of varying religious beliefs and backgrounds. This immersion in the arts of ministry combines pedagogies of theoretical, practical, and artistic learning. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/21/17 – 8/25/17
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Course ID
SPFT-2492
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1.5
ChI Theravada Buddhism
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Theravada is the dominant form of Buddhism in most of southeast Asia—Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It claims about 100 million adherents worldwide, and its doctrines are taken from the Pali Tipitaka or Pali Canon. Basic teachings from this practice will be taught by a Theravada Bhikkuni (Buddhist nun) and other members of the Bay Area Dharma community. This module also includes spiritual site visits and participation in religious services. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/16/17 – 8/20/17
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Immersion, Intensive
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
New
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
1 – 15
Units
1.5
Unitarian Universalist Polity: General Assembly Immersion
This Polity Immersion Class will run at the site of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly (June 21-25, 2017 in New Orleans, LA). Participants will attend plenary sessions, mini-assemblies and worship services (on one’s own or with classmates) as well as share classroom time to explore how changing cultures and theologies of leadership, authority and church shape our institutions; how polity helps or hinders our commitment to social justice; what the historical roots are for many of our traditions; and how to bring back the insights and learning from the class to home congregations and communities. The setting at General Assembly will allow all involved to move beyond past history towards an understanding of what it takes to be an effective and responsible political actor in contemporary UU settings. Students will be responsible for their own travel, lodging, and GA Registration.
The Rev. Dr. Meg Richardson looks forward to offering this course again at the 2018 UUA General Assembly in Kansas City.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
6/21/17 – 6/25/17
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
FTHS-4077
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
6 – 20
Units
1.5
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Intensive
ChI Islam Intensive
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Students will explore the sacred texts of Islam, the Qur’an and Hadith, the Five Pillars of the faith, and also consider the cultural and religious dimensions of Islam in health care and community life. Islamophobia and images of Muslims in the media will be topics of discussion in a class this year. Students will also attend Friday Prayers at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California. In addition to the study of the faith tradition, this module will include social justice education. While focusing on spiritual care, students will explore the elements of prayer and presence, and boundaries and transference. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
7/19/17 – 7/23/17
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Immersion, Intensive
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
New
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
1 – 15
Units
1.5
ChI Protestant Christianity
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. For this module, students will study Protestant Christianity, with classes exploring the Christian vision, Evangelical Christianity, Salvation Theory and Baptism, as well as an overview of Protestant denominations. Also included is a theological focus on Buddha and Christ, and a social justice focus on the history of oppression and resistance. During this module there will also be two experiences of on-site learning, with visits to The Interfaith Peace Project with Fr. Tom Bonacci, and to the First AME (FAME) Church of Oakland. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
6/21/17 – 6/25/17
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Immersion, Intensive
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
New
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
1 – 15
Units
1.5
ChI Theravada Buddhism
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Studies Certificate. Theravada is the dominant form of Buddhism in most of southeast Asia—Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It claims about 100 million adherents worldwide, and its doctrines are taken from the Pali Tipitaka or Pali Canon. Basic teachings from this practice will be taught by a Theravada Bhikkuni (Buddhist nun) and other members of the Bay Area Dharma community. This module also includes spiritual site visits and participation in religious services. 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.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/16/17 – 8/20/17
Instructors
TBD
Course Type
Immersion, Intensive
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
New
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
1 – 15
Units
1.5
Death and Justice: A Case Study
This August intensive is an advanced counter oppression course focusing on the book Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink. The premise of the course is that you are a religious leader – perhaps a CPE student working in Memorial Hospital or a parish minister in the hospital for another reason. You are trapped in the hospital in New Orleans by rising water. How do you understand race, class and ageism as they play out in this setting? What tools would you have to address the situation intersectionally and perhaps even prevent the euthanasia that happened? We will address this case study through readings on racial justice; prayer and meditation are some of your tools. Students must read the book and submit summaries 7 days prior to the class. Required reading includes Ta-Nehisi Coats Between the World and Me, a book on prayer chosen by the student and other articles to be assigned. The class will involve analysis of the hospital system, case study role playing, presentations by experts and much extemporaneous prayer. This will be an intense and experiential learning experience. Pre-requisites: ECO or instructor permission are pre-requisites. It is particularly important that students come to class prepared. NOTE: This class will meet from 9:00am-5:00pm the week of Aug. 14 – Aug. 18, 2017.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/14/17 – 8/18/17
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Reading Room
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Course ID
CERS-4468
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
5 – 12
Units
3
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ECO Core Intensive: Educating to “Create Just and Sustainable Communities that Counter Oppressions”
Educating to “Create Just and Sustainable Communities that Counter Oppressions” (“ECO”) is a core goal of Starr King’s M.Div. and M.A.S.C. degree programs. In this required core intensive, M.Div. and M.A.S.C. students’ work together to form a framework for counter-oppressive spiritual leadership. We will ask: how can spirituality, ministry, and religious activism respond to the multiple and intersecting realities of injustice, suffering, and oppression in our lives and our world? What models of justice and sustainable community invite our commitment? Drawing on Unitarian Universalist and multi-religious sources, we will explore how in the midst of a world marked by tragedy, sorrow and injustice there remain abiding resources of beauty and grace that nourish resistance, offer healing and call us to accountability and community building. Reading and writing assignments to be completed before the course. This course will include Moodle as a resource to share material, resources and ideas before and after the residential week in Berkeley. The 2017 ECO Core Intensive will have a special focus on poverty and racial injustice. This course will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017 from 9:00am-5:00pm.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/21/17 – 8/25/17
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Fireside Room
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Course ID
RSFT-1017
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
5 – 20
Units
3
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Introduction to African Spirituality
In the creation of our “Beloved Community,” this course will ask and answer what contributions do the ancient spiritual wisdoms of Africa have to offer at this time? The course will consist of lectures, demonstrations and student participation. Class participation and final reflection paper will constitute student evaluations. Indigenous African Spiritualties differ from what we in the West may refer to as “religion.” There is no fixed creed or closed theological system as seen in some forms of Christianity and Islam. Indigenous African spiritualties are primarily based upon oral traditions and do not have a codified written text, like other major religions. African spiritualties are holistic. In them, any imbalance or disturbance is seen not only as personal but includes one’s social, family and village relationships and the relationship with one’s ancestors. They encompass at their most basic level a universal belief in survival and triumph over death and the immortality of the human soul. The course will be experiential in nature with links to how African Spiritualties can inform our communal and global pursuit of social justice. Monday-Friday, August 21-25, 2017, 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Please register for the course by August 1st in order to complete the readings by the beginning of the course.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/21/17 – 8/25/17
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Reading Room
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Course ID
HRSP-4012
Faculty Approval Required
No
Course Size
5 – 15
Units
3
Leadership, Liturgy, Learning
In this 3-credit course, we will explore the design, experience and leadership of multigenerational worship and ritual in for Unitarian Universalist congregational contexts, emphasizing the role of liturgist as leader of faith formation in religious community. Texts, field trips, video and story will be drawn from the work of artists, performers, clergy and thinkers who guide our work in the study and creation of transformational ritual and liturgical forms. There will be dancing, there will be poems, there will be food, there will be song, there will be art-making and picture taking. Sessions will take place on campus and in immersion-style field trips Sunday – Thursday, August 27-31, 2017 from 9:00am-3:00pm.
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/27/17 – 8/31/17
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Reading Room
Days
M / T / W / Th / Su
Time
9:00a.m.-3:00p.m.
Course ID
RALS-4300
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
5 – 12
Units
3
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Theology and Ethics for UU Ministerial Leadership CORE Intensive
This CORE intensive course focuses on the theological foundations and habits of mind necessary to be a self-defined leader among Unitarian Universalists, either in congregations or in other UU settings. Students will have the opportunity to test their current skills in a series of real-world challenges likely to be faced in parish or community settings. The goal is to allow student the chance to confront possible issues while the stakes are low. Role playing, small group work and reflection papers will be required. Prerequisite readings will be announced. This is a required course for the M.Div. program. (NOTE: This course will meet Mon. Aug. 14 to Fri. Aug. 18, 2017 from 10:0am to 6:00pm).
Session
Summer 2017
Dates
8/14/17 – 8/18/17
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Room
Fireside Room
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
10:00a.m.-6:00p.m.
Course ID
FTED-2101
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
5 – 14
Units
3
Online
No courses found
Residential
No courses found
Residential Hybrid
No courses found
Thesis/Final Project
No courses found
