Course Descriptions
Field Education
Clinical Pastoral Education – Summer 2018
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, MFC Comp 2.
Session
Summer 2018
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4012
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
1- 10
Community Field Work Summer
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
Summer 2018
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, 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 meet 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
Summer 2018
Instructors
Course Type
Field Education
Location
Off-site
Course ID
FE-4053
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
0.5 - 5
Immersion
ChI Immersion Islam
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.
Dates for this course are tentatively July 17-21, 2019, 9am – 5pm (typically includes 1 evening class).
Relates to SKSM thresholds 5, 2,1; MFC Competencies 3, 4 and 1.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
7/18/18 – 7/22/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
FEFT
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
ChI Immersion Protestantism
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 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.
This course does not count toward residency requirements.
Dates for this course are tentatively June 20-24, 2018, 9am – 5pm (typically includes 1 evening class).
Relates to SKSM thresholds 1, 4, 6, 8; MFC Competencies 1,2,3,4 and 7.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
6/20/18 – 6/24/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
FEFT
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
ChI Immersion Theravadan 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 immersion 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.
Dates for this course are Aug 15-19, 2018, 9am-5pm (typically includes one evening class).
Relates to SKSM thresholds 3, 5, 6; MFC Competencies 1, 3, 4 and 7.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
8/15/18 – 8/19/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
FEFT
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
ChI Spiritual Direction I
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Spiritual Direction Certificate. This module is the first of four quarterly classes in the 2018/19 program. The certificate is designed to inspire, nurture and educate those who are called to serve as Spiritual Directors in our increasingly diverse world. Our innovative program focuses on a combination of the study of world religions, an exploration of personal spirituality, and spiritual direction skills….all in a creatively infused context. 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.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 1, 5, 6, 8; MFC Competencies 2, 3.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
6/25/18 – 6/29/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
SPFT
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
ChI Spiritual Direction II
For joint-program students participating in Chaplaincy Institute (ChI) modules as part of the Interfaith Spiritual Direction Certificate. This module is the first of four quarterly classes in the 2018/19 program. The certificate is designed to inspire, nurture and educate those who are called to serve as Spiritual Directors in our increasingly diverse world. Our innovative program focuses on a combination of the study of world religions, an exploration of personal spirituality, and spiritual direction skills….all in a creatively infused context. 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.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 1, 5, 6, 8; MFC Competencies 2, 3.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
8/6/18 – 8/10/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
SPFT
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
Mindful Walk Transylvania
This is an immersion course taking place July 14 to 27 (14 days/13 nights) in central Transylvania. This course is a collaboration between SKSM and the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council. It begins and ends in the city of Cluj (Kolozsvár) and includes 8 days of walking through the beautiful rolling hills and pastoral river valleys among Unitarian villages. During the walk, pilgrims will engage in short didactic sessions on religious history, political and cultural issues facing Unitarians in the region, Transylvanian community life, as well as spiritual practices. In the final days of the trip, students take a bus to Deva (Déva) and climb to a mountain-top fortress to hold a vespers service, where Francis David, the first Bishop of the Unitarian Church was martyred. A trip fee ($1095) includes local transportation, local guides, accommodations, meals, and cultural programs. Additional expenses include air travel and US ground transportation. Some scholarships are available to UU students pursuing ministerial fellowship. Evaluation is based on participation, leadership of spiritual practices or vespers, and a final reflection paper. Pre-trip meetings and information sessions will build community and prepare students for the immersion experience. Not for the casual walker; daily distances will range from 6-17 miles and use trails and roads of varying surfaces. Students must also register with the UU Partner Church Council (visit uupcc.org). US/Canadian citizens need passports but do not need a visa to visit Romania.
Students must interview with the faculty prior.
Relates to SKSM Threshold 4 and MFC Competency 6.
Student must apply by http://uupcc.org/trip/july-2018-mindful-walk-Transylvania.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
7/14/18 – 7/27/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
M / T / W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Course ID
HRSP
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Course Size
5 – 15
Units
3
Unitarian Universalist Polity: General Assembly Immersion
The Polity Intensive Class will happen June 20-24 at the site of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly in Kansas City, MO. Students will discover the mechanics of governance by observing Unitarian Universalist polity in action. We will attend plenary sessions, business mini-assemblies and worship services, as well as meet together as a class to process our observations, learn the history of congregational polity in contrast to other polity paradigms, and thus locate our polity in its theological and cultural contexts. We will also use the case study method to dissect recent actions of the General Assembly, using video from previous General Assemblies. We will evaluate how polity acts as it is translated from the church to a national setting: informed by social justice, our polity can have global impact. The General Assembly this year will allow a new interpretation of Unitarian Universalist polity as a legacy, in regard to its theme, “All are Called,” and radical inclusion. The convention center will be a laboratory for our lived faith as it becomes bylaws: through these reflections we will develop strategies to translate our Principles and Purposes into action, to become more effective religious leaders, as well as resources for our congregations and communities. For Unitarian Universalists, democracy is in the details. Students will be responsible for their own travel, food, lodging, and General Assembly Registration.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 1, 4 and MFC Comp 6
Intended Audience: MDiv, MA, MASC
Evaluation Method: 1) class participation 2) demonstrated preparation 3) final project or final paper
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
6/20/18 – 6/24/18
Instructors
Course Type
Immersion
Location
Off-site
Days
W / Th / F / Sa / Su
Time
TBD
Course ID
FTHS-4077
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
1.5
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Intensive
ECO CORE Intensive
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. Final paper. This course has a special focus on economic and racial justice addressed intersectionally.
Relates to Thresholds #2,5,7 and 8 and MFC Competency #4.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
8/27/18 – 8/31/18
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
RSFT-1017
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Leadership Along the Way: Practices in Regenerative Power and Equity
The rationale for this course is to develop one’s own life-cultivating (i.e. sustainable) leadership in relationship to the long arc of social change and transformation that existed before our time and will continue after us. We will explore ways of managing time and energy, rediscovering our agency amidst unpredictable and chaotic moments, and leading in a way that honors the leadership present in any given moment, as well as the leadership that preceded and will follow such moments. This course is in-person, interactive, and rooted in Taoist and Zen praxis. Students will be expected to complete readings, reflections, and activities that will deepen their leadership practice.
Relates to SKSM Threshold 1 and MFC Comps 5 & 7.
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
8/13/18 – 8/17/18
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
RSED
Faculty Approval Required
No
Units
3
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Mujerista and Latina Feminist TheoEthics
Mujerista and Latina Feminist TheoEthics: This intensive seminar surveys the rich contributions of Mujerista and Latina Feminist scholars to theologies of liberation. We will explore Latin@ / Hispanic ethnic identity formations; consider the impact of transnational identities in the global North and global South to this work; engage the formative writings of Ada María Isasi-Díaz, María Pilar Aquino, Ivone Gebara and others; and acknowledge their interconnections to Womanist thought. There will be significant advanced reading for this course, but there will not be a final paper. Grades will be determined primarily through class participation. Pre-requisite: ECO Core Intensive or equivalent. Relates to SKSM thresholds 1, 2, and 6 and MFC Competencies 1, 6, and 7. This course is high residency 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
Summer 2018
Dates
8/27/18 – 8/31/18
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
STCE
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
3
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Songs & Stories for All Ages
This course is designed for MDiv students and worship leaders who prepare weekly services. With a combination of lectures, in class exercises, field trips and guest presenters, participants will develop a liturgical calendar filled with songs and stories drawn from folklore, sacred text, life experience and creative collaborations. Musical experimentation and vocalization exercises each day will include creating songs, instruments and deepening an understanding of the role of music in creating mood, flow and resonance for spiritual growth. Readings will explore multi vocal worship leadership in Unitarian Universalist congregational settings. Sessions will include tools and techniques for religious leaders and lay led teams working with or without professional staff. The course will emphasize appropriate use of historic and contemporary resources in faith formation in changing times with a review of generational theory. No experience necessary however a willingness to take risks, engage with creative practices and experimentation will be expected. In class presentations and a final project (in congregation or school setting) will be determined in conversation with the instructor.
Relates to Thresholds: 8, 7, 1 Relates to MFC competency 1, 3, 7
Session
Summer 2018
Dates
8/20/18 – 8/24/18
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
9 am - 5 pm
Course ID
RAFT
Faculty Approval Required
No
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. This is a required course for the M.Div. program.
Relates to SKSM Thresholds 1 & 5 and MFC Comps 2, 5 & 7
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
Summer 2018
Dates
8/20/18 – 8/24/18
Instructors
Course Type
Intensive
Location
Starr King Campus (Oakland, CA)
Days
M / T / W / Th / F
Time
10 am - 6 pm
Course ID
FTED-2100
Faculty Approval Required
Yes
Units
3
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Thesis/Final Project
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