Eastern Mennonite Seminary Summer Courses

Summer 2007

Eastern Mennonite Seminary offers a number of May and June term courses. These courses generally run for two or three weeks. The following are the summer course offerings for 2007.

May Term Courses
May-June Courses

May Term Courses

May Term courses run from May 7 to May 25

CTT 633 Anabaptist Theology
Dates: May 8 – 25,
Times: T,TH 8-2:15, & W,F 8-12
Credits: 3
Cost: $1197

This course is a descriptive and analytical study of sixteenth-century Anabaptist history and theology. This history and theology will be viewed against the backdrop of the theological, spiritual and cultural dimensions of the time, especially the contexts of the dominant Christian world and the various movements for reform. The bulk of the course will focus on the Anabaptists of the first half of the sixteenth century. This is done in order to help us name the roots of the Anabaptist heritage. However, a central purpose of the course is to help us better understand the relevance of this Anabaptist heritage for the contemporary life of the Church at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

Instructor: Mark Thiessen Nation is Associate Professor of Theology at EMS . He received a Ph.D. in ethics and theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2000. He has many years of experience as a pastor. He also was founder and executive director of the Champaign-Urbana Peace Initiative and recently served as the Director of the London Mennonite Centre.

CM 663 Mennonite Faith & Polity
Dates: May 8 – 18 h, 2007
Times: T, TH 8-2:15 & W, F 8-12
Credits: 2
Cost $798

This course is a study of the confessional statements of the major Mennonite groups in North America in the last century, with particular attention given to the church contexts in which these statements were made. The course will also examine polity, understood as the composite of policies and organizational structures that guide the life of the church. The focus will be on the polity of the Mennonite Church USA with attention to the precedents of the two groups, the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Church , who formed that new denomination. This course is particularly useful for pastors and agency administrators who exercise leadership within denominational structures.

Instructor: George R. Brunk III is professor of New Testament at EMS , where he previously served 22 years as dean. He is nearing completion of a book about Galatians for the Believers Church Bible Commentary series. As a former moderator of the Mennonite Church , he has often been an interpreter and shaper of Mennonite faith and polity.

BVOT 703 Isaiah
Date: May 8 – 25
Time: T, TH 8– 2:15, & W, F, 8–12
Credit: 3 SH
Cost: $1197

Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet most quoted in the New Testament, has been called the “prince” of the prophets for his sometimes picturesque, grandiose, and moving poetry. Isaiah has sometimes been said to soar, while Jeremiah walks, and Ezekiel merely plods. Here is an opportunity to study Isaiah’s literary work and theological themes while also paying attention to the historical/political backgrounds of the book. The class will concentrate directly on the Isaiah text (in English), but will also introduce some of the scholarly ideas on the writing of the book and on its importance in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Instructor: Jim Engle is Professor of Old Testament at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He has participated in several seasons of archaeological work in Jordan and Israel , and has spent sabbatical time in Israel and Ethiopia . Jim takes great delight in equipping others to use Scripture as a faith resource and tool for ministry. He feels called to under gird our existential, daily experience with the longer history of faith, especially that which is narrated in the Hebrew Scriptures.

SMCL 713 – Congregational Conflict Consulting
Dates: May 17 & 18, 21-25
Times: 8-12 & 1-3:30
Credit: 3SH
Cost: Seminary Credit: $1197 Non Credit Training fee: $539

This course is designed to equip participants to work with congregations or large groups facing conflict. It will look at one main approach to congregational intervention work. A large-group role-play will be used to illustrate the processes being introduced. The course is geared to those who want to take their mediation and facilitation skills further, and to be equipped to work with large groups as well as individuals in conflict.

Instructors: David Brubaker teaches organizational studies at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University . He has worked as a consultant and trainer for many years, specializing in organizational conflicts, especially congregations and other religious organizations.

Alastair McKay is director of Bridge Builders at the London Mennonite Center , offering consultancy, mediation and training services to churches in Britain and the USA over the last 11 years.

Cross-Cultural Church Experience
Date: May 8 – 25
Credit: 3 SH
Cost: $1197

This course begins with three days of in-class work on May 3, 4 and 7 (before May-term begins), but it primarily consists of each student spending 85 hours doing direct fieldwork in a social/cultural setting which is distinctly different from ones with which he or she is already familiar, “distinctly different” means of another race or having another mother tongue. Recent students in this course have done their fieldwork in Belize, Jamaica, Trinidad, Russia, Greece, an African American community of North Carolina and the Hispanic community in Harrisonburg.

Practicing the methods of learning the culture of a community directly from the people of the community concerned it a key aspect of learning. By doing this we acknowledge that they know many things about their world that we can learn from no other source.

You will make careful efforts to appreciate the values, beliefs, practices, patterns and ways of thinking of the community. You will also find people there to “teach” you about their culture and way of life, and you will make careful record of what you hear and observe. Special attention is given to how the Christian faith is communicated and expressed (contextualized) in these settings and how it engages everyday realities in that context.

Instructor: Lawrence Yoder is professor of missiology at EMS. He has lived and worked in Indonesia for 10 years. He has also researched and written several books about the history of both the Evangelical Church of Java and the Muria Christian Churches of Indonesia. Yoder has a keen interest in assisting students to discover the tools necessary for crossing cultural frontiers in order to build authentic relationships based on mutual hospitality, respect and understanding.

Israel Cross-Cultural Experience
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May/June Term Courses

SMME 613 Exploring Christian Healing Ministry
Dates: Tues. May 29 – Friday, June 8
Times: 9-3
Credits: 3
Cost 1197.00

Jesus clearly taught his disciples to heal the sick. Scholars recognize that healing was an essential element of the dawning kingdom of God, which Jesus proclaimed. Does Jesus’ teaching extend to us today? Is healing a part of discipleship? Many of us are more likely to take seriously Jesus’ instruction to love enemies than his instruction to heal the sick.

Today many parts of the church--from Catholic to Mennonite to Pentecostal, from the West to the two-thirds world--are recovering ministries of healing. Medical researchers these days are documenting how prayer effects healing. Still many Christians are slow to respond.

In this class we learn how Christian healing ministry intersects with counseling, psychotherapy, physical, surgical, medical and other modes of therapy. Come seeking healing for your own body, mind, soul and relationships while you learn to minister healing to others. Don't miss this chance to grow, stretch and take part in the dawning reign of God! (The above course title is in place of the catalogue course title: "Healing Ministry in Missional Church".)

SMCL 753 Marriage & Family Counseling
Dates: May 29 – June 8,
Times: 9-3:15
Credits: 3
Cost: $945.00

This course provides an overview of marital and family counseling from a systems perspective. A variety of family systems theories and techniques are explored from a faith perspective. Special emphasis is given to current research on attachment theory and the role of attachment in couple and family distress. Students will become familiar with attachment issues, working from an emotion focused perspective and gaining proficiency in assessment and intervention. Various issues such as parenting, pre-marital counseling, marital enrichment, abuse, divorce, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, and blended family experience, will be discussed. Students will engage in learning exercises and role plays in order to facilitate application of course content.

Instructor: Annmarie Early received her Ph.D. in Marital and Family Therapy and Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family therapist in California and Virginia . In private practice in California , Annmarie specialized in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and continues to offer supervision and training in this area. She served as an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Department of Marriage and Family at Fuller Seminary and is currently an assistant professor in the Master of Arts in Counseling program at EMU.

Summer Institute for Spiritual Formation
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Clinical Pastoral Education
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