Sterling College TM358 Global Urbanization
City of Joy: Welcome to God’s Playground
Denver Urban Semester: Summer 2014
Issachar Community Center
Dr. Jeff Johnsen
1220 East 24th Avenue
Cell: 720-275-0595
Denver, CO 80205
“Cities are a mirror of our societies, a part of our economy, an element of our environment. But above all else they are a measure of our ability to live with each other. When we examine our cities we examine ourselves.”
J.R.Short, The Urban Order, An Introduction to Cities, Culture and Power.
“The city puts you in proximity to people who think differently than you do, so you must think differently”
Tim Keller
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In 1900, eight percent of the world’s population lived in cities. By 2000, that number had surpassed 50 percent! As we consider the impact of urbanism (the transmission of urban values, products, and lifestyles into a world connected by media and economics), we realize that urbanization (the development of cities as places characterized by size, density and heterogeneity) represents a spectacular challenge to leadership – civic, social and spiritual – in our day. This course is designed to offer students tools for understanding global urbanization, its local expression in Denver, Colorado, and analytical tools to help leaders develop effective responses.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Objectives
It is expected that the participants who complete this course will have accomplished the following objectives:
·Become familiar with tools and perspectives for “reading” cities, urban neighborhoods, and the diverse people groups and social systems that comprise the city.
·Begin to discern the “soul” of a city – the symbols and stories that provide meaning and encourage community.
·Understand the importance of the city in scripture and Christian theology.
·Explain causes and consequences of America’s unique urban challenge.
·Develop and compare broad contours of service and leadership within the urban context, by completing a research/application project.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Boyle, Gregory (2010) Tattoos on the heart: the power of boundless compassion. New York: Free Press. 240 pages.
Lupton, Robert D (1989) Theirs is the kingdom: celebrating the gospel in urban America. San Francisco: Harper-Collins. 121 pages
Lupton, Robert D (2007) Compassion, justice, and the Christian life: rethinking ministry to the poor. San Francisco: Harper-Collins. 128 pages
Perkins, John M. (2011) With justice for all. Ventura, CA: Regal Books. 240 pages.
Salter-McNeil, Brenda (2004) The heart of racial justice: how soul-change leads to social change. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 208 pages.
Note: Students are responsible to get their own books. All the books are available through Amazon.com and other distributors, and most are available through Denver Public Library. The professors might loan their volumes to students who will circulate them quickly in order to share with other class members
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
·Students will read four of the five books, and write reviews on assigned texts.
·Students will keep a journal of questions and comments regarding the course, and turn this journal in at the end of the course.
·Students will do a final project synthesizing the content of the course.
MEASURING STUDENT PROGRESS:
·Attendance and Participation20 points
·Course Journal20 points
·Book Reviews20 points
·Course Integration Paper & Project20 points
·Course Final20 points
TOTAL POINTS100 points
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Attendance and Participation (20 points)
Students must attend the entire intensive portion of the course, and participate in all sessions. If you plan to miss part of the course, it is the student’s responsibility to coordinate before scheduled meeting times. In keeping with attendance guidelines, missed absences will result in a 5 point reduction per meeting session.
Course Journal (20 points)
Write a critically reflective journal (8-10 pages, typed, double-spaced) of the course. Keep these things in mind when writing a journal:
Description: Narrate and summarize the essence of what you heard, saw and experienced. Demonstrate that you engaged and understood the material being presented.
Analysis: Engage critically what was said or not said. Consider the parts of the course that inspired and challenged you, but also those that disturbed you. Don’t be afraid to disagree with the professors, or challenge their conclusions.
Application: Given what you saw and how you engage the material, how might you use this in another setting, such as ministry, work, or church? If you don’t feel you can apply the knowledge just yet, don’t worry, just project out into the future and think how you might apply the content presented in the intensive.
As part of your journal reserve at least one page to write an “open letter” to God, speaking directly to the Lord about some aspect of what you’ve learned, or what you would like to say or discuss with God as it relates to some aspect of the material. You might explore a question or a feeling or struggle. Don’t preach, rather speak directly to God and engage God in a discussion.
Book Reviews (20 points)
Choose five items from the list below. (Your list must include at least three books, plus any two other items.)
- The three required texts. .
- An article or short story, reflecting the themes of the course. You are free to find and select these for yourselves, though the professors can help you find some options. Also suggested is to use an archived article from
- A film that reflects themes covered in this course (for approval and/or suggestions the professors will be available).
- One album of your choice with music reflecting the themes of the course.
- A visual image.
Write a critically reflective paper of 8-10 pages, double-spaced, in which you wrestle with these questions: 1) What do these five items have to do with one another? 2) What do they have to do with the material in the course?
Make sure that you demonstrate that you have read (watched, listened, as the case may be) the material. Introduce us to the major contours of the book. Speculate about why the author wrote this book (record this song, paint this picture, etc.). In other words, what’s the “gist” or big point of the book/item? Be sure that you evaluate its strengths and weaknesses (analysis). A good example of what is being sought after here might be found in the editorial pages of any major newspaper (check out book reviews on Saturdays in the Rocky Mountain News, for example), or a movie review in a magazine.
But beyond that, the real challenge of this project is to integrate the various items – with one another, and with the primary concepts of the course.
How do the items you’ve chosen shed light, perhaps even a surprising (scandalous?) light on the mystery of the cross? What hints of the cross do you find in the material, and perhaps in surprising places – a picture, a song, a film?
Course Integration Project (20 points)
The best way to learn anything… is to teach it to others. That’s the goal of this course-integration project: learn by teaching. Over the summer you will choose one of the neighborhoods in downtown Denver and learn the history, understand its cultural, meet the people that bring leadership, spend time asset mapping, inventory its strengths, and try and come up with a plan to over hope to the broken aspects of the neighborhood.
Therefore, the assignment is to do something with the content that you learn from the neighborhood: you can share a power point, lead a substantive discussion, and create a work of art (a song, a poem, a piece of visual art) or come up with another way to share the knowledge and wisdom you learned. You have a great deal of flexibility, as long as you meet the objectives of integrating the course material, and demonstrating that you understand it.
Students will submit a final paper, 8-10 pages double-spaced, that describes your final project, how you implemented it, who participated, and what you learned through the experience. (If you have any concerns about whether your project will qualify, please consult your professors before continuing.)
Course Final Test (20 points) will be given on Thursday, July 30 at 3:00pm
COURSE OUTLINE
The course is organized around into ten learning experiences in urban neighborhoods:
Session 1
Image of Jesus: We will examine the historical and cultural images of Jesus and process how these views of Jesus impact the ways we worship, pursue and encounter God. We will also discuss how these images might limit our ability to both minister and encounter in the poor, disenfranchised and the hopeless.
Session 2,
Public Assistance Programs: What are they? How do they work? Do they help or hurt? How do people gain access to them?
Session 3, F
A Tale of Two Cities: Seeing the city through the lenses of two great cities in scripture: Babylon and/or Jerusalem “The way you see your city will determine how you live there.” Urbanization and urbanism, This session will take place at Confluence Park (the birthplace of Denver). Theological reflection: God’s vision for urban life.
Session 4,
"What is your name?" Mark 5
As we walk along a stretch of Denver's Cherry Creek to see where some of the homeless camp we will also be discussing the story of Jesus and the Demoniac found in the fifth chapter of Mark’s gospel. Within this Jesus story we’ll discover practical ways of living and interacting that promotes dignity among those who are overlooked and marginalized.
Session 5
"Seeing as God Sees" Numbers 24
This class we will engage the Poverty Walk which will take us around the Capitol Hill neighborhood and parts of Colfax Blvd. Prior to our walk we will highlight a story from the 24th chapter of Numbers where a man named Balaam begins to see through the eyes of God. What does it mean to see as God sees?
Session 6
Highway 40 Blues – a reflective walk along the Capitol Hill portion of Colfax Avenue (from Auraria to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception), Denver’s “main street, and the longest contiguous business strip in America. Theological reflection: On behalf of the unnamed.
Session 7
Forgotten Neighborhoods and Dedicated Neighbors. A walking conversation through the Globeville neighborhood. Theological reflection: Seeking the shalom of the city
Session 8
Urban Entry: Anything Helps? How do we respond when someone on the street asks us for money? How do we move from charity to asset-based development? Theological reflection: God’s heart for the poor. Class taught at Joshua Station homeless housing
Session 9
Urban Entry: Road Trip. Race and ethnicity represent some of the most important topics for conversation in our increasingly diverse world. Unfortunately, many people (especially within religious circles) find these to be difficult conversations to initiate. What are some accessible steps to break the ice? Theological reflection: Images of God. Held in Five Points.
Session 10
“God outside the gates” (Part 1) This class we’ll explore the back alleys along Denver’s Sante Fe Arts District. These alleys contain some of the city’s most beautiful works of art which won’t make it into the popular galleries.
Session 11
Urban Entry: Send These. A discussion of immigration, and the changing composition of the urban Christian Community: At Barnum Park and south Federal Blvd.
Session 12
"God outside the gates" (Part 2) Hebrews 13 This class will be held at the historic Riverside Cemetery. Riverside is Denver’s oldest cemetery, which was the burial destination of the state’s poorest people. We will explore an interesting passage in Hebrews chapter 13, which implores the reader to go be with Christ “outside the gates of the city.”
Session 13
Urban Entry: New Neighbors. An exploration of the relationship between gentrification and the suburbanization of poverty, East Colfax and North Aurora
Cultural Events:
Each student will attend 8 cultural events doing the weekend that are offered throughout the Denver neighborhoods over the summer. Examples: Jazz in City Park, First Friday: Latino Art Night, Peoples Fair, Greek Feast, Botanical Gardens, Art Museum, African American Heritage Museum, Chalk Art, Cherry Creek Art Festival, Colorado Black Arts Festival, Irish Festival.
Movies: Each student will watch 4 films that deal with the pain, hopelessness of our global urban poor and be apart of a discussion following the film.
Total seat hours for this class will be between 48-52 hours during our summer term.
DISCLAIMER STATEMENT
The syllabus may be altered as the course proceeds. Students are responsible for any changes to course content, deadlines, and expectations.
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