Diakonia - Course Outline

Course Outline
Two years of formation
Twelve five-session courses

Series A

A1. Introduction to the New Testament: The goals of this course are twofold: the class together will seek to understand the content and development of Christian faith and life in the first century Church as reflected in the canonical books of the NT; students will also seek to understand and use a variety of scholarly tools for biblical interpretation (including doing exegesis on a NT pericope). Attention will also be given to acquire sufficient background knowledge of NT themes and theology in order to evaluate contemporary commentaries and gain confidence in preparing biblical devotions. Throughout the course, students will reflect how the Gospel, as reflected in the NT, has shaped our Christian lives. Sources have included: Reading the New Testament by Pheme Perkins.

A2. Church History - The First 400 Years: The purpose of this course is to help students understand the doctrinal, liturgical, and organizational development of the Christian tradition in its first four centuries. Attention is given to the increasing role of theology and practice of this period in the ecumenical, liturgical, and organizational conversations of today’s Church. Included in this discussion is a study of Eucharistic Prayer, and how it incorporates the theology of the first 400 years of Christian thought. Sources have included: The Early Church by W.H.C. Frend. Assignments include examinations of major figures and movements of this period.

A3. Practical Ministry I: Biblical Images of the Life of the Church (diakonia, koinonia, leiturgia, kerygma) This course spends one class on each image presented, considering its exegetical derivation and use in the New Testament, as well as implications for the life of congregations and their ministries. These concepts are related to the ongoing work of preaching, teaching, counseling, worship, social ministry, and acts of mercy carried out individually and corporately by the Church and her servants. They are studied in their interrelatedness, all centered in the presence of Christ in our world and our Church. going work of preaching, teaching, counseling, worship, social ministry, and acts of mercy carried out individually and corporately by the Church and her servants. They are studied in their interrelatedness, all centered in the presence of Christ in our world and our Church. Assignments include word students, using concordances as well as other Biblical study tools.

A4. Lutheran Creeds and Confessions: The history and content of the Book of Concord are at the heart of this course. Special emphasis is placed on the Augsburg Confession and Apology, the Catechisms, and Smalcald Articles, as well as the New Testament books of Romans, Ephesians, and Galatians. Topics include: God and Sin, Justification by Grace Alone, Church and Ministry, Sacraments, and others. Parish constitutions will be studied to show the relation of confessional documents to modern Lutheranism. Sources have included: Scripture, The Book of Concord, historical commentaries and Luther biographies. Assignments include consideration of contemporary issues as influenced by these 16th century documents.

A5. Practical Ministry II: Visitation (the sick, the homebound, the grieving): This course has two components: students will be provided the opportunity to make several supervised visitations in institutions and/or the homebound. Class sessions will deal with understanding the needs of patients and loved ones, as well as issues such as grieving and patients’ rights. Besides a sharing of practical issues relating to this ministry, this course will also provide opportunities to relate visitation ministry to the theology and worship life of the Church. The role of the Eucharistic Minister will also be explored. Sources have included: Healing by Francis MacNutt, Good Grief by Grangier Westburg, and Biblical passages from Psalms. Assignments may include conducting and reporting on ministerial visits.

A6. The Daily Life of a Christian: This practical theology course will explore the meaning of Christian discipleship in daily life. The course will help the student gain an understanding of the calling and vocation in the life of the Christian in order to create a balance between ecclesiastical service, family life, and secular work. Special attention will be given to the theology of sanctification, the Reformation, understanding of vocation in work, and family, the relation of the justified life to good works and the discipline of the daily prayer offices. Sources have included: Scripture, The Book of Concord, Luther’s The Freedom of the Christian, Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, portions of Karl Barth’s Domatics Vol IV. Assignments may include keeping a daily journal to record the student’s spiritual and emotional development.

Series B

B1. Introduction to the Old Testament: The twin aims of this course are to give the students an overview of the Hebrew Scriptures, with special attention to covenant theology; to relate Old Testament theology and history to the present practical theology of the student by linking the five course units to the five steps in the life of the local parish: beginning, growth and expansion, success, decline, failure and renewal. Sources have included: Reading the Old Testament by Lawrence Boadt, and Understanding the Old Testament by B. Anderson.

B2. Christian Doctrine: This course has several main objectives - to introduce students to Systematic Theology, present a vision of the coherence of the doctrines to each other, help identify foundational doctrines, give an understanding of orthodoxy and heresy, give an understanding of communical and historic nature of doctrines and their spiritual foundations, and to help students understand and express why disciplined thought and faithful confession is crucial for church leaders. The class will specifically focus on the biblical writings of John and Paul. Sources have included: The Bible (particularly the Gospel of John and the letters of Paul). Braaten and Jensen’s Christian Dogmatics, various writings of classical and contemporary theologians.

B3. Lutheran Faith in the American Context: The purpose of this course is to place the Lutheran confessional movement in the context of other Christian or non- Christian expressions in American history. Students will look at the history of religion to understand the basic developments and schisms which have occurred in various American Christian sects. History will also be reviewed to understand its impact on today’s church and society (such as the current debate regarding separation of church and state). This class is also intended to help students witness and give a better and more informed account of the evangelical faith, and to help address the issue of “why am I a member of a church of the Augsburg Confession in this day and age?” Assignments may include a brief paper on a review of a different faith or exploring the historical roots of a modern issue or practice.

B4. Practical Ministry III: To Communicate the Gospel:  This series of workshops will explore the role of the parish community or Word and Sacraments as the context for ministry, the source from which the Christian witness flows. Attention will also be paid to identifying 21st Century situation communication of the Gospel as essential, and how this communication may occur. Underlying the course is the perspective of each student in developing diaconal self-understanding. We will explore together the particular gifts and strengths each student possesses and the ways in which these gifts are communicated in today’s world. Students will share personal ministry experiences, and reflect on them both Biblically and theologically. In short, the course will help students explore a Christian way of doing functional theology and ministry, “at that exciting point where Word, world, and baptized servant converge.” Sources have included: biblical passages on spiritual gifts. Assignments may include an exegesis, developing a lesson plan for teaching and/or devotional use in youth ministry, Sunday School, social ministry, leadership development, or adult Bible study.

B5. Christian Worship: This course surveys major aspects of liturgical worship with special emphasis on the cultural settings in which worship occurs. The course provides a practice understanding of the words, actions, and items involved in the services by giving a close examination of what is in our service books. It also ties the content of the services to their Biblical roots.
Sources have included: Lutheran Book of Worship, LBW Occasional Services, Manual on the Liturgy by Pfatteicher and Messerli, and The Study of Liturgy, edited by Jones, Wainright, and Yarnold, as well as devotional breviaries such as For All the Saints by Frederick Schumacher. Assignments may include preparing public prayer petitions, attending a liturgy of another faith tradition, writing an overview of one of the Sacraments as publicly administered, or reflecting on the rite of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, occasional services, or another part of the regular service to its biblical and traditional roots.

B6. Themes and Issues in Christian Ethics: Students will reflect on the implications of the Ten Commandments for contemporary life. They will be introduced to concepts and systems by which the Christian tradition has taught personal and public morality, for example, the “Deadly Sins” and “Cardinal Virtues”, the “Just War” theory vs. Christian Pacifism, human nature and human sinfulness, and Luther’s “Two Kingdoms” theology. The course provides opportunity for disciplined reflection on vexing ethical issues such as sexual ethics, sanctity of life, political witness, and economic justice.
Sources have included: Basic Christian Ethics by Paul Ramsay, Faith and Faithfulness by Gilbert Meilaender.

Diakonia Coordinator and Administrative Office

Rebecca Dahlstrom
1117 Erie Street,
Oak Park, IL 60302
708-763-0879

Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA - 1420 W. Dickens Ave. ~  Chicago, IL 60614-3004 ~ Ph: 773-248-0021