THE MISSIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE AMERICAS (IMDELA)
An autonomous Christian University located in San Jose, Costa Rica
IMDELA-MEXICO CITY URBAN STUDIES PROGRAM (IMCUSP)
Master of Arts in Urban Mission
English Track, Summer 2000-2003
DRAFT OF COURSE DESCRIPTIONS/COORDINATORS
(Note: names of courses and professors are tentative until confirmed)
(Last revision: February 26, 1999)
CORE COURSES:
TM 611 - Urban Missiology/Toward a Biblical Theology of Urban Mission, 4 credits
(Dr. Peter Larson, professor of Missiology at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary in Lomas Verdes; Mstr. Clifton L. Holland, professor of Missiology at IMDELA in Costa Rica; Dr. Roger Greenway, Professor of Missiology at Calvin College and Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI; Dr. Charles Van Engen, Professor of Biblical Theology of Mission at the School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA)
Discusses the city in theological perspective based on the Scriptures, the Church Fathers (such as Augustine’s The City of God), the works of the Protestant Reformers (e.g., Luther in Germany, Calvin in Geneva, etc.), the fathers of modern Sociology (critics of "unrestricted capitalism" and the abuses of the Industrial Revolution), the social reformers of the 19th and early 20th centuries (advocates of a "social gospel"), and modern authors who have sought to define "a biblical theology of urban mission" (Greenway, Bakke, Conn, Linthicum, Escobar, Padilla, Costas, etc.). The student will seek to develop his own concept of urban mission in the light of this discussion.
CS 647 - Urban Anthropology/Urban Sociology: An Analysis of Mexico City, 4 credits
(Dr. Samuel Wilson, professor of Missions at Trinity Episcopal School of Ministry, near Pittsburgh, PA; Dr. Grace Roberts-Dyrness, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Dr. Vince Gill, Professor of Sociology at Southern California College in Costa Mesa, CA; Dr. Richard Slimbach, Chair of Global Studies & Sociology at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA)
Examines the historical development of urban society around the world, especially in the context of Latin America in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods; explores the growth of the Mexico City Metro Area, its sociological composition, and its political dynamics in the 20th century, especially the contemporary scene; provides diagnostic tools for analyzing social problems as well as solutions proposed by government agencies, secular non-government organizations (NGOs), and religious organizations (denominational and para-church); critiques the role of the Church in modern society in terms of varieties of social action, and offers a model of holistic mission that builds of insights from the Lausanne Covenant and Lausanne documents such as "The Church and Its Social Responsibility" and the Wheaton Declaration on "The Church and Social Transformation."
CI 622 - Urban Development & Social Transformation, 4 credits
(Dr. Gustavo Gutierrez, Director of Compassion International of Mexico; Ing. Sergio Sanchez, former Director of World Vision of Mexico; Dr. Robert Linthicum, Director of Partners in Urban Transformation).
Explores the literature on development theory in the modern period, especially in the context of Latin America; critiques historical models of "development" that have been used in Latin America by international relief and development agencies (governmental, secular ngos, and religious organizations); discusses the contemporary concept of "sustainable development" as applied to major urban areas, particularly the megapolises of Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey); utilizes insights from other disciplines (theology, missiology and the social sciences) to propose a model of Christian "sustainable development" based on a concept of holistic mission that results in the "transformation" of society and that reflects the nature of the Kingdom of God: love, justice and peace.
LC 671 - Urban Leadership Development, 4 credits
(Dr. Albert Guang, former Rector of the Nazarene Seminary of Mexico, now the Director of Church Growth and Evangelism for the Church of the Nazarene of Mexico; Dr. John Hall, Coordinator of the Extension Program in Mexico of the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas in San Jose, Costa Rica; Dr. Daryl Platt, member of the International Team of O.C. Ministries/SEPAL; Dr. Peter Larson, Professor of Missiology at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary in the Lomas Verdes district of Mexico City)
Examines historical and contemporary models of leadership development, both religious and secular, to help the student discover and design appropriate models of Christian leadership development in an urban context, such as Mexico City; and seeks to equip professional church leaders (missionaries, pastors and lay-workers) who serve in a variety of organizations (denominational, non-denominational, para-church, secular and governmental) by developing the skills needed to equip, organize and supervise volunteers in a variety of tasks and services that contribute to the "common good and general welfare" of society in general, and to the transformation of society based on a model of holistic mission (including evangelism and social responsibility) that is consistent with the principles of the Kingdom of God, in particular.
EM 603 - Urban Pastoral Ministry, 4 credits
(Lic. Samuel Láscari, former Director of the Anna Sanders Bible Institute of the Assemblies of God in Mexico City, now the national Director of Christian Education; Dr. John Hall, Coordinator of the Extension Program in Mexico of the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas in San Jose, Costa Rica)
Studies the Biblical and Theological basis, in both the Old and New Testaments, for the development of a model of integral pastoral ministry in the local church; analyzes the general Latin American context in order to establish a frame of reference for an integral pastoral ministry, especially in an urban context; seeks to define the necessary elements for an integral pastoral ministry in times of crises based on a diagnostic model of concrete situations; analyzes various techniques and methodologies for developing a fruitful pastoral ministry in an urban context, based on a series of case studies of concrete situations, which can be analyzed using an integral model of balanced church growth; and seeks to incorporate sound principals of strategic planning in order to ensure that the local congregation is faithful and obedient to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment in its immediate neighborhood or community.
CI 621 - Urban Evangelization/Formation & Development of New Urban Churches , 4 credits
(Dr. Juan Carlos Miranda, professor of Missiology at Columbia International University & Graduate School in Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Dr. Peter Larson, professor of Missiology at the Mexican Baptist Seminary in Lomas Verdes; Mr. Larry Gay, Director of Church Extension for the Southern Baptist Mission in Mexico; Dr. Albert Guang, former Rector of the Nazarene Seminary of Mexico, now the Director of Church Growth and Evangelism for the Church of the Nazarene of Mexico)
Explores the contemporary literature dealing with urban evangelism/discipleship, church planting, church growth, and Christian organizational development; discusses a variety of strategies and methods and their relative effectiveness/fruitfulness from a biblical and practical perspective; looks at a variety of case studies that give helpful insights into the effectiveness/ fruitfulness of these strategies and methods; and seeks to equip the student in the use of the most appropriate strategies and methods that have proven their fruitfulness in the context of the largest cities of Latin America, with a particular focus on the Mexico City Metro Area in the past decade.
ET 602 - Missionary Hermeneutics/The Gospel & Culture, 4 credits
(Dr. Juan Stam, Dean of Graduate Studies for IMDELA in Costa Rica; Dr. Paul Bergsma, Director of IMDELA in Costa Rica; Mstr. Raul de la O Cataño, Academic Dean of the Anna Sanders Bible Institute in Mexico City)
Offers a general introduction to the subject, its history and basic principles; discusses important scientific aspects that affect the process of the proclamation of the Gospel and the interpretation of the Scriptures, especially in the field of language/linguistics, the sociology of knowledge (including the concept of paradigms and paradigm shift), social anthropology, and the process of cross-cultural communication; and analyzes the contemporary hermeneutical debate in theological and missiological circles regarding the contextualization of the Gospel, especially in Latin America.
HM 635 - History of the Protestant Movement in Mexico & Mexico City, 4 credits
(Dr. Manuel Gaxiola G., Director of the Center for the Study of Religion in LAM; Dr. Dinorah Méndez, Professor of Church History at the Mexican Baptist Seminary in Lomas Verdes, Mexico City; Dr. Michael McAleer, Professor of Church History at the Mexican Baptist Seminary in Lomas Verdes, Mexico City; Dr. Lindy Scott, Professor of Theology and Church History at Wheaton College and Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois)
Examines the historical development of the Christian Church, particularly the Protestant Movement, in the context of Mexico in general and Mexico City in particular; studies a variety of historical documents (interdenominational surveys as well as denominational profiles) and utilizes a classification system (developed by J. Gordon Melton & Clifton Holland) for the study of the Protestant Movement in relation to other religious traditions/movements/groups; and provides a serious critique of the role of the Church in contemporary Mexican society.
IE 651 - Urban Missiological Research Methods/Fieldwork, 4 credits
(Mstr. Clifton Holland, Executive Director of PROLADES and professor of missiology and urban studies at IMDELA in Costa Rica; Dr. Peter Larson, professor of missiology at the Mexican Baptist Seminary in Lomas Verdes)
Designed to give the student an appreciation of various field research designs, methods and strategies, with an evaluation of their relative strengths and weaknesses, in the area of urban missiological studies, with an emphasis on fieldwork rather than bibliographical research; examines the literature on applied research, with a focus on an urban rather than a rural context; discusses the "México Hoy y Mañana" study sponsored by VELA/PROLADES on the Mexico City Metro Area (1985-1996: six volumes now published) and the study done by IDEA/PROLADES on the Los Angeles Metro Area (1989-1996: dozens of research reports were produced); gives the student hands-on training in the use of computer technology for applied missiological research (hardware/software), including the use of IDEA Church Directory Software (database management of whole cities, regions or countries) and Geodemographical Information Systems (GIS), such as AtlasGIS, ArcView and MapInfo software; prepares the student to produce his/her own research project (criteria and guidelines for planning, preparing, writing, and evaluating the research proposal and final report); seeks to impart the basic skills needed to successfully design, conduct, and evaluate one’s own fieldwork in a professional manner that contributes to our scientific knowledge regarding a particular problem or condition in the church and/or society; and deals with ethical and design considerations that affect the validity of research and evaluation studies (also, see the information on the elective course, IE658-Computer Applications for Urban Mission) .
LC -677/678 - Professional Practical Work in Urban Mission, 3 credits each
(Coordinator: IMCUSP staff)
A continuation of other courses designed to integrate Mission theory with practical field experience, under the supervision of a veteran pastor or Christian worker in a local church or para-church ministry in the context of Mexico City; this consists of carrying out a practical work project related to the general objectives that the student will develop as part of his graduation requirements.
IE 653 - Thesis Project Seminar, 2 credits (faculty)
IE 654 - Thesis Writing Seminar, 6 credits (faculty)
ELECTIVE COURSES:
IE 658 - Computer Applications for Students of Urban Mission, 2 credits
(Professor Clifton Holland, IMDELA/PROLADES; Mr. Alan Young, Professor of Physics and Computer Sciences/President of AJTech in Orange, CA)
Includes training in word-processing, graphics, desktop publishing, database management, church growth analysis (using IDEA Church Directory Software), e-mail & Internet, and computer mapping applications (using AtlasGIS, ArcView and MapInfo software) to aid researchers in the field of urban studies/urban missiology (Note: a computer lab with e-mail and Internet service will be available to students).
IE 656 - A Study of New Religious Movements in Mexico/Mexico City, 2 credits
(Dr. Michael McAleer, Professor of Church History at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary; Dr. Eliseo López Cortés, professor of Anthropology at the Autonomous Metropolitan University-Iztapalapa in Mexico City; Mstr. Clifton Holland, IMDELA/ PROLADES)
Explores the contemporary literature on "New Religious Movements" (or NRMs), especially the Turner Collection at Selly Oaks Colleges in Birmingham, England; examines the categories and definitions of religious groups in J. Gordon Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and Clifton Holland’s "Toward a Classification System of Religious Groups in Latin America" to give the student a broad overview of the subject; then discusses in detail recent studies on NRMs in Mexico and Mexico City and defines the work that still needs to be done, especially on Marginal Christian Groups (commonly known as "sects") and non-Christian religious groups.
CT 699 - Seminar on Reaching the Unreached/Unchurched in Mexico City, 2 credits
(Professor Steven Griswell, Director of SEPAL/Mexico)
Looks at the literature on "unreached people groups" and examines the various scales and measurements of "reachedness" developed by the Lausanne Movement, the U.S. Center for World Mission, the A.D. 2000 Movement and others at the world-wide level; examines the application of these concepts/methodologies in the context of Latin America in general (COMIBAM) and Mexico in particular (Operation Samaria); and then analyzes the current situation of various "unreached," "unchurched" and "under-evangelized" people groups and population segments in the context of Mexico City and efforts to "reach" them.
TM 618 - Prayer Warfare/Spiritual Mapping Seminar, 2 credits
(Professor John Huffman, Director of Christ for the City International; Dr. Peter Larson, professor of Missiology at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary in Lomas Verdes; Mstr. Clifton L. Holland, professor of Missiology at IMDELA in Costa Rica)
Examines the contemporary and biblical literature concerning "spiritual warfare," explores the issues involved in the confrontation between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness in historical perspective, discusses the biblical role of the servants of God and their participation in various strategies (offensive as well as defensive) to overcome the Evil One and his agents (Eph. 6:10-18) in specific situations (territorial or otherwise), and looks at contemporary efforts by Christians to "destroy the strongholds" of the Prince of Darkness around the world, especially in Mexico City¾ considered by many demographers to be the largest city in the world!
CS 641 - Introduction to the Social Sciences, 2 or 3 credits
(Dr. Eliseo López Cortez, professor of Anthropology at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa in Mexico City; Dr. Samuel Wilson, professor of Missions at Trinity Episcopal School of Ministry, near Pittsburgh, PA; Dr. Grace Roberts-Dyrness, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Dr. Vince Gill, Professor of Sociology at Southern California College in Costa Mesa, CA; Dr. Richard Slimbach, Chair of Global Studies & Sociology at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA)
MISSING SUMMARY
CT 660 - Introduction to the Science of Communication/Urban Focus, 2 or 3 credits
(Lic. César Moreno Pérez, Professor of Communication at UNAM)
MISSING SUMMARY
CI 628 - Urban Ministries Traveling Seminar, 2 or 3 credits
(Lic. Daniel Jiménez, Academic Dean and professor at the Evangelical Institute of Mexico; Dr. Raymond Bakke of International Urban Associates in Chicago, IL; Dr. Tom Steffen, Professor of Inter-Cultural Studies at BIOLA University in La Mirada, CA; Dr. Richard Slimbach, Professor of Global Studies and Sociology at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA; Dr. Tom Wolf, Chair of Missions Department at Golden Gate Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, CA)
A traveling seminar in urban mission designed to acquaint the student with a variety of church-based and para-church ministries at all levels of society in Mexico City, especially among the poor and marginalized peoples; analyzes urban social problems and searches for viable solutions.
CI 629 - Directed Studies in Urban Mission, 2 or 3 credits
(Dr. Roger Greenway, Professor of Missions at Calvin College & Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI; Dr. Peter Larson, Professor of Missiology at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary in Lomas Verdes; Mstr. Clifton Holland, Professor at IMDELA/PROLADES)
Designed to assist students in the process of conducting urban research, urban church planting, or other urban ministry projects by providing supervision and evaluation of such projects by qualified professionals/practitioners in the context of Mexico City.
PREREQUISITE COURSES (CURSOS DE NIVELACION):
NI 501 - Analysis of the World Missionary Movement (Perspectives Course), 6 credits
(Coordinator: Dr. Peter Larson)
NI 503 - Bibliographical Research, 2 credits
(Coordinator: Lic. Alberto Pozo Córdova)
NI 506 - Spanish/English Language Learning Intensives, 2 or 3 credits
(Coordinator: Dr. Lindy Scott, professor of Spanish at Wheaton College & Graduate School)
Offers special language instruction to native English-speakers in Spanish as a second-language (SSL), or to native Spanish-speakers in English as a second-language (ESL), both in grammar and conversation, to assist missiological students in becoming more proficient in the Spanish/English language and to prepare them for the Graduate Language Exam that is required by many programs of Intercultural, Global, Missiological and other studies.
NI 511 - Bible: Message and Interpretation/Hermeneutics, 4 credits
(Coordinator: Dr. Edesio Sánchez, Professor Biblical Languages at IMDELA in Costa Rica)
MISSING SUMMARY
Prepared by Clifton L. Holland
Last revision: April 19, 1999
For further information or your comments, contact: prolades@racsa.co.cr