Introduction to Theology: Theology of the City
Dr. Sutherland

Theology 201.11
T/TH 10:50-12:05
Office: Humanities Building, Terrace Level 56
Phone: ext. 2217
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9-10, 2-3, Wednesday 10-12, and by appointment.

Course Description

When the class of 2010 graduates from Loyola half of the world’s population will live in about 400 cities. What will it require to live in such a world and to believe in the God of such a world? This course provides an introduction to a rich variety of theological literature focusing on the idea of the city. After close readings of several passages of scripture, the course turns to theological descriptions of the city, and then to the problems and opportunities that cities have offered to both Jews and Christians. When you have completed the course you will be able to articulate your own conceptions on how to live as an urban dweller as well as analyze the convictions of others.

Course Objectives

The successful student will be able to do the following at the end of the course:

• Have command of some of the ways Christian and Jewish followers of God understood the city.
• Articulate in clear manner the intellectual challenges behind those judgments.
• Demonstrate an appreciation for Jewish and Christian experiences, values, and cultures.
• Have measurable success in framing an issue for debate, pursuing a plan of research, and writing clear, persuasive essays.

Course Requirements                                                          

First Paper                                   15
Mid Term                                     15
Second Paper                              20
Third Paper                                  20
Final Exam                                   20
Reflection Exercises /Quizzes/ Participation /Poster                    10

I grade this way:
A   100-95        A-  94-90
B+  89-87         B    86-84      B-  83-80
C+  79-77          C    76-74      C-  73-70 
D    69-60         F     59-0

This course has a required service-learning component. Service-learning is a process of engaged reflection. It is learning while doing and doing while learning. It is not simple volunteering but rather active reflection on your academic work.  You will become an active, independent learner engaged in the integration of theory and experience.

You will work with Habitat for Humanity in the Sandtown section of Baltimore. This will require two hours a week for 10 weeks.  The details of this are explained on the attached sheet.  You will keep a journal of your experiences that you will turn in at the end of the semester. In addition, you will also participate in Loyola’s poster board project for first year scholars.  The poster board is a documentation of your experiences and reflections on learning theology in the context of the city.   I will work with you in the initial stages of your poster project. Examples of how to construct a poster board are available at  http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/bio/posters.html

Required Texts
The following texts are available at the bookstore:
Augustine, City of God
Davey, Urban Christianity and Global Order
Orsi, Gods of the City
Lucas: Landmarking: City, Church, & Jesuit Urban Strategy
Gornik: To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City.
HarperCollins Study Bible

Course Traditions

Academic Integrity: All students of the College are expected to understand the meaning of the Loyola College Honor Code. Ignorance of the Code is not a valid reason for committing an act of academic dishonesty. The following constitute violations of the Code and are defined in the Community Standards Handbook: cheating, stealing, lying, plagiarism and the failure to report a violation.  

All students guilty of plagiarizing or cheating on any assignment will fail the course regardless of their grades on other assignments or activities.  Students may also be subject to dismissal as stipulated in the Loyola College Honor Code.  For more information on the Code, see the statement in the Community Standards Handbook.

It is the student's responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism and to avoid it in all assignments.  Students should familiarize themselves with the statement on AIntellectual Honesty@ in the Undergraduate Catalogue (p. 63), as well as with the section "Citing Sources; Avoiding Plagiarism" (pp. 82‑93, R5) in Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference, the standard handbook used in the college.  Anyone having questions or uncertainties about plagiarism should consult with the instructor before submitting any assignment.  Neither ignorance of the definition of plagiarism nor the lack of the intention to deceive constitute an acceptable defense in matters of scholarly dishonesty.

Attendance:  A sign in sheet will be distributed at the start of each class. You are allowed 3 unexcused absences.  Your final grade will be lowered one full letter grade if you exceed this limit. Do not come to class late. You will not be admitted into the lecture. Instead you will be given an unexcused absence. 

Dress: I do not allow students to wear hats in class.   

Special Accommodations: If you have a learning or physical disability which is documented with the Disability Support Services Office and wish to discuss academic accommodations, or if you have any other concerns about completing this course successfully, please met with me as soon as possible.

Classroom Discussion:  You should be ready to discuss the material assigned for the day.  You should take it for granted that you may be called on at random and without notice.  Indicate at the start of class if you are not prepared to participate.  You may remain in the class but will be given an unexcused absence.  I intend to follow the tradition of pedagogy taught to me by my mentor Dr. Shawn Copeland. She expected the following from her students:

You are expected to listen to one another with patience and care under the assumption that each is always doing the best that she or he can. Because we assume this about each other, each of us shall do the best that she or he can.

You are expected to own your assumptions, your conclusions, and their implications.

You are expected to value your opinions and to defend them with intellectual vigor while being humble enough to admit that you might be wrong.

You are expected to challenge the doubtful, question the tradition, and be wary of the new.

You are expected to know the difference between passionate defense and defenseless passion.

You are expected to mature intellectually and spiritually.

You are not responsible for the misinformation you have been taught by our society but you are responsible for repeating misinformation after you have learned otherwise.

You are responsible for actively combating stereotypes and begin to eradicate the biases that prevent us from envisioning and realizing the well being of us all.

How I Grade Papers

First, the paper must meet certain very simple technical standards. It should be typewritten in black ink, double-spaced, and use 12 point Times New Roman font.  It should be stapled in the upper left corner, have page numbers in the bottom right corner and have a title on the first page centered above the first line.  Do not use cover sheets or plastic binders.  As for the title of your paper, never write a title using the formula "X versus Y."  This is bland and unimaginative. In all other ways the paper should meet the standards given in Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference. 

If you are missing one of these standards, the paper is given a D. A late and unexcused paper can never earn more than a C.

Second, if a paper answers the question at least satisfactorily, is written in grammatically correct English, and properly cites the sources according to Hacker's A Writer's Reference, then the paper earns a C of some form.

Third, if a paper answers the question more than satisfactorily, is well written, has a clear thesis and line of argument, uses quotations judiciously, and the author leaves the impression that the paper was more than a hurried obligation, then the paper earns a B of some form.    

Fourth, if a paper answers the question fully and well, if it is elegantly written in a style that is clear, efficient, and interesting, and if it shows perceptivity, creativity and originality, then the paper earns an A of some form.

Nota  Bene: The only acceptable method of citations are footnotes or endnotes in Chicago or Turabian format.  A brief guide to these styles can be found at the end of the Hacker text.

Special Assignments

The Bus Ride

Reflective learning is part of the class.  I want you to take a 2 hour bus ride through the city of Baltimore and record your thoughts in a journal.  Consider these sample questions:

What is your previous experience with riding the bus?
Who is riding with you?
What do people look like?
How are they different from each other? (age, race, occupation, bored, excited) How is the ride: chaotic, organized, simple, complex? 
What sounds do you hear? 
What do you see out of the window?
What types of stores, houses, and other buildings do you see
What conclusions do you draw from your experience?
What is the value you gained from this exercise?

Your journal is due on Tuesday, September 19^th.

The Small Group Presentations on Orsi’s Gods of the City

I am interested in seeing that you learn to make connections between theological ideas and their appearance in everyday life.  For this reason I will assign each of you to a small group of 5-6 students and ask you to make a group presentation.  Each group will be assigned one article from the Orsi text.  In this exercise I want you to read your assigned article and then make a site visit to a place that you believe provides a good connection or contrast with the article. You do not all have to go to the same place nor do you have to go at the same time. You may visit a site in two’s or three’s if you wish; but check with me if you go in groups larger than that.   You need not limit your site visit to Baltimore. You may use electronic media (digital photography, Power Point, etc.) to illustrate your point.  You should draw upon the experiences of your individual visits in forming your group presentation. Allow about 30 minutes for your presentation and 10-15 minutes for class reaction.