Class, Race & the Urban Church

Catalog description

Taught by ABSW. How does our ecclesiology inform our approach to racial and class differences within the highly differentiated and socially stratified urban reality? Why might members of an urban congregation find it difficult to talk about differences in class and status? Together we will explore these and other questions related to how relative differences in social rank inform ministry and understandings of moral obligation in a diverse and radically unequal society. This course will introduce students to varied approaches to theorizing social power and identity. Although the course readings will focus on African-American and Asian-American congregations, the theoretical concepts of class analysis are applicable to the analysis of other communities and cultural contexts in the US. Students will be evaluated through weekly memos, a short paper and a final paper and presentation. This course is intended for MDiv and MA level students. This course is taught by PhD student Leslie Bowling-Dyer with a Newhall Award, under the supervision of Valerie Miles-Tribble. [Faculty Consent required; 15 max enrollment]