The theological foundation of youthwork.
Description
Theological reflection - and the values and principles detracted from that - make up the foundation of the youthwork. In connection with the theological reflection, we ask ourselves the rudimentary question: " Why do we do the things we do?" and "What is 'the good news' for youth in the 21. century?".
The models and the methods we use in youthwork, can be signified as the cultural work plans which we in practice choose to communicate "the good news" to the youth culture.
Thus the theology is the foundation in our youthwork, while the methods and models can in a higher extent be described as the cultural conditional "truth". It is however not necessary to have been involved in youthwork for a long time before one realizes that they are in a higher extent focused on the "how's" and the "whys" - and therefore there is a great danger that a lot of youthwork ends up as so-called "beachmission", where we live in a constant fear of a "cultural tidal wave" coming in and washes away all out hard work!
Goals
The goal of the course is to give the students:
• An introduction to the theological foundation of youthwork.
• Concrete tools in connection to independent theological thinking, in connection to the challenges we as youthworkers constantly receive from the youth culture.
• Competence in connection to theological reflection for or with teenagers and youth.
Study form
Lectures, groupwork, studyplans and fieldstudies.
Evaluation
Continuing evaluation:
The students shall through log-book and planning show their abilities to use models for theological reflection in connection with current problem situations in the practices' of the students.
End evaluation:
The students' planning, executing and evaluating a theological process with a group of youth - a reflection process takes the starting point of a groups' current problem situations. A 2-3000 word assignment in which the students describe, analyze and evaluate this process.
Volume
Points: 10 study points
100-level
Curriculum volume: ca. 900 pages
Curriculum literature
· Ballard, John & Pritchard, John: Practical Theology in Action. SPCK, London 1996. (186 pages)
· Borgman, Dean: When Kumbaya Is Not Enough. A practical Theology for Youth Ministry. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody 1997. (240 pages)
· Kenda Dean, Chap Clark & Dave Rahn: Starting Right. Thinking theologically about youth ministry. Zondervan. Grand Rapids 2001. (398 pages)
· Ward, Pete: Youthwork and the Mission of God, SPCK, London 1997 (140 pages)
Teacher
Steve Griffiths, Ridley Hall in Cambridge
Date
Course is offered in the spring of 2007.
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