Date and Time:
October 15, 2011 10 a.m. to 4:00 pm
Location:
Westmoreland Congregational UCC
1 Westmoreland Circle
Bethesda, MD 20816-2746
(301) 229-7766
Click here for a map and directions.
This Institute is part of a sequence of four Institutes that are offered each year in History, Polity, Theology and Ministry of the UCC by the Potomac Association, following the guidelines prepared by History, Theology and Polity teachers on the essentials of a basic one semester course. (see the complete Essentials list). The Institute format is designed to serve the needs of persons who cannot enroll in a regular semester length seminary course to cover this material. The Institutes normally meet from 10 am to 4 pm on a Saturday, with the exception of the Polity Institute which meets on Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and requires Saturday attendance at the Central Atlantic Conference Annual meeting at the University of Delaware.
Participants seeking formal evaluation for authorized ministerial standing are expected to do pre-Institute reading and assignments before coming to the Institute (all readings are resources posted here or linked to the web). Several weeks after each Institute participants seeking formal evaluation submit answers to a set of follow-up questions and participate in a one hour conference telephone evaluation with members of the Committee on Church and Ministry. Observer participants (those not seeking evaluation) are strongly encouraged to do the advanced reading and assignments.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Required reading assignments may be downloaded from this website or from other websites on the worldwide web. Some materials are pdf files and you will need a reader to access them. The reading for this Institute is extensive. In some cases optional articles are suggested, but not required. Practical field assignments require personal activities/preparation before October 8. Short presentations are involved. These UCC Institutes are enrichment opportunities for all members of the UCC who want to learn more about the history, polity, theology and ministry of the UCC. Everyone is welcome. No fees and no pre-registration is required. If you come, however, please make a commitment to the whole time.
INSTRUCTOR:
Barbara Brown Zikmund, retired church historian, seminary educator, UCC author beebeezee@verizon.net (please email the Instructor if you have any questions)
Goals for the Theology Institute: (from the Essentials document)
Participants will obtain knowledge of
- Theological documents and texts (e.g. Statement of Faith, Basis of Union, Prism articles, various working papers of the national setting, ecumenical documents, pronouncements of General Synod, etc.
- Worship (including Book of Worship, New Century and other hymnals)
- Ecclesiology (the nature of the church)
- Creeds and confessions (“testimonies, not tests” of what is commonly held among us)
Assignments for the Institute
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST INSTITUTE:
Read the complete “Short Course on the History of the UCC” http://www.ucc.org/about-us/short-course/ Even if this is your second or third Institute, re-read this basic information. Better yet, purchase Margaret Rowland Post History and Program of the UCC, order from UCC Resources for $5.00 plus shipping https://secure3.convio.net/ucc/site/Ecommerce/483654401?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=16661&store_id=1401
1. Examine general expressions of UCC theology
Read a brief statement about UCC beliefs http://www.ucc.org/about-us/what-we-believe.html
Look at an excerpt about theology from the LEADERS BOX at http://www.ucc.org/ministers/leaders-box/index.html
In LTH vol. 7 read the introductions to sections 4 and 5 in The Living Theological Heritage of the UCC http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/Intros-Theology-Making-a-Difference-LTH-7.pdf
Read the UCC Basis of Union http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/basis-of-union.html
Read the Preamble to the UCC Constitution http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/preamble-to-the-constitution.html)
Read the recent “What Matters” material outlining six basic beliefs important to the UCC http://www.ucc.org/vitality/what-matters/
Read Roger Shinn on the UCC Statement of Faith http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/shinn-ucc-statement-of-faith.pdf
2. Learn about worship traditions and practices within Christian history and the UCC?
Read two small UCC pamphlet statements on sacraments:
Baptism http://www.ucc.org/worship/baptism/
Communion http://www.ucc.org/worship/communion/
Read Louis Gunnemann on Baptism http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/gunnemann-on-baptism.pdf
Read Louis Gunnemann on Eucharist http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/gunnemann-on-eucharist.pdf
Read the Intro. to UCC Book of Worship http://www.ucc.org/assets/pdfs/worshipintro.pdf
Read the Intro. to the New Century Hymnal http://www.ucc.org/assets/pdfs/intro.pdf
3. Go deeper into the theologies of the four main pre-1957 traditions in the UCC.
REFORMED
Read the Heidelberg Catechism http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/heidelberg-catechism.html, a new translation by Lee Barrett
Read about Mercersburg Theology http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/mercerbu.htm
Visit the website of the contemporary Mercersburg Society http://library.lts.org/mercersburg/index.htm
CONGREGATIONALISTS
Read the Cambridge Platform http://www.americanphilosophy.net/cambridge_platform.htm
Read modern comments on the Cambridge Platform by Charles Hambrick-Stowe http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/theology/the-cambridge-platform-and.html
Read the Burial Hill Declaration pp. http://www.maxfieldbooks.com/eofburialt.html
Read the Kansas City Statement of Faith http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/kansas-city-statement-of.html
CHRISTIANS
Read the Six Principles of the Christian Church http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/principles-of-the-christian.html
Read Nathan Hatch, “The Theology of the Christian Movement” http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/hatch-christian-movement.pdf
GERMAN EVANGELICALS
Read the Bekenntnisparagraph http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/bekenntnisparagraph-lth-6.pdf
Read about the Evangelical Catechism at http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/evangelical-catechism.html
Read about “Pietism” and Jakob Spener’s Six Proposals (1675) http://www.mcalhaney.com/tim%27s%20desk/Documents/Other%20BookReviews/PiaDesideria.htm
4. Examine various UCC theological statements created since 1957 (all very short)
Read 1985 On Becoming an Open and Affirming Church http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/ona-resolution-1985.pdf
Read 1986 Theological Foundations of a Just Peace Church http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/theology/general-synod-pronouncement.html
Read 1987 Statement of Mission http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/statement-of-mission.html
Read 1993 Toward the 21st Century http://www.ucc.org/beliefs/toward-the-21st-century.html
Read 1993 Becoming a Multiracial Multicultural Church http://www.ucc.org/justice/multiracial-multicultural/
Read 2005 Statement on theology and disability http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/gs-25-called-to-wholeness-in-christ.pdf
Read 2008 Pastoral Letter on Faith and Science http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/pastoral-letter-on-faith-and-science.pdf
Read 2008 Pastoral Letter on Faith and the Environment http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/pastoral_letter-on-faith-and-the-environment.pdf
5. Review materials that reflect how traditional conservative theologies continue to challenge and shape UCC theology. Explore the websites of three theological groups that severely critique the UCC but remain part of the UCC.
The Biblical Witness Fellowship http://biblicalwitness.org
Read the “Dubuque Declaration” (1983)
Confessing Christ http://confessingchrist.net/About/tabid/54/Default.aspx
Faithful and Welcoming Churches http://faithfulandwelcoming.org/
read the “Lexington Confession” (2005)
6.. Review materials that show how specific issues have shaped UCC theology since 1957
Read “Language Guidelines” and a statement by Davida Foy Crabtree on “Inclusive Language http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/inclusive-language-lth-31.pdf
Read Sharon Ringe “Feminist Theology” (1995) excerpt at http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/ringe-feminist-theology.pdf
Read Barbara Brown Zikmund, “The Trinity and Women’s Experience”
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=86 )
Read Lee Barrett “Theological Worlds in the United Church of Christ”
http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/Barrett-Theological-Worlds-in-the-UCC.pdf
7. Review materials that show the theological and multiracial multicultural diversity of UCC theology.
Barbara Essex ,”Black Theology” excerpt at http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/essex-black-theology.pdf
David Hirano, “Theology among Asian Americans in the UCC” excerpt at http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/hirano-asian-am-theology.pdf
Norm Jackson, “An Indian Perspective on the UCC” excerpt at http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/jackson-indian-perspective.pdf
Enrique Armijo, “Immigrant Theology” excerpt at http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/armijo-immigrant-theology.pdf
8. Read about the UCC “theology of the church” (ecclesiology)
Visit the “God is Still Speaking” website http://www.ucc.org/god-is-still-speaking/
Read the background paper on UCC Ecclesiology (1991) http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/ucc-ecclesiology-lth-138.pdf
Read 1997 statement by John Thomas “Contemporary Commitment and Catholic Substance”
http://www.ucc.org/education/polity/pdf-folder/thomas-contemp-commitment-cath-substance.pdf
Read a sermon John Thomas “A United Church that Stands for Something”
http://www.ucc.org/news/john-thomasa-unite.html
9. Click on the “Change the World” tab at the top of http://www.ucc.org and choose one of the topics related to UCC social witness, peace and/or justice work that you are interested in. “What theological belief or concept underlies or informs the UCC witness in this area?” Another way to put the question is to say, “Why do we do that, or why are we concerned about that?” How are UCC motives different from those of other social activist groups? Come prepared to tell the other members of the class the topic you chose AND the theological rationale behind UCC involvement in that issue. PREPARE A ONE PAGE SINGLE SPACED PAPER TO TALK ABOUT AND TO TURN IN.
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS FOR OCTOBER 8, 2011
1. Read various general resources about UCC Theology
2. Read materials about UCC worship and music
3. Learn about the four pre-1957 theological traditions
4. Examine theological statements since 1957
5. Review materials from the three groups that function as inside critics of the UCC
6. Read materials on how specific movements have shaped UCC theology
7. Read about the theological diversity and multicultural multiracial traditions in the UCC
8. Read about UCC ecclesiology. What is the UCC theology of the church?
9. Prepare a one page paper on an issue where the UCC has an activist agenda and explain the theological rationale behind such activism.
