I really enjoy teaching at seminaries, and value the interaction with students over a longer term.  I consider it a privilege to teach at schools passionate about the gospel.

I get that I am a bit of a motivational speaker (who lives in a van down by the river). Every week, I go somewhere and talk to pastors and church leaders about gospel, church and mission. When I come and speak, people want me to bring a  "dynamic message." Fair enough. But I am skeptical that a 30 minute message with Bible, humor, and illustrations can really produce the change I hope to see. (Even in those settings, I try to direct people to the blog, books, etc.)

Over the course of time these crowds have become larger, and though I know I am supposed to be glad about that, sometimes the "big program" works against the relational connection that I put a lot of value in. By teaching at a seminary, I get to connect with people bit longer and work through some deeper issues that simply require time.

Now, this is not to say that all theological education is well done. I have been in settings where professors and students hold firm positions, debate them aggressively, criticize constantly, and tell other students "how it must be," even though their theoretical ideas won't work outside the hollowed walls of the academy.

On the other hand, I have seen healthy environments. In these environments, students and faculty are on a journey of learning together-- with a common mission and purpose. 

I have thought much about seminaries having taught at more than a dozen different schools. I greatly appreciate those with a strong focus on God's global mission.  As a missiologist, I am particularly interested in and enthused about schools with a passion for mission.

I think of Columbia International University as a great example of a good learning environment driven by God's global mission. I have taught a few classes there and almost joined the faculty at Columbia Biblical Seminary.  (This was before Thom Rainer, Brad Waggoner, and LifeWay called and changed our direction.) Our draw there was because of their mission-shaped curriculum and their high view of scripture.

CIU is  serious about making God's global mission central to their ethos. The schools mission statement says "Equipping Great Commission Christians to minister in multicultural communities." And, it is obvious that mission is their passion and their passion and their ethos.  They require every course to be taught through the lens of mission.

I think such a mission-shaped ethos is both essential and (unfortunately) missing at many schools.

One school that is still thinking through how best to do this is Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, PA (near Philadelphia). Biblical is in the midst of a transition. Like most periods of change, it has not been without fits and starts. But, I appreciate their passion to create a "missional" focus. I had a great time there a few weeks ago teaching, "Entering the Missional Conversation."

I have loved teaching at schools like the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Indiana Wesleyan University, Reformed Theological Seminary, and some of my own denominational seminaries, but I have decided I need to focus so I can have longer interaction with students and faculty colleagues.  I am doing so be putting my focus on two schools with a high view of scripture and a focus on mission: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

A few months back, I talked about my role at Trinity.  I taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School a few weeks ago (the pic above is from that time) and I will be doing so at least twice a year. Here is the info about my most recent class and I will be teaching there again this fall, October 26-30th. Trinity is a remarkable school and I encourage you to check it out. I am honored they would invite me to teach there.

Here on the blog I also mentioned that I was joining the faculty of Southeastern. Southeastern is a great seminary with a growing influence inside, and well beyond, the SBC. If you're considering a seminary education, you should give SEBTS some serious thought. In June, I'm teaching a D. Min. course at SEBTS titled, Practical and Strategic Issues in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. 

So, my two schools are Trinity and Southeastern, two schools focused on God's global mission with a high view of scripture. I hope to see you there!

Here is the syllabus for my upcoming class at Southeastern:

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
DMN 8804 Practical and Strategic Issues in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth June 1-5, 2009
Dr. Ed Stetzer

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course examines practical and strategic issues relevant to missions, evangelism and church growth as well as the integration of theory and practice into strategic methodologies for the local ministry context. Strategies for approaching current issues will be developed. 3 semester hrs.

II. PREREQUISITE COURSE(S)

DMN 8801 Theoretical and Foundational Issues in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth
DMN 8811 Contextualized Learning Experience in MECG I
DMN 8802 Biblical and Theological Foundations for MECG
DMN 8812 Contextualized Learning Experience in MECG II
DMN 8141 Research Methods and Project Writing Workshop
DMN 8803 Historical and Contemporary Models of MECG
DMN 8813 Contextualized Learning Experience in MECG III

III. COURSE OBJECTIVES Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. A student who successfully completes this course will be better prepared to accomplish this mission by learning to do the following:

1. Develop an awareness of the literature in the areas of missions, evangelism and church growth.

2. Discuss and evaluate various missions, evangelism and church growth theories and methodologies.

3. Develop competence in assessing the environment and needs of the local congregation for more effective understanding and practice of missions, evangelism and church growth.

4. Prepare a missions, evangelism and church growth strategy plan for his or her particular ministry setting.

5. Implement and evaluate specific missions, evangelism and church growth strategies within a local congregation.

6. Improve written communication skills as needed as a tool for ministry.

IV. COURSE TEXTS

• A Second Resurrection: Leading Your Congregation to New Life - Bill Easum
• Breaking the Missional Code - Ed Stetzer and Davd Putman
• Comeback Churches - Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson
• Planting Missional Churches - Ed Stetzer
• Radical Reformission - Mark Driscoll
• The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West...Again - George G. Hunter III
• The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier - Tony Jones
• The Shaping of Things to Come - Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost
• When God Builds a Church - Bob Russell
• Why We're Not Emergent: by Two Guys Who Should Be - Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Pre-Seminar Reading Read the required texts found above. If you have already read one of the required texts in preparation for another D.Min. seminar, please email Dr. Stetzer and determine a viable substitute. Dr. Stetzer and Dr. Ewart understand that some of the reading might have to be completed during or following the seminar due to the date of receiving this syllabus. Make certain you work on the assignments for presentation in the seminar first.

2. Critical Book Reviews Prior to the beginning of the course, students are expected to write three, five to seven page, double-paced critical book reviews. Students may review any of the selected books from the above list. Students should carefully follow the specific guide provided at the end of this syllabus. The reviews are due at the first seminar meeting.

3. Paper Presentation Based upon your reading, research, seminar discussions, and writing in the D.Min. program to date, prepare a fifteen page paper defining and discussing the critical issue in missions, evangelism and church growth and the practical strategy to deal with this issue that has become the basis for the Project you intend to carry out in your ministry context. Spend no more than five pages defining and discussing the issue itself. At least ten pages should be spent describing the intended strategy with which you plan to address this issue in your ministry. This paper is due the first morning of the seminar. Each student should prepare a twenty minute oral presentation of his paper to the seminar for critical review and suggestions.

4. Schedule/Conference/Final Examination PaperThis seminar will meet on the Wake Forest campus from Monday through Wednesday. The seminar will then move to attend the "Advance09: Resurgence of the Local Church" conference (see - advance09.com) in Durham. We will arrange transportation for those who need it as a cohort. The conference hosts have graciously agreed to underwrite the cost to attend this conference for the seminar students. We will register you to attend. Attendance is mandatory for the entire Thursday and at least through the Friday morning sessions of this conference. Students may, of course, attend all the way through Saturday noon. The final examination is a take home writing assignment. Each student much prepare a seven page paper in which he critically interacts with the content received at the conference. The paper should include a very brief summary of the conference speakers' content, and then a critical analysis (much like a book review) of that content. This assignment is due via email by noon (EST) on June 12, 2009.

5. In-class assignmentsDue to the intense nature of this course, attendance at each class meeting is mandatory. Because each student has insight to offer from his ministry context and experience, students are expected to participate fully in seminar discussions. The professor reserves the right to ask questions of each student in order to facilitate discussion. Further in-class research assignments, including library research may be given during the seminar.


VI. EVALUATION/GRADING:

1. The student must complete all assignments required by the professor at a doctoral level of competence.

2. The student must demonstrate clear and specific interaction with the assigned reading material and class discussion.

3. The student's work must be fulfilled by the assigned date. The grade for work submitted late will be lowered one quality point for each day beyond the original submission date. No written work will be accepted after the final day of the seminar except in cases of unexpected personal crisis and immediate discussion with the professor.

4. Each assignment designated "unsatisfactory" by the professor may be returned to the student to be rewritten and resubmitted at a specific time.

5. Without satisfactory completion of all assignments, a grade of "incomplete" will be given which will become a grade of "F" if left unattended. This will have a major impact on the student's ability to continue in the program.

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all written assignments should be typed, double-spaced, and footnoted when needed. Guidelines for papers submitted in this course are found in Turabian 7th edition. In order to ensure full class participation, any student with a disabling condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorders, special adaptive equipment, special note-taking or test-taking needs) is strongly encouraged to contact the professor at the beginning of the course.

Disclaimer: This syllabus is intended to reflect accurately the course description, course objectives, general content, grading criteria, course requirements, attendance requirements, and other information necessary for students to appraise the course.

However, the instructors reserve the right to modify any portion of this syllabus as may appear necessary because of events and circumstances that change during the term.

Email all assignments to: Dr. Ed Stetzer


I. Preliminary Considerations

First, one must understand that a critical book review is not a book report (a summary of the contents of a book). A critical book review is a vehicle for examining and discussing issues the book itself raises or fails to raise. One writes a critical book review for the benefit of those who might not presently have time to read the book but who nevertheless need to learn more about its basic approach should they desire to read or study it at a future time. The job of the book reviewer is to inform these readers concerning any merits and/or shortcomings the book may have. From information based on a well-written review, the reader may conclude that this book is either indispensable or inconsequential.

II. Components of a Critical Book Review

A. Give complete bibliographical information at the top of the page (title, author, publisher, place of publication, date of publication, number of pages, and name of reviewer).

Use the following format:

Toward Rediscovering the Old Testament, by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, l987. 250 pages. Reviewed by Randy C. Slocum.

B. Briefly state the reason this book was chosen for review.

State the author's credentials (education, place of employment, previous achievements, etc.) as a preface to giving the book a serious hearing. Biographical information about the author should be included only as it demonstrates the author's competency to write the book. Within the context of the paper, do not use titles (Dr., Rev., etc.). In most brief reviews, you will likely need to limit the introduction to one or two paragraphs.

C. Briefly (in one or two well-written sentences) summarize the thesis of the book.

This is a crucial step because the thesis contains the reason why the author produced this particular book (there may be dozens on the market with similar subject matter). The thesis will state the author's basic presuppositions and approach. The critical nature of the book review will then grow from the reviewer's conclusion that the book does or does not achieve the author's stated purpose.

D. The main body of a critical book review will be concerned with "thesis development."

That is, did the author achieve the stated purpose? In this section the reviewer will inspect each of the chapters of the book to see how the thesis is (or is not) developed. If the author makes progress and develops the thesis convincingly, providing adequate information and statistical data, the reviewer says so, providing concrete examples and citing their page numbers in the text.

Given the limited amount of space in a brief book review, footnotes should not be utilized. Quotations or ideas taken directly from the text should be followed parenthetically by the page number of the quotation. The abbreviation for page(s) (p./pp.) should not be used.

Example:

Rainer argues that evangelistic churches should focus on reaching youth (20). Indeed, he writes, "Many churches fail to recognize that adolescence is a critical time of receptivity to the gospel" (21).

If the thesis is poorly developed or if the examples are inadequate to support the assertions of the author, the reviewer will point this out as well. Most critical book reviews will contain both praise and criticism, carefully weighed and balanced against one another. Remember the purpose of a critical book review is not to provide a summary of the book. You may assume that the professor and the grader know the contents of the book.

Questions the reviewer will seek to answer in this section might include:

• Is there an adequate, consistent development of the author's stated thesis?
• Why or why not?
• What is the author's purpose, i.e., what does he/she hope to accomplish through this book?
• Does the author accomplish the purpose? If so, how does he/she do so?
• If not, why not?
• Does the author approach the subject with any biases, i.e., do the author's theological, experiential, philosophical, denominational, or cultural perspectives influence his/her conclusions?
• Does the author properly support his/her thesis?
• Does the author adequately consider and refute opposing viewpoints?
• Is the book limited in application to specific types of churches?
• Is the book relevant to contemporary culture?
• Does the author have to resort to suppression of contrary evidence in order to make the thesis credible (slanting)?
• If so, what additional evidence would weaken the case?
• Is the thesis sound but marred by a flawed procedure?
• Is the author's case proved, or would another thesis have been more appropriately chosen?

E. Finally, a summary section should be attached.

How does this book differ from other treatments of the same subject matter? What is unique and valuable about this approach as opposed to the others? Would the reviewer recommend this book above others? Why or why not?

This final summary should include the major strengths and weaknesses of the book and evaluate its value for readers who may be interested in that particular field of inquiry. Your primary purpose in this section is to respond both positively and negatively to the book's contents and presentation. Needless to say, this response should be more in-depth than, "This book is a good book that should be recommended reading for everyone." On the other hand, "This book is a lousy book not worth reading" is also inadequate. Central to this is the basic question of whether or not the author has achieved the book's stated purpose.

Answer questions such as:

What are the strengths of the book, i.e., what contributions does the book make?
Why should a person read this book?
What did you learn from this book?
How might you apply the lessons of this book in your ministry context?
Would you recommend the book to other ministers? to seminary students? to laypersons? Why, or why not?

Do not allow your response to this question to become lengthy (for this paper is not primarily an evaluation of your ministry), but do make some application. Throughout your critique, be specific in your evaluations. Do not just tell the reader about the book; tell and show the reader with concrete examples from the book. As previously suggested, include page numbers when making specific reference to the book.

F. The length of the review should be between five and seven pages, double-spaced.
 

III. Style Issues for a Critical Book Review

Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th ed.) is the accepted standard for style issues. You are expected to be familiar with this guide. The following guidelines are included to counter common style errors:

1. Utilize this suggested outline to guide your book review, but do not include the specific subheadings ("Bibliographical Entry," "Summary of the Book," etc.) in the essay. The brevity of the review demands a smooth flow from one section to another without including the subheadings.

2. Use first-person sparingly; however, you may use "I" when referring to your opinion of a text.

3. Avoid contractions in formal writing.

4. Use active voice as much as possible.

5. Be clear and concise. A brief review allows no room for wandering from your objective.

6. Use your spell-checker, but do not trust it. A spell-check will not catch the error in such sentences as, "The whole church voted too pass the amendment." Use your eyes as well as your spell-checker.

7. Proofread your paper. Finish the paper, and proof it. Lay it aside, and proof it again at a later time. If you do not catch your errors, someone else will.