MIN305: Christian Community Development and the Social Justice Tradition

Instructor & Contact Information

The People tab in Canvas provides information on the course instructor and you can send a message to your instructor following these instructions. Faculty are expected to: 1) grade and return assignments, with feedback, within 7 days from the date of submission; 2) reply to your Canvas messages within 72 hours; 3) reply several times each week in total in the discussion forums (not to each individual student); and 4) demonstrate the core values of City Vision University.

Course Description

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of Christian community development in an increasingly interconnected, urban world.  Course topics include: relocation, racism, reconciliation, redistribution, community asset mapping and other Christian community development principles. This course also helps students understand a range of social justice traditions including the Black church, the Brown church, Rescue Missions, the Salvation Army, Global Justice traditions and others.

Course Outcomes

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Articulate the eight principles of Christian community development.
2. Reflect on the complexities of relocation, racism, reconciliation and redistribution.
3. Create a community assessment for a neighborhood including an asset map and needs assessment.
4. Compare social justice traditions including the Black church, the Brown church, Rescue Missions, the Salvation Army, Global Justice traditions among others.
5. Apply the principles of Christian community development and social justice traditions into a personal reflection paper and an organizational strategy paper.

Degree Program Outcomes

Degree outcomes are the overall skills and knowledge we expect you will have after successfully completing a degree program at City Vision University. This course supports the following program outcomes, marked with an asterisk (*). After completing the degree, you will be able to do the following in each of the listed domains:

1. Bible. Use sound principles of Biblical interpretation to analyze the structure, themes and content of the Bible and apply that to local contexts.
2. Theology. Apply the foundational truths of Christian theology grounded in Scripture to local contexts.
3. Calling. Create a synthesis of a reflective life vision and plan to enable 24/7 ministry based on God’s purposes for work and their own unique calling.
4. Leadership. Develop a personal philosophy and plan for leadership based on principles of leadership and effective ministry management.
5. Life Balance. Develop plan for him/herself and others to establish life balance in a society saturated with technology and addiction. 
6. Cross-Cultural Ministry. Develop strategy for effective cross-cultural management and ministry and apply that to their own organizational or ministry context.*
7. Specialization. Develop skills and apply learning and concepts in one area of specialty ministry.

Required Texts

Students are required to purchase these texts before the first day of classes. 

• Gordon, W., Perkins, J. M., & Claiborne, S. (2013). Making Neighborhoods Whole: A Handbook for Christian Community Development (1 edition). IVP Books. ISBN: 0830837566

Pick One Text as Your Second Required Book

Our goals in this course are both that students both learn CCD principles from the primary text above and go deeper in their learning into one other Christian social justice tradition. We allow students to pick a book to accommodate for the diversity of our student body.

You can pick from the list below or you can suggest your own. If you suggest your own, your instructor will need to ensure that it meets the course objective to “compare Christian social justice traditions." You cannot pick a book that you have read prior to this course.

Black Church

• Ellis, C. F. (1996). Free at last?: The Gospel in the African-American experience. InterVarsity Press. 
• Harvey, P., Moore, J. M., & Mjagkij, N. (2013). Through the Storm, Through the Night: A History of African American Christianity (Reprint edition). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
• Lincoln, C. E., & Mamiya, L. H. (1990). The Black Church in the African American Experience. Duke University Press Books. 
• McCaulley, E. (2020). Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. IVP Academic. 
• Usry, G., & Keener, C. S. (2009). Black Man’s Religion: Can Christianity Be Afrocentric? (PRINT-ON-DEMAND edition). IVP Academic.
• Whelchel, L. H. (2011). The History and Heritage of African American Churches: A Way Out of No Way. Paragon House. 

Latino/a Church

• Castellanos, N., Perkins, J. M., & Gordon, W. (2015). Where the Cross Meets the Street: What Happens to the Neighborhood When God Is at the Center. IVP Books. 
• Crespo, O. (2009). Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity. IVP Books.
• Rodriguez, D. A., & Ortiz, M. (2011). A Future for the Latino Church: Models for Multilingual, Multigenerational Hispanic Congregations. IVP Academic. 
• Romero, R. C. (2020). Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity. IVP Academic. 

Native Americans

• Twiss, R. (2015). Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way (First Edition). IVP Books. 

Rescue Missions

• Magnuson, N. (1977). Salvation in the Slums: Evangelical Social Work, 1865-1920. Scarecrow Pr.
• Burger, D. (1997). Women Who Changed the Heart of the City. Kregel Publications. 

Salvation Army

• Winston, D. (1999). Red-Hot and Righteous: The Urban Religion of The Salvation Army (First Edition edition). Harvard University Press. 
• McKinley, E. H. (1995). Marching to Glory: The History of the Salvation Army in the United States, 1880-1992 (Revised, Subsequent edition). Eerdmans Pub Co. 

White (Majority Culture) Churches

• Gilbreath, E. (2008). Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical’s Inside View of White Christianity. IVP Books. 
• Harris, P., & Schaupp, D. (2009). Being White: Finding Our Place in a Multiethnic World. IVP Books.
• Swanson, D. W., & McNeil, B. S. (2020). Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity. IVP.
• Keller, T. (2010). Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just. Penguin Books. 

Christians in Social Work

• Scales, T. L., & Kelly, M. S. (2016). Christianity and Social Work: Readings on the Integration of Christian Faith and Social Work Practice (Fifth Edition edition). North American Association of Christians in Social Work.

Global Perspective

• Barnett, M., & Stein, J. G. (2012). Sacred Aid: Faith And Humanitarianism (1 edition). Oxford University Press, Usa. 
• Georges, J., & Baker, M. D. (2016). Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials. IVP Academic.
• Plueddemann, J. E. (2009). Leading Across Cultures: Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church (5899th edition). IVP Academic. 
• Rah, S.-C. (2009). The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity. IVP Books. 
• Swartz, D. R. (2020). Facing West: American Evangelicals in an Age of World Christianity. Oxford University Press.

Additional Book Recommendations on Race & Ethnicity

Additional Book Recommendations on Global Christianity

Guidelines for Written Work

All written work must follow our Writing Format and Forum Requirements. You must read these to understand how to cite sources appropriately.

Critical Policies to Read for This Course

Note: These policies are critical for all students to read. In case of change, we have linked to the versions on our website to make sure you have the latest version.

• Grading Scale 

• Deadlines to Drop Courses

• Attendance, Late Policy and Extensions

• Technology Requirements for Courses

• Standards of Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Policy

• What plagiarism is and how to avoid it 

• Credit Hour Policy, Grading Policy and Other Academic Policies

• ADA Policy, Learning Accommodations & Disabilities Services
• Student Code of Conduct 

• Library Services

Additional Policies:

• Privacy Policy

• Consumer Disclosures
• Additional policies are listed in our catalog  

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester.

Last updated: August 14, 2024