Syllabus
YM 4554: Adventure Education and Theological Reflection
Dr.
Course Description:
This course builds upon “Adventure Education in Ministry with Youth” (YM 4552). Low and high adventure education is widely utilized by schools, camps and outdoor ministries. The facilitating of the experience usually passes through a humanistic or secular lens, or what Luther would call the civil use of the law. The purpose of this course is to explore the unique character of a Christian hermeneutic for adventure leadership and group facilitation as it relates to adolescent faith development. The course examines a variety of practical theological models, Lutheran theological sources and current brain development studies, and their relationship to an advanced high adventure challenge experience. Strong emphasis will be placed upon integrating Lutheran theology, brain science and adventure experience into a holistic approach to kinesthetic spirituality and faith formation. In addition to the intensive adventure/class experience, students will be expected to do pre- and post-class readings, writing and internet dialogue with one another and the instructor.
Objectives:
· Students become theologically competent to facilitate adventure experiences as a Lutheran, evangelical exercise in practical theology.
· Students learn to safely lead low and high ropes course adventure experiences.
· Students develop a fuller understanding of how the brain functions in kinesthetic learning and can contribute to adolescent faith formation.
Evaluation:
Student
evaluations will be based upon the following criteria. The first is a 3 page review, comparison, and
integration of the reading assignments (20% of grade). The second is a 3-5 page
paper of the student’s practical theological approach to facilitating adventure
experiences with adolescents paying close attention to how their approach
relates to the faith formative process (30% of grade). The third is the willingness of the student
to engage in the challenges and learning related to going through the high
elements ropes course experience (40%).
The fourth is to regularly post thoughts and reflections regarding on
the course discussion forum site (20%).
Pre-class questions are posted in sequence and students are expected to
post and respond to one another’s posts at least once per question. The first discussion question will be posted
on May 19. All postings and must be
completed by
How, when and where does this course meet?
Class will be held at Lake Wapogasset’s low and high elements ropes course located at their Ox Lake site outside of Amery, Wisconsin. The prerequisite class (YM 4552) runs from 8:30 a.m. May 27-12:00 noon May 29. This class (YM 4554) begins immediately after lunch on May 29 and goes through 5:30 p.m. on May 31. Class day’s run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Students are responsible for their transportation to the camp site and lodging arrangements. Lake Wapogasset has housing available. Students should contact the camp directly at 715-268-5541, ext 23 (ask for Tyler McCarty).
Students are to bring their own lunches as well. Directions to the Ox Lake site can be found at www.campwapo.youthsite.org.
Students should also bring a Bible to the class each day.
Pre-Class reading
assignments: (to be read and discussed through the blog prior to class)
How to Think Theologically: Howard Stone and
ISBN 0-8006-2967-1
The Art of Theological Reflection: Patricia
Killen and
ISBN 0-8245-1401-7
Remembering the Future, Imagining the Past: Story, Ritual and the Human Brain,
David Hogue, The Pilgrim Press, ISBN 0-8298-1489-2
Class Handouts to be
posted:
Systematic Theology, Paul Tillich, pg. 59-68.
The Theology of Culture, Paul Tillich, pg. 112-126, 201-213, 76-111
Luther on Education, F.V.N. Painter, pg. 147-168.
Why We Believe What We Believe, article by Robert Sylwester
Post-Class discussion
forum:
Discussion of Tillich and Painter
Further Suggested
Readings:
Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming, Simon Priest, Michael Gass, (University of New Hampshire, 2005)
Engaging Tweens and Teens: A Brain-Compatible Approach to Reaching Middle and High School Students, Raleigh Philp. (Thousand Oaks, Corwin, 2007) 1-109.
“Faith and the Kierkegaardian Leap.” The Cambridge Companion to Kierkegaard, Alastair Hannay, Gordon Marino. (207-234)
Looking for Spinoza:
The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by
Exploring the Biology of Learning,
The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness, Antonio Damasio. (New York, Harcourt, 1999)
The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Religious Experience, Eugene D’Aquili, Andrew Newberg. (Minneapolis, Fortress, 1999)
The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell us About Our Kids, Barbara Strauch, (New York, Doubleday, 2003).
Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief, Eugene D’Aquili; Andrew Newberg. (New York, Ballantine Books, 2001)