The following Spring 2017 courses are eligible for credit toward the Certificate in Wesleyan Studies: PM 03213 American Methodism: History, Doctrine, and Polity and CH/CM/PM 06725 Death & Dying. Both classes are taught by Dr. Michael Turner.
PM 03213 American Methodism: History, Doctrine, and Polity (3 hrs.)
Thursday, 8 – 11 a.m.
This course is designed to introduce students to the history, doctrine, and polity of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America from the time of its founding in 1784. While some attention will be given to the various branches that split from the dominant tradition in American Methodism, this course will primarily follow the ecclesiastical line that eventual- ly became the United Methodist Church, at the time of its formation in 1968. For students pursuing ordination in the United Methodist Church in particular, the course is designed to ful ll the second half of the disciplinary requirements for history, doctrine, and polity as outlined in the United Methodist Book of Discipline.
CH/CM/PM 06725 Death & Dying (3 hours)
Monday, 8 – 11 a.m.
The course provides a basic background on historical and contemporary perspectives on death, dying, and the afterlife. In particular, this course will focus on exploring the presence of death as a universal for cross-cultural analysis; as a multivalent symbol in Western Christian history; and as a contested site of meaning in American culture. Topics discussed in this course include the evolution of attitudes toward death and the afterlife in western society, the process of grieving, ethical concerns surrounding the topics of death and dying, and the manner in which hospitals shape the end of life. Please note, while this course is intended for students of all theological persuasions, special focus will be placed on understanding the way that death is understood in the Methodist tradition. Students taking the course for credit in the Wesleyan Certificate program will complete assignments designed to help them understand death and dying through the lens of the Wesleyan/Methodist theological tradition.