The Spirit World and the Global Church CHM556 / B

Annette Brill Bergstresser on October 23, 2021

Instructor: James R. Krabill, PhD

This course will explore the biblical foundations of the spirit world and trace how these understandings have been both applied and challenged throughout the history of the Western Church. From there we will examine how the conversation is expanding as Western Christians encounter spiritual realities present in the rapidly growing churches of the global South (Africa, Asia, and Latin America).

Particular themes treated will include the Pentecostal appeal among struggling social classes, the language of 鈥渟piritual warfare鈥� and peace theology, and case studies of North American congregations and church leaders dealing with difficult 鈥渉ard cases鈥� involving spiritual dimensions.

A field trip to a local African immigrant congregation, followed by a conversation with congregational leaders, is part of the course experience (with an alternate assignment for participants at a distance).

Objectives

  1. Examine biblical texts from both the Old and New Testaments that describe and critique the spiritual realities and worldviews of the people of God and their surrounding cultures.
  2. Explore the development over two millennia of Holy Spirit understandings from the beginning of the early church movement up to the present global reality as expressed in communities of faith worldwide.
  3. Develop listening skills and willingness to learn from the personal stories and experiences of other classmates and guest lecturers.
  4. Gain appreciation of the wide spectrum within the Christian community of views regarding the spirit world.
  5. Reflect on one鈥檚 own life in and with the Spirit.

Schedule

This course will open on June 9, 2025, with two weeks of pre-reading. It will meet full time and in person on the bg真人 campus from June 23 to July 1, with Zoom access for participants at a distance. There will be one week of post-class writing assignments, which are due July 8.

June 23 鈥� July 1 meeting schedule; all times are Eastern Time
Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27: 8:30鈥�11:30 a.m. and 1:30鈥�4:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 29: All-day field trip
Monday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 1: 8:30鈥�11:30 a.m. and 1:30鈥�4:30 p.m.