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Cultivating a Scriptural Imagination

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Cultivating a Scriptural Imagination

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructors: Laceye Cammarano Warner

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

5 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

5 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Describe what it means to have a scriptural imagination
Connect your church’s practices of worship and fellowship, teaching, and mission to the hope of the gospel as described in scripture
Explain how diverse communities of faith can embody unity without uniformity as they interpret scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Discuss how doing theology “from the way” helps us exercise practical divinity and become active participants in God’s unfolding story of redemption

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 4 modules in this course

What does it mean to have a scriptural imagination, and how do we develop this kind of imagination in Christian community? How can a scriptural imagination help us become more active participants in God’s unfolding story of redemption? This Duke Divinity+ course explores the common values and scriptural framework that is at the heart of Methodism.

Throughout four weeks, you will learn the definition of scriptural imagination — and how to connect this to your church and individual practices and forming diverse communities of faith. In each week of the course, you’ll be asked to reflect on scripture to guide you to take practical steps in how to incorporate theology in your own worship, fellowship, teaching, and mission. This course is part of the Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism series. This is one of five 4-week online courses designed to help engaged laypeople and clergy (including local pastors in licensing schools) develop core capacities for innovative leadership within the Wesleyan tradition. If you are a pastor or ministry professional in need of Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits for your professional development, CEU credits are available for this course. Upon successful completion of this course, you can provide your Coursera certificate and the course description to your employer for recognition of earning 0.5 CEUs. Contact divinityonline@duke.edu with any questions regarding CEUs for this course. Each of the 5 courses in the Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism specialization is worth 0.5 CEUs, for a total of 2.5 CEUs for completing all of the courses. Through this series, we hope you will experience a deeper grounding in the distinctive elements of Methodism at its best, and a renewed capacity for hopeful, imaginative participation in the mission of God.

Scripture offers us incredible hope as we await Christ’s return. How might the New Creation shape our vision of what life in the here and now could look like? This week, you’ll begin to consider what it means to have a “scriptural imagination” by looking more closely at the astounding hope to which we have been called, how it shaped John Wesley’s vision for ministry, and how it might help us rediscover the heart of Methodism.

What's included

1 video10 readings2 assignments2 discussion prompts

1 video Total 12 minutes

Scriptural Imagination and the Heart of Methodism 12 minutes

10 readings Total 64 minutes

General Course Information 10 minutes
About Duke Divinity+ 10 minutes
Course Entry Survey 5 minutes
About the Group Discussion Guide 5 minutes
Group Discussion Guide 2 minutes
Coursera Online Discussion Guidelines 10 minutes
Report a problem with the course 5 minutes
About This Week's Presenter 10 minutes
Key Terms 5 minutes
Forming Scriptural Imagination (Optional) 2 minutes

2 assignments Total 20 minutes

Reflective Quiz 5 minutes
Week 1 Quiz 15 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 20 minutes

Introduce Yourself! 10 minutes
Plan one small step you can take to broaden your familiarity with scripture. 10 minutes

A scriptural imagination conceives of what the present might look like in light of the hope of the gospel. As the early church worked to bring this hope to life, it emphasized practices of worship, teaching and mission. The book of Acts narrates how these familiar features of church were grounded in the good news of God’s redemptive work. This week, you’ll be challenged to examine (and possibly reimagine) how your church’s expressions of these practices reflect the incredible hope described in Scripture.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

When we look to scripture to shape our sense of what is possible, it becomes exceedingly important that we interpret scripture faithfully. But what happens when we disagree about what scripture says? When we read the Bible in community under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our commitment to the authority of scripture need not become a threat to our unity as the body of Christ.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

1 video Total 10 minutes

Scripture Embodied in Communities of Faith 10 minutes

3 readings Total 15 minutes

This Week's Presenter 5 minutes
Key Terms 5 minutes
United Methodist Church Theological Guidelines (Optional) 5 minutes

1 assignment Total 15 minutes

Week 3 Graded Quiz 15 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

Reflecting on unity and how to cultivate diverse communities of faith. 10 minutes

Exercising a scriptural imagination requires going beyond academic or theoretical conversations about what God is doing in the world. To actually experience the renewal described in the Bible, we must embrace John Wesley’s understanding of practical divinity. In this final lesson, you’ll be challenged to consider how God invites us to get off the balcony and work alongside “the people on the street” to bring to life surprising stories that culminate in the glory of the New Creation.

What's included

1 video7 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

1 video Total 9 minutes

Storytelling for Practical Divinity 9 minutes

7 readings Total 45 minutes

This Week's Presenter 10 minutes
Key Terms 5 minutes
Video of a Holy Week Procession (Optional) 5 minutes
Course Exit Survey 5 minutes
How to Obtain CEUs 5 minutes
Divinity+ Interest Form 5 minutes
Share your learning experience 10 minutes

1 assignment Total 15 minutes

Week 4 Graded Quiz 15 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 20 minutes

Reflecting on speculative versus practical divinity. 10 minutes
Reflecting on your “one small step” from Week 1. 10 minutes

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Instructors

Laceye Cammarano Warner

Duke University

5 Courses 1,170 learners

Offered by

Duke University

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Frequently asked questions

For pastors and other ministry professionals in need of Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits for their professional development, CEU credits are available for this course. Upon successful completion of this course, you can provide your Coursera certificate and the course description to your employer for recognition of earning 0.5 CEUs. Contact divinityonline@duke.edu with any questions regarding CEUs for this course.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.