ENGAGED TEACHING IN THEOLOGY AND RELIGION RENEE K. HARRISON AND JENNIE S. KNIGHT Engaged Teaching in Theology and Religion This page intentionally left blank Engaged Teaching in Theology and Religion ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight Palgrave macmillan ENGAGEDTEACHINGINTHEOLOGYANDRELIGION Copyright©ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight2015 Softcoverreprintofthehardcover1stedition2015978-1-137-46813-0 Allrightsreserved.Noreproduction,copyortransmissionofthis publicationmaybemadewithoutwrittenpermission.Noportionofthis publicationmaybereproduced,copiedortransmittedsavewithwritten permission.InaccordancewiththeprovisionsoftheCopyright,Designs andPatentsAct1988,orunderthetermsofanylicencepermittinglimited copyingissuedbytheCopyrightLicensingAgency,SaffronHouse, 6-10KirbyStreet,LondonEC1N8TS. Anypersonwhodoesanyunauthorizedactinrelationtothispublication maybeliabletocriminalprosecutionandcivilclaimsfordamages. Firstpublished2015by PALGRAVEMACMILLAN Theauthorshaveassertedtheirrightstobeidentifiedastheauthorsofthis workinaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988. PalgraveMacmillanintheUKisanimprintofMacmillanPublishersLimited, registeredinEngland,companynumber785998,ofHoundmills, Basingstoke,Hampshire,RG216XS. PalgraveMacmillanintheUSisadivisionofNatureAmerica,Inc.,One NewYorkPlaza,Suite4500,NewYork,NY10004-1562. PalgraveMacmillanistheglobalacademicimprintoftheabovecompanies andhascompaniesandrepresentativesthroughouttheworld. ISBN978-1-349-55965-7 E-PDFISBN:978–1–137–44565–0 DOI:10.1057/9781137445650 LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Harrison,ReneeK. Engagedteachingintheologyandreligion/ReneeK.Harrison andJennieS.Knight. pages cm Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. 1. Religion—Studyandteaching. 2. Theology—Studyand teaching. I. Title. BL41.H371552015 200.71—dc23 2015016500 AcataloguerecordforthebookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary. Tomysister,SharonMarieHarrison, whoseteachingjourneyignitesmine, andtomystudents,whofuelmypassion—RKH Toalloftheteacherswhohavetransformedmylife, especiallymasterteacherRouslanElistratov(“Dr.E”) andSelaRouslanovnaKnight—JSK This page intentionally left blank Contents BookNote ix Acknowledgments xi 1 Introduction:“WhyDoWeTeach?” 1 ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight Part I Self 2 TheTeachingSelf:AuthoritythroughAuthenticity 21 JennieS.Knight 3 TheTeachingSelfandtheNameGame 31 ReneeK.Harrison 4 ThePracticeofSelf 41 ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight Part II Pedagogy 5 Pedagogy:TeachingMatters 59 JennieS.Knight 6 OpenPedagogy:TheBankIsClosed 73 ReneeK.Harrison 7 PracticesofEngagedPedagogy 83 ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight Part III Content 8 ContentThatConnects 97 JennieS.Knight 9 ContentThatOpensUstoOtherWaysofKnowing 109 ReneeK.Harrison viii ● Contents 10 IntegratingContentThatAwakens 121 ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight Part IV Community 11 Community-EngagedEducation 151 JennieS.Knight 12 Community:TheoryinAction 165 ReneeK.Harrison 13 BestPracticesforCommunity-EngagedLearning 177 ReneeK.HarrisonandJennieS.Knight Notes 189 Bibliography 197 Index 201 Book Note The goal of Engaged Teaching in Theology and Religion is to guide a process ofself-reflectionforscholarsandteachersoftheologyandreligionthatleads to intentional, transformative teaching, dialogue, and reform in theological educationandreligiousstudies.Effectiveapproachestoteachingmustaddress theselfhoodoftheteacheraswellaspedagogy,coursecontent,andcommu- nityengagement.EngagedTeaching issetapartfromotherworksinthefield becauseofthisholisticapproach.Inadditiontoaddressingthesefourareas, HarrisonandKnightprovideavarietyofpracticesforteachingthattakeseri- ouslystudents’criesforamoresociallyandpersonallyrelevantpedagogyand curriculuminarapidlychangingtransnationalworld. Thisbookisuniquebecausetheauthorsofferhumor,insight,andstories of teaching from two distinct perspectives, while also providing a cohesive overall vision. Drawing upon both authors’ extensive combined experience with engaged pedagogy, community-based learning, and liberative, Freirian pedagogies in seminary, college, and community settings for over 15 years, EngagedTeaching providesawell-reasoned,thorough,andaccessiblerethink- ing of teaching theology and religion, so that schools of theology and departments of religion might better live out their stated goals of form- ing transformative, courageous, and thoughtful leaders and teachers in the twenty-firstcentury.