United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities · Courses
FL
4 courses with the subject FL, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
FL 0001Theological Writing as a Spiritual Practice
0 Credits. Planned frequency of offerings: annually The intention of this course is to strengthen students’ grammatical, syntactical, organizational, technical, and citational proficiencies, not merely for their own sake, but rather for the purpose of developing a confident and unique theological voice reflected in written work throughout their seminary journey. The word “practice” in the course title suggests the need to pay close and serious attention to the craft of writing, not merely for the sake of receiving a good grade on a paper, but for the purpose of shaping theological arguments and ideas, across a range of theological genres, that are clear, coherent, accessible, and even a source of joy for readers. The spiritual practice of writing well facilitates engaging texts more deeply and with greater sensitivity, connecting more effectively with instructors and with other students toward creating a shared world, and even shaping and enlarging our souls as writing becomes a truly spirit-sustaining practice. This course may only be taken for a pass/fail grade.
FL 1001Introduction to Spiritual and Personal Formation3
Planned frequency of offerings: semiannually (twice per year) This course investigates the human person as a religious phenomenon and our process of becoming as a religious project. As such, students will interrogate their pre-understandings of the “self,” its relation to “the sacred”, and the diverse powers (bodily, psychological, social, and theological) that alternatively dignify and diminish us. Course readings represent a variety of religious, disciplinary, and social perspectives that illumine the multidimensional depths of personhood and offer resources for interpreting, evaluating, and shaping what it means to be human. Course assignments prompt students to articulate their emerging understanding of the self, the sacred, and the ambiguous powers pulsing between them for the sake of integrating these insights with their own spiritual and vocational self-understanding. Mindful that this course introduces students to theological study at United, special attention will be paid to the role of intellectual practices (reading, writing, conversation, contemplation) in the spiritual life. This, in turn, will provide a foundation for students in their practical courses at United by facilitating deep reflection on their personhood in relation to the callings of spiritual leadership.
FL 2001Organizational Leadership and Administration3
Previous Course Title: Organizational Leadership and Administration Prerequisite for this course: FL1001 Planned frequency of offerings: annually Congregations are religious organizations and nonprofits, legal entities built to achieve a community- based mission rooted in theological values. In this course, students learn what it takes to lead thriving, mission-driven organizations by exploring organizational leadership models, clarifying what leadership means, and learning about administrative functions like planning, accounting, HR, marketing, and fundraising. By the end of the course, students will create or evaluate congregational models, and practice building each administrative function in that creation or evaluation.
