This course will introduce students to classical and contemporary understandings of the way in which pastoral practice embodies religious faith.

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in TRS and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

TRS4008 Pastoral Theology

TRS3031 Pastoral Theology Non Honours

None

Essay (2,500 words) - 40%

Essay including critical reflection on a case study (2,500 words) - 40%

750 word critical reflection on the student's contribution to a 30 minute group presentation - 20%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ explore the church's understanding and practice of pastoral theology in its historical and social context;

■ survey the ways in which historical, cultural, generational and gendered contexts have shaped approaches to pastoral theology and practice in the institutional church and amongst individual practitioners;

■ debate which forms of engaged practice are appropriate within our current cultural context;

■ reflect on their own values and convictions and on how these shape practice.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ present a critical and informed account of how a particular area of pastoral practice has developed to meet contemporary cultural challenges;

■ offer a worked example of how understandings of practice and theology are related in the work of significant pastoral theologian or theologians;

■ apply their critical reflection on their own values and practice to generate insights into the concerns of pastoral theology;

■ present complex arguments in written and oral form.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.