Faith and Leadership in Times of Crisis (AM-667)

Course Details:

The havoc wrought by the global onslaught of the novel coronavirus has been complexified during the ensuing years by domestic mass-casualty incidents (both naturally-occurring and human-orchestrated); by climate trauma; by warfare, asylum-seeking, and immigration; and by fierce attitudinal clashes (often exacerbated by bigotry and blaming) with regard to systemic racism, the nature and content of public education, access to certain medical procedures, and much more. As emergent occasions have melded, one into the next, the need for robust resources and strategies for sensitive leadership, deep understanding, and efficacious interreligious collaboration has become all the more apparent. This course seeks to address that need.

Through engagement with case studies, anecdotal accounts, scripture, devotional literature, theological discourse, interreligious scholarship, and lived experience, this course facilitates investigation of the nature of leadership, followership, and entrepreneurship. Working asynchronously yet collegially, students in this course undertake multireligious consideration of questions such as: To what strategic and spiritual resources might we turn in times of great stress. What are we to do when access to those resources is disrupted? How can any of us provide comfort, hope, and cautious wisdom with integrity (and what actions can we take) when anxiety, grief, fear, or divisive forces threaten to overwhelm or isolate? What sorts of collaborative efforts have proven effective?

Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Elective
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Arts of Ministry
MAC - Chaplaincy Elective
MAC - Islamic Chaplaincy Elective

Instructor(s):

• Lucinda Mosher

Course Downloads:

• AM 667 Prelim Syllabus Fall 2024