Prayer is central to the Christian church. In this course the phenomenon of Christian prayer will be studied both from a historical-biblical perspective and from a systematic and practical-theological perspective. The course divides into three parts.
Part One (4 ECTS)
The student is introduced to four forms of prayer found in the Bible: prayers of plea, confession, intercession and praise. Selected prayers from the Bible are used to identify characteristic features of the form and theology of these prayers. Furthermore, the student is given a short introduction to central texts where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray.
Part Two (2 ECTS)
In this part of the course we focus on the role of prayer in the worship of the Church and at selected church services (prayer for the sick, intercessions). Further, the role of prayer in the Christians life will be treated, e.g. Daily Office/Liturgy of Hours and personal devotional life.
Part Three (4 ECTS)
In this part the student is going to conduct a small-scale empirical research on prayer in a church context. The student is going to observe and analyse the practice of prayer in a church context. The student must use insights from the first two parts of the course in analysing the data collected by observation of prayer. The final assessment will be an essay based on this research.
Teaching amounts to 30 hours of classroom instruction and is mainly given through lectures and/or seminars. The classroom experience aims to stimulate you to independent reflection.
Knowledge
The students have:
- knowledge of Biblical texts that explicitly or implicitly discuss baptism and the Lord’s Supper
- knowledge of how baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been understood and practiced in the history of the church
- knowledge of how liturgical practices reflect doctrinal understandings of baptism and the Lord’s Supper
- knowledge of the ecumenical endeavours to overcome the theological and practical differences between the churches regarding baptism and the Lord’s supper
Skills
The students can:
- analyse and interpret Biblical texts about baptism and the Lord’s Supper in an informed way
- use biblical, historical and theological knowledge to discuss how baptism and the Lord’s Supper may be understood and practiced in churches today
- discuss how new ecumenical studies can contribute to the discussion of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as an ecumenical problem
- reflect critically on how one’s own denominational presuppositions may inform the understanding and practice of baptism and the Lord’s Supper
To be eligible for final assessment you must:
- Attend a minimum of 70 % of the lectures (cf. chap. 5.5)
Students who don’t complete the attendance requirement, must retake the course the next time it is offered.
See the document “Attendance Regulations for Fjellhaug International University College” for more details.
All course requirements and exams are individual and are submitted digitally. The final exam is an essay based on the observation of prayer practice in a church context. In the essay the students use insights from the first two parts of the course to write an analysis of the prayer practices observed.
Course Requirements:
To receive final assessment, you must:
- Submit a first draft of your essay. Required length is 1000 words.
Final Assessment:
| Form of assessment | Duration | Grading scale |
| Written Essay | 3000 words | A-F |
Final assessment is based on the written essay. The course and written essay will be graded A-E for pass and F for fail.
In case of “fail”, the students are allowed to revise and resubmit their essay in the period for new/postponed exams.
Some readings are available digitally on the school’s learning management system (LMS) and are marked with *.
Part One
* Fee, Gordon D. (1999): Philippians. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove: IVP, pp. 89-102
* Garland, David E. (2011): Luke. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, pp. 87-99 [1:39-56]; 456-475 [11:1-13]; 738-743 [18:35-43]; 715-723 [18:9-14]; 878-887 [22:39-53]
* Liefeld, Walter L. (1997): Ephesians. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove: IVP, pp. 87-94
Longenecker, Richard N. (eds) (2002): Into God’s Presence: Prayer in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, pp. 91-154, 203-227
Miller, Patrick D. (1994/2000): They Cried to the Lord: The Form and Theology of Biblical Prayer. Minneapolis: Fortress, pp. 55-134, 178-232, 244-280, 304-335.
Part Two
Greig, P. (2019). How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People. Hodder Stoughton, pp. 1-206.
* Keller, Timothy (2014): Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. New York: Penguin Books, pp. 120-141, 145-164.
Onwuchekwa, John (2018): Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, pp. 13-128.
Part Three
* Ward, Pete (2017): Introducing Practical Theology - Mission, Ministry, and the Life of the Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, pp. 153-177.
