Dear Student-Teacher Applicant to the CTS program at Arrendale,
Attached you will find application materials for an appointment as a Student-Teacher in the Certificate in Theological Studies (CTS) Program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, GA, for the January-March and April-June 2016 quarters. Our sixth class of students begins in January, and we are delighted by your interest in the program!
In the CTS program, we believe that theology—the study of God and God’s relationship with the world—is a vital resource for many women in prison. We find that as incarcerated women face the stresses, constraints, and brutalities of time in prison, theological education can be a rare source of energy, creativity, and liberation for them. And we believe that as theological educators in prison settings, we too are given new insights into God’s work in the world by attending to the perspectives of our students.
About the CTS program at Arrendale
The CTS program provides focused and intensive opportunities for women at Arrendale to engage in theological education. Funded by the Atlanta Theological Association—a consortium of Candler School of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary, the Interdenominational Theological Center, and McAfee School of Theology—this program depends on the rich resources of these schools. In particular, we rely upon the students at these schools to teach many of the courses.
Women at Arrendale who are enrolled in the CTS program can complete the certificate within one year of matriculation. The program requires completion of biblical and theological foundations courses, three elective courses, and a final creative project. The foundations courses, which provide an introduction to critical biblical and theological scholarship, are offered for four hours per week over two 12-week quarters, from January through March and April through June. The elective courses serve to reinforce material learned in the foundations courses as well as to deepen biblical and theological knowledge through various topics of interest like “Biblical Perspectives on Criminal Justice,” “Women’s Perspectives on the Bible,” “Restorative Justice,” and “Doing Theology from Prison with Dietrich Bonhoeffer.” Other example course topics include, but are not limited to, Pastoral care and Christian education skills, Christian ethics courses addressing topics such as social justice, racial and ethnic reconciliation, HIV/AIDS, or punishment and criminal justice, History from early Christian communities through modern Christianity,Theological themes (e.g., forgiveness, suffering, redemption) and specific theologians (e.g., Bonhoeffer, Moltmann), Biblical scholarship and special Bible topics such as the Psalms, Paul’s letters, or biblical languages, and World Christianity and world religions, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
The specific topics of elective courses will be determined in consultation between student-teachers and the Directors of CTS, matching the interests of student-teachers and the needs of the CTS program. Electives are offered for two hours per week on Fridays for one 12-week quarter. The summer quarter of elective courses extends from July through September; the fall quarter extends from October through December. The winter quarter extends from January through March; the spring quarter extends from April through June.
The Roles of Student-Teachers
Student-teachers from the four ATA-affiliated schools are fundamental to the success of this program. Requirements for student-teachers include:
- Attending a day-long training session to become an approved volunteer in Georgia State Prisons.
- Passing a criminal history background check.
- 2-3 Pedagogy Sessions with Program Co-Director, Sarah Farmer, to develop syllabi and enhance pedagogical perspectives and practices. Student-teachers should also be in close contact with the faculty advisor from their schools.
- Designing and teaching a course focused on a particular theological issue, topic, or method. The courses in the winter quarter of electives and foundational courses will begin the second Friday of January and continue through the third Friday of March. The courses in the second quarter of electives will begin the first Friday of April and continue through the third Friday of June. Class sessions will meet once per week for two hours, scheduled in consultation between the co-directors and the student-teacher. Time windows for class offerings are 8:15 – 10:15am, 10:25 – 11:45am, 1:15-3:15 pm, on Friday. However, due to the distance of Arrendale from Atlanta and to limited access within the prison, instructors typically carpool with the program directors and remain for the entire teaching day (unless they wish to drive themselves).
Student-teachers may receive course credit from their school for their work in the CTS program or, in rare circumstances, a stipend, in accord with their previous teaching experience and school policy. The mechanisms for receiving course credit vary with each school. Some possibilities include, but are not limited to, participation in a directed reading with a supervised ministry component, an internship in criminal justice, or satisfaction of a ministry-in-context or urban-ministry certification requirement. Please contact us if you have further questions.
As you discern what to do this coming summer or fall, we hope that you recognize the value of the work of the CTS program at Arrendale—both for its students and its student-teachers. We believe that when people bring all of themselves to the program, lives are changed, and we participate in God’s work of healing the world.
Blessings upon you as you discern your role in that important work!
Sincerely,
Sarah F. Farmer
Co-Director of Certificate of Theological Studies Program
sfpoole@emory.edu
Thomas Fabisiak
Co-Director of Certificate of Theological Studies Program
tfabisi@emory.edu