Awareness Course
Encyclopedia
The Awareness Course is the education programme of the Awareness Foundation
. The Awareness Course has been described as '(helping) Christians develop an informed response to the religious and cultural diversity around them by being centered in their faith and secure in their identity.'. It is co-written by Bishop Michael Marshall
and the Revd Nadim Nassar
, who is the only Syrian priest in the Church of England.
The Awareness Course has been taught in the United Kingdom
, in the United States of America, in Syria
, Jordan
, Lebanon
and Palestine
in the Middle East
, and in Hong Kong
. Courses will shortly be starting in Canada
. Denominations offering the Awareness Course include the Roman Catholic Church
, the Church of England
, the Episcopal Church
, the Greek Orthodox Church
, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist
Churches, Middle Eastern Evangelical Churches, and several charismatic evangelical churches in the UK. Teachers are known as 'Course Leaders' and their role is primarily that of a facilitator and motivator rather than lecturer.
“Christians must be able to speak out with authority about their faith and how it applies to the real issues of the day,” says the Revd Nadim Nassar, the Director of the Awareness Foundation and author of the course materials.
The workshop, which features powerful videos with speakers from the three Abrahamic faiths, enables participants over half a day to understand the importance of their own role in spreading the message that faith matters, and that the true values of the Abrahamic faiths are love, forgiveness, respect and understanding.
is President of the Awareness Foundation and the Revd Nadim Nassar
is Director. They are co-founders of the Awareness Foundation
and co-authors of the Awareness Course. The Operations Director is St.John Wright, who has been with the Awareness Foundation since 2004; he is the son of British jazz guitarist Denny Wright
.
Awareness Foundation
The Awareness Foundation was established in 2003 to help Christians make sense of their faith in the 21st Century, and to increase awareness of their neighbours’ faiths and cultures, so that they can live in a diverse society without fear and without compromising their beliefs. Their Patron is the...
. The Awareness Course has been described as '(helping) Christians develop an informed response to the religious and cultural diversity around them by being centered in their faith and secure in their identity.'. It is co-written by Bishop Michael Marshall
Michael Marshall
Michael Marshall may refer to:* Michael Marshall , American R&B singer* Michael Marshall Smith , British writer* Sir Michael Marshall , British politician...
and the Revd Nadim Nassar
Nadim Nassar
The Revd Nadim Nassar is the Director and Co-Founder of the Awareness Foundation, and co-author of the Awareness Course. He established the Awareness Foundation in 2003 with Bishop Michael Marshall in response to the growing need to study the Christian faith in the context of the 21st Century.Nadim...
, who is the only Syrian priest in the Church of England.
The Awareness Course has been taught in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in the United States of America, in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Courses will shortly be starting in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Denominations offering the Awareness Course include the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Churches, Middle Eastern Evangelical Churches, and several charismatic evangelical churches in the UK. Teachers are known as 'Course Leaders' and their role is primarily that of a facilitator and motivator rather than lecturer.
Course Modules
The Awareness Course comprises a number of Course Modules, each comprising eight 'sessions' that last between an hour and ninety minutes. The Foundation is currently updating these Course Modules after four years of pilot teaching at selected venues around the world, adding a Teaching DVD containing 2 DVD segments per session, and a considerably streamlined and improved Course Book for Course Leaders. The new versions are known as 'DVD Modules'. At present, 'Citizens of Two Kingdoms' is the only DVD Module available for purchase. Bishop Michael, Father Nadim and their team are currently working on two further DVD Modules, 'The Diversity Code' and 'Sharing God?'. 'The Diversity Code' will be available in early 2011. In addition, teams in the Middle East and in Hong Kong are preparing Arabic and Chinese Modules for use in those regions.Course Materials
Each DVD Module comprises a Course Book (approximately 32 pages) and a Teaching DVD, plus Study Packs for those attending the course. These Modules sell for £99 including postage (within the UK).'Sponsor a Church'
The Awareness Foundation operates a scheme by which people can sponsor a church to teach the Awareness Course. According to the Awareness Foundation's website, "many churches in the UK that could benefit the greatest from the Awareness Course are those in areas of great deprivation. These churches provide a vital Christian presence in our most diverse and multi-cultural communities but they frequently have small congregations or they are situated in areas of high unemployment and their resources are terribly limited. Sponsorship enables one of these churches to take and teach the Awareness Course at no cost to them."'Speak Out!'
The Awareness Foundation recently launched 'Speak Out!', a half-day workshop for churches and other centres on 'How to articulate our faith, and why'. The Foundation say that 'Speak Out!' is intended to "help people of faith to understand the need for us to be able to speak about our faith to others, especially in today's increasingly fragmented world, and to guide people in how to speak out whilst retaining respect for people of other faiths, or none."“Christians must be able to speak out with authority about their faith and how it applies to the real issues of the day,” says the Revd Nadim Nassar, the Director of the Awareness Foundation and author of the course materials.
The workshop, which features powerful videos with speakers from the three Abrahamic faiths, enables participants over half a day to understand the importance of their own role in spreading the message that faith matters, and that the true values of the Abrahamic faiths are love, forgiveness, respect and understanding.
Personnel
The Rt Revd Michael Marshall (bishop)Michael Marshall (bishop)
Michael Eric Marshall was the eighth Bishop of Woolwich in the Church of England .Marshall was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge and was ordained in 1961. His first ministry position was as a curate at St Peter's Spring Hill, Birmingham after which he was temporarily a tutor at Ely...
is President of the Awareness Foundation and the Revd Nadim Nassar
Nadim Nassar
The Revd Nadim Nassar is the Director and Co-Founder of the Awareness Foundation, and co-author of the Awareness Course. He established the Awareness Foundation in 2003 with Bishop Michael Marshall in response to the growing need to study the Christian faith in the context of the 21st Century.Nadim...
is Director. They are co-founders of the Awareness Foundation
Awareness Foundation
The Awareness Foundation was established in 2003 to help Christians make sense of their faith in the 21st Century, and to increase awareness of their neighbours’ faiths and cultures, so that they can live in a diverse society without fear and without compromising their beliefs. Their Patron is the...
and co-authors of the Awareness Course. The Operations Director is St.John Wright, who has been with the Awareness Foundation since 2004; he is the son of British jazz guitarist Denny Wright
Denny Wright
Denny Wright was a jazz and skiffle guitarist, who performed with Stephane Grappelli, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan , Digby Fairweather, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Fapy Lafertin and many other musicians, including young rising stars such as Bireli Lagrene and Nigel Kennedy...
.