The Rules for Taking a City

This sculptural module was originally conceived for the exhibition Serene Velocity in Practice: MC510/CS183 commissioned by the Auckland Art Gallery. Rules for Taking a City is a sculptural interpretation of one of the course modules in the classroom modelled on Mission Class 510, the course taught in the 1980s as Fuller Theological Institute by John Wimber.

Serene Velocity in Practice is based on two seemingly unrelated academic courses, MC510 and CS183, which were modules taught for a short time in Californian higher-learning institutions – one by John Wimber—musician, evangelist, educationalist, author, and founder of Vineyard International Ministries, a global neocharismatic church brand, and the other by Peter Thiel—billionaire, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, public intellectual, philanthropist, author, co-founder of Pay-Pal, Palantir Technologies, Founders Fund, and Facebook angel investor.

John Wimber taught as adjunct instructor at the School of World Missions (Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California). The course; MC510 Signs & Wonders and Church Growth took place over four winter semesters beginning in 1982 and drew on Wimber’s church-growth expertise in relation to faith healing and Kingdom Theology. MC510 is best known for practical sessions, dubbed “clinic time,” where healings and exorcisms were performed by and on class members.

Peter Thiel taught as adjunct staff in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University, California. The course, CS183 Startup took place over a single semester in 2012 and drew on Thiel’s expertise in diagnosing the post-2008 business cycle in relation to technology, globalization and the forward challenge of founding tomorrow's successful undiscovered unicorn.

While seemingly poles apart ideologically, Stevenson’s juxtaposition of these worldviews in side-by-side classroom installation suggests how they may have more in common than might first be imagined. Both courses transformed their respective fields, quickly gained mass global followings, best-selling books, and a multitude of cloned courses in academic departments around the world.

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