DESCRIPTION:

An introductory course on the doctrine of the Church and of the Last Things. Special emphasis will be given to the historical development of doctrines in relation to biblical roots, and the role of traditional theology in contemporary thought.

The topics discussed illumine the basis for the Church's life of worship, nurture, and proclamation, both in articulating the content of faith and in suggesting models for communicating the content in ministry.

The course will meet for ten four-hour sessions over two weeks for lecture and discussion.

Course Syllabus (with further bibliographic suggestions to complete the expected 1200 pp of reading).

Ferguson, S., D. F. Wright & J. I. Packer, eds. New Dictionary of Theology. InterVarsity Press, 1988 (selected articles relevant to ST503).

Select one contextual/intercultural text:

Evans, J. We Have Been Believers: An African American Systematic Theology. Fortress, 1992.

Gonzales, Justo. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. Abingdon, 1990.

Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Oxford, 2002.

Lincoln, E. C. & L. H. Mamiya. The Black Church in African American Experience. Duke, 1990.

Rodríguez, J. D. & L. I. Martell-Otero. Teología en Conjunto: A Collaborative Hispanic Protestant Theology. Westminster John Knox, 1997.

Russell, Letty M. Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of the Church. Westminster John Knox, 1993.

Sugirtharajah, R. S., ed. Frontiers in Asian Christian Theology. Orbis, 1994,

Williams, D.S. Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk. Orbis, 1993.

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Eerdmans, 1954.

Berkouwer, G. C. Sacraments. Eerdmans, 1969.

________. The Church. Eerdmans, 1976.

Ferguson, Sinclair. The Holy Spirit. InterVarsity Press, 1996

Grenz, S. J. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000.

Grenz, S. J. The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to Ecclesiology. InterVarsity Press, 2002.

Oden, Thomas C. Life in the Spirit. HarperCollins, 1992.

Volf, Miroslav. After Our Image: The Church as the Image of the Trinity. Eerdmans, 1998.

Welker, Michael. God the Spirit. Fortress, 1994.

Submission five response papers of 2-3 pages each; a 6-page book report on a selected contextual/intercultural text; and a take-home final examination based on the lectures. First response paper due Wednesday, August 4; two on Monday, August 9; two on Friday, August 13. Book report due Friday, August 27. Final examination due Friday, September 10. See the Course Syllabus (available in the Bookstore) for suggested readings preparatory to the class.