DESCRIPTION:

This course examines the doctrines of the church, its nature and authority, ministry, Christian worship, the sacraments, prayer, the second coming, death, resurrection, judgment, and eternal life.

This course provides the student with the opportunity to reflect on fundamental issues of the Christian faith, the faith and witness of the Church, and the proclamation of the Gospel in the context of Latin America. The readings and assignments have been designed to facilitate this kind of reflection from the point of view of a biblical and dynamic pastoral activity in the context of Latin America.

Although the course, taught in Spanish, is strongly contextualized to the Latin American reality, for reasons of integration it will try to maintain close ties with the same material as taught in the course in English. Effort will be made so that a major share of the readings and assignments may be done in Spanish. The readings will be complemented by explanation, reflection, and discussion in class. This course meets one day a week for a three-hour session.

Berkhof, Hendrikus. Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979 (selected portions).

Calvino, Juan. Institución de la religión Cristiana. Grand Rapids: The Evangelical Literature League, 1989 (selected portions).

Escobar, Samuel. Tiempo de misión. Guatemala: Semilla, 1999;
OR Escobar, Samuel. The New Global Mission. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003.

Grau, J. Escatología. Barcelona: CLIE, 1980.

Hodgson, Peter C. and Robert H. King, eds. Readings in Christian Theology. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985 (selected portions).
OR Read at least 50 pages of systematic theology on the sacraments written by a theologian of the student's theological tradition.

Lacueva, F. La Iglesia, Cuerpo de Cristo. Barcelona: CLIE, 1980.
(This may be substituted with any standard monograph on the church such as G. C. Berkouwer, Hans Küng, Jürgen Moltmann, etc.)

Van Engen, Carlos. Pueblo misionero de Dios. Grand Rapids: Libros Desafio, 2004.

• Write six book reviews: one on H. Berkhof, Juan Calvino, Lacueva, Grau, Van Engen, and Escobar.

• Write one-page responses to selected portions of Hodgson & King OR selected reading in the sacraments.

• Write a paper (minimum 15 pages, maximum 20) concerning a pastoral and contextual matter related to the course; OR

- complete a take-home exam on the major elements of Christian thought related to the topics of the course; OR

- complete a series of ten Bible studies or ten sermons related to the topics of the course.

Meets MDiv core requirement in Systematic Theology "C" (STC).

Yes, for students who elect this option in the assignments.